October 24

5 comments

6th Commandment: Lessons for Business

By Michael Q. Pink

October 24, 2014

business, Commandment, international christian business institute, love and acceptance, shall not murder

The sixth commandment, “You shall not murder” guards and protects our legitimate motivational need for love and acceptance. The level one application of this commandment is clear. Do not murder anyone.

Goliath

The Bible makes a distinction in the Hebrew text between “murder” and “kill”. When David killed Goliath, he did not commit a crime. It was intentional, but just. As Ecclesiastes says, “there is a time to kill and a time to heal”, but there is never a time to murder.

The level 2 application of this commandment goes to the heart of the matter. Murder is the ultimate act of hate and rejection. It might be motivated by any number of things like greed, envy, revenge, etc., but it is the opposite of love and acceptance, which are core needs of everyone living.

We all have a deep need to be loved and accepted.

It is perfectly appropriate to find ways to manifest the love and acceptance of God to our fellow man. By this they will know we are His disciples if we love one another, Jesus said.

When we go into the marketplace to compete with our products, services and ideas, it helps to understand what motivates people. People naturally want to feel loved and accepted. How do you appropriately make a potential customer feel loved? What is love and how can you demonstrate it practically? Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Love is demonstrated when we yield our rights for the benefit of others.

We temporarily lay a little of our life down to enhance someone else’s life experience. It is called service. I do not mean that obligatory, reluctant kind of service you might expect from some bureaucrat in a government job.

I am talking about outrageous service, the kind of service that makes the customer say WOW! It is the kind of service that anticipates needs and makes preparation, much like the Lamb of God who came not to be served, but to serve, who was slain from before the foundation of the world. That is love.

We love God because He FIRST loved us. In like manner, our prospects, customers and even our competitors will love and respect us when we love and respect them first. Because this is so foreign to most folks, you have a huge advantage in the marketplace. So go out today and demonstrate the God kind of love. It’s one way of winning in business to win the world!

Until next time, be fruitful and multiply!

ICBI Logo.jpgNOTE: Doing business God’s way, has endless advantages. If you want to study and learn these advantages, consider joining the International Christian Business Institute. With students enrolled from five continents, this is truly a global outreach with meaningful impact for sales people, entrepreneurs and executives. Register here for an informative webinar.

Michael Q. Pink

About the author

Michael is America's leading authority on applying Biblical Wisdom and Natural Law to sales and business and has authored 19 books including The Bible Incorporated, Selling Among Wolves and God's Best Kept Secrets. Using that knowledge, he has helped thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs experience radical transformation in their lives and careers, including helping a start-up with 3 struggling sales reps turn the corner and become the 16th fastest growing company on the INC 500 list. 

    • Hi Robert;

      Thank you so much brother. You and Barb run your business in such a God honoring way. It is my pleasure and honor to serve you guys!

  • It is really powerful especially when applied in the marketplace and gov’t institutions, Michael. Our God knows it well that He did not fail to communicate His love principle to man in various ways like in Prov 11:25 -> “A generous person prospers. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed”…I am using this and also teaching others. It certainly works!!

    Our world is dying of thirst and this is not just a niche segment, but in broader categories for which Christians in the marketplace could offer to refresh this basic need with an empowered generous love as a relevant value proposition.

    A more than 100% Amen to above subject, Bro! Thanks for sharing and confirming…

  • It is an honor to me to be connected to you and your mission, Michael. God is using you and your particular calling in such a way that you have clearly articulated what He has also been teaching me and learning from Him all these years…really edifying to know that there is a godly man in the marketplace who speaks my heart’s language too.

    Your continuous encouragement to pursue God is foundational and must not be compromised…hence, let us remain walking intimately with the Infinity!

    Sincerely the pleasure is mine, BenjieC. from Manila

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