“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

We think we know what it means to call something a business. A business is an entity that comes together to create, or sell, or service for the sake of making money. And with a business comes lots of dynamics to manage. And of course a business has to have at least one person involved. There can’t be a business that doesn’t have people attached to it. Even those who try their hardest to do it with the least number of people, must have a person. But, there is a another collection of entities that can make up a business. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to go to Africa and learn a little bit about the animals of the continent. One of the animals that we saw while on safari was the mongoose. A mongoose is defined as: “a slender, ferret like carnivore, Herpestes edwardsi, of India, that feeds on rodents, birds, and eggs, noted especially for its ability to kill cobras and other venomous snakes.” And guess what they call a collection of mongoose? Yes, they are called a “business” too. So, as we go to work and we consider the business we are in, we might want to think about why it is so important for our business to not take on the characteristics of the collection of mongoose. Businesses can take on ugly characteristics and we have to manage both collectively and individually to control our cultures and make our businesses as positive as we can.

As believers we can’t allow ourselves to fall into the trap of being like all others. The “business” pull us to a place that if we don’t manage carefully and actively, we can end up becoming someone that we might not recognize when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Each day is a day of choices that we must make in our actions and behaviors. This week, today, let’s not be mistaken for being a part of the culture that would look more like a business of mongoose. But instead, let’s follow what Paul asks us to do and conduct ourselves in a manner that holds up to what Christ calls us to be. We are daily walking, speaking and living examples of whatever role model we choose to be. Call upon God to help you know the difference and to be the person that you can be for Him. Check in on yourself today.

Reference: Philippians 1:27 (New Living Translation)