Over my 38 years in business, I have heard many business persons express the opinion that business and Christianity do not mix; that one cannot consistently practice Christianity and be successful in business. I disagree. Lean Enterprise with its three principles of focusing on the customer, eliminating waste, and respect for people (customers, vendors, employees the surrounding community) has proven to be very successful in business and non-business settings and is very compatible with Christian principles.
I also believe that business can also teach us about Christianity. I have been reading a book about management and the author, Chet Holmes, asks how one can become very proficient at anything. His answer is: The mastery of any skill “is not about being special or more gifted than anyone else. Mastery is a direct result of pigheaded discipline and determination”. [1] He also emphasizes the importance of habit. Repetition trains your mind so your responses become automatic. [2]
How does the above relate to Christianity? In this blog we maintain that salvation is the change of our soul so it becomes like God. The natural response to that question is: So how do we change our soul? My answer is from Holmes: By “pigheaded discipline and determination”. We must implement the teachings of Jesus in our lives, not just learn them. Jesus’ teachings must be so engrained in our minds through practice that our response to a particular situation automatically conforms to what Jesus taught us.
Holmes tells his audience that they will agree with his concepts but most will not implement them. Why would we humans not do something that we know works? Because it takes effort. The same applies to our spiritual lives. Jesus’ teachings work but we do not put them into practice because it will require that we change our soul so it becomes like God and that change is hard work.
In business and Christianity and in all of life “Implementation, not ideas, is the key to real success”. [3] How well are you doing in implementing the teachings of Jesus in your life?
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[1] Chet Holmes, The Ultimate Sales Machine, NewYork: Portfolio, The Penguin Company, 2005, p. xviii.
[2] Holmes, p. xix.
[3] Holmes, p. 4.
