Being a Shalom-Maker

BEING A SHALOM-MAKER

_______________________

Blessed are the SHALOM-makers, for they shall be called sons of God.

– Matthew 5:9

_______________________

How do we become Shalom-makers? What do we have to do to be called “Sons of God”? Is it enough just to create jobs and turn a profit? Or is there more we must do? Later we will define a flourishing small business. But first we need to look at the encouraging yet paradoxical path to being a Shalom-maker.

If Shalom is “the way things ought to be”, then trying to make ourselves into a Shalom-maker is a silly objective. Trying to make yourself into Shalom-maker is like trying to make water flow downhill. No one asks how to make water flow downhill. You don’t need to coach, incentivize, inspire, instruct, lead, manage, motivate, or train water to flow downhill. That is simply what water does; flowing downhill is what water was designed to do. In fact, if water isn’t flowing downhill, there is only one explanation – there is an obstacle in the way. I’m not much of a gardener, but I hear gardening is the same. You don’t have to coach, incentivize, inspire, instruct, lead, manage, motivate, or train crops to grow. Growing is what they do, assuming they have enough of what they need – sun, water, and good soil.

Shalom works the same way. We were created to be Shalom makers – is it the way we are designed to be and how the universe is designed to be. It is encouraging to realize that creating and leading a flourishing business is not inherently a Sisyphean task. In fact, God designed us and our organizations to flourish and He blesses us for our efforts in that direction. But this isn’t our day-to-day experience. Work feels more like hand-to-hand combat than “flourishing”. So, what’s the disconnect?

If we are not seeing Shalom in and around us, there is only one explanation – there are obstacles in the way. So now we are back to where we started.

What obstacles are preventing you and your business from flourishing?