What the Bible Says to the Business Leader

By Leadership Ministries Worldwide

How To See Your Business As Your Ministry What does God expect of you in business? And how do you honor Him daily in all you do? What the Bible Says to the Business Leader offers practical, scriptural values for conducting business in a 21st-century world. Topics include: • Succeeding personally and professionally • Ensuring excellent

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leadership Ministries Worldwide
• Release date: Dec 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781574074277

Book preview

What the Bible Says to the Business Leader: The Business Leader’s Personal Handbook

Copyright © 2018 by Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

All rights reserved throughout the world. No part of What the Bible Says to the Business Leader may be reproduced in any manner without written permission.

The purpose of the copyright is to prevent the reproduction, misuse, and abuse of the material.

This book is the third in the What the Bible Says to … series published by Leadership Ministries Worldwide (LMW), which uses The Preachers Outline & Sermon Bible® as one of several core research materials. LMW wishes to express deep appreciation for its collaboration with Alpha-Omega Ministries, Inc., the copyright holder of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible® and the first two books in the What the Bible Says to … series, for its help and encouragement to expand the series with What the Bible Says to the Business Leader.

Page 398 contains copyright notices and permission statements for all Scripture translations used in this book. Please note that quotations from the New International Version (NIV) are from the 1984 edition, and quotations from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) are from the 1977 edition.

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Leadership Ministries Worldwide

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International Standard Book Number (LMW paper cover) 978-1-57407-144-3

International Standard Book Number (Yerbey paper cover) 978-1-57407-145-0

International Standard Book Number (e-Pub) 978-1-57407-427-7

International Standard Book Number (Kindle) 978-1-57407-402-4

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PUBLISHED BY LEADERSHIP MINISTRIES WORLDWIDE

Dear Friend,

Surprisingly, God Himself tells us how to start and operate a business. God’s Holy Word actually spells out how to be successful in business as well as in life. In fact, early in the creation process, God ordained labor to be one of humanity’s major activities. When He created the first man (Adam), He immediately charged him to get busy and work, to subdue and manage the earth, to tend and look after it (Ge.1:28; 2:15). This means that having work to do, the privilege of a job, is of critical importance.

Think for a moment: What would the world be like without structured businesses? There would be no jobs to provide work or income, no companies to construct houses, make cars, or build stores, no products or services available to sustain human life. Indeed, without businesses, we would likely still be living in a primitive society. Humanity never would have progressed as it has through the centuries without businesses nor would we have achieved the quality of life we enjoy today. Knowing this should make business one of the most honored institutions on earth.

It is you, the business owners and professionals whom God has called and gifted to lead, who enable humanity to function as it has through the ages. Whether yours is a single-person operation or part of a huge conglomeration, you play an important role in providing the products, services, and flow of money that are essential worldwide. Likewise, you are key to the progress, development, and strength of communities and nations. You have an integral role in helping people meet their most basic needs:

•Their physical needs—by creating jobs through which people can provide food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities for themselves and their families

•Their practical needs—by supplying beneficial products or services that make life more productive, enjoyable, and comfortable

•Their emotional needs—by providing purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction through meaningful work

•Their spiritual needs—by giving them at least one day a week for worship and rest, which enables them to support churches and other ministries that are helping the needy and taking God’s Word to the world

Your call to business leadership, whether as an owner, executive, or manager, requires much of you. It requires wisdom, fearlessness, and fortitude—the fortitude to make difficult decisions and take extraordinary risks. Indeed, there may be days when you feel you cannot go on, that your situation is hopeless, that you are unprepared, or that your responsibilities are too great. In addition to everything else, you may feel all alone.

But, thankfully, you are never alone as you go through the long, difficult days. God is always there, always available for you. If you seek Him, He will give you wisdom and direction, and you will feel His power working in you. He will enable you to overcome your fears with an infusion of sound thinking (Jas.1:5). His presence will strengthen you and give you the courage to move forward (Is.41:10). In fact, He invites you to bring your heavy burdens to Him. Just ask Him for help and He promises to empower you to persevere through the darkest, most hopeless conditions. He will give you rest even when your troubles are so overwhelming that you cannot sleep (Mt.11:28-30).

