My youngest daughter is a Human Resource professional, currently working at Oregon State University. She recently shared a book she had just read entitled “FIT MATTERS” and knew I would be intrigued with the sub-title, “How to Love Your Job”.
My first teaching job was in 1970 at Prairie High School in Alberta, Canada; my most recent one was in 2025, online at College of Athens, Georgia. There is a lot of “water under the bridge” in those 55 years, but from the beginning, I insisted on telling my students that they must pray for and seek to find a job that fit them and one that they loved. That does not mean there won’t be difficulties, challenges, and problems along the way, but those are surmountable when we have a good fit.
My mind turned immediately to Business as Mission (BAM) businesses and the importance of “fit” for everyone involved.
Authors Carrick and Dunaway stress such things as meaning fit defined as “knowing deep inside that what we do matters” (p. 23ff); job fit defined as “the responsibilities of your work align with your talents and provide opportunities for growth (p. 33ff); culture fit defined as an agreement and satisfaction with the ways things are done in the culture of the company (p. 43ff). They go on to define “…relationship fit is great when we like and respect the people we work with and when we receive the appropriate support and trust to do our job (p. 53ff) and more (p. 63ff).
All of that seems very important as we initiate a BAM startup or maintain a prosperous one.
The authors predicate their reason for studying ‘job fit’ on the results a recent job satisfaction survey, which revealed that less than half of US workers are satisfied with their jobs (p. 4). Many people therefore buy into the false belief that work is a necessary evil, something one must do to pay the bills, but this is something we who believe the Bible disagree with.
Their survey results were revealed in a word cloud. Poor work fit was described as demoralizing, depressing, a job, work, and horrible; but on the contrary, great work fit suggested words such as, energized, appreciated, opportunity, fun, trusted, values, and happiness. The book continues with good assessment tools, such as, how to deal with misfit, finding your fit, and other valuable materials.
BAM Global discovered in a 2024 survey of 140 BAM practitioners significant issues such as people stress, lack of expertise, cultural and geographical isolation, lack of resources, financial pressures, and so on. One component of some of these stressors is lack of management experience and training, a segment of which is employee (HR) relations.
So, what about Business as Mission owners and workers in businesses based on a Kingdom of God perspective? What responsibility do BAM owners and managers have in relation to a good fit for their employees? What can and should be done to achieve a “great work fit” described by the authors as energized, appreciated, opportunity rich, trusted, valued, growing, and happy?
Lest we think these ideas are the work of the secular mindset and devoid of biblical principles, let’s remember:
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” – Acts 20:35
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.” – Ephesians 6:7
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10
“So, I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot.” – Ecclesiastes 3:22
“The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.” – 1 Chronicles 29:9
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:24
“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” – Ephesians 4:16
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:10
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” – Mark 10:45
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” – Hebrews 13:17
It has been my privilege to visit or interview employees in BAM companies who indicated how they experience a good FIT.
- I asked employees of Nusa Dua Boatworks (Indonesia) how they liked working for Rob. Overwhelmingly, they indicated a love for their job saying, Rob is fair and pays us a severance; we go on trips to various islands, he encourages us, he cares about our families, and after work he talks about his God.
- Dignity Coconuts (Philippines) provides hope for the desperate. Shirley said she loves working on her team, and working there has given her hope. Tim, as lead engineer, has stayed long term because he sees God at work.
- Tim’s Coffee and Bakery in SE Asia has grown to over 400 employees, and Mari is representative when she says, “I have learned a lot from our senior managers who care for us as people and create a family environment,” and another who said of the founders, “Watching the way that they worked, the families they cared for, and the love they gave to people, changed my thoughts about believers.”
- At the For-Profit First Step English Institute (large Asian country) an employee told me, “I have learned how to love others, and if you love someone, you can help that person to grow.” The culture was summarized as one of love, care, passion, mentoring, character, and family.
- Lawana at Above Jewels (Cambodia) told me that she and several others are grateful for a legitimate job as survivors of human slavery. It gives them dignity and fulfillment to produce and sell a product. She told me about the freedom she felt as she learned some skills, all in the setting of empathy, passion, trust, and care.
- The employees at ITJ, (a software company in South Asia), are happy at work because the owners allow company time to talk and study important issues, like the time they studied “Good Friday” and developed skits about it.
- Farmers of Sunshine Nut Company (Mozambique) love working because not only do the Larsons ensure fair prices but also model dignity, love, opportunity, and community in all aspects of the company.
As BAM leaders, we have a lot to do with the “fit” of the workers in our care. We see that mandated in scripture and we see it modeled in some of the more mature BAM companies.
Larry W. Sharp, BAM Support Specialist, IBEC Ventures
Larry.Sharp@ibecventures.com