Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 315 – Correcting our Aim

Every business needs regular re-evaluation. In Scripture, this kind of re-evaluation is not merely strategic. It is spiritual.

The biblical word for sin carries, among other meanings, the idea of “missing the mark.” Sin is not only doing obviously wrong things. It is also the gradual bending of our aim away from God. We may still be busy, productive, and outwardly successful, while aiming at the wrong target.

That is why re-evaluation matters. It helps us notice the drift.

In business, we can miss the mark by pursuing growth without love, efficiency without mercy, profit without justice, or excellence without humility. We can miss the mark by protecting our reputation more than our integrity, or by becoming so focused on outcomes that we forget the people entrusted to our care.

“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23–24

In Marriage Encounter, re-evaluation is an important tool. It is a loving pause that asks, “Where are we now? Where have we drifted? What needs to be named honestly so love can grow again?”

That same discipline belongs in business.

Re-evaluation is holy recalibration. It asks whether our aim has shifted. Are we still serving with integrity? Are we still listening well? Are we acting from trust or anxiety? Have we begun to protect our image more than our mission?

In business, re-evaluation helps leadership become more faithful. The goal is not self-condemnation. The goal is returning to flourishing while standing on a firm foundation.

“Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:40

I once served on the board of an international agricultural services firm. In one of the countries where we operated, a senior government official tried to drive us out of business. He imposed exorbitant tax fines, and we faced fires, break-ins, and intimidation. He owned a competing business and wanted the field to himself. He used every tool available to him, both legal and illegal, to clear us out.

It was a very trying time.

But I remember the pivotal board meeting that helped turn things around. Instead of looking only at the external threats, we first looked inside. We asked where we had “missed the mark.” We saw places where we had failed to operate as an ethical firm reflecting Christ. We confessed this to God, addressed staff practices that were not ethical, and strengthened our accounting systems.

After that, the external threats became easier to face. And, by God’s grace, they eventually disappeared.

That experience taught me something I have not forgotten. Re-evaluation does not mean ignoring injustice outside the organisation. It means refusing to let external pressure distract us from internal obedience. Before we could correct what was happening around us, God invited us to correct our aim before Him.

Prayer

Lord, search me and know my heart. Show me where my aim has drifted from You, and give me the courage to examine my ways honestly. Lead me back to Your way. Help me to re-evaluate without fear and repent without despair. Correct my aim, strengthen my foundations, and teach me to lead with humility, truth, and grace.

Lead me, my work, and my business in the way everlasting.

Amen