John 2:16 - Business Among Brothers

John 2:16:
To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

There is a concept in the business world called “networking.” It is a great way to increase your market coverage, increase sales, and — ultimately — increase your profits. It works well because it is a way of making friends, and converting them into customers — and vice versa.

Rotary, Shiners, Kiwanis, Optimist, Sertoma and other organizations have a reputation of making the world better through their humanitarian efforts. But, if you polled their members, you would find a strong motivation for joining was the potential for networking. If you are a member of such an organization, or have been involved with them, it is not uncommon to see business deals conducted in social situations. — How many napkins have been used as note pads for large projects?

Getting ahead in the business world is an art form. Any method that gets someone’s attention for your sales pitch, or introduces you to a group of potential customers is a valuable asset. Membership in an organization that has a captive audience for you is worth joining at almost any cost.

As an old commercial used to say . . . “Membership has it’s privileges.”

Networking like this is an old tradition among some organizations. Sometimes it is a good practice, and other times — not so good.

What about when it comes to the Lord’s Body — the church?

There is a fine line here, and it has to do with your motivation. 

Only you — and the Lord — know what motives drive your actions.

In the setting of John 2:16, it could be said that those selling doves and other “worship” items were a great help to those who have come to the temple unprepared, or from great distances. But, apparently these “helpers” had the wrong motivation behind their actions — the kind of motivation that caused the Lord to make a whip and drive them away.

The nature of our relationships with others in the church will cause us to interact on a business level from time to time — and who better to trust than a brother or sister in Christ?

But — are you intent on capitalizing on those relationships? — Counting on them being your customers? — Influencing those relationshipsfor your own gain?

If you have positive answers to those questions, you might look at your motives a little closer.

Here is a test to see your true motivation: 

How do you feel when you find a brother or sister in Christ has gone to someone else and bought goods or paid for services that you also offer?  Are truly disappointed because you lost an opportunity to serve them — or upset because you lost a sale from some one that “should have bought from you?”

If you are a Christian in business, ask yourself this question . . .

Do you truly see fellow Christians as “brothers and sisters,” or as “business opportunities?”

Romans 12:10:  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.