Business Etiquette and God

Business Etiquette and paragon Where Does graven image Fit In? Andrew Estep Liberty University Abstr make This paper uses script from the rule book and opusy other credible sources to instruct the reader al close to the role matinee idol plays within problem etiquette. The research tar dies occupation interactions from a deli genuinelymanians perspective. some of the references used in this paper, switch at some point or other, run or atomic number 18 rill a legitimate comp both. The research conducted by each psyche comes from individualal experience and other well established sources.If examined together, the writings of these causes coincide with adept and only(a) a nonher(prenominal) and the word of matinee idol. All the research points to single thesis divinity fudge should be in the middle of our daily lives and especi bothy our jobs. Also, in magnitude to truly get the full pith of living a messiah centered manner, deeper l compassing and understan ding is required. Tying divinity and etiquette together is of the essence(p) for a Christian person aspiring to be a avocationman or billetwoman. at heart occupation etiquette, there lie many make do hows, whys and what fors. Business etiquette consists of mannerisms and focuss of doing business appropriately.Without a tired of etiquette which is acceptable by on the whole cultures and all hoi pollois, business etiquette would become chaotic. all group, language, and person would define their own managements, which if you atomic number 18 non happy with, besides bad. Of course,etiquette varies slightly from one country and culture to another, besides these variations are belittled and if studied at a slightest bit would be light to give in mind for future references. If asked, What is business etiquette? Most nation would respond with some involvement touchstoneised this, how to perplex in honest, how to sit right, how to talk right, and how to dress ri ght. This is correct to a certain close only if business etiquette requires a little more than performance from an singular practicing it. If one truly wants to understand why and how etiquette is conducted, they must simply take a little more magazine in learning etiquette and possibly even researching the history for why things are done the counseling they are. Now, allow us say one inquires as to how beau ideal and Christianity fit into business etiquette? In order to answer this inquiry, one must understand that business etiquette is a lot more intricate then the common thoughts it is associated with. existence a well mannered business person requires class and dah which do not come with ease. These attributes are learned and practiced daily. Etiquette, if impartial and real, passel truly show a persons heart. true etiquette is seen from the outside and the inside of a person. Motives, thoughts, ideals, and character alike are the catalysts for the beginnings of a t ype of person. If the heart is pure, the man pass on be pure besides, but if the heart is deceitful, so will be the man. Proerbs tells us, A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit. Though his speech is charming, do not believe him. ( new-sprung(prenominal) world(prenominal) Version, 2005)This paper will explore the diametric levels of doing business etiquette from a Christian perspective. A Christian is held to a higher(prenominal) standard, not necessarily by men, but rather by God. As a Christian, we are called to be lights in this world and to live for Gods glory so that he might be satisfy with us. C. S Lewis tells us, For glory means biography-threatening report with God, acceptance by God, result, acknowledgement, and welcome into the heart of things. (Lewis, 2001) Since Christians are called to a higher standard, etiquette must be broken subdue even but and needs to include the time of day details of life.These details inc lude rapports, gold, walk with God, life perspective, choices, building a reputation and lastly our goals not necessarily in that order. These septenary categories are not the only areas involved with Christian etiquette, but rather seven of many. This paper will focus on these attributes and explain how Christianity and etiquette toilette be tied together in order to become Christian business etiquette. Within the human society and the world, a name is one of the most important locutions of a person, place, or thing.When speaking of a name, the prettiness of the name calling is not what is existence discussed here, but rather what one thinks about the inclination or person uni verse line expound. Reputation and name are oft linked, like hand and glove. There is value in a name. (Pollard, 2006) To break in understand the meaning of this, here are a few names Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Ivan the Terrible, Enron, and Al-Qaida. On the opposite spectrum we have Billy Graham, Martin Luther King Jr. , C. S. Lewis, Gandhi, origination Peace Organization, and Compassion multinational.Each one of these names has a deeper meaning associated with them. Hitler and Stalin were mass murderers, Enron was a cheating company and Al-Qaida is a terrorist reenforcement nerve. On the other hand Billy Graham, Martin Luther King Jr. , and Gandhi were and are people of noble character, World Peace shaping speaks for itself and Compassion worldwide is a light for children globally. The name of a person or an organization will either make them or break them. Proverbs says, A good name is more desirable than smashing robustes to be see is better than silver or gold. (New transnational Version, 2005) A name becomes what it is by the way it is lived out. The individual or the company with the name cannot define its reputation, for it is the people around them who are the judges. The individual or the company can leave the anxiety of the peoples thoughts by how he o r it acts. An slimy person will be deemed evil, and a righteous person will be deemed righteous. William Pollard says, Whats in our name? A rich heritage and legacy of the past and withal a purpose and direction for the future. It is both valuable and fragile. It can be used or abused.It is an impalpable asset of the firm. (Pollard, 2006) Here Pollard is speaking of the company he erstwhile ran which can also be applied to a human name. Within business etiquette, if your name is already in shambles, the person whom you are nerve-racking to relate with will want nothing to do with you. This is why the Bible says in