Apply at least one aspect of the VBM to the following discussion prompt:

The Bible and Planning

Proverbs 21:5, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty."

Ecclesiastes 9:10, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."

Philippians 2:4, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

People often wonder if the Bible talks about business, marketing, and planning. Absolutely! As we see in the devotional in the module and here in these verses, the Book of Proverbs and the New Testament have timeless advice for all aspects of life and business. Regardless of for-profit or non-profit status, marketing and building any business or organizations is about knowing other people and understanding their wants and needs, and then building a relationship with those who want or need your offering now or in the future.

So we can use the Bible to teach us about business and planning for success, and that is where data and research come in. We do research to help us make better decisions. But doesn't the Bible also tell us that God already knows what will happen? Isn't God in control of everything so we are wasting our time trying to change that outcome? That presents us an interesting paradox- what if our business or organization is not supposed to succeed regardless of what we do, or even more interesting is what if it is supposed to succeed in spite of what we do or don't do? Is there any basis of expecting God to save us from our own laziness. Just because He could does not mean He will.

Consider that paradox and answer these questions:

• Since we assume God is in control, why do we plan?
• If our organization fails, does that mean it was doomed by God regardless of our efforts?
• How do cultures and faith traditions other than your own view business failure?