God has promised you all of this and more, everything you need as you lead your business or area of responsibility. This is what What the Bible Says to the Business Leader is all about. This is what God says to you as a business owner, executive, or manager. The major verses and subjects in the Bible that speak directly to the business leader are here in this book. They are organized and arranged according to the crucial areas of the business leader’s life. And, note, just like the Bible, most of the discussions address you as you, using the second person singular. This makes the discussions far more personal—as though the instruction, challenge, or promise is for you.

What the Bible Says to the Business Leader is your own Personal Handbook—a resource or tool that you will want to keep at hand on your desk, computer, or another device. It is not a book to be read straight through or read once and then placed on the shelf. It is a resource book to be turned to again and again. Inside, you will find the help and encouragement you need from God’s Word, all stated clearly and concisely. The thorough subject index will direct you to the pages where you will find God’s wisdom for specific areas or challenges. We offer this book to you with the prayer that God will richly bless you through it, helping you daily to accomplish His purpose for your life and business.

With warmest regards, we are,

LEADERSHIP MINISTRIES WORLDWIDE

CONTENTS

1. What You Can Do to Succeed Personally and Professionally

2. What You Can Do to Help Achieve Your Vision or Dream

3. What You Can Do to Succeed in Your Business Operations

4. What You Can Do to Ensure Excellent Financial Management

5. What You Can Do to Cultivate Excellent Employees

A. Hiring and Developing Employees

B. Managing and Rewarding Employees

6. What You Need to Do When Dealing with Critical Business Matters

A. Lawsuits

B. Financial Crises

C. Debt Collection

7. What You Can Do to Overcome Problems and Difficult Situations

8. What You Need to Guard Against in Both Your Business and Personal Life

9. What You Can Do to Help Build Healthy Relationships

A. You and All Those with Whom You Have Business Dealings

B. You and Your Family

10. What Your Responsibilities Are to the Local Community and to the World

11. What Your Attitude Toward Money Should Be

12. What God Expects of You Personally

WEALTH CREATION MANIFESTO

SUBJECT INDEX

SCRIPTURE INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CHAPTER 1

What You Can Do to Succeed Personally and Professionally

Contents

1. Strive daily to glorify God through your business or your area of responsibility.

2. Obey God’s Word in all things.

3. Be ambitious to serve others.

4. Be a person of integrity—good character—above reproach.

5. Work hard—laboring willingly and dilligently.

6. Strive to walk humbly before all, especially before the Lord.

7. Do not think too highly of yourself, nor too lowly.

8. Develop outstanding people skills: Learn to be gracious in all your interactions.

9. Build healthy relationships with helpful individuals, companies, and associations.

10. Overcome a cynical attitude by focusing on the positive.

CHAPTER 1

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SUCCEED PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY

1. Strive daily to glorify God through your business or area of responsibility .

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Co.10:31, ESV).

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! (1 Chr.16:28, ESV).

Will it glorify God? You should always ask yourself this question before making decisions. As Scripture so plainly teaches, everything we do should bring glory to God. Your commitment to glorify God should extend to the way you operate your business, or to the way you conduct yourself in your position of leadership in a business.

In every deal, every contract, every personnel decision, every policy, every response to customers or employees or suppliers—from the largest matters to the smallest—our first concern should be ensuring that our actions or decisions bring glory to God. God is glorified through your business when you…

•conduct business the way He would

•conduct business in a way that pleases Him

•obey His commands in everything you and your business do

•conduct yourself —your attitude, words, interactions—in a way that pleases Him

•value other individuals, treating each one fairly and respectfully

•use your business or position to advance the cause of morality and righteousness on earth

•acknowledge Him as the true owner of your business or management position and view yourself as a steward over it

•seek His help and depend fully on Him for everything you need

•give Him the honor and credit for everything you accomplish, every success you attain, for it is God who has given you life and the abilities you have

As you strive to glorify God first in your business, remember that there is no justification for unethical behavior, even for a worthy cause. That is, you should never do anything that does not glorify God in order to achieve something that does. Paying unfair wages to employees so that you can increase your giving to the church does not glorify God. Nor does reducing the quality of a product or service or violating regulations so you can support a ministry glorify God. God is glorified only when every facet of your business pleases Him. This should be your constant goal and driving motivation as you go about running or managing your business day by day.

