Making Monday’s Matter

I believe God must be an entrepreneur. With incredible imagination and a marvelous attention to detail, our created world is a magnificent tribute to order and constancy. Everything is connected in a variety of wonderful and amazing ways. But it is also a place where the owner has delegated responsibility and left others in charge to protect and maintain what was started. In essence, God said, “I trust that man and woman will do what is right, to make wise choices with what I have given them to take care of.”

There are some who doubt the very basis of this story and I’m not writing to convince those who believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution that their way of thinking is flawed. Instead I want to consider how seriously we have accepted the administrative tasks of managing the world that has been given to us. As leaders, perhaps we forget that our calling is to a Higher Power. We may give little thought to the implications of running our business in the context of the greater universe. Faith may be dismissed as a weak and useless tool of a hypocritical and impotent religious community.

As a Christian leader, I see business as an extension of the spiritual truths that matter to me in my personal and corporate faith. This means the qualities of love, forgiveness, community, peace and justice aren’t meant solely for private contemplation or Sunday morning encouragement. They must become part of the weekly business practices that guide my own work. When I am honest with a client or transparent with employees these characteristics move from sacrament to service. The way that I lead and manage becomes a witness to the broader connection we all have with each other, with creation, and with our Creator.

Do I see my work as more than making a profit or providing jobs? Are the goods and services I produce making people’s lives better? Are the opportunities I offer to employees allowing them to flourish and find meaning in their lives? Is what we are doing as a company good for the environment and the global community? Will I be judged as a faithful steward or a dishonest manager?

It’s hard to see much hope in the current economic climate. I confess to being disillusioned by out-of-control government spending, shrill partisan rhetoric and the absence of moral and spiritual ethics in our society. But I also believe the Creator of this world took risks as an entrepreneur and handed the management of this place to us. He (or she) must have imagined that the spiritual nature within each of us would find the courage to live and work wisely within the parameters that were established. It seems obvious that over the centuries we have often failed to fulfill our responsibilities. The consequences of our actions and inactions are real and remain with us.

With this much at stake, it is time for us to make Monday’s matter again. As leaders we must create workplace sanctuaries where, even in stressful times, relationships still matter. As managers we must treat those we lead with dignity, love, and respect. As companies we must act responsibly to protect the environment and produce goods and services that improve the standard of living for everyone. It’s time to make Monday’s matter. If we do, perhaps Sunday’s will take on a new meaning as well.