The Secrets of Business

Sometime ago I heard it mentioned by a Focolare group member that the Holy Bible is the best business book. I do remember the bestseller book by Robert Townsend where he states in his book (1970) titled – Up the Organization, in page 62 under the sub-title ‘Family Baggage’, ….”The worst wives (from the standpoint of the effect on their husbands) in my experience are the overly ambitious ones. They don’t understand that money, like prestige, if sought directly, is almost never gained. It must come as a byproduct of some worthwhile objective or result which is sought and achieved for its own sake.”

The reason why I cite this here is so that we may learn the correct ways of doing successful business which is even in accord with God’s infallible truth in the Bible. You may find such reference in the gospel of Lk. 6:38 and in 1 Tim. 6:10. The first text in Luke chapter 6 somehow projects the attitude of sincere love and service to the fellowman or woman: “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back” (Lk. 6:36-38). I guess this means that we should realize that how we do or treat others will somehow or similarly bounce back to us.

The text from St. Paul to Timothy tells us why it’s wrong business to be enslaved to money or make it a prime concern. “The love of money is the root of all evils and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds” (1 Tim. 6:10). If you care to be in the right path these biblical texts do clearly point out that we must not be enslaved, deceived or illusioned by monetary gain but rather be always motivated by a sincere love and service of God and our neighbor, and then all the rest will follow. As Jesus had said: “Seek ye first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all other things will be given you besides” (Mt. 6:33).