Biblical Multiplication ModelsSýnishorn

When we think about multiplying, many entrepreneurs think in terms of ‘doing’ and ‘being successful’, but the Bible rather speaks of ‘being’ and ‘bearing fruit’. As Jesus says in John 15:16, ‘I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide’.Often we as entrepreneurs think that ‘having success’ is most important, but is this reasonable?

Success
Success is linked to our personal achievements, which we generally express in quantitative values. If we have achieved our goals in market shares and profit, then we are successful. Success is important because it is evidence that we have performed well. Success often also forms our identity, but that has turned us into our latest success, and the rat race after more has started. This leads to a society where you always have to prove yourself, and where well-being and relationships are under pressure. We are burdened by the focus on and the pressure of success.

Bearing fruit
The special thing about bearing fruit is that this is worked out within me. In John 15 Jesus says that if we remain in Him, we will bear fruit that stems from Him. Jesus wants to change us into his image and likeness (Romans 8:29). The promise is that the fruits will be abundant if we remain in Jesus (Johan 15:5). This means a lot of multiplying.

Another promise is that the greatness of God becomes visible (John 15:8). The impact of our actions on others leads to God.

The fruit that grows if we remain in Jesus is the fruit of his Spirit. Think of ‘love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ (Gal. 5:22). This fruit is all about well-being and the good life.

Success in bearing fruit
The core question for bearing fruit is ‘Lord, who may I become?’ Being successful in fruit-bearing is related to a passive activity, a personal surrender to Jesus instead of doing it yourself with a lot of effort. Bearing fruit is growing into wholeness, towards becoming the person God wanted you to be from the beginning. It is about ‘who we are’.

From the point of view of fruit-bearing, our business activities and successes are coloured by who we ‘are’ instead of what we ‘achieved’ by our business activities and successes. This puts the terms of ‘being’ and ‘doing’ in the right perspective and priority again. Our lives and our business activities receive the colour of God and his Spirit. Multiplying through bearing fruit thus leads to more well-being and life in abundance.

Question for the day
Who are you as a human being and how does this colour your entrepreneurship?

For more information about Christian entrepreneurship, read the book The Jerusalem Entrepreneur, becoming a Source of Well-Being of Wouter Droppers or connect to www.europartners.org

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More about the author:
Wouter Droppers (1964) has been working with entrepreneurs and business leaders for over 35 years. He is married, with two children, and lives in the Netherlands.

He has directed various companies. At the moment he is the president of Europartners, an international movement of Christian businessmen (www.europartners.org). As such, he advises, encourages, and supports Christian entrepreneurs throughout Europe. Wouter also studied theology at the Baptist Seminary in the Netherlands and is the author of the book The Jerusalem Entrepreneur: Becoming a Source of Well-Being about entrepreneurship from a Christian perspective.