CHAPTER SIX
A Matter of Trust
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. (Luk.16:10)
Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. (Prov.15:16)
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. (Prov.16:10)
Jesus, although commending the steward’s foresight and shrewdness, condemned his dishonesty. Most new businessmen have some grand scheme to become rich overnight, to start at the top, to begin where everybody else left off, they are too impatient to grow with experience, unwilling to wait for the foundations to dry before building on them, not satisfied with small increments in profits, seeking that quick, big deal that will set them up for life. There is only one problem with starting at the top and that is there is no place to go except down. Such a highflying enterprise is usually built on a foundation of bank loans, borrowed money, borrowed expertise, borrowed experience, a ball of wax that will melt at the first touch of heat in a red hot business world.
We all want to exude success from day one, to be the envy of friends and relatives, to emulate amazing stories of success, and in the process we turn a blind eye to the numerous failures that have already occurred with the words ‘it will not happen to me’. It is good to remember that the people who failed are people just like us, with the same ideas, same dreams and the same ambitions.
Starting at the top means that we do not have the experience needed to face the problems presented by large energy sapping repayments, nor do we have the strength or resources to maintain and grow the image, never mind any threats of civil or labor action we might face. A business built on borrowing and favors has, at some time or another, to ‘pay the piper’ and your great path to freedom becomes a snare which traps you into working for others, doing their bidding, and at the end of the day your business just becomes an extension of theirs.
Most of us are not going to come up with some mind-blowing new invention or new procedure, or new program that will change the world. Most of us are going to do what others have done before us, and some of those others have been successful, some have been failures, we must study the successes, get to know what made them successful; however, it is just as important to study the failures, to know why they failed, so that their mistakes may be avoided.
Jacob, when he arrived at his uncle Laban’s house, had nothing except a bad reputation, a reputation he gained by cheating Esau out of his blessing. And because of it, Jacob could expect that he would not be trusted and that Laban would take advantage of his guilt. However, through diligence and hard work, he managed, over the next twenty years to build his fortune and raise a family, eventually owning almost all of his uncle’s possessions. Jacob managed to change the bad to good; he had turned failure into success. (Genesis 29-31)
Trust is earned, not borrowed or bought, and earning it takes time, and it always starts with the little things.
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. (Prov.22:1)
Do not, as Jacob did, wait for the day when your world comes crashing down on your head to start working on your good name because that day may be just around the corner and you do not want to start at the very bottom again. If the business does fail for whatever reason, your good name, as a trustworthy, hard worker, will stand you in good stead, even with former competitors, as Jacob could witness to Laban twenty years later:
This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me; surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.(Gen.31:38-42)
I have always wondered what Jesus would have said if He continued with the parable in Luke 16. How much would the steward’s new masters have been able to trust him knowing how he had cheated his former boss? Trust is a small word but it carries much weight in the business world.
In another parable, Jesus tells of a nobleman who goes on a long journey and leaves his goods to his servants with the expectation that they do business, trusting that they would be fruitful or to put it more plainly, they would make a profit. On his return, those who had made a profit were handsomely rewarded and trusted with much more, but those who did nothing were cast out.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Mat 25:21)
Trust begins with the little things.