God’s Business?

A friend of mine is a very successful personal investment counsellor.  He also gives himself away.  In many ways.  His time.  His money.  The passions of his heart to bring healing and wholeness to people whose bodies and lives are broken or sick in some fashion. 

I remember a conversation we had not too long ago.  He was talking about praying for his business.  He has people who have committed to pray for his business.  A novel idea?  We pray for ministries.  But do we in the church pray for the guidance and success of our brothers and sisters in the marketplace?  Why not?  Are business activities somehow dirty or profane? 

A lot of business people are made to feel like second class citizens in the church.  If you can’t give your time to “real ministry”, or aren’t “called to full time service in the church”, then you settle for a life that is somehow spiritually second best.  But you can still give, and support those who are pursuing the higher calling. 

 The practical fact is that most real people live the vast portion of their lives outside the walls of the church.  And, statistically, most will never be actively involved any kind of institutional or programmatic “ministry”.  They don’t have time or energy left for another activity or program.  So is their assigned role to pay their tithe and be weekend spiritual spectators and cheering block while the professional Christians and their small but dedicated cadre of volunteers engage in the real work of ministry?

There is a different way of thinking emerging.  A different way of understanding “church”.  Many have paid lip service for a long time to the notion that the church is the entire body of believers and that all believers have unique and essential gifts and callings. And many have paid lipservice to the notion that Jesus really does desire and intend to exercise lordship over every aspect of life.  And to redeem and transform and demonstrate His grace and power practically and overtly in every sphere of activity. 

Today, these notions are being embraced more and more widely by people who are no longer satisfied with the lipservice.  They want to see it happen.  They want to start “doing the stuff”, as John Wimber used to say, in the streets.  They are embracing a radical notion that most true apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, or people gifted and called to a multitude of other ministries, will never carry out their ministry within the structure of the institutional church.  And even more radical is the idea that they are not intended to.  Their calling by God is to live and move and minister in the context of the marketplace.  Their home, their office, their 9-5.  The doctor, the cop, the stay-at-home-mom, the construction worker, the mail carrier, the janitor. Their ministry is not something other than their job.  Their lives are not that cleanly compartmentalized.  Excellence and service and celebration and ministry and prayer and shepherding and mentoring and just being Christian is an integral part of the daily rhythm of life.  Organizations like The Joseph Company and Harvest Evangelism are providing support and vision for this growing movement.   And teachers like Os Hillman and Lance Wallnau are raising the expectation that Christians can actually be CALLED to the marketplace, and have an obligation to bring good news and transformation and godly excellence to their sphere of activity and influence, wherever that is.  

As I wrote in my bio,  I believe our faith calls us to be in the coffeeshop, in the street, in the marketplace, dilletante, meddling in simply everything.   I’m not a full-time minister.  But I’m a full-time minister.  And I’m called to prayer.  And I’m called to be a businessman.  There can be no disconnect there.  And there shouldn’t be.

Back to my friend.  As we shared time and coffee at downtown joint, he told me that his real moment of peace came when he was re-reading the Sermon on the Mount, and he heard the Spirit of God say to him, “Quit fussing over tomorrow.  When you do that, you’re don’t look any different than the non-believers around you.  How can I bless that? You just be where I’ve called you, do your job, and do it with excellence.  I’ll take care of the rest.  If you take care of MY business, I’ll take care of YOURS!”

MARKETPLACE PRAYER 2

Father,

Thank you for this day.  For new beginnings and fresh mercy and anointing every morning.  I want to stop everything and bow before you today again…to worship you.
And Lord Jesus, I want to tell you afresh today how much I love you and need to be with you.  And want a clear sense of your presence moment by moment in my life.  You are my focus.  You are my reason to be.  I want to weigh everything in my life, my relationships, my activities, my business, against the standard of your measure.  Nothing else will do. 

Lord, the responsibilities of the day can seem overwhelming.  Like Israel when Pharoah doubled their workload.  But I choose this day to focus on You.  On your kindness.  Your generosity.  Your good intent for me.  I am yours.  Empty me of all vain thoughts and pursuits and let me be guided by Your Spirit.  Let me be free from the tyranny of the urgent and the tyranny of self, free to hear from you  clearly and pursue the best rather than simply the good.  Let me never settle for mediocrity.  Make your glory known through the works of my hands and heart and mind.  My words and my deeds. 

Let me know what it means to prophesy to the winds, to call forth life, to walk Nehemiah’s night watch and be a repairer of the breaches.  Let me live my life with eyes wide open like the prophet’s servant and the sons of Issachar, discerning and seeing as you see and knowing what to do. 

Let me be more in love with you tomorrow than I am today.  Align my heart with yours.  Holy Spirit, teach me, fill me, guide me, use me in every way possible.   Send your angelic servants to do your will in my life and sphere of influence.

You are SO worthy of my attention, my fascination, my obsession, my passion.  Let me stay here in your presence.  In your Fire!  Your Holy Fire.  Consume all that is not of you.  Accept it as an offering. Accept the offering of my life today.  Thank you for our daily bread.  Forgive my sins, stumblings and my choices to remain distant in areas.  Keep me from temptation and deliver me from the schemes of the enemy.  Your Kingdom Come.  Your Will be done.  All the glory, power, and authority are yours.  I love you.