Business and Faith II - Truth.

Tuesday, Sept 8, 2009. We are talking about the relation between Christian faith and business. How does my faith influence the way I do business. Today we want to talk about truth.

It is an important ingredient of faith to tell the truth. God is the God of truth, Jesus called himself even “the truth”. If we live in faith or with faith, we will experience the wish to tell other people the truth about ourselves and about things we have experienced. Lies do not go together with faith or with God. God is a god of truthfulness - what he says is reliable and what he promises is as firm as the most solid things we know. When we are in interaction with such a God, our way to handle truth will be changed.

The thing with truth will influence my business life on different levels. I cannot pretend to be something different from what I am. Of course we are not only what we are, but what we have been and what we will be. It is difficult to fix a particular image of someone, even of myself, since I am also the possibilities of my life, the things I have not yet done, but will be able to do. When I live in faith I will reflect these things and communicate it to the other people around me. It might be a little difficult, since it is part of life to take into account the options and the future, not only the presence. Thus telling the truth does not mean that I cannot dream any more, that I cannot make plans and convincingly tell others what I think I can do. But I will do this in a completely truthful way, reflecting what is and what will be.

In business life it is common to tell people only particular facts which do not necessarily mirrow the real situation. We try to get some contracts or orders - and we try to set up the scenario in a way such that the customers buy what we offer. There is a lot of blending and illusion in business, everyone pretends to be world leading and unique - most of the things are not or only partly. Truth of faith will bring the freedom to stay with the truth.

In the scientific life there is a lot of blending as well. And the carnival of jobs, positions and applications is moving quickly. Often it is difficult to know where the members of an institute have applied already and when they will leave. Long term engagement and dedication is difficult to get. Also when we come to applications, truth plays and important role. People should know what I think and plan - at least when it is important to them. I believe that Christians should be reliable in the sense that they tell their institutions what they plan to do (if they know it themselves). That is a difficult thing, since it might bring disadvantages if you boss knows that you want to leave. But we are not living to set up a bright scenery and act differently behind the scenes. We are with the living God, who is the God of truth. We are here to say what we do and to do what we say.

Truth needs to be handles with care. We should not be stupid with truth! We need to phrase things in a way which takes care of other people. There must be the right moment to tell the truth in love. If truth is not married to love, it can be cruel and destructive. If it is married to consideration, care and love, it will be the fundament of true freedom, of sustainability and future. [R.W.E.P., jesusnetwork.eu]

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