If you don’t know what a “come to Jesus meeting” is, the “official definition” from the urbandictionary is:
Getting called on the carpet, dressed down, or otherwise chewed out in a severe manner. Usually used in conjunction with “meetin'” (meeting)
A meeting where someone close to you (e.g. friend, family, etc.) are confronted over behavior that’s causing consternation that’s negatively effecting your relationship.
It’s high time for a “come to Jesus meetin” with Christian business owners. You are being called on the carpet, dressed down, and chewed out in a severe manner because your behavior is causing consternation that is negatively effecting your relationship with the world.
Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? That’s how any “come to Jesus meetin'” starts- at the beginning.
If you claim to be a Christian, that means you identify yourself with the teachings of Jesus Christ- correct?
Where do we get the teachings of Jesus Christ? From The Bible, correct? Yes. So, we will reference Bible Scripture to show the importance of how your behavior reflects Jesus Christ to the rest of the world.
It is very unfortunate that we have to have this meeting, but as is the case with any uncomfortable situation, there comes a point in time where it just cannot be swept under the rug any longer.
When you think about what your character, how do you think people would describe you? This question is for everyone- Christians, and non-Christians alike.
Since this “come to Jesus meetin’ ” is for those who say they are Christ followers, we will focus on those folks for now. We will address non-Christians in another meeting.
For any person, your character is what defines you. If you identify yourself as a Christian, your life should reflect the ways- the character- of Christ.
In defining what the character of Christ is, and therefore, what the character of Christians should be, one word says it all: Integrity.
Integrity is not simply being honest and trustworthy; it is much more than that. The synonyms that are listed for “integrity” are:
candor, forthrightness, goodness, honesty, incorruptibility, principled, purity, righteousness, sincerity, straightforward, virtue
There is honor in living a life of integrity.
In studying the Bible, we see that God’s Word tells us a lot about having- and reflecting- integrity.
- Integrity means treating people fairly and honestly. (Leviticus 19:35-36, Deut 25:15, Proverbs 16:11-13)
- Integrity is giving your word and keeping it. (Exodus 8:28-32)
- Integrity will protect you. In Psalm 25, David prays that integrity and uprightness will protect him. How can it? (Psalm 25:21, Proverbs 2:7-8, 10:9, 11:3, 13:6)
- Integrity is more valuable than riches. (Proverbs 28:6)
- The Lord will test and judge your integrity. (1 Chronicles 29:17, Psalm 7:8)
- The Lord hates lies and lack of integrity. (Zechariah 8:16-17)
- It may be difficult to maintain your integrity. (Job 2:3, 2:9, Proverbs 29:10)
- Your character can be corrupted by bad company. (1 Corinthians 15:33)
- Integrity will be rewarded. (1 Kings 9:4-5, Nehemiah 7:2, Psalm 41:11-12)
- Your integrity should set an example. (Titus 2:7)
Now that we have the basics outlined, let’s move on to the next step. Christian business owners.
If you own a business, and you identify yourself as a Christ follower, your business life, business decisions, business practices, the way you treat your employees, the way you treat your customers- all aspects of not only your personal life, but your business life as well, should reflect integrity.
While integrity is something that should be expected from anyone who owns a business, it’s common knowledge that the business world is a very corrupt and cut-throat environment. For a Christian in the business world, we should be able to expect that their beliefs would dictate their business practices would reflect integrity. The very fact that we have to have this “come to Jesus meetin’ ” means that is not the case. There is definitely a problem that has to be addressed. We can no longer take for granted what should be common practice. It’s time to lay everything out on the table.
These things should be obvious to anyone- Christians and non-Christians alike- but just like those warning labels that say
“Remove occupants from the stroller before folding it.”
There’s a reason why those warnings are there!
You can find a personal example here of how some things should be obvious in business, but that’s not always the case. This personal example is, in fact, what has precipitated this “come to Jesus meetin’ ” you are attending.
One of the most important choices you must make when you go into business is the name of the business. As a business owner who identifies yourself as a Christ follower, this decision is even more important if you choose to link your business identity with your personal identity as a Christian.
If you choose a name such as “Heavenly Homes”, “Guardian Angels Security, or “Integrity Building and Supply”, you need to keep in mind that your business practices will now be judged by more than just your business practices. You have now set the expectation that you are a good, honest, incorrupt, principled, pure, righteous, sincere, straightforward and virtuous business.
It becomes even more important with a name that brings to mind good, honest and forthright actions that you run your business in a way that reflects goodness, honesty and forthrightness. If you do not, you will in fact reflect the opposite: wickedness, dishonesty and deception.
Everything in life is a choice. Every single choice we make has a consequence– good, bad or indifferent. It’s a chain reaction.
Are you and your business practices reflecting the identity you claim?
__________
Sources:
Thesaurus.com
UrbanDictionary.com #1
UrbanDictionary.com #2
Bible Study on Integrity