By Jeff Brink, April 29, 2024

Several weeks ago, we began this series by introducing the analogy that all of God’s children are working in His family business, the largest business ever created. Every day should be viewed as a family workday, working side-by-side with our brothers and sisters in Christ to continue God’s work on earth and make a kingdom impact.

Worldly family businesses typically have goals and objectives, both short and long-term. A typical list looks like this:

• Building a name (or legacy)
• Growing the business (or flourishing)
• Providing for the family
• Developing and maintaining a sterling reputation
• Succession planning

We continue our series by connecting these worldly pursuits to building God’s Kingdom family business and providing practical insight. Today, we discuss the importance of developing and maintaining a sterling reputation in the “family business.”

Reputation is critically important to the long-term success of any family business. To survive and thrive, the business representatives (from top to bottom) must exhibit excellence, sound ethical behavior, and compassion for their customers—in other words, they must have a sterling reputation. God’s family business is no different.

We were created in God’s image. And as Christians, we are God’s image bearers on earth. We are representatives of our Lord Jesus Christ and His kingdom in all areas of our life, including work.

As kingdom ambassadors, how we behave and conduct our business matters. In the marketplace, Christians should strive to live out their values daily and bring Christ’s bright light to work. Jesus shared this parable in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

For the Christian message to spread and develop, followers must proclaim and show their faith everywhere they go. This includes our professions. We see throughout the teaching of Jesus that the life of a Christ-follower is to be distinctively different from, not similar to, the world. That’s what being “Christian” is all about. We are distinctively different from the world, yet we are present in the world. This means we are to avoid giving in to the temptations of either assimilating into the secular world or separating from it within our Christian circles, but rather to be distinctly present.

When Christians excel at work, treat others with compassion, and show the fruit of the Spirit in all they do, they elevate the “family business” brand and lead to kingdom flourishing. So, let your light shine brightly each and every day!