Killing Our Inner 'Cain' and Becoming Abel
How Good Work Serves as a Tool for Evangelization
The origin of the idea of Catholic Founders came to me back in 2019 when I thought to myself — what would a company with Jesus as the CEO look like?
How would the products compare to competitors?
How would the employees talk about the culture?
How would they manage supplier relationships?
How would they treat customers?
It’s really a simple concept — what would Jesus, the CEO, do?
(At the time, I didn’t know about the book Jesus; CEO, and I must admit, I have not read it.)
Welcome back to Catholic Founders, The #1 Publication For Catholic Founders & Business Owners. We’re on a mission to support and educate Catholic Business Owners worldwide so that together, we can intentionally influence the world toward God.
Running businesses in union with the Church’s teachings gives us a huge, multi-purpose lever to pull to accomplish this mission.
Example: living The Faith gives witness to our employees, leading them to God.
Finance: we can fund the construction and remodeling of churches and schools.
Employment: we can help people provide for their families.
Mentorship: we can elevate young folks to learn and develop their skills.
Education: we can educate the public on Catholicism through our example.
Thanks for being a reader! Now, back to the program.
This idea is simple, yet profound. It allows us to question everything we do. From the way we decorate our stores—to the way we market—to the quality of work we produce. Everything should be done as well as we can.
Sub-Par Work
Truth is, a lot of Catholics produce sub-par work.
Certainly, there are some who are in the top echelons of their craft. But when it comes to technology, marketing campaigns, and general business savvy, a lot of Catholic professionals lack it.
Just look at a diocesan website. I’ve never seen a good one. It may work and give me what I need, but is it beautiful? It’s as if most service providers get by just because they are Catholic.
If we are truly Catholic and believe we are meant to do whatever we do well, shouldn’t we produce the most beautiful websites, run the best partnership programs, etc.? If we don’t, it means we are not applying our focus to our work. This is laziness.
Good work is evangelization.
When shopping, if you’re welcomed with a smile when you enter, treated with attention, and the product itself is amazing… something is going to stick with you. I frequent a nearby coffee shop owned by a local pastor and operated by several of his parishioners. While they are not Catholic, I can tell they are deeply joyful about the work they do.
Each time we enter, regardless of how busy it is, they say “Welcome in!” They are accommodating, patient, and attentive. They pour their soul into how they take care of each customer. They are energized (and I suspect it’s not just because they have access to free caffeine).
If I were not a man of God, I would certainly ask myself, what is it with these people? It’s a palpable feeling. You’re in the presence of someone who genuinely cares about the people around you.
What an incredible opportunity! For each customer, we can practice being Christ-like. We can shine Christ’s light on them and be the sewer of seeds. How many of us take advantage of that opportunity to unite ourselves with God through our work?
If you’re serious about leveraging your business to retake the society for God, listen up.
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What to do, Jimmy? What to do?
Now that you’ve been sufficiently chastised, what can each of us do about it?
F-A-S-O
F - Find your fixer-upper
Pick one area of your work that you do somewhat half-heartedly—or have simply not put any focus on.
Maybe it’s your disposition during cleanup at the end of the day. Perhaps it’s how you approach your marketing and brand building. Business has many angles. Surely, we cannot perfect all, but we can start where our strengths lie and find someone else with other strengths down the road.
A - Accept Accountability
Ask someone to help keep you accountable.
It could be a right-hand employee or another Catholic Founder. As long as they are in the thick of it, too, it will work. At the end of the day, score yourself. How did you do overall, and what specific areas should you improve on? Set the alarm or event so you don’t forget to check-in. It’s simple, but when you are forced to face the music, you’re going to be more aware of the challenge at hand.
S- See Christ in Everyone
Customers, suppliers, employees, service providers… everyone should be seen and treated with the human dignity they deserve.
Jesus dined with the sinners because they still possessed that God-given human dignity. Yes, it may have been buried under a pile of soot and sin, but He sought to clean up the garbage so the gem underneath could shine. Each person you encounter has Christ in them — recognize that and treat everyone as you would treat Christ.
O - Offer Your First Fruits
Your work is fruitful; are you giving your best fruit to God?
We all know the story of Cain and Abel. It contains many messages, but one is how Abel offered the best of the herd. It is the reason God was pleased. Do you see your work as your first fruits — your best output? If not, recognize this and begin to offer God your best today.
Chime In
I’m by no means an expert on all these topics. Part of what makes a community so powerful is our ability to discuss issues and solve problems collaboratively.
So, what do you think are some ways we can tactically improve our work? Leave a comment, and we can all discuss and learn from each other.
In summary, our work is something we can and should offer to God—are we offering Him our best? Or are we doing our work half-heartedly? Answer this honestly and then start improving in small ways.
See ya next time! 👋
PS: If you have a topic you’d like me to write about, drop a comment or DM me. Glad to add it to the hopper.
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