The Vital Center
Kingdom Values and the Triple Bottom Line
In these M3 Weekly articles, we often write about the different aspects of the triple bottom line - making a profit, making disciples of Jesus, and making a difference in our community.
But the vital center of the triple bottom line triangle is “God’s Kingdom Values and Principles.” This center includes the foundational commitments that anchor the perspective and practice of the missional enterprise leader.
As leaders, we want these commitments reflected in every aspect of our business dealings - employee relations, operational practices, relationships with customers and suppliers, the quality of our goods and services, and many other ways.
Without non-negotiable principles as our inner core, we could be like the hypocritical Pharisees that Jesus exposed as “whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”1
What Marks Us?
More specific insight into the qualities we as missional enterprise leaders seek to cultivate can be found in the “Marks of a TBL Enterprise” section of the From Building to Blessing Framework developed by the Agathe Centre for Entrepreneurship. The following quotes highlight just a few of these qualities:2
“led by growing, Christ-centered leaders who serve and empower their workers and seek to walk by faith and be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit”
“promotes an environment of grace and truth that is readily experienced by all who engage with the enterprise”
“has thoughtfully and appropriately integrated the Bible into the daily operational life of the enterprise and is seeing its transformational impact in generational terms.”
“a place where people can expect to experience justice and fairness.”
“has established solid governance structures rooted in biblical guidance and lived out in culturally appropriate ways.”
We encourage you to take time to read and thoughtfully consider each of the marks included. The team at Faith Driven Entrepreneur has also developed a similar list of “12 Marks of a Faith Driven Entrepreneur,” which are well worth the time to read and process.
Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly
In summary, these commitments align well with the three-fold declaration of commitments given in Micah 6:8:
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (ESV)
As we lead our businesses for his glory, we are called to:
Do Justice - a commitment to Integrity, Excellence, and Justice in all we do.
Love Kindness - a commitment to Grace and Truth in all our interactions, displaying Christ-like virtues of patience, kindness, and faithfulness.
Walk Humbly - a commitment to abide humbly in Christ as we steward our businesses, depending on Him in everything, and grounding ourselves in God’s Word.
By God’s grace, and in community with others, let’s pursue fidelity to the core commitments that should mark us as followers of Jesus as we lead our enterprises.
Verse of the Week:
It’s worth repeating the words of the prophet Micah, this time from the NIV.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV)
May our commitment to justice, mercy, and a humble walk with God characterize all we do.
Matthew 23:27 (ESV)
See https://www.frombuildingtoblessing.org/ (emphasis added)