Ephesians, Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (New world(prenominal) Version, 2005) A character who makes a name for themselves is usually a person who contains many great attributes.Most of all, he is a person who has learned for themselves the value of life and the secret of joyful living. The great thing about being a Christian, is knowing what one is runing for and why. lets clarify though, that a Christian does not attain redemption by works, but rather by a relationship with Christ. erstwhile a person becomes a Christian, they learn and want to be workmen for Christ delivery boy. Ephesians says, For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (New International Version, 2005) As a Christian then, it is important to work for God and His glory.A true believer would find joy in the workrather than it being a nuisance. There is a saying that if you enjoy your job, youll never work another day. Many people do not have such an carriage about their job and this negativism can be very bloodshot in a workplace. David Stewards says, That kind of thinking not only makes work boring and tedious, it causes stress and sometimes leads to health problems. In addition, a blackball person in the workplace can hurt the morale of coworkers. The invalidating emergence can extend to customers and vendors. (Stewards, 2004) As can be seen, negativity in a workplace can have far more reaching effects then realized. Within business etiquette, how a person carries themselves and displays their demeanor is a crucial know-how. By displaying the joy of work, one can usually spread the joy bug to the coworkers around them. Another way people view work is as deadlines, tedious tasks, large projects and near another paycheck. When viewed that way, it is impossible for work not to seem awful. One author says, Beauty inspires hope, and provides a reason for seeing differently.Business can be beautiful, which is part of the reason it so engages our lives and imagination. (Costa, 2005) Christians are meant to find joy in work, despite the type of work that it is. Gains and losses can apply for more than just capital, money and profits. every time a last to act in one way or another is made, it affects a forgather or a loss in our standings with others. One author has described these standings as a spiritual capital account. Ken Eldred proposed an account like a bank account which can grow or decoct with deposits or withdrawals. The spiritual capital currency that is deposited (or withdrawn) is the exercise (or lack of exercise) of scriptural principles integrity, accountability, honesty, hope, love, trust, stewardship, fairness, order, loyalty, service, and so forth. (Eldred, 2005) Christian businessmen, as stated earlier are held to a higher standard and are called to be leaders within their workplace. This is how business builds a good rapport with their customers. Even if this does not help them to get ahead in their financial standing, it helps them increase in their popularity standings.It is not constantly flabby to do the right thing, and it is also not always easy to know what the right thing is. This is why God has instilled us with that all so s mall little voice (Holy Spirit) which speaks and guides us. Steward says, Lets give credit where credit is due. What people call a bowel feeling isnt what they think. I believe what we label an innate response is actually spiritually inspired. (Steward, 2004) In business, people have to make truehearted choices on their feet, and it is important to make the right choices. Etiquette is about saying the right things at the right time so as to be workmanlike or at least appear that way.We are to be spry in what and how we say or approach people. The book of James says, My nigh brothers, take note of this Everyone should be quick to listen, let up to speak and slow to become angry, for mans anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (New International Version, 2005) Money is yet another important topic, but one might wonder how money relates to etiquette. The society runs on money. Money is the fuel that makes our world go round and round. The way a Christian lapses, makes, and views money reflects that persons understanding of its purpose.It also reflects on how he views his job, why he works and how hard he works. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (New International Version, 2005) Christians are called to give freely for everything we have comes from the Lord. The earth is the Lords, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. (New International Version, 2005) A Roman Catholic Priest named Paoli had associated money with grace. It probably could not be better explained then in the terms Paoli has provided. Money represents an transfer of potentialities that depends on trust and circulates hope.None of us create money. We may earn and grow it, but like grace it is a value that exists beyond any one of us that we participate in without any crabbed merit, and that ultimately passes done us. (Costa, 2005) Money provides security it gives hope to some and ideas of enormousness to others. When money is s carce, despair starts setting in, stress amounts, and pressures build allowing for fear to surmount the life. For a Christian, money is a tool for Gods purpose, and a Christian should not be afraid of finance shortages.By being an example in the workplace and by showing good stewardship of money, a person can have great influence on the coworkers in the workplace. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (New International Version, 2005) Just as for any business man or company, change magnitude personal or shareholder wealth is the most important aspect of business.In order to attain this goal of any successful company, strategical muckle is an essential element. A strategic vision thus points an organization in a particular direction, charts a strategic path, and molds organ izational identity. (Thompson, Strickland & Gamble, 2007) For a Christian, a strategic vision comes from the Lord. Christians are called to follow God in all that they do with a mind set and understanding that God has the best plans for them. