Conversations with Dr. George Wood General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God
[5]Insights from an interview with Mart Green, CEO for Mardel Christian Bookstores and son of the founder of Hobby Lobby, Int’l
There are a number of business men and women who serve the Lord as lay people, running their own business or employed at businesses. Many business owners of faith make conscious decisions that may not play into the decision making processes of the usual entrepreneur. Mart Green discusses some of those choices.
As his father’s business began to successfully grow he was approached to have his business go public. He chose to keep it a private enterprise. Giving was an important part of his life. Choosing to remain the stewards of their money allowed him the freedom to choose where he gave his money and how much he wanted to give.
These days most businesses wouldn’t even consider not being open on Sundays, but to the Christian businessman or woman this is an important consideration. Their business was doing $100 million dollars of business on Sundays alone, but made the choice to close their doors. On paper it may not make sense, but they saw it as a form of tithing. As a result they saw it attracted better employees.
The Bible is seen as the best business book and has principles that can guide operations. Some business principles are transferrable to a new or long-time business owner:
1. Integrity. If a mistake is made it must be corrected, even if it is costly. Decisions need to be
2. Empowerment. Employers must learn to trust people who work for them and give them a chance to succeed and not be afraid of them failing. Lessons to be learned from failure can transform people’s lives. In business it’s all about building a team.
These principles are especially important today. Young folks today are looking less for a “Guide on the Side” rather than a “Sage on the Stage”. There is an incredible ability to access knowledge today because of the internet, but they need to be taught the wisdom of how to apply that knowledge.