The Profit Motive: Evil or Good?
A few weeks ago, we had a really good discussion on the 21st century church and income, profit, and money in general in the life of a Christian. The conversation was great and I think everyone involved was challenged. Money in the life of the believer needs to be carefully considered in the light of God’s Word.
Recently, I came across an article by Os Hillman via my mentor. It speaks directly to the problem that so many Christians in business experience: Guilt. Specifically, guilt for wanting to make a profit in their endeavors. Hillman calls this the “profit motive” and he makes a pretty strong case biblically why one need not feel guilty for the “profit motive.” Here are some gems:
The profit motive is to a businessperson what the drive to win is to an athlete. No athlete worth his or her salt enters a competition to lose. To the contrary, they always expect to win.
To win or to profit in an unethical manner or outside the will of God is never right. In fact, its consequences are devastating. The pitfalls of unbridled capitalism are many, including slavery, child labor and underpaid workers. It is not just how profit is made that is important but also the purpose for making a profit. While we need to be mindful of these cautions, they should not cause us to perceive profit as intrinsically evil. In fact, it is this misconception that prevents many Christians from making it big in business. Deep down many believers are not sure that they can be successful and godly at the same time. This ambivalence causes them to get lost in a maze of self-doubts. They struggle with who they are in the marketplaceâ€â€businesspeopleâ€â€and have trouble recognizing the validity of the tool provided God for them to succeedâ€â€the profit motive. As a result, many marketplace Christians remain in business but give up on experiencing the joy of the Lord in their work or of significant success, as if the former was impossible and the latter undesirable or, worse yet, evil.â€Â
Sometimes we over-spiritualize our work and think we should not use sound business principles to operate our work/ministry. Remember, all work is ministry in the eyes of God because we do it unto Him. The fact one is secular and one is not has no bearing. All of life is sacred in the eyes of God. We all must be accountable to God if we cross the line of promotion and begin operating with impure motives. This is true in both the secular and Christian arena.
So what do you think? I know this is something I’ve been wrestling with lately because, frankly, I want to be really successful. And yes, that does include financially. Do I feel guilty about it? I used to, but now? Not a chance.
Like Hillman points out in the full article, it really has to do with your motives and intent. Those are what I need to continuously surrender to God for winnowing and pruning. In the meantime? Let the dough flow, baby…
Sits well. I like making money and bring on the winnowing and pruning needed to rightly do so. Another aspect I think about and question is what is the cost of making more money? If I get a promotion to manager and increase my salary 30K but have to work 65 hour weeks, who gets hurt? How would my family feel if I spend most of my time with them in front on a computer screen, on the phone, on the road?? There is no doubt I could make loads of money with right motives and in morally honorable ways and yet still miss the balance.
I sometimes hope that the favor God for his children would be so obvious (seemingly unfair) that one could make lots of money and actually "work" less…not ever…just less. I call it the Mailbox Job…where I walk out to my mailbox and get my paycheck. I tell people this all the time and I get a lot of responses like, "why don't you just have it direct deposited into you checking account?" I reply, "because I need something to do!"
IMO, it's not a bad thing to want to be well off, nobody would have remembered the Good Samaritan if he wasn't loaded. One just needs to be sure that money doesn't take the place of God in their life.
Making money is definitely okay, but the more you have the more responsibility you have. I believe Christians, especially in America where the wealth gap is astronomical, have a duty to help redistribute that money into the hands of the people who need it more than we do. If we remember that the money we have is simply on loan as a gift from God, we can have the right attitude towards the dough that we do make.
Christians read the most influential book in the world–the bible–I think they should also read the 2nd most influential book in the world–Atlas Shrugged. It would help guide their morals when they try to put the bible into policy.
This is a good question and I think you pretty much summed it up by matters of motive and intent. Contrary to what some think, there is nothing wrong with being wealthy or obtaining wealth. If do what you do and glorify God in that and with the money you make, and it results in you acquiring more wealth, that's just God pouring out his blessings.
1. Wash those hands in the picture whoever that is!
2. I think there's a fine line about what you're talking about. I would imagine that there are certain points that you reach in a business or in financial achievements that you can sit back and ask yourself, "What would the good Lord think of this?" Riding the line is hard, but I would imagine that avoiding the grey area would avoid a guilty conscience. "That's between you and God," as they say.
I don't think God gives a rip – 'bout the money that is.
Seems to me that money is a tool to navigate cultural exchanges, and that it's a pretty decent measuring stick for where our priorities stand based on our use of it – that's how Jesus always talked about it. He pointed out when people loved money more than loving other people, or even God. As I read the words attributed to Jesus, and consider my life to this point, money is never the point; it’s our heart (Justin pretty much said that already). If I could guess, God doesn't think about money nearly as often as we do – positively or negatively.
I'm like a broken record on this topic – but all you ever hear in church, non-profit, and humanitarian circles is "we need more money!" So – why is it that Christians want everyone to contribute but get nervous about hearts/motives when the conversation turns to making more of it? I think it's about time we re-thought fundraising, giving, and donating. What if we could multiply our 'value-added' and saw ourselves as resource engines just waiting to be tapped – resources of time, money, art, the list goes on. And what if we actively cultivated those seeds in each of us to produce a lot more than they are now, leveraging what we make to grow families, communities, and the common good?
I don't think the desire to be successful and have part of that success be measured financially is bad at all. I'm with you Justin – go make some money and do some great stuff with it. I'm going to try to do the same.
I love that athlete analogy… What athlete enters a competition to finish 5th? No one I know.
"Resource engine" … Love that. You're a terminology machine!
P.S. Am I the only that loves the double entendre in that fortune cookie? Wish I had a sweet last name that showed up in the witty sayings of take-out desserts….
You are sharp, my brother. I was wondering if anyone picked up on it!!
As a Christian business owner I do want to make a profit. I want to build a successful company so I can provide for others. So I can lead by servant leadership and generally do the work God has set before me. The important to remember is 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (http://www.youversion.com/bible/niv/1chr/29/12)