In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus spoke on the cure for anxiety during his sermon on the mount. At the tail end of this segment, he assures us that if we keep our focus on the Kingdom and the righteousness of G-d, all our needs will be provided for. In the business world, it’s all about the bottom line. Money drives business: it pays the bills, hires new workers, provides marketing…so it should be obvious that if we seek after his kingdom with our business, that wealth would be a byproduct, right? Isaiah 55:8-9 seems to paint a different picture.

Starting from a Kingdom Perspective

When we look at the New Testament, we see that the teachings of Christ center on the Kingdom of G-d. We know that as Christ draws near, the kingdom approaches (Matthew 3:2), It is contrary to the flesh (Romans 14:17) and as Christ moves the kingdom advances (Luke 17:20-21). We who have Christ in us (Galatians 2:20) are called to be his ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Christ makes his appeal through our lives and by our acts we profess the kingdom is at hand (Matthew 7:21). Each of us has a separate calling and various assignments that are meant to lead us into that calling. So in essence, we represent a power that contradicts the wisdom of the world. As we look at what G-d has for us in the business sector, we must consider how we align our business with Kingdom principles.

The first question to ask is if your business is your calling, assignment, or neither. I would propose that for majority of us, our business is either an assignment or is an act of disobedience.

If it is the former than we must understand to not confuse our assignments with our calling. G-d operates outside of time and space; he does not operate from the limited understanding of man. 1 Corinthians 1:27 states that G-d has (and can still) use foolish things to confine the wise. Our calling is our personal extension of the great commission while our assignment is one of various mechanisms that lead us there. Assignments are temporal and don’t have to make sense at the time of the assignment. This means that your business is a means to end and not your core identity. We have to be careful to not conflate the ‘what’ with the ‘why.’

If it is the latter, then it should be clear that while we walk in disobedience, we should not expect the blessings of G-d (Deuteronomy 28:1-68, Luke 11:28, James 1:25). It is in Christ that we receive every spiritual blessing from heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3) and we know that we have come to know Him (to put on Christ) if we keep his commandments (1 John 2:3). It should be noted that there is a measure of freedom in partnering with G-d; unless you started your business as a deliberate act of selfish preservation or desire then it is good. However, if you have not yet dedicated your business to G-d, then do so. If G-d is not Lord over your business than it is an active act of defiance (Matthew 6:24).

Building a Kingdom Business

If our business is then aligned with our kingdom perspective, it is now a kingdom business. It is subservient to his calling over our lives, acting to advance G-d’s agenda over our own. That does not necessarily equate to “pushing kingdom politics;” it is an act of complete surrender (Galatians 2:20, James 4:10). Whether this means your business is meant to be a means to spread the gospel, bring joy to people, or make money is irrelevant. So long as you are acting in obedience, the Lord will establish your steps (Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 3:5-6). This requires a mind-renewal in the identity of G-d as El Shaddai (the All-Sufficient G-d).

Scripture does not give us security in knowing how we’ll get to each destination. He never states that he will show us how he will pay all our bills, expand our business, or even that he will. But he does promise to provide for all who fear him (Psalms 111:5) and that those who seek first the kingdom will access his promises. As children, we walk in favor (Psalms 5:12), but that favor is an extension of his will. It is part of our surrender, we die to our dreams as the Lord prepares something greater for us.

Accessing Kingdom Riches

Which back to the topic at hand, how do we access kingdom riches and what does it even mean? When Jesus came to earth, he brought his kingdom with him. The kingdom at hand was not a physical kingdom that could be seen with eyes or observed in the material world, it was spiritual. In the same way, to access the wealth of a heavenly kingdom is to access a spiritual wealth. It is the kind of wealth that builds a man, empowers him to walk from day to day, and enables him to persevere through the most difficult of trials. We have a helper in the Holy Spirit who speaks on our behalf, strengthens us and speaks counsel into our hearts.

We do not have the promises of worldly riches, nor should that be the goal of our business. If we believe that G-d is El Shaddai, then we know that he does not need to operate from the mundane. The same G-d who multiplied food (2 Kings 4:42-44, Matthew 15: 32-39) and created food from nothing (1 Kings 19:5-8) is not limited to how he operates. Often G-d chooses to challenge us to refine our faith (Luke 18:22). He uses what appears to be contradictions to reveal his character and show us the disparity between human traditions and kingdom priorities (Luke 9:23-25, Matthew 20:16).

That is not to say it is a sin to pray for wealth, the issue is when wealth consumes us (1 Timothy 6:10, Timothy 6:17-19). It is in the Father’s good pleasure to lavish us with his kingdom (Luke 12:32). As children of the highest king, the riches of his glory are awaiting for us to take hold of (Philippians 4:19). The issue is if we are not seeing it manifested, does that have more to say about G-d’s promises or our expectations? How can we expect G-d to exercise his authority over our business, if we anxiously confine his promises to our limited worldly expectations?