Christian ethics is the
application of Christian values to decision-making process. An approach of
Christian ethics is to use the Bible as a book of rules. This involves applying
the rules stated in the Bible to business situations. This approach will work
well in simple situations like theft, cheating or lying. However, when we are
confronted with complex issues like hacking or copyright infringement that the
Bible says nothing about, what are we to do?
Some people are of the
opinion that the concept of Christian ethics in business is a total illusion
that will ultimately lead to shipwreck in business. They argue that the Bible
was written a long time ago in the context of an economy that was largely
agrarian. As a result, the Bible is not very useful as a business rules book in
this age of telecommunication, mobile money and internet. Their conclusion is
that using the Bible as a business guide book is like using ancient scholars
like Galen and Hippocrates to train modern doctors.
Christian ethics is not
rooted in the rules spelt out in the Scripture but on the unchanging character
of God. We are created in His image and are supposed to emulate Him in all
aspects of our lives, including business. In view of this, any behavior that is
consistent with the character of God is ethical – that which is not is
unethical.
In order words, being
ethical in business as Christians means reflecting the character of God. The
critical question then is “What is God like?” There are three divine
characteristics of God repeatedly mentioned in the Bible that have direct
bearing on ethical decision-making. They are:
1. Holiness
2. Justice
3. Love
It suffices to say that a
business is ethical if it reflects God’s Holy-Just-Loving character.
These
three attributes are intertwined and are of equal importance and must be taken
into account when making decisions. Like the legs on a three-legged stool, each
one balances the other two.
While holiness removes
“dirt” in our decisions and helps to promote purity in business, justice
promotes fairness and support an approach that is balanced. Love on its part
provides the framework on which business relationships exist. In other words,
holiness focuses primarily on purity, justice on rights, and love concentrates
on relationship.
Succeeding in business as
Christians in this corrupt and perverse world require conscious effort on our
part. This success is largely dependent on the quality of our decisions. These
three attributes of God must be evident in our lives as business people.
May the Lord help us to
remain as the salt which will hinder corruption and every form of decay in the
business arena.
For
more, read Just Business by
Alexander Hill
