CHRISTIAN ETHICS AND BUSINESS

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