Review: Edward Dayton. Succeeding in Business without Loosing Your Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992. pp. 113-211.
Synopsis of the Book
Today’s Church.
Dayton makes it clear that church is an integral part of the success for the Christian in business. He emphasizes that, “to claim to be a Christian while not identifying with a local church is sub-biblical. The successful Christian is a committed Christian: committed to Christ and committed to a specific group of believers, that the Bible calls a church.”(113) But most American Christians perceived the institutionalized church as “ancillary” to their individual Christianity. On the other hand, God’s intention for the church is to be a representative of the kingdom of God which is a new society. Dayton stresses that the church is evidence of God’s kingdom breaking in on humanity, not the kingdom of God per se. American history explains the rapid erosion of the concept of the kingdom of God. Ironically, it came from the Awakening revivals that emphasized personal conversion. Americans have their own conception of the “manifest destiny” of the United Sates under God. Eventually, at present, the religious pluralism of America is manifested in the pluralism of Christian churches.
Dayton identified the attitude of the church toward business. It where he proposed that a local “church should be run at least as well as a business!”(123) But too often, the church’s attitude to business has been equated with worldliness. Thus, he challenged Christians to reflect deeply in that the world is God’s creation and operates according to his rules reflected in his Word. So far, the world is also learning new things about how the world works through new discoveries. But because of the unwillingness to respond right to these new things, the church is often lagging behind the world in adopting better and new ways to live and work—i.e. teamwork, importance of the people, need for teams, etc. But Dayton notices that only a few “churches appreciate their business people as a window on the world and fewer still provide business people with opportunities to discuss in depth the integration of business and Christian values.”(123-24)
The church is described in the Scripture as the body of Christ. The Christian are represented as being parts of the body, dependently and intimately related to one another. They are not to be isolated to one another. However, American individualism affected this interdependence and tells Christians to go alone. And yet the Bible offers hope through the Holy Spirit to guide the church that they may find strength, values, and directions; for without such a community of God, the vital tool in finding success as Christians in business is lost.
Today’s Christian.
Dayton defines “faith maturity” as a measure of how Christians have integrated what they believe with how they act. He says that those who are mature in their faith know that what they do is a reflection of what they believe or don’t believe. For example, American evangelicals believe that it is only through God’s grace and through faith in Jesus Christ that they become God’s children. The author contends that strong belief is the source of faith maturity. But for Dayton, a maturing faith moves beyond a propositional understanding of what Christianity is all about. They must show themselves as citizens of the kingdom of God in their communities. “A faith that acts will stay strong in the face of ethical challenges we meet each day.”(125)
He cites Mahatma Gandhi’s counsel to Christians who are ardent in evangelizing Hindus in that, if ever they want to reach effectively his fellow people, Christians must act like Jesus Christ and Hindus would respond to Christ by the hundreds of thousands. But in the business world, many Christians privatized religion. The demonstration of high correlation between confession and action is very low. In fact, he observes that often it was “unbusinesslike” to get along with other employees and talk about evangelical Christian’s company ethics.
Life in God’s Kingdom.
The present world had become so pessimistic. It has been accustomed to expecting what is the worst and often it is almost impossible to expect what is the best despite the fact that there are present attempts to unify nations for the sake of economic benefits and security reasons. This is exemplified in man’s attempt to protect itself through laws by constructing international forums like the United Nations, European Economic Community and the like.
But here again, Dayton emphasizes that any Christians must be a part of the community of believers. Anyone who is not connected to a local church is a sub-Christian. The body of Christ is a mystical body and not a social or moral body per se. that is why every Christian must be connected to it to some extent, especially in the local community of believers. Moreover, the author describes the Christian life as a journey and not an arrival. Christians are pilgrims in this world walking closer or away from the savior. But this journey must be characterized by faith.
Jesus Christ announced the kingdom of God and yet the people who wants to sit on the top of the mountain and wants to own everything they survey would take the message for nonsense. The gospel of Matthew proclaims that Jesus Christ announced the good news that the kingdom of God had broken into human history. This “upside down kingdom” is a place where the poor is lifted up and the people act for the welfare of others. It requires and displays childlike faith to enter into this kingdom. Dayton emphasizes that it is a matter of opening one’s mind to what God would teach that one becomes an active citizen of this kingdom. Thus a redefinition of “success” is a must.
A change in attitude is about to bring a change in behavior. “Changing the way we act has a direct bearing on our relationships with other people, because it is only through observation and experience of what we do that others conclude who we really are.”(149-50) Thus Christians must take note that the kingdom of God [Matt 6:33] is in parallel with righteousness, that is doing right and doing good. The kingdom has its own rules and its essence is embedded in its king and the perfect love that he embodies.
Values to Live By.
