Have you ever wished you could be more creative and personable? The kind of person that can invent new things are spark new ideas when they connect with other people. What does it mean to have that entrepreneurial spirit? You’ll find out in the next few paragraphs. And, best of all, you can cultivate those same 13 characteristics. The marketplace is an exciting new frontier for those called to ministry and evangelism…and business.
1. Do you believe it’s OK with God?
The first entrepreneurial test is simply, “have you given yourself permission to go there?” We often place such a premium on service and humility that we prevent ourselves from being entrepreneurial or “Kingly” (the one of the Bible terms for entrepreneur).
Kings rule. Kings conquer. Kings establish order. The kingly mindset is greatly different from the stereotype we often carry of “spiritual people.” Instead of quiet, humble, prayerful monks, Kings are typically colorful, bold, creative, and decisive. Kings are competitive about making progress and wealth. They naturally assert themselves to press for God’s initiatives. Where Prophets proclaim God’s direction, Kings take the unction, marshal the willing, and have great works accomplished before you can blink. The whole process can seem quite unholy to Priests.
Modern-day Kings come in several varieties. Although Kings today often focus on business and finance, there are also Kings in the arts, politics, communication, entertainment, and education who carry great influence. But in this chapter (and throughout most of this book), our focus is primarily on business-oriented Kings because they are the most visible in our communities.
When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a King over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you the King the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. The King, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel. (Deut. 17:14-20)
A few observations concerning Kings (Christians that have given themselves permission to be entrepreneurial):
1. Notice that the Lord chose the Kings (vs. 15). The kingly anointing and ordination was just as sacred as the ordination of Priests in the Old Testament. It is the same today.
2. Kings are cautioned against materialism and other indulgences (vs. 16-17). Why? Kings have an anointing to accumulate resources and get things done. Their weaknesses, however, can be pride and independence.
3. Kings are cautioned to stay close to Scripture; to write it, keep it with them, and read it all the days of their lives (vs. 18-19).
Kings have a command of leadership with people. They have influence and exercise leadership and that’s OK with God.
2. Are You a Woman? – As long as we’re stepping on stereotypes, we should step on this one. Woman can be entrepreneurial and have been for centuries.
- Deborah was a prophet that led Israel for 40 years (Judges 4-5).
- Proverbs 31:10-31 describes a wife who prospered her family through her business.
- In Acts 16:1-4 Lydia was a business woman (dealer in purple cloth).
3. Do you have A Business Mindset? – What image comes to your mind when you think of King David as a young boy? Growing up in a Methodist Church, I had a picture of David cradling a lamb in his arms. Most of us think of young David as a humble shepherd boy. That’s the priestly interpretation of who he was.
Here’s the King’s version: David ran a sheep-ranching operation for his father to make a profit from wool and mutton. The sheep were bred to be hearty and tasty. David ran it well and the business was profitable. This was a training ground so God could promote David to be a ruler.
4. Do you have a competitive spirit? – Kings are aggressive. David killed lions and bears with a club! And he killed a giant with a rock and sling. Entrepreneurs are competitive by nature. Many were active in sports and other competitions in high school and college. Others were competitive in wanting to make good grades, earn the respect of their parents and teachers and achieve their goals. Entrepreneurs believe in the old adage, “the early bird gets the worm.” They sleep and eat enough to maintain their energy levels but they don’t usually linger over nonproductive tasks.
5. Can you take a risk? – Entrepreneurs trust their hunches and act on them. Taking risks can be small first steps, like placing your first ad in a mail order publication. If you get an intuitive leading from the Holy Spirit, will you act on it?
6. Are you motivated by profit? – When David visited his brothers on the front line and heard Goliath’s taunts, here was his first question:
David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?” (I Sam. 17:26)
David asked about the reward. He wanted to know what the profit motive was for this risky venture. When he found out that the reward was the King’s daughter, Goliath’s days were numbered.
7. Do you have a dream? – Entrepreneurs always have a dream. Their goal isn’t to reach retirement and relax. Their energy comes from their vision.
8. Are you persistent? – In general, entrepreneurs are people who have high energy, feel self-confident, set long-term goals, and view money and financial security as a measure of accomplishment and piece of mind. They persist in problem solving, take risks, learn from failures (their own and from others), take the initiative, accept personal responsibility and use all available resources to achieve their success.
9. How do you view money? – Entrepreneurs are careful about money. They always know how much money they have. They know the value and cost of things so they can recognize a real bargain. Most entrepreneurs earned money when they were teenagers-babysitting, mowing lawns, delivering newspapers, sacking groceries, etc. They consider money a means of doing good… instead of filthy lucre. Lastly, they are generous. They use money to bless people.
10. Are you creative? A craftsman? – Bezalel is a classic example of a kingly ministry that had a work ethic and a talent. The Lord filled him with His Spirit and the result was skill and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. Bezalel and his followers built all the articles in the Temple—with an anointing. Normally, we would call this “secular” employment and it wouldn’t count as inspired by God. But see what God called it:
Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship…. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you…. (Ex. 31:1-6)
In our home church, Scott is a welder. He often has to travel and work twelve-hour days. As a pastor, it’s frustrating to see him come and go—it’s difficult for him to carry responsibility in the church because of his travel. However, wherever he goes, his foreman sees his talent and gives him the most difficult welding jobs. Even though he works in a union, employers ask for him by name. Why? He has an anointing for his craft and he’s very good at it.
Whenever he comes back, he usually brings a testimony about how he ministered to or led someone to the Lord on his last job. He doesn’t just weld; he takes Jesus into the marketplace. They don’t have chaplains on construction sites, and the workers are a crowd not normally in church on Sunday.
11. Are you ready for wealth? – The Bible has many promises for financial prosperity. God gives Kings the ability to produce wealth. It’s a specific anointing that can express itself in ministry. These promises need to be undertaken in faith by Kings. We also should note that these promises are directed more at Kings than at Priests and Prophets, because Kings are the ones with the mandate to handle wealth.
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (Deut. 8:16-18)
Church ministries can be supported by tithing and an occasional special offering. However, the mission of reaching cities and nations never will be supported by tithes alone. It requires the resources that only Kings can harness—for both theological and practical reasons.
12. Are you ready for responsibility? – When the church in Acts ran into administrative problems, they chose men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, with a good reputation in the community. These men were not less spiritual than the apostles, they just had a different gift mix—they were Kings. They did more than just take care of practical matters, however. Stephen and Philip went on to carry the mission of expanding the Kingdom.
“…Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the Priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:3-7 NKJV)
In this passage, the apostles (Priests) turned business over to Kings and gave Themselves to their true calling—prayer and the ministry of the Word, and the equipping the saints for ministry. The seven appointed Kings were some of their best fruit. The result was:
1. The Word of God spread
2. Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem
3. Many Jewish Priests got saved
Just as Nehemiah built the wall in 52 days, when Kings got involved in this “business,” we never hear of the problem again.
13. Do you know why God wants to give you increase? Reaching Cities – The parable of the ten minas makes the point that people who are faithful in small matters (such as money) are given more respon-sibility (such as cities).
“The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ ” “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ ” (Luke 19:16-19)
Instead of seeing the responsibility for cities being given in Heaven, we need to see that city responsibility is part of our strategy for revival now! Kings with an anointing to multiply finances are the ones with the resources and mandate from God to impact our cities for Christ. This undertaking will be far more complicated and costly than any pastor or group of pastors could hope to undertake alone. Revival in our cities never will be funded with tithes that belong to our pastors (Priests). It will take the resources of Kings.