2. Obey God’s Word in all things .

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law [His Holy Word] shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Jos.1:7-8, ESV).

Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do (Dt.29:9, ESV).

God’s promise is clear: the results of obeying His Word are prosperity and success. Therefore, the most important thing you can do to ensure your success is to make God’s Word the basis or the manual for your life and your business or job. You will be successful, first, because the Lord will bless you for being obedient to Him. God’s favor will be on you. He will lay His hand on you and your company, exercising His unlimited power in your behalf. In other words, you will have the full force of God’s favor behind you, on your company’s or job’s journey to success.

You will also be successful for a second reason, one that is entirely practical: God’s principles work. His principles for life and business are powerfully effective. When you follow God’s commandments, you will see positive results. For example…

•when you treat your employees as God instructs, you will develop and retain individuals who are diligent, productive, loyal, and dedicated

•when you follow God’s principles for managing your finances, such as limiting debt and building reserves, you will survive recessions and economic downturns

•when your customers, vendors, and suppliers experience your integrity in action, they will want to do even more business with you

God commanded Joshua to obey everything that Moses had written, all of God’s Holy Word at that time. He has also commanded you to obey all the instructions of His Word, both in your life and in your work. Note exactly what God tells you to do with His Holy Word:

•Obey all of God’s law—keep all of His commandments (v.7; also see Jn.4:21, Jas.1:25)

•Do not turn away from God’s Word (v.7)

•Never stop sharing God’s law or Word (v.8)

•Meditate on God’s Word day and night (v.8)

Without question, obeying God is not always easy. We all know this. This is why the Lord calls you to be strong and courageous. He knows that adhering to His Word will force you to make difficult choices and take bold stands. In all probability, some people will despise and mock you and make false accusations against you because of your Christian stand. Some may even refuse to do business with you. Others may pressure you to compromise your convictions. Consultants and experts might give you advice that is contrary to God’s principles. If you are in a retail business, you will have to decide whether or not you will sell certain products, products that are profitable but also detrimental to those who purchase them (for example, alcohol, tobacco products, or pornography). At times, you will have to act according to faith rather than according to details, data, and trends.

Knowing this, when the pressure is mounting not to follow God’s Word in some area of life or business, you should cling to God’s promise. You should believe that He will keep His Word. Indeed, if you will obey His commandments and operate by the principles of His Word, you will flourish and be successful. This is God’s promise to you. He will bless and honor your commitment to Him. But note: this promise is given only to those who obey God faithfully and who truly trust in His Word in all areas of life and business.

3. Be ambitious to serve others .

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all’ (Mk.9:33-35, NIV ’84).

Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mk.10:42-45, NIV ’84).

Nearly all leaders are motivated, at least to some degree, by ambition—a driving desire to succeed or excel, advance or be promoted, achieve or accomplish something, gain respect or admiration, recognition, or earn more money or other tangible benefits.

In these passages, Jesus directly addresses the subject of ambition. He taught that good ambition is a virtue. It is not wrong to desire to be great or to make a significant contribution. Jesus never rebuked the disciples’ ambition; instead, He channeled it, which is exactly what He wants to do for you. Jesus wants to steer your energy and motive and efforts in the right direction.

a. First, look at the world’s view of ambition. The world thinks in terms of power, fame, wealth, position, and influence. Within the business world, people want a position that assures them of a high income, bonuses, pension, recognition, privileges, and achievement. Some even seek powerful, prestigious positions for the purpose of exercising authority over others. They do not always think in terms of service or in terms of how they can help the company, their employees, their customers or clients, their community, and society as a whole. Far too often, their thoughts are on themselves, on the honor, reward, influence, and benefits they receive.

