CHRISTIAN BUSINESSES............WHERE ARE THEY?




KINGDOM BUSINESS


ENTERPRISE
  • I can pray for you to get healed, delivered instantly!
  • But if I pray for your prosperity, you will not see fresh notes in your pocket
  • Prosperity is not by decree, you must work-it-out
  • Don't go fasting 40 days and nights...Except asking God for Idea

Introduction

We are living in hard and uncertain times The economy across the globe is changing.  There are new and better ways of doing the same things today than yesterday and a lot of people are cut-up in the web.  

Let it be said clearly that "There is no Christian business, except the Church".  But even in the church, Large churches who establish business ventures have had to to play by the game.  The same planning, organizing, directing and controlling the affairs of the church business will have to play out, otherwise the business will not stand. So, you can quote me that there are no Christian business anywhere, but there are Christians businessmen and women everywhere, doing business in godly manner.


There is no Christian Business
There is no christian method of doing business, but a child of God can decide to have ethical business standards to ensure that his workers do business with the fear of God. 

So christian businessmen and woman are going to compete with unbelievers in winning business, they buy the same business equipment, pay the same bills and therefore should pay similar wages and compete effectively with others and they should introduce innovation and creativity in their services to win and retain their customers.  


There is no christian system of doing  business, so Christians who give their businesses christian names can tell you that, such a name will not necessarily attract customers to their shops.  If care is not taken, it might even attract more beggers than customers, because if your are religious, then you should be benevolent.  You should accept credit from people you don't know and sometimes give them free lunch!

Understand business dynamics (Nigeria)

There are dynamics in business and the economy the believer should understand.  For instance, in Nigeria, the economy rewarded Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers and Accountants more than other professions in the past.  So, obtaining a degree in any of these courses means you are going to get a job immediately you graduate with alot of pecks, that era is gone now.

It also happened that Oil companies were the best places to work, but how many oil companies do we have compared to the teeming population?.  So, everyone wanted to work for the Oil companies, before the Telecomms came on board and began to pay higher than all others, including the banks and once again Nigerian youths were justling to work for the Telecomms sector, but the bubble in the sector did not last. 


The Telecoms sector introduced entrepreneurs along with it.  They would pay their workers and allow them to sell their products in addition.  Smart workers of these Telecomms organizations became workers and businessmen earning extra income for themselves.  Of course, competition increased in the sector when more companies were licensed to open shop and the rest is story today.


In the same period, the banks began to shake due to liquidity problems, which eventually led to the collapse of many banks as they were unable to recapitalize...and thousands of jobs were lost in the process, Nigerian when into depression and joblessness was the order of the day.


Competition
As it was with employment and paid employment, so it is for business and traders in Nigeria. Everything can remain constant, but competition will never remain constant and many businessmen and businesses are overthrown every day in the market place.

Distributors were the king in the distributive business, but the rules have changed and will continue to change as the companies are themselves looking for greater and wider market for their products.  So, smart distributors began to distribute more products of the same company or they will stock the same products from different companies.


These features became the dynamics of the Nigerian business environment in the last 20 or so years. The events affected people and got many thinking of alternatives to paid employment, others moving from one business venture to another.


Young and Aggressive entrepreneurs

These development led many to think of being their own Bosses.  The creativity and industry of the people was challenged and a lot of micro farming, micro business and micro enterprises came on board. Many entrepreneurs attempted Manufacturing, especially in Lagos, Onitsha and Aba - but competition from big companies and multi-national suffocated many of these young entrepreneurs. 

However, bottling of water in Sachets and bottles and Fish farming stood firm with Nigerians.  Farming and animal husbandry like rearing chicken got popular and was also established.  At a point, Nigeria became self sufficient in poultry and had to ban importation of frozen chicken. 

The cosmetics and body care sector bubbles and later went down due to lack of technology for innovation and research.  Then the Talent and creative sector came gradually alive with the youths creating wonderful music and song, vibrating video experiences and went ahead to establish leading brands and actors.  These events had impact on people.


Medium size joint Venture companies

In the midst of all these, we saw the coming into existence alot of new joint venture businesses with Nigerians and Indians and others foreigners in the Food and consumable sector.  

These new companies saw the teaming youth population and their need for dairy and juice drinks and went into business and today, that sector has the highest variety of any products in the Nigerian market.


It is not the devil

Now, if you do not understand these dynamics, which was actually inevitable and have even continued to evolve till today, you will think it is the devil making life difficult for children of God, but that is not true.  The individual grows, the economy grows and the nation grows and all such growth is with certain dislocations and eventually the economy will be better for it.

Competition is dynamic in business and no one is waiting for another person, what people do is basically seek opportunities, exploit the few ones they see and continue.  The moment your business begins to attract quality customers, your neighbour begins to plan to compete with you.  He wants a part of your gains for himself as an individual.  It is not the devil sending him to compete with you or take away your customers.  It is the reward of the success they have seen in your business.


If you doubt me, ask MR BIGGs what happened when Tantalizer fast food brand came on board to compete with them.  The competition was frontal, service for service, price for price, environment for environment.  Tantalizer will open their shop opposite Br. BiGGs when they have established themselves in a location and people have started flooding the place for fast food...That's when Tantalizer would open their own shop, its called  competition!


Reality

In a world of compromise, the unbelievers can do anything to win business and such is normal to them.  Many of the methods are not glorifying to God, but the believers cannot join them.

The truth is that many believers are confused and sometimes bitter they cannot do what their competitors are doing, but there is hope in Christ for those who seek the Lord's help in business. It is a price many believers in business would have to bear.


In reality, it is becoming very challenging for an honest and truthful Christian to make it big in business across the nations of the world. In a world of compromise, where people do anything to win business, including asking their workers to compromise their faith at will, how can a child of God succeed in business?

For children of God to get wealth , they should be covenant sons and daughters of God.  You MUST be a covenant child of God, who understands the purpose of God's blessing on His children and the covenant requirements.  You need to be serving Him in your local church at the level your talent and grace in your life places you.


Requirements for Kingdom Wealth

Riches and wealth that come from the Lord is actively worked out.  It does not just drop from heaven, it is acquired and not necessarily received.  It is acquired in the diligence with which the holder transacts his business with people.  It is acquired in the vision the holder drives to a logical conclusion and it is acquired in the wise decisions of the holder and his covenant practises.

Please note that covenant practise alone, without vision and any meaningful business idea and goals to win and live for, there will be no prosperity and no wealth.


In almost all cases of successful men with kingdom resources and wealth, the Lord will give then an idea to execute, from where the riches and wealth will arise from ...if the execution is done well and the person remain faithful to God. The Lord wants them to be involved in the making of their wealth because wealth gotten by vanity shall diminish Prov 13:11


What to do - You need the following:
1. Be born again - Accept the love of God offered to man
2. Be a witness to the good news of salvation
3. Be a giver...Honour the Lord, your parents and give to the needy
4. Be committed to kingdom progress
5. Have faith in God, believe in Christ and love and serve Him
6. Meditate on the word of God and retain it in your heart
7. Pray always




FIRE...

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