In the movie ThePatriot, there was a scene where British general Cornwallis held one of his subordinates, Colonel Tavington, accountable for his actions. Colonel Tavington engaged in brutal tactics against women and children. He viewed such tactics as necessary for him to win battles. Tavington’s defense was pragmatic—the end justified the means. General Cornwallis believed in civilized rules of war and therefore he did not accept a pragmatic justification for Tavington’s brutality. In General Cornwallis’s reprimand, he stated that Tavington’s actions reflected on Cornwallis. Tavington was Cornwallis’s representative or agent and therefore Tavington was to speak, act, and think like Cornwallis. In other words, Tavington was commissioned to act in Cornwallis’s name. The reprimand was clear: if Tavington’s deportment was not consistent with Cornwallis’s worldview, then Tavington would be relieved of duty.

This illustrates what it means to work in the name of someone else. For those who know Christ, we are mandated in the above verse to work in the name of the Lord Jesus. (In the above text, the word translated deed is actually the word ergon, which refers to work in the broadest sense.)

As in the above story, to work in the name of the Lord Jesus means to think, speak, and act consistent with his worldview. Christ’s worldview was totally defined by Scripture (Matthew 4:4), which means that he had a biblical worldview.

To work according to a biblical worldview is comprehensive in that every issue of work must be connected to Scripture. The following are illustrations.

These are a few examples of how commonly accepted thoughts on business differ from a biblical worldview.

Working from a biblical worldview is working in the name of Christ, that is, working as his agent by thinking, speaking, and acting congruently with Scripture. This is the work mandate of every Christian. And as with the story from The Patriot, when our work does not reflect Christ’s worldview, we are at risk of being relieved from duty.

Here is your business tip. Develop a culture in your organization focused on learning and practicing a biblical worldview of work. This is the only correct worldview and the only worldview that is consistent with Christ. Everyone in the organization needs to be challenged to learn and grow in a biblical worldview of work. Anyone who does not engage in the organization’s culture must be released. Remember, the mandate of business is first and foremost to reflect Christ and secondarily to make money.