Book Review: God in the Marketplace (Henry T. Blackaby)

Stephie Grier

God in the Marketplace by Henry Blackaby details a collection of thought-provoking and self-reflecting questions for Christian businesspeople.  Written in a fashion that can be used as a self-study, the book is divided into six sections, each with a separate focus of different aspects of one’s life.  The sections were categorized as such based on the deepest concerns expressed by business leaders.  Blackaby reminds readers that regardless of where one stands in his or her career stage, man is created in God’s image and the purpose of life is to glorify God through respecting Him and living life in a God-honoring manner.  The following sections detail questions asked by business leaders wanting to know how their relationship with God affects their personal lives and business careers and ultimately how to honor God in all aspects of their lives.

Part one focuses on one’s personal life.  The first question expresses the concern of trying to incorporate Christianity wholly into one’s life: “What is God’s ultimate goal for my life as a businessperson?”  While compartmentalization of one’s business life, personal life, and religious life may become habit, it is these separations that strain one’s relationship with God.  Blackaby describes a scenario that seems ironic when balancing a business life and a religious life – individuals pray for God in want of something, but do not pray for God to become more Christlike.  Shifting this imbalance and merging the lines of compartment separation begins with understanding priorities and asking oneself how do those priorities glorify God.

Part two of the book focuses on one’s business life.  Assumptions that God is only concerned with sanctified issues such as the church is wrong because everything is sacred to God.  When one finds their calling in business, it should involve using the gifts God granted in ways that return thanks to Him and serves his purpose of helping others in the world.  So if one is asking, “Does God really care about my business decisions,” the answer is yes.  Incorporating God’s guidance into all business aspects, including business decisions, the overall well-being of the business, employee relations, strategy development, and crisis management should be innate.

“What is God’s will for my life?”  As the most often asked question, part three of the book focuses on the devotional life.  Often overcome by meetings, travel, and deadline in a market where success is a financial measurement and where “time is money,” it is this mentality that crowds out the time to have a relationship with God.  Businesspeople often divert their energy to gain the “good things” at the expense of their relationship with God, but Blackaby stresses that the opposite is the truth.  “When you delight yourself in the Lord, he provides everything you require to have a joy-filled life” (Ps. 37:4).  “Godliness is like a muscle, it needs daily exercise.”

The fourth part of the book focuses on one’s family life.  Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see broken relationships among family when pursuing careers.  The often sought “work-life” balance is never in a state of equilibrium and that is to be expected.  Blackaby reminds readers that Jesus never had a work-life balance as he was living the life God commanded of him, abiding by God’s agenda.  Individuals struggling to balance family and job obligations must have faith that God will not allow one to neglect these things.  Seek God’s help and guidance will present itself to direct individuals balance work and family.

The fifth part of the book focuses on one’s commitment to church and his/her community life.  Distinguishing how to use one’s talents in the church is the work of God.  “God adds members to the church as it pleases him,” (1 Cor. 12:18).  Whether one’s role is as a follower, leader, or source of change, every congregation has a mission.  Businesspeople should invest their time in the church, focusing where their talents, whether in finance, management, medicine, etc., can make an impact, being sure to remember that God added an individual to a church because He knew that is where one belongs.

The last section of the book focuses on one fits and plays into God’s kingdom.  One’s life is viewed from a global and eternal perspective from God, not just what one does with his or her career.  Because of this global perspective, businesspeople should be concerned with how the business they participate in affects others across nation’s borders.  Involvement in social issues allows an individual to gain perspective of other’s spiritual and physical needs, two things that concern God when it comes to people’s salvation and eternity.  One need ask him-/herself, “What do you sense God wants you to do specifically to minister to the needy?”

Overall, the book is structured in a manner that is relevant to businesspeople regardless of career level and spiritual level.  Each chapter focuses on one question, allowing for a concise response and time to focus on the end-of-the-chapter reflection questions.  These questions encourage the reader to reexamine his/her relationship with God and in business.  More than responses to a question, Blackaby offers concrete suggestions for how to incorporate God into daily life and business transactions.  Most impressive, Blackaby prefaces that God in the Marketplace is not a one-stop definitive answers book.  Test everything, Blackaby mentions, because only you as the reader can think for yourself and discern God’s Word.