Business Tips from a Christian Worldview

The C4 Principle

Concepts to Facilitate Application

Gerald R. Chester, Ph.D.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)

To profoundly appreciate the C4 Principle, one must have a Christian worldview. Commonly, worldviews (atheism, Muslim, Hinduism, etc.) are humanly defined. However, a Christian worldview is defined by Scripture. Humans are taught to think Christianly through the renewing of the mind through Scripture as noted in the above text.

A true Christian worldview is holistic and kingdom oriented. Holistic means a comprehensive all-inclusive view of reality governed by Scripture as historically understood by the orthodox Christian church. Kingdom means that Jesus is Lord of all—no exceptions. The details of God’s redemptive plan are unfolding in the metanarrative. This revelation is illuminated in the New Testament, which then facilitates the correct understanding of the Old Testament. The seminal truth that unlocks this revelation is that Jesus is Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

Given that Jesus is Lord and Christ, then he is sovereign over his universe and creates each person with intent and purpose. This is what gives people dignity, value, and meaning in life. Furthermore, people live in a historical context that is governed by the sovereign God of creation. This context is called the metanarrative. Because of God’s intentionality, each person’s purpose and life story is contextualized in the greater story of the metanarrative. The writer of the book of Hebrews spoke of the individual stories using athletic imagery:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV)

In addition, the purpose of mankind in the metanarrative is congruent with God's original intent for mankind expressed in the Creation Mandate (Genesis 1:26–28), namely, to serve as his ruling agents in the physical realm. Nothing in Scripture, including the fall of mankind, has changed this truth. Though sin has impaired mankind’s ability to obey God, mankind’s responsibility to serve as God’s ruling agents remains. And because of the incarnation of Jesus, fallen mankind is now divinely empowered to obey the Creation Mandate, though not perfectly.

And finally, the metanarrative of redemption is the context in which regenerate mankind is being sanctified. It is in this context that the people of God fulfill their individual purposes through the power of the Holy Spirit as they grow and mature in Christ.

God’s plan is stunning. He grants meaning and significance to the creation of every person. He empowers them, defines their purpose, and sets a context for them to fulfill their purpose for his glory. And he provides the C4 Principle as a tool to help each person to discover his or her life purpose.

Here is your business tip. Wise organizational leaders and managers understand the sovereign, intentional, and strategic nature of God. And they know that Jesus is Lord and Christ. This means that both organizations and individuals find dignity, value, and purpose in relationship to and alignment with Christ. Consequently, the only true metric of success is alignment with Christ—his will done his ways in his timing for his glory. And the C4 Principle is a tool to help facilitate this alignment.