Using your business to be a blessing

Last week at Fellowship Friday, Mark Brisson of Fun Spot shared with us the concept of the Boaz Blessing.

Boaz was able to bless Ruth by having his harvesters leave a little extra behind for her to glean. This gesture cost Boaz little. He gave up a bit of inventory and spent a minute or two giving instructions to his employees.

But his effort meant a great deal to Ruth. In the same way, we can look for opportunities in our work to be a blessing to someone else.

When the Spirit leads us to give, even a few moments of our time or a bit of lagniappe can provide abundantly for others.


We have two Fellowship Friday meetings each week: one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Locations change, so there's likely to be one in your area soon. On Feb. 3, we'll be at BankFirst in Oviedo at 7:30 a.m. and Jason's Deli in Altamonte Springs at 1:30 p.m. For other Fellowship Friday dates and times, check the website.

We hope to see you there, and while we pray we can be a blessing to you, we pray even more that we can help you be a blessing to others.

Examining our profit motive

We sometimes maintain a medieval, monkish idea that wealth ought not be part of our Christian mindset. That money is worldly and therefore beneath our consideration.

Nonsense.

It is not money, but the love of money that is the root of evil. We must consider money carefully if we are to be good stewards of it.

What we must not do is fool ourselves into thinking money will solve our problems or meet our needs. God solves problems and meets needs. Sometimes he uses money to do so. Other times he does it by providing smarts, stamina, or people to help us.

Here's a popular passage from stewardship season: 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

We are not asked to forgo wealth. We are not told to avoid profit-making. But we are warned against putting our hope in wealth and profit. We are told to be generous with what has been given us. And to know that what we have is given "for our enjoyment."

As we embark on this new year, we encourage you to enjoy what you have been given, and we pray the chamber can be God's instrument in connecting you to the resources your business needs to succeed. May your new year be happy...and prosperous.