The person’s definition of success is highly shaped by external factors—i.e. society, parents, schools, etc. Against this background, Dayton wants to point out the importance of the urgency to write a new story concerning the Christian’s whole life. But before this kind of life is lived out, one must recognize the rules of God to be established in the mind of the believer. These rules are found both in the Old and New Testaments. The Ten Commandments, as a foundation of God’s rules, is laid in the Old Testament. The Ten Commandments emphasized the “going hard after God” and looking out on idols that people may not replace their focus on God with money and wealth.
Whereas, in the New Testament, Jesus summarized the entire Law in stating that Christians ought to love God with all their heart and mind and soul and to love their neighbor as they love their very selves. Jesus did not condemn money and wealth. He spent time with rich people also and some of his disciples are middle-class businessmen. Yet Jesus is also aware of the danger of wealth in distracting the focus of a person towards wealth, instead of God. Work can be an idol. Often, those who want to get rich quickly suffer from burn-out by sapping their energies through their prestige, power, and identity gained from their successful work. But Dayton emphasizes that honoring God and relationships, even taking Sabbath rest, are basic ingredients to obedience to God’s rules. Preservation of life, staying pure, respect for property and welfare of others is great gain. Satisfaction is also beneficial. These core values are prerequisites to successful business. In today’s world, the application of the Ten Commandments carries with it an implied question: Is it good? Is it loving? Does it put God first? Does it lead to an integrated life? When these realities are dealt with, then the Christian is ready to complete the journey by describing for himself the meaning of a successful life.
Moving into the Future.
When Christians desire to live a new life-story, they need a new vision of tomorrow or the future. They need to look at the world in a new manner—like a better place to live. Dayton offers “Seven Steps to Success” to begin with in this new perception of making the future a better place to stand. 1) Trust in God. This means to let go and let God be God. A person must believe that God is for Christians. Trusting God involves believing his Word and that God alone is God. The Christian businessman must believe that God desires a better future for believers and whatever mistakes was made in the past were already forgiven and forgotten by God. Much more, God wants the believer to trust that He is able to change him. 2) See life as a whole. This is to look at life as an integrated whole. 3) Recognize the roles we play--i.e. as the head of the family, spouse, parent, child, worker, church member, Christian witness, friend, etc. 4) Understand God’s values, especially with the values as a citizen of God’s kingdom. 5) Understand the world’s values. The Christian businessman needs not to conform to the worldly values around them. [Amplified in the next chapter] 6) Write a new story. 7) Act. He makes it clear also that before Christians can effectively take those seven steps to success, they must establish close communication with God. Those who want to be successful in the business world must make prayer an utmost priority. To begin with, they can find a place to pray regularly. A prayer journal is also helpful as well as taking time to ask help from the family within. It is commendable also to find other members of the body of Christ to support them.
Writing a Different Story.
Writing a new life-story requires dissatisfaction with ‘somedays.’ A Christian must step out in faith and write down specific and measurable goals that describes what they believe God wants them to be. The believer may want to begin with the distant future in mind. It could be an attempt of fulfillment of any goal as far as fifteen years or more. With that perspective in mind, the present work must contribute to that vision. Some of the goals may be formulated along the way towards that long term goal. This new story must be shared with the spouse or close friends. It should be tested by God’s Word. When satisfaction is perceived, the journey may begin. The last step states the act. Acting towards the future and to keep testing and reevaluating must not be taken out of sight. If ever the plan is not the best, the Christian must not hesitate to change it. And Dayton stresses it that the first day of the rest of the Christian’s life is...today.
Living a Different Story.
Dayton differentiates the difference between writing a new story to live and living it. Thus he provides guidelines to help in living that life to the fullest. First, Christian businessmen must keep their promises because when people find them to be dependable persons, people will help along the way. Here, it should not be forgotten that one’s promises to the family is a priority that should never be overlooked. Second, Christian businessmen must rely on the body of Christ for Christian life is a life lived in relationships, not in isolation. Working with other Christian businessmen is helpful. Third, the Christian businessmen must find a mentor. There are people out there who are honored to share their lives and experiences with others. Fourth, keeping a journal is often helpful to record one’s prayers, requests, and memories of God’s work in the life of business. The recorded story can see the progress and changes along the journey. Fifth, God’s Word must be studied because that is the believer’s ultimate authority. Lastly, prayer must be prioritized for it is the only way to keep the mosaic pieces in their proper places.
Whatever the story, it has beginning and end. The store opens and closes, as well as appointments. But appointments with God should be an ultimate priority regularly. Dates with family comes next, thus the successful Christian businessman does not do away with family calendar. So far, the decision is up to the person to succeed in business and journey in faith.
Response: Dayton’s emphasis on an integrated life is a challenge to live by. This is a positive outlook of the art of living a faithful life, even if one is a businessman.
Questions: What is the significance of faith in succeeding in business? Does faith guarantee success in business?
