That commandment—yes, a commandment, and not a request—has been passed down to us who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. Many Biblical scholars and teachers interpret the act of reaching out to Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria as sharing the Word with the communities closest to us. We start with our immediate spheres of influence—our Jerusalem—before branching out to the greater society—our Judea and Samaria—before bearing witness to the ends of the earth.
Our personal Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria are our families, friends, colleagues, communities, subdivisions, towns, and cities—and yes, the people in the companies we manage as Christian Business Owners. Many of us are privileged and blessed to go to other provinces and countries to serve as lay missionaries for a certain period of time. We also get to serve our churches by using our gifts in teaching, administration, and giving, just to name a few. But we do not have to venture far to evangelize and show God’s message of redemption. We can do it where we are, where we work and lead; that is the essence of Business As Mission.
As Matthew 5: 14-16 (NASB) exhorts us, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
As Christian Business Owners, we can shine right where we are: in our companies and enterprises, living out our testimony before our employees, colleagues, partners, and other stakeholders. Through our lives that have been dedicated to God, we can win them over to the Lord by exemplifying what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.
As our own Business as Mission roadmap defines our calling: “BAM is intentionally and purposefully using God-given business (through job and wealth creation) as a vehicle in making disciples in the marketplace leading to a disciple-making church plant.”