A Business Tale
God stood up and stretched his back.
“Let me jump onto the treadmill, Sam. I need to close the loops on my Apple watch before I can enjoy my lunch. I think technology is great at showing progress—or lack thereof. Fitness is so important Sam. If your body is a broken temple, you can’t effectively work or worship.”
I wondered what number of steps his watch was set to. Was it 500 miles a day? I could barely get my 10,000 steps in.
I gathered all my notes and thoughts and asked, “What do you think of business?” It was the first thing that entered my mind.
“I love business. I think businesses are great and they are a wonderful source of new ideas and actions.”
“God, could you expand on that?”
“Sure, son.” The Lord looked me squarely in the eyes. “Every interaction between people is a transaction of one sort or another. Think about what I did with Abraham. My Covenant of the Parts was my transaction with him. He promoted me and I would make him prosperous and give him a homeland. That is a trade—a business transaction.
“In fact, I really had to twist Abraham’s arm because he was so reluctant to deal with me. I had to promise him four times that he would be successful (Genesis 12:7, 13:14-17, 15:7, and 15:18-21). In the end, we reached an agreement. I have renewed my covenant, but the successors to Abraham’s agreement have been more than difficult over the years.”
I saw the look of disappointment in the Lord’s eyes. What was the old expression? “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me?” I wondered how many times the Lord had entered into a transaction with the Israelites—and with others—and been disappointed by the end result? I thought that it was a good example of unconditional love. Yet he also punished them. There are consequences, clearly, to doing the wrong things.
“Sam, while you might think that the love of a child is unconditional, it’s still a type of transaction. Even if you willingly give food, shelter, and love, there is some type of exchange—whether it is tangible or intangible. Even trying to bargain with me is a business transaction. When people pray to me, they’re asking for something. Sometimes I give it to them freely, and sometimes it comes with strings attached. It depends if they really need, and can handle, what they ask for. Often folks will promise something if I deliver a miracle to them. For example, someone might say that if I heal them, they will pray to me every day. Isn’t that a transaction?”
The Lord jumped off the moving treadmill to the side apron. He adjusted his belt, and that is when I noticed the fanny pack. He unzipped the pack and took out his wallet. He shuffled his fingers through the currency compartment and took out a note.
“Sam, what would you do for this note?”
“I don’t know. I mean…how much is it?
“Why do people accept money?” The Lord asked as he put the bill back into his wallet. The Lord winked at me and said, “That was a million-dollar bill Sam…that you could have used in any Monopoly game.”
The Lord continued, “People accept money because of trust. All transactions require trust. You would accept money if you knew it is either backed by precious metals, like in the good ‘ole days, or if it is backed by a government. But you need trust. Trust is the foundation for any promise. But some deals go south. You just never know what might happen in some transactions.”
“Are you talking context again, Lord?”
“You’re catching on!”
“Thank you.”
“So, when someone is praying to me, they are often hoping for a quick solution or a miracle. It could be a miracle cure, it could be having a baby, or maybe it’s not going to bed hungry. Whatever is asked, an offer is often attached to that prayer. Maybe they’ll not eat a certain food, maybe they’ll go to a house of prayer more frequently, or they might offer to give more charity. Whatever the offer, I must judge it to determine if the person can handle the offer. I can handle the request, but maybe they will not be able to follow through on the offer. That is why I’m so impressed when people engage in this transaction process through just offering to give something without asking for something in return.”
The Lord opened a monitor screen by just pointing his finger. On the screen popped up a video of me giving a donation the prior day. “Did you expect anything in return when you gave the $5?”
“No.”
“That was a transaction, Sam.”
The Lord jumped back on the treadmill’s conveyor belt and looked down at the controls, saw how far he had already gone, and increased the incline to almost a 30-degree angle. He paused, seeming to collect his thoughts, then continued. I thought he should be sweating by now, but not even a bead of moisture appeared. I wondered how much he ate since he must have been burning 10,000 calories just from this workout.
“I wish every institution was like someone offering to do something without demanding anything in return. Imagine if an employee did their job not for the reward of the paycheck, but for the self-actualization that they’re doing a great job. The more organizations and employees look for what they could do for others, the more they will succeed. That is one of the reasons why some businesses with raving fans have done so well.”
The Lord pointed to his desk as he kept huffing and puffing on the treadmill, still without a drop of sweat. He continued, “I have several Apple products. I fashion myself as a good trendsetter. I had one of the first Walkmen, and I still remember the joy when I got my first iPod. They made a product that met customer needs and made their lives easier. I want most every organization to make money because they are providing a product and a solution. It should not be exclusively about large companies similar to Apple, because it should be the same for government entities, gas stations, laundromats, restaurants, non-profits, and every other business. Really, every church, temple, or synagogue thrives when the lay and religious leaders are looking at what they can do for others. However, when these “leaders”, are interested in themselves, they fail themselves, those they supposedly lead, and me.”
But his message was starting to sink in. I’m familiar with customer service, but it dawned on me that customers are not there for business, but businesses are there for the customers. The more customer-focused, the better the business or organization would do. It seemed so basic. I imagined a DMV office with everyone working behind the counter smiling and working to solve customers’ problems rather than running people through a bureaucratic maze. It was about giving back.
“Do you mean, Lord, that businesses need to give back to customers or society and that should be part of a business transaction?
“You got it!”
“Sam, an organization needs to know who they serve. They serve customers, whomever they are. Managers serve employees, the strong help the weak, and so on. That is the ideal model, and those are the businesses and organizations I like and the ones that will truly endure over the long haul. Thus, I am in favor of any business that embraces this principle. While it is harder to accomplish as businesses grow, if this is truly engrained in their structure and philosophy then the business, has a much better chance of succeeding.”
“So, to summarize, you are pro-business, but the right kind of business. A service business. A business that serves those around them to the betterment of everyone.”
“Bingo.” The Lord raised his hands as if to signal a touchdown in football, without breaking stride.
“So why aren’t more businesses following that simple plan?” I asked.
“Maybe people get lost in the detail of doing things. Think of it like how you wanted to build that tree house for the kids. You had the best intentions. You were sincere. Then life got in the way, and it became that much more difficult to get anything done, let alone design, plan, buy materials, buy equipment, find the right tree, get friends to come over to help, and so forth.”
I thought about the companies that most resonated with me as a customer and person. The one that jumped to my mind was a local bakery. They faced significant competition from the big box stores, yet they thrived. They gave free samples. They had a few grandmotherly workers there who treated me like family. I wondered if I was doing them a service by coming to their shop or if it was them who were serving me. Maybe it was a combination of both. I was not just another number. My kids loved going there because they could get a treat, but also because they were treated right. They treated us with kindness.
