Anointed Application

A well-ordered healthy culture is aided by applying Biblical principles and adopting a position of humility. In 1st Peter 5, we are told:
(5b) "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

We can remember and embrace the teachings of Jesus, who said that He, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.  Even though He was the Son of God, He referred to Himself on occasion as the Son of Man.  That attitude of service can be beneficial to us in whatever endeavors we participate.  Pride can contribute to mistrust, and humility can help to rekindle that trust.  Our service to Christ and to others can speak powerfully and provide examples of His sacrificial love.

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The Biblical concept of humility can be a key component when we are in the position of rebuilding
relationships and restoring trust. Philippians 2 elaborates on true Biblical humility:
1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

It's a novel idea, but consistent with a worldview that is centered on Biblical truth.  According to ChristianHeadlines.com, there is a professor at Princeton who says that institutions can reclaim the trust of their constituents by incorporating the principles of the Bible.

The professor, David W. Miller, who is the Director of the Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative, in a recently released document, proclaimed that “religious traditions have amassed extraordinary wisdom and learning about human nature, brokenness, and healing..." The article goes on to say that, according to Miller, these "can be instrumental in helping institutions restore public trust." It states, "The paper focused on the Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism and Islam)."

There is a survey called the Edelman Trust Barometer, which, according to the article, "found that 'none of the four societal institutions' it measured – business, government, media and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) – are trusted."

A deeper dive into the Barometer's summary finds this key paragraph on trust:

People today grant their trust based on two distinct attributes: competence (delivering on promises) and ethical behavior (doing the right thing and working to improve society). This year’s Trust Barometer reveals that none of the four institutions is seen as both competent and ethical. Business ranks highest in competence, holding a massive 54-point edge over government as an institution that is good at what it does (64 percent vs. 10 percent). NGOs lead on ethical behavior over government (a 31-point gap) and business (a 25-point gap). Government and media are perceived as both incompetent and unethical.

Earlier in the summary, we find these words:

Distrust is being driven by a growing sense of inequity and unfairness in the system. The perception is that institutions increasingly serve the interests of the few over everyone. Government, more than any institution, is seen as least fair; 57 percent of the general population say government serves the interest of only the few, while 30 percent say government serves the interests of everyone.

Miller presented his white paper, co-written with Michael J. Thate, at the World Economic Forum in Davos recently.  The document states:

“Perhaps it is time to consider other resources to help restore a broken trust with an institution’s primary stakeholders. In this reflection, we turn to a rich source of ideas and wisdom to help us consider fresh ways forward. Namely, we consider the resources that exist in various religious traditions. Many religions accent and place a premium on healing broken relationships between individuals and within their communities.”

As Christian Headlines notes, the authors build their report around 11 theses. Humility is one of the notable characteristics; the article states:

“Each of the Abrahamic traditions speaks of the need for a humbling moment within the redemptive arc of the individual and institution,” it says before quoting James 4:10: “Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord. And the Lord will restore you.”

Even though this report is not completely Christian in nature, I think that we can agree that application of principles consistent with Scripture can be of help as someone desires to have an effective business.  In fact, the Scriptures are sufficient to address every area of life. 

The report highlighted humility in one of its theses.  As I mentioned, there is this concept of a "humbling moment" in order to rebuild trust.   The report says:

How might this humbling moment lead to a conversion of institutional consciousness? How might this humbling moment lead to genuine transformation within the structures of leadership, product development, and the metrics of success that allowed for the prior actions that resulted in a breach of trust to occur in the first place? Of the many insights which emerged during our research, this was perhaps the most radical and celebrated: Whatever the institution that has a trust deficit—be it a corporation, a government, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), or even a religious institution—a genuine conversion requires a transformation of its very life!

This is certainly a concept that parallels how we enter into the Christian life and how we thrive in the Christian life - we breach a trust when we sin, and through humility, we can repair the broken relationship with God our Heavenly Father.  When we sin against others, we are called to be humble, as well.  Notice, the ideals of the business are to be submitted to the customer - that reflects an attitude of service, and, I dare say, the position of esteeming others above ourselves.

In thesis 9, the concepts of effectiveness and honesty are explored. The report states: "Throughout religious texts a summons is delivered to the religious communities: 'Choose this day whom you will serve.' Such summons are a charge for communities to reflect honestly on this tension between their confessed Ideal and their lived ideals."  The gap is associated with idolatry.  Again, these are not exclusively Christian concepts, but when Biblical principles can be taken and applied in a business setting or in an organization that serves the public, there is the satisfaction of doing things according to God's plan.