The Restless Entrepreneur
Despite the increasing efficiencies achieved through modern technologies, rhythms of appropriate rest are less and less common. And this is especially true of business owners and entrepreneurs. For instance, a 2017 survey of entrepreneurs found that their greatest ongoing challenge was achieving an appropriate work-life balance, ahead of team-building, funding, market penetration, and sales.
Furthermore, a report in the Harvard Business Review explains that these trends of overwork continue even as evidence mounts that it is back-firing, and actually leading to lower productivity.
Christian business owners and entrepreneurs, for whom the concept of sabbath-rest should be familiar, seem to be no different. How can we cultivate a proper understanding of rest and cultivate life-giving practices of rest, even as we bear the significant responsibilities of business leadership? These insights from experienced guides may be a good place to start:
- “Sabbath Rest and Celebration in the Life of a BAM Practitioner” (about five minutes to read): On the Business as Mission site, Bill, with decades of experience in leading missional enterprises around the world, explores Jesus’s invitation to “come to me” in Matthew 11. He explains a different way of looking at the “easy yoke” of Jesus and gives examples of how he’s experienced that “easy yoke” in business leadership.
- “Finding Rest in a Restless World (with Andy Crouch)” from the “Good Faith” Podcast (about one hour to listen): Listen to an interview with Andy Crouch, author, and partner with Praxis, as he shares both theological and practical insights on the importance of sabbath rhythms. Crouch highlights the importance of rest and contemplation in our creativity.
Entrepreneurs and business owners are generally more inclined to accept risk. Will we accept the “risk” of stepping out in faith to trust God in seasons and rhythms of rest and sabbath?
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God . . . Hebrews 4:9
May God lead us this week into a better understanding and practice of “Sabbath-rest” as we lead our businesses.