Sadly, most people in general are caught up to some degree in worldly ambition, seeking more and more of what the world has to offer. Few are totally void of worldly ambition. In fact, the majority of people tend to judge the success of others by their …

b. Second, look at the Lord’s view of ambition, which stands in direct contrast to the world’s view. Godly ambition does not seek greatness for the purpose of exercising authority over people. It does not covet and strive for a high-ranking position simply to hold authority or to secure more money or benefits for oneself. Godly ambition is not self-centered or selfish, not worldly-minded.

Note Jesus’ exact words: … whoever wants to become great among you… . It is acceptable to be ambitious, to seek after success and achievement, to seek to be great at whatever you do. But note a crucial point: you become great by doing what Christ says, that is, you do not seek greatness for your own sake but rather for the sake of serving others. Godly ambition seeks to serve rather than be served. It looks for people to help and for ways to help them.

What Christ means is this: you are to be a servant of others. True greatness is not found in holding a high position or in having authority over others, but in helping others. You become truly great when your driving ambition is to be a servant of all. Make this your goal and purpose, to use your position and influence as a business leader to help as many people as you can. From a broad, business perspective, your mission should be to help others by:

•providing a beneficial service or product for people

•providing legitimate jobs for people

•providing opportunities for people to find purpose and significance in doing honorable work

•creating opportunities and a culture in which people can thrive, advance, and better themselves

•helping to change society—inner cities, the deprived, jobless, downtrodden, third world nations—through setting up businesses, training people to use their resources, teaching a strong work ethic, and stirring up a passion within people to be productive and to better themselves

•guiding your business according to God’s Word—principles and values of righteousness—simply doing what is right

•helping meet humanity’s greatest need, the spiritual need, the need for the gospel and God’s Word

The way to greatness is through humble service. If you wish to be great, then this needs to be your driving ambition. You need to actively seek to serve others.

As a business leader, you occupy a position of authority and influence over others. But no matter what your position is or how much authority you have, you are still called to serve. You are to actively work for the sake and benefit of others by producing the best product or providing the best service possible for your customers or clients, always treating your fellow workers and all others as you should. Your ambition should never be to lead just for the sake of holding a position of authority or for receiving more money, benefits, or honor from other people. Instead, your ambition should be to help as many people as you can. This is true greatness!

4. Be a person of integrity—good character—above reproach .

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness (Pr.11:3-5, ESV).

One way to contribute to success in your business is to be a person of integrity. It is not an easy task, especially in today’s business climate. If you are—or wish to be—such a person, you will need to make decisions and operate your business or department just as God’s Word instructs. You will need to do the right thing even when it is difficult or painful. You will need to refuse to do wrong and run from the temptation even if it hurts your business, costs you a promotion, or jeopardizes your job.

Doing the right thing when it concerns money is the theme of the above Scripture. This includes honesty in all business dealings (v.1). Integrity is a powerful quality, and if you possess it, you will be better prepared in all your decision-making (v.3a). If you have integrity, you will not be guided by…

•what your emotions or feelings tell you

•what your personal desires or ambitions are

•what others pressure you to do

•what yields the highest profit

•what gains the favor of a superior

•what makes a sale

•what wins you a contract

•what saves you the most money

•what is in your best interests

•what saves you the most money

•what is in your best interests

•what looks best on reports or financials

As a Christian businessperson, your integrity will lead you to do what is right in every situation. It will guide you according to God’s truth. His clear instructions will guide you day by day and bring peace to your soul.

The treacherous in verse 3 are those who are crooked or dishonest in the way they conduct business (v.3b). Though they lack integrity, they may still prosper for a while. But the day will come when their crookedness finally catches up to them. They will be found out, and when they are, they could face the loss of their businesses, positions, criminal prosecution, or even worse.

When you are tempted to compromise your integrity, always remember this fact: one day you will answer to God for your life, including how you conducted your business and performed your job. Admittedly, countless individuals have accumulated great wealth through crookedness. But when they stand before God in the day of wrath—the day of judgment—their money will be entirely worthless (v.4). Nothing will stand between them and God’s wrath. However, your doing what is right will deliver you from His condemnation.

