Living in the Image of God M02S05
A person may provide goods or services free or for-fee to alleviate a need. Preferably free to respond to a call to compassion, or for-fee if necessary to sustain the goods or services. In all cases, including commercial enterprise, adhere to fair fee for service and fair value for goods. God blesses the provider in a call to compassion. However, one motivated by commercial expansion could earn rewards through potential profit and blessing dependent on others, but no independent blessing.
We discuss differences and similarities between a call to compassion and a call to a commercial opportunity. In a call to compassion, a person is directed to an opportunity to develop goods and services to benefit others. In contrast, a commercial opportunity alerts a person to develop goods and services for personal commercial benefit. The two types of opportunities at times differ only by a thin line. In fact, the human attributes for recognizing and understanding a call to compassion are essentially the same as the attributes for recognizing and understanding a commercial opportunity.
Understanding the opportunity determines whether to provide goods or services free or for-fee to address the need. In a call to compassion, the motivation to address the need is driven by care of the needy (i.e., hunger and thirst for righteousness). In contrast, the motivation to address the need in a commercial opportunity is driven by care of the provider’s commercial interest (i.e., hunger and thirst for commercial expansion). In either case, the provider is driven by care to link the recognition of a need to commitment to address the need and perseverance in seeking to alleviate the need. Thus, a person disposed to recognize and respond to a call to compassion also will be disposed to recognize and respond to a commercial opportunity.
In previous studies such as under Responsibility in Call to Compassion, we discuss guidance for recognizing and responding to a call to compassion. This bible study focuses on the guidance, principles, and examples for developing a commercial opportunity in a way consistent with Living in the Image of God.
Continue reading “Call to Compassion or Commercial Opportunity”
