How to conduct a business morally, with quotes direct from the Bible...

1. Doing Business God’s Way
By Raymund Sanchez

2. Agenda
 Workaholism
 Using Credit / Collecting Debts
 Handling Lawsuits

3. Workaholism

4. Workaholism
 One who has a
compulsive and
unrelenting need to
work
 Portmanteau word
composed of work
and alcoholic

5. Workaholism
Is it Harmful?
 Experts say the
incessant work-
related activity
masks anxiety, low
self-esteem, and
intimacy problems
 Not the same as
working hard

6. Workaholism
Is it Harmful?
 Workaholics feel the urge
of being busy all the time,
to the point that they often
perform tasks that aren't
required or necessary for
project completion.
 they tend to be inefficient
workers, since they focus
on being busy, instead of
focusing on being
productive.
 Have trouble delegating
 Impaired cognitive
functions thru sleep
deprivation

7. Workaholism
Negative Effects
 Neglect of social relations
 Health Issues (sleep deprivation,
malnutrition, stress)
 Lesser contribution in terms of
productivity & team work

8. Workaholism
What does the bible say?
 Anything obsessed
about, other than
God, is idolatry
 As Christians, we
have to be very
careful not to let
the cares and
allurements of the
world distract us
from our devotion
to Christ

9. Workaholism
What does the bible say?
 Paul spent time
making tents with
Priscilla and Aquila,
but their
conversations and
thoughts as they
worked were on
God (Acts 18:1-3,
24-26; Romans
16:3)

10. Workaholism
What does the bible say?
“And whatever you do, whether in
word or deed, do it all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through him” (Colossians
3:17)

11. Workaholism
What does the bible say?
Being a workaholic isn’t directly
comparable to worshipping idols.
However, if the job takes up so much
energy that it distracts away from
the relationship with Jesus Christ
having predominance, then it could
be considered idolatry.

12. Using Credit / Being in Debt

13. Using Credit / Being in Debt
 A contractual
agreement in
which a borrower
receives something
of value now and
agrees to repay
the lender at some
later date.

14. Using Credit / Being in Debt
Is it a Sin to be in Debt?
YES
 Romans 13:8
Owe no one
anything except to
love one another,
for he who loves
another has
fulfilled the law
 Which means you
owe no man
anything but love

15. Using Credit / Being in Debt
Is it a Sin to be in Debt?
 YES
 Proverbs 22:7
The rich rules over
the poor, and the
borrower is servant
to the lender.

16. Using Credit / Being in Debt
Is it a Sin to be in Debt?
 NO
 Proverbs 22:26–27
Do not be one of
those who shakes
hands in a pledge,
One of those who is
surety for debts; If
you have nothing
with which to pay,
Why should he take
away your bed from
under you?

17. Using Credit / Being in Debt
What should a Christian do?
 1 Timothy 6:6–12
Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out. And having
food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
But those who desire to be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish
and harmful lusts which drown men in
destruction and perdition. For the love of money
is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have
strayed from the faith in their greediness, and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

18. Using Credit / Being in Debt
What should a Christian do?
 Is the concept of credit & debt
obligations wrong?
– The idea is not necessarily no debt, but
not to incur debt that you cannot pay.
To take without repayment is harming
the lender. It is a form of stealing Psalm
37:21 The wicked borrows and does not
repay, But the righteous shows mercy
and gives.

19. Using Credit / Being in Debt
What should a Christian do?
 Is the concept of credit & debt
obligations wrong?
– Excessive debt becomes a form of
slavery to the lender Proverbs 22:7
– you end up following the lender’s lead
Deuteronomy 28:44 He shall lend to
you, but you shall not lend to him; he
shall be the head, and you shall be the
tail.
– It is a form of lying

20. Using Credit / Being in Debt
What should a Christian do?
 Solutions
– Do not put necessities up as collateral.
If you can’t afford to lose it, don’t use it
for a loan. Under the Old Law, an
Israelite was not allowed to promise
(borrow) what he was not able to pay -
Ecclesiastes 5:5 Better not to vow than
to vow and not pay.

21. Using Credit / Being in Debt
What should a Christian do?
 Solutions
– If you cosigned a loan, get out of it as quickly
as possible - Proverbs 6:1-5
– My son, if you become surety for your friend,
If you have shaken hands in pledge for a
stranger, You are snared by the words of your
mouth; You are taken by the words of your
mouth. So do this, my son, and deliver
yourself; For you have come into the hand of
your friend: Go and humble yourself; Plead
with your friend. Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself
like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And
like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

22. Using Credit / Being in Debt
What should a Christian do?
 Solutions
– The Scriptures solidly teach against cosigning
loans (guaranteeing a loan made to someone
else) Proverbs 17:18 A man devoid of
understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And
becomes surety for his friend.
– If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it. If your
friend can’t afford it, why put your personal
possessions at risk? Proverbs 22:26-27

23. Lawsuits

24. Lawsuits
 A legal action
started by a
plaintiff against a
defendant based
on a complaint that
the defendant
failed to perform a
legal duty,
resulting in harm
to the plaintiff

25. Lawsuits
What does the Bible say about this?
 The apostle Paul
instructed the
Corinthian
believers to not go
to court against
one another
Corinthians 6:1-8

26. Lawsuits
What does the Bible say about this?
If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it
before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the
saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the
world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not
competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we
will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint
as judges even men of little account in the church! I say
this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody
among you wise enough to judge a dispute between
believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against
another—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that
you have lawsuits among you means you have been
completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged?
Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat
and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.

27. Lawsuits
What does the Bible say about this?
 For Christians not to
forgive each other and
reconcile their own
differences is to
demonstrate spiritual
defeat. Why would
someone want to
become a Christian if
Christians have just as
many problems and
are just as incapable
of solving them?

28. Lawsuits
What there is no other recourse?
 there are some instances
when a lawsuit might be
the proper course of
action. If the biblical
pattern for reconciliation
has been followed
(Matthew 18:15-17) and
the offending party is still
in the wrong, in some
instances a lawsuit might
be justified.
 This should only be done
after much prayer for
wisdom (James 1:5) and
consultation with spiritual
leadership.

29. Lawsuits
What there is no other recourse?
Matthew 18:15–17
If your brother sins against you, go and
show him his fault, just between the two
of you. If he listens to you, you have won
your brother over. But if he will not listen,
take one or two others along, so that
every matter may be established by the
testimony of two or three witnesses. If he
refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
church; and if he refuses to listen even to
the church, treat him as you would a
pagan or a tax collector.

30. Summary
 Workaholism: unhealthy obsession
with anything besides God is Idolatry
 Debt/Credit: incurring debt or issuing
credit is not a sin or evil in itself, it is the
excessiveness of the act or incurring debt
beyond ones capacity to pay
 Lawsuits: exhaust all extra judiciary
measures first in resolving the conflict
before going to court