“He is a Christian who aims to reach the highest attainments for the purpose of doing others good.”
Christian Education (CE 51.1)
“He does not ask them to give up anything that would be for their good if they kept it.”
Patriarchs and Prophets (PP 599.4)
“God does not ask young people to have lesser ambitions. The elements of character which make a man successful and honored by his fellows, the unquenchable yearning for a greater good, the indomitable will, the zealous endeavour, the steadfast perseverance, must not be destroyed. By the grace of God, they should be directed to goals that are as much above mere temporal and selfish interests as heaven is above earth.”
Patriarchs and Prophets (PP 602.1)
We are to rethink how we see evangelism and business.
“You have felt that business is business, religion is religion, but I tell you that these cannot be divorced… You are not to put asunder that which God has joined—business and religion.”
Manuscript Releases, vol. 19 (19MR 17.1)
“Religion and business are not two separate things; they are one.”
Christ's Object Lessons (COL 349.3)
Advent Ventures
Advent Ventures is aligned in this mission and believes the primary focus for running a business should not be to acquire wealth, it should be to create an opportunity to interact with others in order to demonstrate the character of Christ. We should find methods of gaining access to people who may otherwise not be reached by the gospel in a meaningful way.
Learn more about Advent Venutures
“Invent some way of becoming acquainted with the people...”
The Upward Look (UL 171.6)
“I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”
1 Corinthians 9:22-23
“As he worked at his trade, the apostle had access to a class of people that he could not otherwise have reached.”
The Acts of the Apostles (AA 351.3)
We can learn a lesson here. Find a group of people we want to reach, use our entrepreneurial lens to identify a problem they have and then through the leading of the Holy Spirit create a solution to not only solve that problem but also do it in a way where we earn trust and form genuine connections.
It is important to remember that we are not launching companies to get rich or even to put food on the table… God has shown us that He will provide for all of our needs when we put our faith in Him. We read the story of Elijah...
“So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.”
1 Kings 17:5-6
We cannot let the success of business remove our dependency on our Creator. May we also always have before us a sense of urgency for the times we are living in. We must not allow the trappings of business to remove us from our primary commitment.
“We have no time now to give our energies and talents to worldly enterprises. Shall we become absorbed in serving the world, serving ourselves, and lose eternal life and the everlasting bliss of heaven? Oh, we cannot afford to do this! Let every talent be employed in the work of God”
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9 (9T 104.2)
