BIBLICAL LESSONS AND WARNINGS FOR GODLY BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS
By Hermann Guehring

I believe that Godly business partnership agreements go beyond simple contracts.  Generally, we can distinguish between two important versions of agreements: A) Contracts: a contract has a time duration, can be cancelled, and is specific;  and B) Covenants: a covenant is inclusive of intellect, emotions and will. It is also forever, irrevocable, and manifested in God’s presence.

As an entrepreneur, not every individual order from a customer automatically results in a covenant relationship, but even if it is just a small contract, it should reflect the criteria of my covenant as a businessman with God.

Do I really care about my clients’ needs? Is it my desire to offer the best possible benefit to him and not for me? Does my professionality and generosity mirror my gratefulness to the Creator?

Inside M100, we are more than contract partners to each other. We are servants to the highest King. Therefore, our mutual relationship is the one of a covenant, binding us to the highest standards of keeping our promises. Even if it comes to simple rules of process, we apply the practices as agreed upon. Feeling inspired by a great vision and terrific opportunities is not in contradiction to applying common sense in simple matters, like keeping important things in writing.

Nehemiah is an example to me. After finishing the walls of Jerusalem, the Israelites celebrated and worshipped for several days. Ezra opened the Book to read the law. People repented and dedicated themselves to a covenant.
There were great feelings of passion and excitement.

And what does Nehemiah do next? In chapter 9:38 he says: “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.” He makes a covenant!

In my personal Bible study, I picked up some ‘woes’ against doing things with a wrong motivation – woes against greed, false-hood and pride. From Isaiah chapter 5, I want to take the following to heart:

1. Woe to the greedy and lustful. Verse 8 says: “Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.”
2. Woe to those who twist and pervert the truth. Verse 20 says: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
3. Woe to the over-confident. Verse 21 says: “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.”

Woes are like red lights in the traffic- STOP! or you may be killed!

Pride and arrogance can spoil everything. 1st Peter 5:6 says: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”

Faithfulness in prayer, valuing time for each other and sharing everything (like failure, troubles, joys, and successes) are ingredients for very special relationships.

Businesses that have started with contractual agreements provide a potential to lead into covenants, when we on our side are intentional in engaging God first, honoring our fellow entrepreneurs, and continuously sharing in His caring love.

PROCESSING “CONTRACTS VS COVENANTS”
Think it Through:

How will your next binding agreements honor God and benefit your business partners, in being generous, upright, honest, and caring to them?

Where can you improve?