What can the Apostles teach us about business?

A good man builds an army, a bad man builds a desert. If you leave this post with nothing else, remember that. The apostles knew the same thing, as they spread out to teach the word. The apostles had what could be called the best value proposition to ever grace the Earth. The transaction was simple, you say Jesus is lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, and in exchange you would receive eternal life in the presence of a being of pure goodness. All of this for free, not a dollar or denarius to be seen. With this message the early church took the world by storm, spreading across national and ethnic borders to the ends of the known world. This is surprising, speaking that most religions at the time were either enforced by a nation or sprouted naturally from an ethnicity. The key to this early success was the goodness of Christianity.

Christians are renowned for their self-sacrifice. To suffer as the savior is seen as a blessing, not a curse. When everyone else fled from plagued cities, Christians went in to help the sick. Christians provided education to the poor and fed the needy. All of these good deeds are certainly not profitable, but they build relationships. These relationships form more relationships, and before you know it Jesus has an army of Christians millions strong only a couple hundred years after he rose from the dead. Most importantly, Christianity is still around to this day to these relationships.

On the other hand, cutthroat businessmen often see their treasure pile up quickly. This only lasts a short while, however. These people often go unremembered because without relationships, there is no one to continue the legacy.

Christianity is a relational religion, one that builds an army around itself rather than a desert. We should follow the same advice and base our businesses around relationships rather than bottom lines.