Furthermore, God gives you a wonderful promise: if you allow integrity to guide you, you will travel a smoother road through life (v.5). This does not mean you will be free of problems, trials, or temptation, but that your integrity will keep your way straight—clear of the hazards brought about by dishonesty and crooked dealings. You will avoid the guilt that comes from defrauding others; the fear of being caught and punished; and the shame and lack of respect by family, friends, and all work-related associates. Add to that the months or years of covering your tracks and looking over your shoulder, and the devastating havoc that such dishonesty has on your business or career.

Instead of all the fear, trouble, and loss, you will experience true peace of heart and mind, a deep sense of purpose and fulfillment, and the priceless blessings of God. You will still suffer adversity, as we all do, but you will avoid the excruciating consequences that come to those who lack integrity.

In addition to the personal sense of peace, your career or business will reap the benefits of being blameless or unblemished by dishonest dealings. You will have a sterling reputation. Even more important, you will be a powerful witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who lack integrity are a detriment to the gospel. Deceitful, dishonest business leaders who tout their church membership or claim to be Christians have done great damage to the cause of Christ. But instead of bringing shame to His name—as the dishonest do—your integrity will bring glory to God, especially when others see you doing the right thing at great expense to yourself or your business.

5. Work hard—laboring willingly and diligently .

[Christian employees] whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism (Col.3:23-25, NIV ’84).

As a Christian employed by a company, whether an owner, manager, or employee, you are to work with all your heart (v.23). This means that your labor should be for more than just a paycheck. Your service and work should arise from a desire to please and be obedient to the Lord. You are not working solely for a business or some executive or manager here on earth, but also for the Lord (v.24). You are working for the most important reason possible: The Lord Jesus Christ has instructed you to work and to work diligently. Jesus Christ is your Lord; therefore, as a Christian worker, you should do what your Lord says. There are, however, two other very important reasons you should work diligently.

a. Workers who are diligent will be rewarded by Christ (v.24). On earth, you may be taken advantage of, or even mistreated. But the Lord knows and sees all, and He is going to abundantly reward you if you are diligent in following His instructions to work hard. In fact, God’s promised inheritance is simply astounding, expanding far beyond all that you could ever ask or think. This glorious reward includes a new, incorruptible body, one that is perfect and eternal. When that day comes, you will live forever in the new heaven and earth, where you will serve the Lord Jesus in positions of great leadership and authority.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor.15:58, NIV ’84).

b. Workers who are half-hearted , lazy, or idle will be judged by Christ (v.25). Think of the people you know who perform their jobs poorly by being…

As a Christian worker, you should never be half-hearted, lazy, or idle on the job, for some day, you are going to face God. You will be called to give an account, not for your sins, because they have all been forgiven, but for your works. You will be judged for the works you have done while on earth. And God does not show favoritism. Regardless of your status here on earth, a day is coming when you and every other Christian are going to stand before God, at the judgment seat of Christ. Therefore, be prepared: work hard—laboring willingly and diligently, with your whole heart.

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Mt.25:23, NIV ’84).

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things [works] done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Co.5:10, NIV ’84).

6. Strive to walk humbly before all, especially before the Lord .

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you (Jas. 4:10, ESV).

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Mic.6:5, ESV).

As you become increasingly successful in your business or career, always remember that certain dangers are inherent to prosperity and position. One of the deadliest dangers is that of pride. But in discussing pride, we must always remember this fact: there is both a good, healthy pride and a bad, unhealthy pride. Good, healthy pride is acceptable because it is a deep sense of self-respect and of confidence in one’s abilities to do things—to act, work, labor, achieve, and succeed. Very little is ever accomplished by a person with little self-respect and no confidence.

On the other hand, bad, unhealthy pride is unacceptable because it thinks too highly of self and exalts self over others. It is a deep sense of feeling better, of more value and worth than other people. It is being conceited, egotistical, and condescending—all of which is hurtful and damaging because it debases others and takes advantage of them. It can even lead to domineering and oppressive behavior. In truth, unhealthy pride is the root of every sin. Why is this true? Because when we exalt ourselves and our desires over others, we are exalting ourselves over God Himself and His creation. When we consider ourselves to be masters of our own lives, then we feel free to act and to do anything we want—good or bad—no matter what God says. Exalting ourselves over God is a dangerous position in which to place ourselves.

