The Ten Commandments of Business

Let’s start the year off with a solid foundation!  The featured image is framed on the wall in my office and is included with every job offer to potential AV Bend team members.  If we don’t have these as a starting point in any of our business relationships, then we can easily get off track and compromise our standards.  While our clients and blog readers may not share our faith, the following Ten Commandments of Business guide our decisions and shape our company culture.  We take them very seriously and we strive to honor them.  All of these principles are based on the Ten Commandments given to Moses from God to share with His people.  These were the rules that God wanted everyone to live by and Yvonne Glasgow from the website People of our everyday life provides a simple way to read and interpret them. Here they are in Protestant order:

Show respect for authority. This first principle is based on the first commandment which says, “I am the LORD your God, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.” This means that God should be put before all others.

Have singleness of purpose.  This second principle is based on the second commandment which says, “You shall not make unto you any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: You shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” This means that no one, other than God himself, should be worshiped.

Use effective communication in work and deed.  The third commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” This means that God’s name should only be used with respect.

Provide proper rest, reflection and recreation.  The fourth commandment says, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall you labor, and do all your work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” This means that the day of God–Sunday, the Sabbath day–should always be remembered and observed.

Show respect for elders.  The fifth commandment says, “Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God giveth you.” This is God telling his people that they should always respect their parents.

Show respect for human rights, life and dignity.  The sixth commandment says, “You shall not kill.” Interpretations of this one cover a range. Some people believe it prohibits the killing of any creature; some say it forbids only murder.

Maintain stability of the sexes and the family.  The seventh commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery.” This means that people should be faithful in marriage. Cheating is against the will of the Lord.

Demonstrate the proper allocation of resources.  The eighth commandment says, “You shall not steal.” This is another easy one. Do not steal; stealing is wrong.

Demonstrate honesty and integrity.  The ninth commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This means that people should not lie.

Maintain the right of ownership.  The tenth commandment says “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is your neighbor’s.” The commandment is saying that people should not be envious of other people.

And for Christians, Jesus presented us with the Golden Rule – treat others as you would want to be treated.  That sounds doable, don’t you think?

Standing on solid ground to serve you,

Tony, the AV guy