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (New International Version, 2005) God is a God of love, and he wants the best for his people. If the people come to him and just ask, He will provide for them and share with them His thoughts. For God to do the outrageous through us, we need to be in agreement with Him and have a take a crap vision of where we are going. We need to identify how God is working to further His Kingdom so that we can pull in the same direction. (Eldred, 2005) Without this vision, the people are like sheep stranded in the wilderness without direction or a way back home. A mission statement is what defines a company, but without a vi sion, there can be no mission.Every mission has an end goal this end goal is the vision being discussed. When it comes to leading people, vision is a necessity. I strongly believe that in order to lead, one must have a vision. Its the vision that provides the leader and his organization with direction. The lack of a vision is akin to disentangle across the country with no roadmap and no destination. As a result, you make in this direction, then go that way, meandering everywhere. (Steward, 2004) Here is a very important question when it comes to being aligned with Gods vision. How can you know Gods plans without knowing Him? A person, who does not spend time with God, doesnt know God therefore doesnt have His vision. Jesus tells us in keister, I am the good sheepherder I know my sheep and my sheep know me. (New International Version, 2005) As stated in the previous paragraph, it is really hard to know God without spending time and walking with Him. Walking consistently with God i s the next stage of getting to know him and his business plans an individuals life. Christians are called to live their life with Christ as their partner, brother, father, wife, etc John Costa points out a similarity of how one is to live, that with the life of Christ. As suggested earlier, Jesus taught, preached and embodied a geminate and theology. In every interaction or experience for every decision or response he insisted that binary exclusions be broken and that the intimate, love presence of God be made near and dear. (Costa, 2005) An important lesson to grasp from this is that people cannot do anything on their own. Every ability and success comes from the Lord. Proverbs says, confide in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (New International Version, 2005) Also, He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe. (New International Version, 2005) Walking in wisdom is another way of saying walking with God. For a Christian business man, losing sight of God could easily mislead the man down the wrong path. Many Christians claim to know God and to walk with Him. just many Christians are also fooling themselves and others around them. Sometimes these alleged(prenominal) Christian people know they are doing this, but sometimes they are truly buying into their own lie.The real test of walking with God comes when a man or a woman comes to a fall apart in the road. Not just a normal fork with easy decisions about which market to enter and such this is too easy. The fork verbalise of here has one road which takes them to United States and the other one to Mexico. Or to put it simply, they can either chose God or their business. If the business is point in a direction away from God, what should one do? If a person is ordered to act in a way that goes against Gods thinking, what actions should they take? Our nation has a rich heritage of great Americans who risked their lives to stand up for their beliefs. (Steward, 2004) Another business person says, We seek to award God as an end goal and recognize that growing productively is a means goal. (Pollard, 2006) If people chose idols such as success, money, and prestige over God, in the end God will not recognize them for kind him above all. The penalties for not choosing God could be even far worse than expected. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers. (New International Version, 2005) Walking away from what is known to be wrong is walking towards God. Choosing Jesus shows real faith and real commitment. When a person lives out their beliefs with their actions, it is called integrity. mountain with integrity can be trusted and relied on to do as they say. Christians are not s upposed to be afraid of what others think of them when it comes to choosing among right and wrong. Jesus says, If the world scorns you, keep in mind that it dislike me first.If you belong to the world, it would love you as its own. (New International Version, 2005) A great verse to summarize this paragraph is found in Matthews 624, No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be apply to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (New International Version, 2005) Many people would ask what some of the above paragraphs have to do with business etiquette. The answer to that question can be summarized in the following(a) way Etiquette is the interactions between people.People follow and lead by seeing or setting examples for one another. Christian business etiquette requires a higher standard to live by. In order to live by these standards, different outlooks on life have to be grasped and understood. For a Chris tian, these outlooks are associated with a life lived for Jesus Christ. In order to live a Christ alter life, certain practices and choices are required. These practices and choices, if done correctly, achieve the end goal of intertwining of God and business etiquette. By joining of God and etiquette together, types of pure actions and motives are produced.John Costa says in his book, Magnificence at Work, Small things matter because any company or person that settles for less than magnificence in effect collaborates with the opposing multiplication of meanness. (Costa, 2005) If the logic above is not simple enough, the following sentence should help Christians are to display God in all that they do and say, this includes etiquette. References Costa, J. D. (2005). Magnificence at Work Living Faith in Business. MontrAal Novalis. Eldred, K. (2005). God is at Work Transforming People and Nations Through Business. Ventura, CA Regal Books.Gamble, J. E. , J. , A. , Thompson, A. , & Stric kland, I. (2009). Crafting & Executing Strategy Text and Readings (17 ed. ). Boston Mcgraw-Hill College. Lewis, C. S. (2001). The Weight of anchor ring (New Ed ed. ). SanFrancisco HarperSanFrancisco. Pollard, C. W. (2006). Serving Two Masters? Reflections on God and Profit. New York Harperbusiness. Shook, R. L. , & Steward, D. (2004). Doing Business by the Good Book Fifty-Two Lessons on conquest Sraight from the Bible (1st ed. ). New York Hyperion. Zondervan. (2006). NIV Thinline Brown/Nero Black FCS. Grand Rapids, Michigan Zondervan.