THE PLACE OF OUR FAITH IN OUR WORK

Hello people, it’s no news that for over a week yours truly hasn’t made any post. A million apologies! Fact is, I have been having crazy work schedules and this has given me little or no space for anything else. From the start, I had intended to make my post daily, but somehow man proposes and God...

I have been told by almost everybody who cares to watch my work routine; I really hope to do this pretty soon. Sure, I will!

The issue today is: YOUR FAITH AND YOUR WORK: WHICH SHOULD COME FIRST?

I belong to the Christian faith, but quite a number of my friends belong to different faiths. In fact, one of the most sincere persons I have ever had as friend is a Muslim. This guy tells is epitome of truth and honesty. He always tells the truth as it is, unlike most of my ‘Christian’ friends.

About a week ago, I was at a dinner put together by a friend – Teajay Chunu; this dinner was equally a medium for him to introduce his next big idea to all his friends present – a creative workshop/seminar tagged: IMAGINE IT. Please visit this website for more information.

Since Teajay is a Christian, it was very important for me at the end of his speech to ask him this very significant question regarding his workshop: “Under what platform are you coming out, is it as a Christian businessperson or as a conventional entrepreneur...” I needed to get clarity as to the platform being used, because this will determine in a great deal, the shape the seminar will take, being that I have organized several workshops/seminars using both platforms.

The responses that my question elicited were more than I could immediately chew. It wasn’t even coming from the host (Teajay) of the workshop, but from others who apparently cared more or were more angered by the question.

What was the gripe? They seem to believe I was sounding old-fashioned or off-the-point. My offense was that I used the term ‘Christian businessperson’. They believed nothing like that exists anymore, or that nothing of such should be promoted, talked about or fronted.

They presented a few reasons for their resistance. According to them: “Many businesspeople have used the toga of ‘I am a Christian’ to secure deals only to give mediocre outputs.” They said they believe “persons who claim to be Christian businessmen are the worst set of people to do business with... don’t ever say anything about Christian businessmen again... Christianity is an individual thing... Keep it in your house when you are going for business...”

One of us quickly added: “it is not everybody that is successful that knows the person of Jesus. The principles of Jesus can also make anybody successful. The truth is, anyone can learn and put the principles to practise to attain success, without necessarily giving any attention or emphasis on the person...”

With the mode and eloquence they were making their pulse felt, there was very little or nothing I could say at that moment that would change their deep –seated conviction.

Like you know, there are certain debates you just don’t want to continue in, for the reason that the strong beliefs you have about the issue can’t just be explicated through words.

I was quite surprised such issue could even elicit a debate, being that everybody at the dinner were Christian businesspeople/professionals. Several thoughts began to ruminate in my head as to why, at least this magnitude.

In the middle of the entire debate, I was lucky to have one of my “dinner mates” stand up for me. He apparently agreed with the points I was trying so hard to pass across to others

The guy charitably put it this way said: “what Sule is trying to say is that the difference between Christian and non Christian businessmen are in what their VALUES are. It is reflected in their work and attitude to business...”

Hard as he tried, his point didn’t help much as our fellow “dinner mates” listed few names of non-Christian businesspeople that are successful and exemplify exemplary VALUES, the kind they believed in.

Since my blog was created as one of the mediums through which I can express my thoughts and take on issues, therefore I am going to explain certain truth and fundamentals I couldn’t share with my folks at Teajay’s dinner last week.

I will not deny the fact that quite a number of us have had bitter experiences with some people in business who call themselves “Christians”. They put you under emotional blackmail just to get the deals, only to end up grossly under –performing. The sad part is that, you can’t take them up with the law, being that they are your “Christian brothers and sisters”.

On a personal level, most of the mediocre jobs that have been executed for our organization were handled by ‘brethrens’. Worse still is the fact that most of them tell all manner of lies when they default on deals. Yet, they claim to be ‘Christians’.

I have seen lots of jobs that were abandoned midway, by some so-called Christians. They either ran off with the money they were given for the job, without finishing the deal or they managed to complete it with second-rate equipments and materials. I have seen church building projects that were given to brethren to handle and they were executed disappointingly. In many cases, the buildings never reach completion...

These guys are given the deals on the basis that they will not disappoint, being that they profess Jesus as their Lord and Master, only for them to turn their opportunity into a monumental mess.

There is no gainsaying the fact that today’s world fears the wrath of the devil more than they fear God’s...

In the face of these challenges, the multi-million questions are:

How should we approach these all-important issues? Is it wisdom to say: “from this day forward, everybody should hide his/her faith in his/her pocket – ‘Christianity is a personal thing’?” Do we now belong to a shameful faith that should be treated like a second life? If Jesus were to be modern-day businessman, what would be the steps/actions He’ll take to change these wicked misrepresentations of Christian businesspeople? Are you of the opinion that we close our eyes to it and say it is not [or too much] a problem to be tackled?

Are we on planet mainly to make income or impact – to make money or influence our world for Christ?

I really don’t want anybody telling me, like most of my folks at the dinner did, that: “go to work, and let your results tell people about your faith...”

Fact is, I see this as an easy and unforgivable escape route. This attitude to Christianity doesn’t give you any sense of commitment. There becomes absolutely nothing to prove. You have just indirectly said to people that you are accountable to no one, but the deal. Thus, failing or disappointing your client could easily be an option – “in any case, he doesn’t know if I am a Christian, and this issue doesn’t even concern church stuff sef...”

When you have succeeded in hiding and de-emphasizing [or denying] the reputable name of your Father, there is therefore no name to go all-out to protect!

What I have discovered is that our selfishness now even swallows up our faith. Everybody wants to make money and a name for himself. Each one of us wants to be very famous and be celebrated by our world, undermining the reality that WE ARE MERE SIGNPOSTS, NOT THE SIGN!

I will have to talk more on this tomorrow, by God’s grace. By the way, I am using this medium to specially endorse Teajay Chunu’s creative workshop tagged: IMAGINE IT. Make sure to be there.
Do have a favour-full day ahead!

You must happen!