An Agriculture Tycoon’s Missional Enterprise

May 8, 2024
M3 Journey, Making A Difference- Community, Making a Profit- Business Excellence, Making Disciples Life-to-Life

A Triple Bottom Line Success Story

Several of our M3 Weekly editions have been part of a series we call “M3 Journeys,” in which we highlight the experiences of various missional enterprise practitioners. This week, we feature a profile of a missional enterprise leader we could not interview because he is from a previous generation. Thankfully, biographers have recorded his experiences for our benefit, and we hope you are as blessed as we were to reflect on this account of triple bottom line faithfulness from the past.

This man’s name may be familiar to you. However, before we share his name, we will first recount a few of the ways he demonstrated a pursuit of business excellence, spiritual transformation, and community impact through the business he led.

The Triple Bottom Line in Action

First, he demonstrated business excellence by sustaining operations despite a dramatic downturn in the agricultural industry that forced many out of business. He not only survived this downturn but appears to have excelled and earned the respect of leaders in his community. He implemented a well-organized management structure and took time to interact closely with his front-line workers, even before management guru Tom Peters had coined the term “Management By Walking Around.”

This leader also had a profound spiritual impact in the context of his business. He spoke openly of the Lord in interactions with his employees, and they did the same with him. He knew God’s word and its application to business operations and implemented biblical principles in practical ways in his company.

These applications of biblical principles also led to the fulfillment of the third part of the triple bottom line – making an impact in the community. In addition to providing jobs, he implemented programs within his enterprise to help the needy in his town. These programs particularly impacted the lives of refugees and immigrants. He was also careful to ensure that more vulnerable workers were not taken advantage of in his company.

Who is this man?

His name is Boaz, and you can read his story in detail in the Old Testament book of Ruth.

Taking a Fresh Look

Consider taking some time this week to read the story of Ruth and Boaz again, this time reflecting especially on the way God worked through Boaz’s role as a business owner to bless others, and even play a key role in the unfolding of God’s work of redemption through Jesus the Messiah.

For more insights into the way Boaz used his position as an enterprise leader to honor God, consider taking some time to read one of the following articles:

Finally, if you have an extra seven minutes, you may enjoy the overview of the book of Ruth at the Bible project website: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ruth/.

Verse of the Week:

And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered, “The LORD bless you.” Ruth 2:4 (ESV)

This week, let’s allow the biblical example of Boaz to inspire us to pray and work to see our enterprises become places full of the Lord’s blessing.

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