‘A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly’ (Proverbs 18:24). When the Lord fills the heart with love, it seeks to gain friends. As a result, people who were strangers become very dear because of the friendliness shown by one person.
Friendship does not stand still. It seeks points of connection through which it can reveal God’s character and become even stronger. When a person’s heart opens to a deeper relationship, you begin trusting your friend so much that you are even ready to undertake a dangerous mission with him.
When I have such relationships with many people, I create entire teams of friends with whom I can plan serious ventures and accomplish great things. Every idea intended to achieve growth and prosperity requires considerable financial expense and much personal time from the people who have gathered to carry it out.
Our world is very material, and it is structured accordingly. Spirituality alone is not enough to live in it. Money is necessary. If someone desires comfort or prosperity, he must have a higher income than most other people. Movies, advertising, and the lives of celebrities all seek to convince us that the chief purpose of life is material well-being, which helps a person build his own private paradise. Some yield to this temptation and make it their goal to attain the beautiful life they have grown accustomed to seeing in others.
Professional knowledge, the study and mastery of various sciences, and practical experience all give me an opportunity to find a well-paying job. But if I have enough courage, I eventually decide to open my own business and become the person in charge.
I decide to become an entrepreneur so that I will not work for someone else but will build my own business and receive a stable income. As I put this idea into practice or develop the business, I realize that I need partners and employees whom I can trust. My close friends are the first candidates who come to mind. I remember the experiences of those who succeeded in bringing friendship into business and how smoothly the arrangement worked. I know that when I possess love and live at peace with everyone, I can succeed in any undertaking.
My dog is my very best friend. She loves me unconditionally, never judges me, and will never betray me. If necessary, she can give her life for me without hesitation and work for me day and night without asking for payment, expecting only food. Yet I do not think she would be suitable as a partner in my business. Common sense tells me that this creature was made for other purposes, despite all her love for me. With people, however, the matter is different. I may decide that if I have a friend after my own heart, he can also support me through his presence in my business and will never betray me.
Through the eyes of faith, I can already see us undertaking any project together and succeeding in everything because we love one another. Yet for some reason, the one thing I fail to consider is what talents and business qualities my loved one possesses. In the case of the dog, I exercise wisdom and do not plan any joint ventures. But a human being is not an animal; he is an intelligent creature, and it seems to me that if he is a true friend, he will support me. Better still, perhaps this friend is wealthy and can invest his resources in my business without expecting repayment, giving me everything from a pure heart, because love will cover everything.
And if my venture belongs to God—or if I call it God’s—then not only my friends but many other people can now support me without compensation, and in Eternity they will receive their reward.
Love can live in every human heart, and it works miracles in the lives of many people. But the presence of love and friendship does not make my friend talented in a particular field, and it is important to consider this before I offer him anything. A friend may possess hidden talents that emerge under certain conditions, so it is worth trusting him and trying to discover these abilities. Most often, however, friends fail to achieve the desired results in a shared business, and everything begins to collapse. If a friend proves greedy for money or malicious, all the employees and customers suffer.
Business can reveal a person’s professional qualities, but it also exposes all his shortcomings. If my friend proves to be a fool or a lazy person, what am I to do with him? Parting ways may be the best decision, but it is very painful and tragic. This fire of trial burns up superficial relationships, but love helps preserve friendship.
Bringing friendship into business is one of the riskiest ventures, although risk is present in every undertaking. It is wise to be careful and attentive before offering anything. Every team contains both hardworking people and crafty idlers who survive through the efforts of their coworkers while claiming part of the success for themselves. But a wise supervisor recognizes this spirit and takes action.
Friendship implies trust. Someone may decide that if money is needed to develop a business, it should be borrowed from a friend—preferably a believing friend. My love for someone close to me may place me in a difficult position when he comes with such a request. Intellectually, I understand that business offers no guarantees and that my friend may fail and repay nothing, yet it is also very difficult to refuse support. How attractive the promises of repayment and future growth appear! But that is a separate subject.
I own a business myself and understand from personal experience what I am describing here. I have often had to make difficult decisions and dismiss friends and relatives in order to preserve the business, peace within the team, and our reputation, while also avoiding damage to our friendships. If any of you decide to bring friendship into your business, use common sense so that you do not lose your friends. But if you gain a friend through your business, this will bring blessings in many other areas as well.
Money, wealth, and power are severe tests that few believers pass successfully while maintaining a proper relationship with God. God does not permit all His children to open this chapter of life, because He desires to protect their souls from destruction. Great possessions bring great temptations, and if wealth becomes an idol, my life collapses. I become unfit for Eternity even though I may be respected and well known in this world.
If I conduct business dishonestly and draw my friends into it, woe is me if I become a stumbling block to others. Yet love helps correct and restore many things. Perhaps God will command me to be poor while walking in integrity rather than rich with lying lips and foolish as well. In humility, I am ready to leave everything behind, but God allows me to continue without destroying my business, guiding me by the true spirit.
Woe is me if success in business leads me to exalt myself and consider myself great and wise. God can put a very quick end to my vanity, but it is better not to let myself reach that point.
Love helps me understand the most important spiritual matters and give them first place. It seeks to teach me many things so that I may keep my heart pure.
Bible Verses for Reflection
Proverbs 16:16; 18:24; 19:1; Exodus 31:1–6; 35:31–35; 36:1–6; Job 5:12–13; 32:7–9; 33:14–19; Joshua 1:7; Jeremiah 22:13; Ecclesiastes 5:12–19; Song of Solomon 8:7; Daniel 1:17; 2:21; Matthew 20:25–26; 1 Corinthians 1:25–29; Hebrews 13:20–21; Proverbs 14:4; 16:3, 8–9; 20:17; Jeremiah 17:10–11; Acts 5:38–39.