The Church is a community. As a community, believers in Christ ought to be supporting one another, helping each other's businesses to flourish. If you bother to look around at modern society, any time the world disagrees with a Christian or a Christian-run business, they attempt to boycott it in order to see it go out of business. Christians should be supporting one another and giving their business to those Christians who meet their particular need. Just as your local area talks about supporting your local businesses so that they do not go out of business, so too ought Christians to be practicing the same mentality among each other.
If Christians are in need of help, especially poorer Christians, other believers ought to be giving of their talents without asking for remuneration. Remember this verse?
"But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:17-18If poorer Christians need a little work done on their house or to their yard, other believers ought to be lending a charitable helping hand. If we support each other's endeavours, then we all win. By so doing we fulfill this verse:
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35
Remember, giving in the New Testament involves our time, talents, and treasures for the benefit of others. Our giving is supposed to be an act of worship, giving of ourselves and what we possess the way Jesus gave of Himself and all that He possessed for us. The giving of our time, talents, and treasures is meant to support people: the needy, the widows, the orphans, the sick, and the imprisoned. They can even be used for evangelistic and missionary endeavours. If we supported each other, instead of supporting famous secular individuals who already have more than enough money, how much better could our businesses be doing? We also should not just support famous household names such as John MacArthur, John Piper, and the likes, but we should be supporting the little guy to help get them some recognition. Good recommendations from fellow believers can bring other believing customers from other areas to support us.
The New Testament commands Christian believers who follow Jesus to treat one another with love, humility, and respect, encouraging one another and being unified.
- Love (John 13:34; 15:13, 17; Rom. 13:8; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; 1 Pet. 1:22; 3:8; 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 14, 23; 4:7, 11; 2 John 5)
- Encourage (2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:25)
- Greet (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Pet. 5:14)
- Be Humble (Eph. 4:2; 1 Pet. 3:8; 5:5)
- Have Compassion (Eph. 4:32; 1 Pet. 3:8)
- Live in Peace (Mark 9:50; 1 Thess. 5:13)
- Bear in Love (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13)
- Forgive (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13)
- Have the Mind of Christ (Rom. 15:5; Phil. 2:5)
- Confess To (James 5:16)
- Serve (Gal. 5:13)
- Admonish (Col. 3:16)
- Be Sympathetic (1 Pet. 3:8)
- Live in Harmony (Rom. 12:16)
- Submit (Eph. 5:21)
- Offer Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9)
- Agree (1 Cor. 1:10)
- Be Devoted (Rom. 12:10)
- Do Good (1 Thess. 5:15)
- Spur to Love (Heb. 10:24)
- Don't Grumble (James 5:9)
- Speak Songs To (Eph. 5:19)
- Don't Judge (Rom. 14:13)
- Instruct (Rom. 15:14)
- Be Like-minded (1 Pet. 3:8)
- Don't Provoke (Gal. 5:26)
- Honour (Rom. 12:10)
- Be Kind (Eph. 4:32)
- Don't Deprive (1 Cor. 7:5)
- Spur to Good Deeds (Heb. 10:24)
- Don't Slander (James 4:11)
- Pray For (James 5:16)
- Be Gentle (Eph. 4:2)
- Have Equal Concern (1 Cor. 12:25)
- Accept (Rom. 15:7)
- Build Up (1 Thess. 5:11)
- Don't Lie (Col. 3:9)
- Be Patient (Eph. 4:2)
- Don't Pay Back Wrong (1 Thess. 5:15)
Genuine believers in Christ want a community where they are known, loved, and cared for by other Christians. They want a community where they can know others and experience the joy of pouring into their lives and loving, encouraging, and helping them, and ministering to their needs. They want a community where they can be useful and a blessing to others who are struggling. They want a community where they can be spiritually led, biblically fed, and lovingly protected. They want a community where other believers are joyfully committed to keeping watch over their souls, speak the Word to each other, and help each other grow in their knowledge of God and their intimacy with Him. They want a community where they can experience Christ rather than just hear about Him.
I hope this helps you understand our commitment and responsibility to one another. The reason why cults such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons seem so appealing is because they put these kinds of things into practice. If they help people without expecting anything in return, how much more so ought we Christians to be doing the same, especially toward one another? If we want the world "to know we are Christians by our love," then perhaps it is time we started to live it out. Know a Christian who has, or is trying to start, their own business? Help them out by giving them a shout out and recognizing them and their efforts on your social media platforms.
May God bless you in accordance with the measure with which you bless others.