Perhaps because my husband, Tony, is a businessman, we regularly have Christians approach us: "God gave me this idea for a business. What do you think?" Sometimes it's a product they think everyone will buy. Sometimes a technology or a service.
So we ask them some apparently non-spiritual questions?
- Do you have any experience within this industry (whatever industry their idea fits within)?
- Do you have a business plan?
- How will you market it?
- Where is the capital going to come from?
- Do you know others with the expertise to help you?
Usually the import of their answer is something like this: "God gave me this idea. Therefore it will succeed." We often come away with the impression they think it will bring in a large amount of money for a minimum amount of effort, because, after all, God is in it.
In one sense, we have every sympathy with them. Jesus gave us an idea for a business out of the blue, and it has succeeded to the place where we have a team of people working for us leaving us free to do anything God asks us to do within the Kingdom. So we are convinced God is looking to give people an idea to "create wealth that he might establish his covenant" (Deut 8:18– a verse we prayed for many months). He is looking to free people financially through business to work in the Kingdom. We know many people for whom he has done this.
However, we had to learn from painful experience that a business will not succeed without good business practices and principles.
God doesn't often give us shortcuts. He expects us to be diligent to learn, put in long hours where necessary, use good business practices, bring in expertise (like lawyers and accountants) where needed. God isn't into "get rich quick" schemes.
And he delights to bless.
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