Doing Business the Right Way

(Prov 11:26 KJV) He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.


In this verse Solomon continues to flow in the financial vein as he teaches us how we should conduct business. Solomon was an astute businessman and many secular books have been written from his principles. What he teaches us this morning is about morality in the marketplace.

I know that when you first read this verse from the King James Version it may be a bit confusing. The Amplified Bible adds some clarity, saying: “The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it], but a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it.” The Contemporary English Version makes it even clearer, saying: “Charge too much for grain, and you will be cursed; sell it at a fair price, and you will be praised.”

This verse ties in with a movie I saw this weekend. I won’t give you the name of movie, so I won’t spoil it for those of you that have not seen it. In the movie an ex-Wall Street broker causes an incident that he knows will drive the stock market haywire. He watches as stock prices fall and he patiently waits for them to hit rock bottom. He then buys up all the stock that he can, waits for the market to correct itself, and makes an absorbent amount of money.

Even if you ignore the fact that the incident he caused was illegal, you still have to recognize the fact that his methods were immoral, conniving, and unethical. The Lord is not opposed to us making gains in business, but He is opposed to us making those gains the wrong way.

In Biblical times the big “Market” was not in stock, but rather in grain (or corn). There was a common practice among the unethical businessmen of the time to hoard as much grain as they could. They would store up the grain, in massive amounts, and wait for a famine. As the weather and ‘crops’ took a turn for the worse, and as the price of grain gradually increased, they would hold on to their grain. These men knew that the public needed their grain, but they waited until the situation reached a full-blown famine, before they would sell the grain they had conveniently stored up. And of course, they would then sell the grain and outlandish prices; making a fortune from the misfortune of others.

Solomon tells us that the people will curse those who do business this way, but I must tell you that in addition to the curse from the people, those that do business this way will also experience disfavor with God. And just like Solomon tells us that those who sell their grain at a fair price will be praised of men, they will also receive the favor of God.

So what does this mean to you? You may be thinking, “What does this have to do with me? All this talk of grain, how does it apply?” I believe it applies directly to our lives. You and I may not be dealing with grain, but the principles apply to every area of business. The Lord wants you to increase, He wants your business to prosper, He wants your business to be booming, even in the midst of this slow economy, but He will NEVER lead you to take advantage of others.

Today’s economy is a ‘famine’ for many and there are some unscrupulous businessmen taking advantage of it, making a fortune from the misfortune of others. Simply put, that is NOT God’s way. Be fair in business – do what is right, because it’s right – and you will experience the favor of both God and man! God wants you to get ahead, but He wants you to do it the right way.

Father, I thank You for teaching me Biblical Principles for Godly Success. I want success Your way. I do what is right in business and in everything else. I know You can bless me, and my business, to be a light in the midst of this dark time, but to do so, I must do things Your way. So I will walk upright before You and man. I do business in a way that is pleasing to You and I know that I will experience the gratitude of others and the Blessing of my heavenly Father! In Jesus’ name. Amen!