Biblical Entrepreneurship - a Source of Well-BeingНамуна

Meditation

In the book of Revelation, we hear the spiritual power behind Babylon say, ‘I sit as a queen,

I am no widow and mourning I shall never see’ (Rev. 18:17b). The image we get here is that this power was full of itself, until the word of God was spoken (Rev. 18:5). This was the same pride and arrogance displayed by King Nebuchadnezzar. When he surveyed the city, he asked, ‘Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?’ (Dan. 4:27). His power was mighty until God spoke, and he became like a beast in the field (Dan. 4:28 ff.). Nebuchadnezzar had to learn a lesson, and afterwards, he was reinstated as king with glory and majesty (Dan. 4: 31-34).

Unfortunately, I recognize this as well in my own journey. After my intermezzo in a lower management position with a retail company, I became the managing director of an automotive company that grew fast and expanded to several locations and specializations. If things run smoothly and successful, you earn respect, status, and perhaps a good financial reward. Maybe it makes you feel good to go with the flow of success, respect, and adrenaline. Perhaps you are always on the move and everything seems possible and turns to gold. Slowly you are getting convinced of your own capacity to build and become successful. If you draw these conclusions, and feel your pride rise, but still think, ‘I’ve accomplished all this!’. You will continue on that road, until something happens.

In my case, until you come home one night and your partner wants a word because she thinks that there is something wrong with you and your mutual marriage. When you explore why things went wrong, you discover that you no longer love people for who they are, but you value them for what they can do, or what they can offer. Clients turned into profits or money machines, staff became an expenditure or a production tool, friends were an escape to have fun, your partner became your household manager. All my relationships had changed into instruments for benefit and profit. This discovery came as a shock to me. Only when I started afresh to relate to people who were important to me did I discover whom I had become: a self-satisfied and self-absorbed character with narcissistic traits. This was the pivotal point of my life where I realized my perspective was the only one that mattered. I Iacked empathy, was full of ambition and status symbols and recognition were my greatest motivators. After I had discovered this, I concluded it was time for a change. I wanted to love people for who they were and devote my life to God and the people I met.

Question for the day

What elements of the article above do you recognize in your own life and business activities?