THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

About fifty or sixty years ago, a young fellow went up to New York to make his fortune, if he could. His home was in a little University town in Georgia. He had experience in Journalism and expected to make his way in New York as a Newspaper reporter. But the editorial doors in New York all proved to have rusty hinges. They would not open to his touch, try hard as he would. Days crawled into weeks and weeks into months, his funds were depleting and things began to look desperate. At last one day, an inner editorial knob did turn to his touch. And he found himself facing the managing editor of one of the largest and most prominent of the New York morning dailies. “From Georgia?” Hmm! Know anything about cotton”? There was an exciting flurry just then in the cotton market. Well this young fellow knew all about cotton. He came from the cotton country. Cotton was a-b-c to him. But he modestly replied, “I think i know something about cotton sir.” “Write me a story on the present cotton situation; four hundred words; have it in at 4.0‛ clock. If it goes, it’ will appear as an unsigned editorial tomorrow morning” and the editor turned abruptly to his desk. The young man didn’t know whether his feet touched the ground or not as he walked out. His chance has come. That was all he wanted, a chance. The rest was easy or so he thought. He went to his cheap little bedroom, drew some paper, sharpened a few pencils and settled down to write what he felt would be an easy job. But the strain on his nerves, with uncertainty, and diminishing funds coupled with the long tiresome waiting had been harder than he had realized. And the words wouldn’t come. The stuff wouldn’t write. It was exasperating. His brain was full of the thing, but he simply couldn’t get the words out on paper. The words must flow. He had written several articles before, he had enough experience, yet try hard as he would, the words refused to flow. He became restless, things looked desperate, his chance had come at last and yet he was stuck and couldn’t use it.  But he had a good mother back there in that little Georgia town, an old fashioned mother. She had taught him the use of his knees in boyhood. Blessed boy with a mother like that! Blessed mother who taught her boy the use of his knees! And now he steeped to his knees at the edge of his table. He couldn’t say much but he prayed to heaven for help. The words are fewest when your spirit is heaviest. After few minutes of invoking the help of God on is knees, a quiet mood came over him. The opening sentence of the cotton story came to his mind. And reaching for his pencil, as he was kneeling at the table, he wrote it down.  Then the next sentence; and the next. Once the cork is out, the stuff flows freely. He finished the article, it was well over 400 words and another thought came into his mind; will it go? The editor had said; “if it goes”. Again, he went on his knees and talked to the one who created the editor asking that the article will go. Assured with a certain peace in his heart and soul, he sent the article to the editor before the 4‛.0 clock deadline. The next morning, he stood at the newspaper stand and gave the vendor a nickel, his last nickel, for a copy of the paper. But he was afraid to open it. Eventually he opened the paper. Ah! There it was on page sixteen, the cotton story written on his knees! His unseen God had been faithful; his mother had been right after all. There is more to Business and Career success than Principles and experience.

Probably, this is the most important key you will ever need in your bid to start a successful business. Often ignored and not taught at Harvard Business School, spiritual aspects of business make or break business more than economics. There are some business problems that do not answer to theories from Harvard Business School because the source far transcends what Harvard can handle. It has been my experience that most people in our present generation believe that to talk about spirituality or an unseen God in a business setting is a taboo. The world and everything in it are controlled and governed by spiritual forces far beyond human comprehension. We as human beings are spirit beings and our business which is an extension of us carries with it a part of us.

It would be foolish to swim against the tide. As a young boy, I grew up in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria and while learning to swim, we were told never to swim against the tide. It was slower, futile, consumed more energy and amounted to a waste of time. As for me, my life and business changed the moment I totally dedicated my life and business unto God. It is better for the same God who created your prospective customers to be your business partner. All he asks for is 10% of the profit which I strongly believe is too meagre for a Faithful business partner who does most of the job.

Anytime I meet with a brick wall in my business engagements, I usually take the battle to the realm where legislations that govern the world are passed. In that realm, business theories and principles do not matter, all that matters is who you know and whose you are. If you belong to a realm of lesser powers, you and your business are finished. I will advise you to hand over your life and business to the creator of all other powers. Money is a spiritual entity and it answers to power. One thing I can assure you; you will never regret it, the same business others go into and fail, you will do it and succeed, because of an unseen hand that is backing you. My Bible tells me that he is the God that teaches our hands to profit and when you partner with Him, your business success is guaranteed.

If you sincerely want to partner with God in your life and business, i will strongly advise you to drop this newspaper right now and go down on your knees like that boy in Georgia did many years ago and ask for his help. His name is Jesus, ask him to take over the lordship of your life and business and I bet you, your life will; never remain the same again. God will open your eyes to business ideas you never thought existed. He will practically hold you by your hand and help you all the way.

Honestly, I don’t know what can be more assuring than having the God of the universe as your business partner. Like I said before, this is the most important key you will ever need in your bid to start a successful business.

Till we meet again, find a need and meet it.

Basola Victor is the Principal Consultant/CEO of Business Skills Africa Limited, an Enterprise consulting firm based in Benin, Nigeria. He is the Author of “The Keys to Starting a Successful Business” and The HOST of RADIO BUSINESS SCHOOL on Radio Nigeria Bronze 101.5FM.