Many argue that the mandate given by Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20 (commonly called the Great Commission) is the governing mandate of Christianity. The pedestrian understanding of this text is a mandate to world evangelism. Jesus, however, commanded his original eleven apostles to reproduce themselves. In other words, the command was to make disciples—true followers of Christ not simply people who claimed to be converted to Christ. Converts are not difficult to make, don’t require much time, and are generally recognized simply by their verbal professions of faith. Converts are the fruit of evangelistic meetings, but true disciples take years of arduous, faithful work and are evidenced by lives increasingly aligned with Christ.1
The confusion about the Great Commission also appears in organizations. Many organizational leaders will intentionally build with people who do not know the Lord, seeking to evangelize them. This is a very dubious approach. First, it erroneously intimates that a person’s spiritual state has little impact on his or her ability to work. And second, it is inconsistent with the call to build with holy people—those living congruent with their profession of faith in Christ.
The call of a Christian to a holy life is abundantly clear in Scripture. The text above is representative of this command. Those who have truly received the grace of Christ are regenerated and mandated to live holy lives characterized by dying to their will and ways to live according to the will and ways of God. While no one can achieve perfection in holiness in this existence, one can increasingly mature in holy living. The evidence of holiness is a lifestyle that reflects continuously growing alignment with the principles of Scripture.
Organizational leaders must recognize that spiritual reality drives physical reality, therefore the ability for anyone to work with excellence is predicated by holy living. Consequently, to build healthy organizations, leaders must build with people who are spiritually healthy, that is, true disciples of Jesus Christ. And such workers will bear witness to Christ by producing excellent value.2
The role of spiritually healthy organizational leaders is to build organizations with true disciples and those who are submitted to being discipled. This will enable organizations to produce excellent value propositions that will bear a positive witness for Christ.
Here is your business tip. Organizational leaders should seek to build with people who are clearly submitted to the lordship of Christ as demonstrated by their lives. Organizations with a culture of discipleship will properly utilize stakeholders to increasingly produce excellent products and services as their stakeholders grow in maturity in Christ. Their customers or clients will experience outstanding value. Such organizations will deliver excellent value and build stellar reputations. And, in the process, Christ will be glorified.
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1. 1 John 2:4–6.
2. Colossians 3:17, 23; Titus 2:9–10. |
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