Pride can also lead you to feel self-sufficient, totally forgetting that you need the Lord. You will need to diligently guard against having a self-sufficient spirit, one that overlooks calling on the Lord. God should never see a spirit in you that ignores His Word, that faces the temptations and challenges of life on its own, not even thinking about God and the strength He can provide. God wants to see you humbly coming into His presence, calling and depending upon Him for strength and wisdom every day of your life. With this in mind, you ought to consciously humble yourself before the Lord every day (Jas.4:10).

You are called to walk humbly with the LORD (Mic.6:8). What does this mean? How can you walk humbly with God? The Hebrew word for humbly suggests modesty. As one of God’s followers, you are to walk modestly or meekly with Him, not proudly or arrogantly; you are not to exalt yourself over others, treating them as though they are of less worth than you. Instead, you are…

•to have a humble estimate of your own abilities and importance

•to be free from vanity, egotism, boastfulness, and pretension

•to trust the L ORD and acknowledge Him as the source of your life as you walk through each day

•to constantly seek His mercy and forgiveness

If you are walking humbly with God, you will not be proud or self-reliant, depending only on your own strength. Rather, you will continually seek strength from God, calling on Him to help you, guide you, and deliver you from temptation. Walking humbly with God means you will not seek honor for your own name but for God’s Name. All of this is because you know that it is God who has gifted and enabled you to achieve and succeed. Therefore, you want the honor and glory to be His. This is what it means to walk humbly with God.

7. Do not think too highly of yourself, nor too lowly .

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you (Ro.12:3, NIV ’84).

As a business owner, executive, leader, or manager, you most likely occupy a position of respect in your company and in your community. Consequently, you might be tempted to think too highly of yourself. Too many people become arrogant when they are successful. As a believer, you need to resist every vain thought that arises, refusing to become puffed up with your own…

You should never esteem yourself too highly or think of yourself as better—of more value in life—than others. God stands against such puffed up attitudes.

On the other hand, this verse is by no means suggesting that you ought to think of yourself more lowly than you should. Rather, you are to evaluate yourself with sober (sound, reasonable) judgment. You are to be wise and think of yourself accurately, making a sensible and realistic evaluation of yourself and your abilities. Thinking that you are more important than someone else is foolish, irrational, and vain behavior. Every person is equally important to God; every individual is meaningful and significant to God’s kingdom, no matter the person’s profession, wealth, or position.

Only when you know yourself—openly, honestly, and accurately—can you make the contribution you should to your family, company, society, church, and the world. If you think too highly of yourself, you will be proud, unapproachable, and often despised by others. As a result, no matter how successful you may become in the eyes of the world, you will end up failing in life. On the other hand, if you think too little of yourself, you will never reach your full potential. You will never do as much as you are capable of, nor will you make the contributions that you could have made. Only when you view yourself honestly and accurately will you be blessed by God and serve to your full capacity, thereby fulfilling your task on earth. Therefore, do as God instructs: think of yourself with sober, reasonable judgment. Be honest and accurate in your self-evaluation.

8. Develop outstanding people skills: Learn to be gracious in all your interactions .

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language [abusive speech, NASB] from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices… . Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Col.3:8-9, 12-14, NIV ’84).

So much of your success in life—both personally and in business—depends upon your people skills. In general, good people skills are described as the ability to listen, to communicate, and to relate to others on a personal or professional level. If your people skills are strong, you will be respected and well-received by others, which will help you significantly as you seek to move forward in life. But if your people skills are weak, you will be ineffective, and your business or career will usually suffer.

By being gracious in the way you relate to others, you will earn people’s deep respect and admiration, even their friendship (Pr.11:16-17). Your employees will remain with you and do their finest for you. They will favorably receive your instruction, direction, and when necessary, correction. Your clients and customers will be loyal, giving you their repeat business and excellent referrals. Your suppliers will offer you exceptional pricing and unsurpassed service in order to retain your business.

God’s Word has much to say about the way we treat and deal with