Business for the Glory of God: The Bible's Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business [Hardcover]

Wayne Grudem (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2003

Can business activity in itself be morally good and pleasing to God? Sometimes business can seem so shady-manipulating the "bottom line," deceiving the consumer, or gaining promotions because of whom you know.

But Wayne Grudem introduces a novel concept: business itself glorifies God when it is conducted in a way that imitates God's character and creation. He shows that all aspects of business, including ownership, profit, money, competition, and borrowing and lending, glorify God because they are reflective of God's nature. Though Grudem isn't naïve about the easy ways these activities can be perverted and used as a means to sin, he knows that Christians can be about the business of business.

This biblically based book is a thoughtful guide to imitating God during interactions with customers, coworkers, employees, and other businesses. See how your business, and your life in business, can be dedicated to God's glory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A thoughtful review of the purpose and meaning of business and a fresh way to look at honoring and glorifying God in doing business. C. William Pollard, Chairman Emeritus, The ServiceMaster Company --Amazon --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

"A thoughtful review of the purpose and meaning of business and a fresh way to look at honoring and glorifying God in doing business."
—C. William Pollard, Chairman Emeritus, The ServiceMaster Company

"Helpful, easy-to-understand grounding for business leadership."
—James Fellowes, CEO, Fellowes, Inc.

"What remarkable insight!"
—Stephen Happel, Professor of Economics, Arizona State University

"What a great reminder that your business life can be a critical part of how you serve God and impact lives for eternity!"
—Dave Browne, Former CEO, LensCrafters; current CEO, Family Christian Stores

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Crossway (November 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581345178
• ISBN-13: 978-1581345179
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Ethics
  • #13 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Church Administration

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars God Can Be Glorified By Ownership, Profit, and Business! September 12, 2004

By Jacob Hantla TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I had never really thought about it, but I guess--even though it is contrary to my longing and belief that God can be and is glorified through all of the Christian's life--that I had always just assumed that business wasn't good in and of itself. In fact like Grudem asserts of those who are like I was, we believe, "that from a moral perspective [profit, competition, money, and business are] 'neutral' at best." I guess that when I was pursuing a degree in engineering, I thought that I could glorify God through it by sharing the gospel at the work place, earning enough money to free my wife up to be a stay-at-home mom, and being able to give more money to the church. But Grudem's view is so much balanced and biblical than these views, exposing my blindness that would have kept me from obeying 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do (including business), do all for the glory of God." (On a side not to 1 Cor 10:31, read "How to Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God," chapter 5 of John Piper's book, "Pierced by the Word.")

The topics in which Grudem covers in this book, with a chapter devoted to each one are:

How God is glorified by...

1. Ownership

2. Productivity

3. Employment

4. Commercial Transactions

5. Profit

6. Money

7. Inequality of Possessions

8. Competition

9. Borrowing and Lending

and he then includes two chapters on

10. Attitudes of Heart

11. Effects on World Poverty.

Grudem is not blind to the abuses of business, the ways in which we idolize money and success and become gracious losing sight of the fact that we are operating with God's stuff not ours. He regularly comments throughout the book on concerns to balance the view, but the real wealth of attitude-changing information comes from not-often-talked-about fact that business can in-and-of-itself be glorifying to God. We don't have to feel "vaguely guilty" about business but can use it to both glorify God while we're doing it and advance the Kingdom through it.

My only complaint is the size of the book, and for that I wish I could give it four-and-a-half stars. The book is really small (83 pages of text) and oftentimes when it seems like he is just beginning to develop a thought or when a proposition could use a little more defense, he needs to move on to the next topic of discussion. However, he can be excused because he has let the reader know that he is working on a larger edition saying in the preface, "The Bible says much about these topics, and a thorough treatment deserves a much larger book than this, one that I am still in the process of writing."

In summary, if you are in business or are a student studying or considering studying business, read this book. It should have a profound and God-glorifying effect (if read as it is written and not taken as a license to idolize business or success and withhold God's grace from people) on your life, studies, and career.

Soli deo gloria.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great but Short Treatment of the Subject November 8, 2005

By Tim Challies TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I own quite a few books written by Wayne Grudem and most of them vary between being long and very long (not to say that this is necessarily a bad thing). Grudem takes on difficult and controversial subjects such as Bible translation and the roles of men and women in the church and covers them both thoroughly and biblically. It was with some surprise, then, that I received Business for the Glory of God and noted that it is a mere 96 pages - the perfect size to read in a single evening. Its size may be deceiving, for this little book contains some powerful teaching about the value of business.

Grudem says, rightly I'm sure, that when people ask how their lives can glorify God, they are rarely told, "Go into business." Students, when they ask, "How can I serve God with my life," don't often hear the answer, "Go into business." This little book claims just this, that "many aspects of business activity are morally good in themselves, and that in themselves they bring glory to God - though they also have great potential for misuse and wrongdoing." Dr. Grudem examines business under the following headings:

1. Ownership

2. Productivity

3. Employment

4. Commercial transactions (buying and selling)

5. Profit

6. Money

7. Inequality of possessions

8. Competition

9. Borrowing and lending

10. Attitudes of hearing

11. Effect on world poverty

Through each chapter Grudem shows that the topic he discusses is fundamentally good, whether it be ownership, profit, or inequality of possessions, and that each one provides many opportunities to glorify God, but also many temptations to sin. The temptation to sin by making an idol of money, for example, does not negate the fact that money is fundamentally good and is a God-given gift. As we have come to expect from Grudem's books, this one is filled with references to the Bible and in fact is driven by Scripture.

What the reader will come to understand is that business, as fundamentally good as it is, is not an end in itself. Business and all the elements that comprise it, are instruments God uses to bring glory to Himself. God is glorified when we use our gifts and talents to employ others, to make money and to turn a profit. God is glorified when we borrow and lend and compete. God has entrusted these tools to us and expects us to use them in a way that honors Him. The book concludes with a reflection on the effect of business on world poverty. "I believe the only long-term solution to world poverty is business. That is because businesses produce goods, and business produce jobs. And business continue producing goods year after year, and continue providing jobs and paying wages year after year. Therefore if we are every going to see long-term solutions to world poverty, I believe it will come through starting and maintaining productive, profitable businesses."

Business for the Glory of God is a wonderful little book that is sure to edify whoever reads it. As we approach the Christmas season, this may be a book you would want to consider purchasing as a gift (or stocking-stuffer depending on your budget) for the man or woman in your life who is involved in business, or even for the teen who is wondering how he can use his life to bring glory to God. I enjoyed this book and am happy to recommend it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Brief Christian defence of some tenets of capitalism January 3, 2004

By torowan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

In this short book, Grudem consistently defends some of the tenets of capitalism such as private property, profit, and competition. He methodically looks at each of these to demonstrate that like all of God's gifts they are good, and rather than being just as morally neutral or an evil (to be tolerated as a necessary evil, or to be fought against), they should be used to glorify God; he also shows how like all of God's gifts they are subject to perversion by sinful choices.

Grudem bases his arguments on a handful of scriptural principles, and demonstrates that these tools of capitalism are effective techniques to achieve those principles.