Wayne Grudem writes an insightful book titled "Business for the Glory of God" in which he writes about God is and continues to use business to bring about "missions" around the globe.
It's a encouraging book for me as I struggle with doing business yet wanting so badly to do more than paint peoples houses.
What can my painting rich, ungrateful, unhappy peoples homes in Minneapolis do to help starving kids in Africa. What can it do to rid the world of HIV-AIDS and so many other treatable diseases. How can it help bring clean water to people who live in the bush and drink out of dirty rivers? Most importantly how can it do all that and proclaim the all satisfying, wrath canceling hope giving Savior to these peoples?
I wrestle with this. Should I stay in business or could I serve the kingdom by doing ministry or missions or relief and development better? I'm not yet sure.
I am currently in business at the moment & so far I am slightly encouraged...
for it enables me finances to adopt the fatherless into my family.
It enables me to see the deceitfulness of riches as I am constantly dealing with these people who are rich and ungrateful, and unhappy & helps me fight more to battle idolatry so that I will treasure Christ and not my things, and use my finances to help those who are on the battlefield of missions. I want not to raise my level of living but raise my level of giving. It's not my money anyways.
In light of that....
Speaking with Eyob (Job) the director of the orphanage in Ethiopia where we got our children he spoke of the many multiple problems facing the people of Ethiopia & much of Africa , starting with basic education, infrastructure, marketable skills to provide jobs, clean food and water, medical basics, the Gospel. All of this and more make a bad situation with 80% unemployment, starvation, sickness and hopelessness. It nearly seems hopeless. This is where Grudem says that "if you want to serve God...Go into Business". Business can provide jobs, care for the needs of these people, and give venues to proclaim Christ that have investment behind it and meet the peoples needs and better their lives and the communities.
As I am reading this book I came across a great micro finance - ministry NGO website called Kiva.org.
Frontline & the New York Times Nicholas Kristof just did short films on their work in Uganda & Afghanistan
What they do is hook you up with someone in the 3rd world who wants to get a small loan to start a business. You make the loan to them... communicate with them, help them, advise them while Kiva monitors their business. They then repay the loan to you from their new or improved business, and you help stop the cycle of poverty by enabling them to get connections that they would never have if micro-finance groups like Kiva didn't think outside the box.
As I watched a video about them I was amazed. Though I believe from what I read the founders are Christian I don't think the organization is "Christian" or "Evangelical", but what an amazing opportunity for us to do something good with our visa and computer. They have have no defaults yet on repayments of loans and have done 70,000 loans worth over $7 million US.
Think of the opportunities that await us outside the box through business and micro finance for the Glory of Christ. Closed doors could open that never existed before and without ever setting foot outside your house.
Top learn more about Kiva's work check out their "how it works" section.
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