Proverbs 1:20-21, “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks.”

Wisdom is everywhere and in everything. God created the world with His wisdom and truth flowing through it. To understand and learn the wisdom of God, we need only to observe and think critically of the things that are around us and in our everyday lives. People have not always had access to the Word of God found in the Bible, but the truth of His word has been evident in the wisdom flowing through nature since the beginning of time. If we look at the essence of business we see this same type of thing – biblical wisdom crying out in the streets and market places.

As you drive around any city, you’ll see lots of diverse businesses: food places, clothing stores, trucking companies, mechanic shops, Doctor’s offices and lots of others. And one thing that every business has in common, is that they are all offering a service that people are willing to pay money for. Every one of them can only exist as long as people feel like they need or “have to have” their service. From yogurt shops to Dental practices, it’s all the same. People feel like they need or have to have frozen yogurt, so some entrepreneur saw that need and opened a shop, thereby generating the exchange of money for services. This pattern in business shows that we are all in need of services.

The fact that we are all needy people in need of services puts verses Matthew 20:26-27 in a light that everyone can see, which says, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave.” If we look at how business and every occupation functions, it’s the people that have developed the best or most universal service that become the wealthiest or “greatest.” For instance Bill Gates’ invention of Microsoft computers, or Thomas Edison with the lightbulb. Money all comes down to how needed is the service you are providing, Or how well are you serving people with your product or business? So when Jesus says, “The greatest among you must be a slave of all,” if we look at how business operates, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise. The command in God’s word to serve people and as a result become the greatest in the kingdom, is evident in the natural law and wisdom of the earth as well. The greatest in the kingdom of God and the earth, are the ones that are the best at serving the needs of people.

Romans 12:4-6 says, “For as in one body we have many members, and as those members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ…” This passage is essentially saying that every Christian has a gift or service to contribute to the flourishing of the kingdom of God. And if we look at business and economies, they operate on this same system – everyone has a gift or service that they can contribute to the flourishing of their culture and economy. Some people are better at building than others, some are better farmers, some are better accountants. Or in the perspective of serving Christ, some people are better pastors, or better motivators, or better at hospitality. It is important to always remember that every person has a level of uniqueness and individuality that is exclusive to a smaller group of people. Not everyone has to fit into the same exact mold for the flourishing of the kingdom of God. The flourishing of our culture and economy are essential to the diverse gifts and passions of people.

The wisdom of God can be found in many places besides the Bible, not to take anything anyway from the importance of the Bible, but the wisdom that can be found in things like business and economics only validate the truth and importance of what God commands his followers to do in His Word. Just like what God says in the Bible, “Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (Deut. 19:15, 2Cor. 13:1), the truth of God’s word and the truth of what we can observe in nature is God giving us two witnesses that establish his truth and wisdom in the world. These truths of business and economics have been around just as long as the truths of God’s laws, and both validate the other. The wisdom of God can be seen in anything and everything, business is just one example of many.