Biblical Stewardship 101: How to Be Good and Faithful Servants

Imagine building a business that thrives on Biblical principles and impacts your family, employees, and industry. Today, we want to help you take the first step toward making that vision a reality. 

In this episode of the WealthBuilders Podcast, “Biblical Stewardship 101: How to Be Good and Faithful Servants,” host Karen Conrad Metcalfe welcomes Jeff VanderWaal, successful CEO of ClearShift to share strategies that will help us navigate our businesses in faith. Are you ready to answer the call God has for your business? Then click here to listen to today’s podcast.

SHOWNOTES

God plans for us to be in a specific place for a specific purpose. Jeff’s journey in the automotive industry has been a result of God continually showing up and doing amazing things. Despite the negative reputation of the automotive industry, Jeff believes that God is doing amazing things in it by setting captives free and bridging the gap between faith and daily life.

Jeff has an intentional approach when integrating faith into business:

• Ministry doesn’t just happen in church; it is about equipping people to live out their faith in their daily lives.

He struggled to understand how he could minister and assumed that others’ deep love for Jesus was not genuine.

• Influence and opportunities given in business are like a canvas to paint with and bring God’s presence into the workplace.
• Ministry in the workplace is currently a significant movement, not just in the automotive industry but across various businesses.

In today’s society, many people are not attending church which creates a need for alternative ways to reach them.

• The workplace can serve as a mission field to share the message of Jesus and reach those who may not be attending church or engaging with Christian media.

Trustworthy leaders are influential:

• When managing or leading others, being trustworthy, safe, and caring creates an atmosphere where people feel comfortable opening up about their struggles and seeking help.
• By building trust as a leader, individuals may approach trusted colleagues to share their personal challenges and seek support.
• Dysfunction in personal life may not always be attributed to a lack of connection with Jesus, but leaders can bridge the gap by displaying trustworthiness and faithfulness in their own actions.

Repentance is a powerful approach to building trust.

• Repentance and the willingness to admit mistakes and apologize can have a significant impact in building a culture of humility and trust.
• Displaying humility and repentance when committing to walking with the Lord in business or other areas of influence can be powerful and positively influence others.

There are practical steps to cultivate a faith-based culture in business:

• Trusting God and having faith in His calling and promises is crucial in cultivating a faith-based culture in business.
• Closing unethical doors, relationships, and practices in business demonstrates a commitment to doing what is right.
• Removing unethical practices, such as eliminating dealer handling fees, can lead to unexpected financial blessings when done with faith.
• Ethical decision-making and closing doors that open the way for negativity and deception are essential in changing the culture of an organization.
• Trusting God will bring the right people and remove individuals who may not align with the organization’s values and vision.

Faith can help you build confidence in decision-making:

• Making difficult decisions based on faith and doing what is right can be challenging for business owners and leaders.
• Trusting in God’s guidance and relying on His Word can provide the confidence needed to make decisions that may appear risky from a worldly perspective.
• Building confidence and faith internally and with the team involves recognizing open doors for negativity or unethical practices and taking steps to close them.
• The process of becoming a doer of the word involves actively making choices aligned with God’s teachings and fortifying the organization against negative influences.

Leadership comes with its fair share of challenges.

• There are ways to share experiences with employees who might disagree with faith-based decisions.
• Aligning company ethics with faith often leads to a self-filtering of the team.
• Closing doors on unethical practices may cause some pushback.

Still, there are ways to encourage faith in your organization. 

• Hire faith-filled leaders aligned with the mission and values.
• It should be required for employees to respect the owner’s faith beliefs.
• Foster a spirit of excellence and integrity within the organization.
• Operate ethically in relations with employees, regardless of circumstances.
• Remain open to sharing the gospel and praying with employees.
• Trust and genuine care can have a positive impact on employees’ spiritual journey.

Jeff says WealthBuilders has contributed significantly to his understanding of purpose and growth in his personal life and business. Now, he wants to help others grow in these areas too. We’re happy to share that Jeff will be one of the speakers at the upcoming WealthBuilders Conference. If you have not done so already, please click here to purchase your tickets.