Business is deeply divine and deeply human. Doing business reflects who God is, and who we are. God is the Creator; making good things for himself and others. The triune God created in community for community, including Adam and Eve. We are created in God’s image, and thus we also create – in this case, good products and services.
Genesis tells us that God did quality control at the end of each creation / production day, and found the products good. We also strive for excellence in business.
God told Adam and Eve to work in the garden; by sowing one seed they could reap twenty. Thus they were involved in a value-add process. They received a good return on their investment, ROI, and made a profit.
Work, creativity, value added processes, profit, ROI, product development, quality control, and serving the common good – business fundamentals – are all found in the first chapters of the Bible.
The genesis of BAM* is in Genesis.
* Business as Mission. For more info click here
Thank you dear Mats for this refreshing perspective.
Thanks Ranjeet!
Mats –
I like the extrapolation. I did offer one small distinctive to the folk at the Theology of Work Project. God did not tell Adam and Eve to work before the Fall (in the Garden). There is no command given specific to work in the text. In Gen 1:28, the “be fruitful” is a procreative directive for increasing the species. “Subduing” the earth is non-specific beyond perhaps the implications of ruling over it.
Rather, He created them for work(s) (Gen 2:15), placing Adam in the Garden for just that purpose. While it may seem to be splitting hairs, it is important that we teach that work is inherent to the meaning of being human as being created in the image of God in God’s intentional design. Work is, so to speak, in our spiritual DNA, inherited from God. Work is foundational to the meanings of human dignity and understanding our relationship to God as workers – especially in the New Testament light of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:16 – works as divine appointment).
Thanks Dave for your observations!
Hair-splitting… but super helpful distinction. Thanks for highlighting
Thanks Mats for new perspective .
Thanks Paul!
Thanks-I see this as an important perspective. The first point being your presentation of how foundational work is to us as people created by God. The second part is the how God modeled excellent work-from design to output to quality control. it reminds me of Mark 7:37 that Jesus does all things well as an example of the Genesis principles in action. i appreciated Dave’s comment-it was a helpful addition to the narrative.
Thanks Ken!!
keep going Mats.
will do, Tom
great to journey together
cheers
MT