BUSINESS AND BUSYNESS

JAMES 4:13–17

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money”

(James 4:13).

James 4:13–5:6 addresses businessmen. Some in the history of the church have taken this passage, and a few others in the Bible, and erected an anti-business attitude from them. Some have felt that commerce is intrinsically wrong and that in every business transaction there is a winner and a loser. Nothing could be further from the truth. In most business transactions, both sides win. When you buy a loaf of bread, you win a loaf of bread, and the store wins your dollars. Only in rare instances can a business transaction be regarded as oppressive, and only in cases where one side is not free in the matter.

The Bible is pro-business. God set up the nation Israel as a nation of traders. He told them that they would prosper, so that they would lend and not borrow. The Jews became engaged in commerce all over the ancient world. Commerce was then and has continued to be a great vehicle for spreading the Good News of the kingdom of God.

But James recognizes a real danger for businessmen, and for all of us. Notice that the word business is close to the word busy. It is possible to become so preoccupied with our business, whatever it is, that we forget about God. We act as if our plans could never go wrong. We forget to commit our ways to Him. This is the first step toward worse things. When men no longer trust God in their business, they may try to use the power of the state to guarantee them markets. This will become oppressive to the poor, who are then forced to buy goods at artificially high prices enforced by the state.

Thus, says James, the businessman must always keep God’s providence in mind. He must depend upon God, who is the Author of all business and commerce, for success. He must not boast about his success but recognize that all prosperity he has come from God.

But James does not say that the businessman should stop being in business. There is nothing in James against engaging in commerce and trade. Too often these honorable occupations are downgraded by the church today.

CORAM DEO

2 Timothy

In our “bottom-line” mentality and pragmatism, we often ignore James’s admonition, falling to the sin of not doing the good we know we ought to do. “It’s not good business, too much risk,” we say. Whether an employer or employee, strive to be found faithful doing the highest good.

For further study: Prov. 3:5–10 • Matt. 6:19–24 • 1 Tim. 6:6–10

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