BAM Explained: Discipleship in Business
How often do you hear the words ‘discipleship’ and ‘business’ in the same sentence?
Probably not too often. You might even be wondering what those two topics have to do with each other.
The concept of whole-life discipleship provides a helpful foundation when thinking about this subject. According to the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC), a whole-life disciple is “someone that is learning how to follow Jesus in their place, and at this time”.
Let’s break that down.
Without context, a disciple is simply a follower. In Christianity, a disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ, who has decided to live their life according to His life and teachings. A whole-life disciple is someone that follows Jesus in every aspect of life, including work.
Think about these questions:
What place do you find yourself in? What culture are you embedded in?
These are the contexts within which we are called to follow Jesus.
As business owner, this invitation to follow Jesus extends to your business, in the place and time you operate in.
You may be wondering what that looks like. The beauty of business is that no two businesses are the same, so living out whole-life discipleship will look different for each person.
Nonetheless, there are some standard practices that can be applied to each business owner seeking to be a whole-life disciple.
The first practice to consider is prayer.
In the Bible, we see Jesus live a prayer-filled life. Remarkably, as His following and influence grew, so did His time in prayer and solitude.
As a believer and business owner, prayer is the place to seek God’s wisdom and presence. The more time you spend with Him, the more you become like Him; the more you become like Him, the easier it is to reflect His character in every big and small decision you make.
“Our end goal isn’t just to become Christians – it’s to live as disciples of Christ, day by day, task by task, place by place. For his glory and the good of those around us.” - Matt Jolley, LICC
Another way to practice whole-life discipleship as a business owner is to integrate holistic values into your business. You can achieve this by implementing an approach called the Quadruple Bottom Line (read more about this!). This approach considers the different factors involved in business and how we can faithfully steward these areas.
Alongside being profitable and sustainable, the QBL encourages business owners to focus on being environmentally conscious, people-centered, and purpose-driven. Building these values into your business allows you to live out the values of the Kingdom through your everyday work.
If you’re curious about incorporating these concepts into your business, check out the whole-life discipleship section in our Resource Library for practical books, videos, and articles: Whole-life Discipleship Resources
Discipleship is a daily commitment to living a life that reflects Jesus and is shaped by His character.
How can you reflect Him in your business today?
