Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Waking with a start, I realized that I slept in. I was not even sure how that happened because I knew how important today was before I went to sleep last night. I set three alarm times to make sure that I was awake and ready for the start of what I knew would be a very busy day.
That day was the launch of a client website that I had been working on for months. It’s completion was delayed for unforeseen reasons but finally the day had arrived and I was thirty minutes late out of the gate.
When I saw my cellphone ringing I didn’t answer because I knew it was the client and my voice would betray my grogginess. I bounced out of bed, quickly got dressed, crammed down a fast cereal breakfast, fired up my computer and got to work.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
I read an article lately which outlined some Biblical secrets to business success. It went through the standard list that all businesses should strive for:
- Treat staff fairly
- Provide great customer service
- Be honest
- Be humble
- Deal with integrity
- Learn from mistakes.
The article missed a very important point. Whatever we do, including business, do all to the glory of God. What does this mean?
There is a quote by John Bunyan that goes something like this, “He who neglects God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.”
Another from the famous song goes like this, “Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bare all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”
The enemy, Satan will use business to separate you from spending time with God if he sees he will be successful. Making you think that your success is in your hands is the lie that we easily accept. So we jump out of bed and neglect spending time with God in morning worship, putting God second to the pressing work at hand.
For 50 – 100 years we will live here in this world, occupying until Jesus returns. But there will be no website developing in heaven. No – no auto repair, accounting, no truck drivers, or politicians, no retail sales people, no home builders or apartments to rent. There will be no banks or stock trading, or pay-day loans in heaven. So where should our priority be while we are here on this side of forever?
Sure we need to pay rent and eat. Yes we need to feed or children and put gas in our cars. Matthew 6:31-33, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Website development, or any occupation or hobby, no matter how much we love it, has to be second to God. What we do for work here over 70 years is insignificant to the eternity we will spend with our creator. Do not be deceived. God is able to solve whatever issue you have in business or personally. Just put Him first.
Start each day in praise and thanksgiving to God, our Father in heaven. Commit your life to God each day and through prayer, give God permission to direct your life according to His will. Spend time in His Word in Bible study or even just reading a chapter each morning. Spend time appreciating all that God has done for you lately and thanking Him for his goodness. And ask God to forgive you for anything or any occurrence that you have sinned. Starting your day with God has Biblical foundation. Jesus often arose early in the morning and found a solitary place to pray, spending hours speaking to God, His strength.
