Building Each Other Up: The Importance of Supporting Christian Business Owners
This world is increasingly driven by profit and consumerism making it essential that Christians take a step back and think about the implications of where they spend their money. By supporting Christian business owners, we are not only investing in the physical well-being of our fellow believers but, more importantly, in their spiritual growth and their mission to share the gospel. This simple act of solidarity can have a profound impact on the lives of our Christian brothers and sisters, as well as on the wider community. In this blog post, let's explore the various reasons why Christians should be intentional in supporting Christian-owned businesses.
Focusing our support on our Christian family:
Galatians 6:10 instructs us to “do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” This verse highlights the importance of prioritizing support for our fellow Christians, in addition to caring for others in need. And there are so many ways that we can support our fellow Christians. Am I saying everything must be purchased from a Christian business? Goodness no, but can we be more diligent about trying to support them?
- Can we bookmark them when we find out about them?
- Can we follow them on Instagram or Facebook?
- Can you sign up and read their emails?
- Can we share them with family and friends when we create a birthday or Christmas wish lists?
- Can we shop there first for Mothers and Father’s Day?
- Can we shop there every day?
Our intentional support of Christian-owned businesses aligns with this biblical instruction, helping to bolster and encourage our family of believers.
To be honest I got this verse from the awesome owner of Sparrows Grace a community of Christian shop owners she started the community well let me let her say in her words.
...back in 2020, I hopped on Etsy looking for some cute gifts to purchase and send to my sister to encourage her. I was in search of some custom stainless-steel mugs with cute Christian sayings on them. I was THRILLED when I found some, but when I opened the shop that same person was selling things quite anti-Christian and some occult things too.
I get it, Jesus sells, AMEN!! But I wanted to support CHRISTIANS makers.
I spent the rest of the day hunting for a shop that a Christian owned with items that would do the job. I thought, there has to be a better way than this! And thus the beginning whispers of Sparrows Grace were born.
Funding Kingdom causes through philanthropy:
Did you know that Christian buying power is somewhere between 2 -5 trillion dollars a year? There are a lot of businesses that are aware of the sheer number of people (41 million or so) who purchase Christian products and adding some to their store they encourage you to purchase. But as mentioned above if you look carefully at their inventory, they are in it for your money. Many Christian business owners are supporting their families and use their profits to support Kingdom-focused causes, whether that be through direct contributions to churches and ministries or by sponsoring missions and outreach programs. The Christian business owner has a purpose to their products and often are creating the product out of a desire and purpose that comes from above. By supporting these businesses, we are indirectly contributing to the furthering of the gospel and helping to meet the needs of people around the world. Why else might we want to support Christian businesses?
Using their company as a platform for sharing the gospel:
Christian business owners are often rooted in their faith, and their businesses can serve as an extension of that faith. When we support these companies, we are essentially contributing to the spreading of the gospel. Even if the business is not explicitly Christian but run in a way that would make God honored people are going to notice. It gives those business owners a chance to speak out on how they choose to run their company and that is an evangelism opportunity. These businesses often have a Christian worldview built into their core values, and this is reflected in their products, services, and interactions with customers. By choosing to spend our money with these businesses, we are indirectly participating in the work of sharing the good news.
Prioritizing employee wellbeing:
Christian business owners often place a high value on the well-being of their employees, ensuring that they are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. By supporting these businesses, we are helping to promote a work culture that emphasizes the importance of fair wages, safe working conditions, and work-life balance. It is another opportunity for Christians to shine bright as it not only benefits the employees directly but also sets an example for other companies to follow. And serves as the hope that we as Christians are to be ready to discuss. 1 Peter 3:15 Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,
Supporting small businesses and gender equality:
Among Christian business owners, many are struggling to make ends meet while others face challenges in growing their enterprises. In a world fueled by greed and bad ethics why are the companies that are run by Christians failing? We live and operate at another standard, a higher standard. Recent statistics show that more small businesses are owned by males than females, and small businesses face significant challenges, with over 50% failing within the first five years (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). I am not saying every purchase must be with a small business, but can you start maybe with 1 out of 10 of your purchases you make with a Christian small business? By supporting these businesses, we are helping to level the playing field and promote their growth and success.
So, I have said why we should support Christian businesses, now let me suggest how to support them.
- Buy something.
- When you buy something leave a review (& ask them if there are any other places where you can leave the review some of us are listed in several places and would love reviews everywhere)
- Read, like comment & share their blog posts.
- Read, like comment & share their social media.
Supporting Christian business owners is an essential and impactful way for Christians to live out their faith in the marketplace. Our choices about where we spend our money have far-reaching implications, both spiritually and economically. As we invest in Christian-owned businesses, we are helping to spread the gospel, create more equitable work environments, fund Kingdom causes, and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our simple act of solidarity can have a profound impact on the lives and success of fellow believers, ultimately helping to further the work of the Kingdom and don't we all want that?