Introduction: A Business’s Soul, Mind, and Body Work Together Like a Person’s

Just as a person’s soul, mind, and body must work together for a purposeful life, the same is true for a business. In a Christ-centered business, these three elements—soul, mind, and body—must align to reflect the business's identity and its mission to serve God. The Bible tells us, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1), which means that your business ultimately belongs to God, and you are simply a steward of what He has entrusted you to lead.

Whether you’re leading an overtly Christian business, a Christ-centered business that operates on Christian principles without a public faith identity, or a Christian leader in a secular business, the Soul-Mind-Body business model can help you lead more effectively, aligning what you do with God’s mission. The Great Commission calls us to make disciples, and in business, this means that our purpose and values must serve to bring people closer to Christ while operating with excellence.

The Soul of the Business: Purpose, Values, and Vision Aligned with Christ

The soul of a business reflects its purpose, core values, and vision. These are not simply statements on paper but the essence of why your business exists and how it is connected to God’s will. As Christian leaders, we don’t determine these things on our own; we discover what God has already set for us.

Purpose: The soul of your business is where you find your God-given purpose. It answers the question, why do we exist? For example, at Christian Teams Excel, our purpose is to inspire, empower, and unite Christians to be beacons of Christ's excellence, leading others to His salvation. Purpose isn’t just about profit; it’s about how we serve others and glorify God through our work.

Core Values: Your core values should reflect Christ’s attributes—truth, love, mercy, justice, and excellence. These values define how your business behaves, and like a compass, they guide every decision.

Vision: The vision is the long-term goal of your business—where you believe God wants you to go. It’s the big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG) that motivates you and your team to work toward God’s kingdom.

In a Christ-centered business, the soul is your direct connection to Christ, guiding everything you do. You’re not creating a purpose or values from scratch; you’re discovering what God intends for the business.

The Mind of the Business: Translating the Soul into Action

The mind of a person is what translates the soul’s desires into action, and in a business, the mind works the same way. It is responsible for creating systems, processes, and strategies that help the business live out its soul. The more systematized the mind is, the more effectively the business can stay on track.

What We Do and Don’t Do: The mind defines what your business will engage in and what it will avoid. These boundaries should be based on Christian ethics, ensuring that your decisions and actions always align with the soul’s purpose.

Core Strategy: Your core strategy is a high-level plan that ensures the business stays on mission. It defines how the business will achieve its purpose and serve others. In a Christ-centered business, the core strategy should reflect Christ’s mission to love and serve others.

Accountability and Measurements: Every person and part of the business must be held to Christian standards of excellence. However, in a Christian business, accountability is approached with mercy and mentorship, ensuring that it leads to improvement and team cohesion, rather than division. Accountability must be process-based, making it easier for Christ’s love, expectation of excellence, and mercy to be reflected in a constructive way.

Communication and Decision-Making: Effective communication is key in linking the mind to the soul and body. By systematizing communication, it can become both efficient and effective, leaving more time for employees to focus on the mission and values of the business rather than logistical matters. Clear communication also supports Christ-centered decision-making, ensuring that choices are rooted in both the mission and a love for others.

The Body of the Business: Putting Purpose into Practice

The body of the business is where action happens. It’s the daily operations, interactions with customers, and the products or services you provide. Most business leaders spend nearly all their time managing the body, but when the soul and mind are neglected, it leads to confusion, chaos, and inefficiency. Without a well-clarified soul and a trained mind, the body becomes disjointed and difficult to manage. However, aligning the soul and mind allows the body to function smoothly, leading to greater success.

I use the Passenger Jet Analogy to help explain how each part of the business works:

Leadership (Cockpit): The cockpit represents leadership, steering the business toward its Christ-centered mission.

Culture and Team (Cabin Crew): The internal culture, represented by the cabin crew, is built on the brotherhood of Christ, where employees are treated as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Products and Services (Wings): The wings are your business’s products and services. Just as wings keep a plane flying, your offerings should reflect excellence and serve others.

Marketing (Engine 1) and Sales (Engine 2): These engines drive your business forward, but they must operate with integrity and reflect Christ’s love in every interaction.

Operations and Overhead (Fuselage): The fuselage represents your business’s operations and overhead, which should be lean and efficient to prevent weighing down the business.

Cash Flow (Fuel): Cash flow is the fuel that keeps your business running. While profit is important, it should be seen as a means to serve, not the end goal.

Customer Experience (Passengers): The passengers are your customers. Every interaction should reflect Christ’s love, ensuring that customers are treated with care, respect, and service.

Conclusion: Aligning Soul, Mind, and Body in Christ-Centered Leadership

When the soul, mind, and body of a business work together under Christ’s leadership, the business becomes more than a place to work—it becomes a place of ministry. Whether you are leading an overtly Christian business, a Christ-centered business, or are a Christian in a secular workplace, this model can help you align your leadership with Christ’s mission and serve others with excellence.

As you reflect on your business, ask yourself if your soul, mind, and body are aligned. Is your business’s purpose rooted in Christ? Are your processes set up to reflect your values? And are your actions serving both your customers and God’s greater mission?

Call to Action

Join me for more in this series as we walk through how to implement each part of the Soul-Mind-Body model. In the next article, we’ll focus on creating your Soul Team—the small group of people who will help you or work with you to keep the soul of your business aligned with God's will and create and discipline the mind so that your soul is connected to its final actions.

In the meantime, if you want to dive deeper into how Christian principles can transform your business, check out our upcoming event, Counter-Culture Christianity: Transforming the Workplace Through Christian Excellence on Dec 5, 2024. Event Link.

#ChristCenteredBusiness #ChristianLeadership #BusinessModel #FaithAtWork​

Further Reading

If you’d like to explore more about Christian leadership in business and how to integrate your faith into your work, here are some additional resources that can offer deeper insights:

"Learn to Use the Christian Business Model for Ethical Success"
This article emphasizes how Christian values like humility, honesty, and integrity can drive business success while remaining aligned with biblical principles.
Read more here

"7 Keys to Biblical Business Leadership"
This resource focuses on applying key biblical traits such as love, patience, and self-control to your leadership style. It explores how these values foster trust and ethical success in the business world.
Read more here

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