Definition of Nonconformist Christian Entrepreneur (Christian Entrepreneur)

Each of these words represents a person who does not follow the system of the world, his way of doing things. So, imagine that a person who embodies all of these words would be considered radical. Before I give you what I consider a ‘nonconformist Christian entrepreneur’, let’s analyze and define each word.

The Maverick: There was no shortage of the word “nonconformist” during the 2008 US presidential election. Senator John McCain and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, used the word so much it hurt my stomach. A nonconformist is considered someone who does not follow the crowd. Nonconformists are independent in thought and action, and they resist group adherence or groupthink. The group or crowd I am specifically addressing is “the world.” The world wants you to fall into a group and not show your independence. Think about it, independent thinking creates innovation, progress, growth and change. Without it, we would be a society of the norm. A society in which everyone thinks the same, dresses the same, talks the same, etc. Now who would want that?

The entrepreneur: My mentor, Dan Kennedy, says that “the entrepreneur is the loneliest person in the world.” To some extent this is true! An entrepreneur personifies the nonconformist mindset and can even be considered a bit crazy at times. No one except another entrepreneur understands the pain, frustration, joy, excitement, love, and passion that an entrepreneur experiences in their business activities. The person who normally considers an entrepreneur crazy is the person who would be most comfortable following the crowd. Would you walk into a burning house while everyone is running out? How about swimming upstream while everyone else is tubing downstream? An entrepreneur does just that. They start, build and grow businesses during recessions (W. Clement Stone, Walt Disney, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, and Amazon … just to name a few). Why? Well, because they are a little crazy, they see opportunities and most of all, they don’t follow the crowd!

The Christian: Last, but certainly not least, (save the best for last) is the Christian. 1 Peter 2: 9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, For royal priesthood, year holy nation, For peculiar people; so that you may announce the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. “Certainly, by design and construction, the Christian is the most eccentric of all. As Christians, we are in this world, but not in this world (John 15:19), therefore, we cannot follow the way the world does things. Our way is that of the Father who is described to us in His Word and through prayer and fasting. Because we do not follow the system of the world, Christians are considered non-conformists / weird / abnormal / quirky / and-the-list-could-go on and on.

So now that we’ve looked at each word in the phrase, ‘nonconformist Christian entrepreneur,’ let me tell you what I consider the definition to be.

The nonconformist Christian businessman: A nonconformist Christian businessman sees his success not as his own, but in the Kingdom of God. They recognize that their success is a wish of God so that he can show the world the blessings he has given his children. In addition, its success allows the Kingdom of God to expand throughout the world. Here are some other points that describe a nonconformist Christian entrepreneur:

• You recognize that you are the manager of your business and God is the CEO.

• They pay tithes, offerings, and firstfruits for their businesses, as well as themselves (Malachi 3: 8).

• He does not compromise justice (right standing before God) for anything, especially profit (Proverbs 13:11).

• Recognize that the success of your business is God’s will (3 John 1: 2, Genesis 12: 2-3 and Deuteronomy 28)

• You recognize that the purpose of your business is to further / promote / enable / expand the Kingdom of God … to introduce people to Jesus Christ (Proverbs 11:30)

• Giving back is a joyous action, not a burden

• Attentive to the Holy Spirit and follow his instructions (John 14:26)

• Walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5: 7)

• Pray regularly for your life, family, business and others (1 Timothy 2: 1 and Matthew 21:13)