If the ideal of service is accepted in the business world as true,
then the question arises, What or whom shall man serve? Shall it be a
thing, silver, gold, house or land? Shall a man serve another man as a
man? Whatsoever a man serves he becomes subject to. He is dominated by
it and his thoughts go no further. Every man is tempted to serve the
lower instead of the higher. Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11) by
certain seeming great and temporal advantages to relinquish His
service of His Father, but He made it clear once and for all that the
supreme object of service should be God (Matthew 4:10), "Him only
shalt thou serve." Paul also exhorts all men, in all occupations, to
keep in mind first of all the service of God and of Christ, and to do
whatever they do to God. Then if they administer great or small
affairs, if they are masters or servants, they will seek to please God
and, having this higher ideal, will do far better work, than they
otherwise would, in every sphere of life (Ephesians 6:7; Colossians
3:17,23; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 8:5).
God, the Owner of All.--God as sovereign, and over and in all, is the
proper object of service (Exodus 20:3,4,5) for the business
man. Nations have parceled out the earth amongst themselves and claim
ownership. Men hold the titles of lands under the laws of the
nations. Men dig, plant and reap and call the products of the soil
their own. But back of the titles of men, and the claim of nations,
God is the great proprietor.
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world and they
that dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26). "For every
beast of the field is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills"
(Psalm 50:10-12). "The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, saith the
Lord of hosts" (Haggai 2:8).
Man is a Tenant at the Will of God.--No man really owns the goods in
which he deals or the lands to which he holds the deeds. He may be
called away from the temporary ownership at any time. It was asked,
when a certain very rich man died, "How much did he leave?" The reply
was, "He left it all, he took nothing with him." "For we brought
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out"
(1 Timothy 6:7; Psalm 49:17; Job 1:21). Christ emphasized the
uncertain tenure upon which all property is held by the parable of a
certain rich man who had much goods laid up, who congratulated himself
upon this fact and proposed to pull down his barns and build greater,
saying to his soul, "Take thine ease, eat drink and be merry," but God
said, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then
whose shall those things be which thou hast provided" (Luke 12:16-21)?