There is No Grace in the Marketplace

There is No Grace in the Marketplace
By Dan Meylan www.weaversonline.org
In the late 80’s we had a large insurance client, a plastics extrusion company with over 150 full time employees. Their primary product was cassette cartridges. This company was one of the primary employers in a community with a population of 4,000. Today that 120,000 sq ft building is vacant and those jobs are gone. Manufacturing cassette cartridges is no longer a viable business. There is no grace in the marketplace.

We were one of the investors a new trucking business established in response to a marketplace opportunity. One of the first drivers hired was a close Christian friend with 3 small children who was unemployed. During the first 30 days he failed to make his appointed deliveries on 6 separate occasions. The customers were unhappy and sought alternative trucking services. We were forced to terminate our friend and find another driver who was reliable. There is no grace in the marketplace.

Grace is not a substitute for competence. Grace is not a substitute for hard work. Grace is not a substitute for knowledge and learning. Grace is not a valid marketplace strategy. Grace is not a business tool. Grace is not a sustainable business strategy. There is no grace in the marketplace.

The definition of “grace” is “unmerited favor”. We are saved by grace. As Christians we are saved by the unmerited favor of Christ’s blood on the cross. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world. God’s concept and execution of “grace” may be transferable to our individual human interactions but it certainly cannot be sustained as a marketplace strategy. There is no grace in gravity. There is no grace in the principles that allow an airplane to fly, the aerodynamics that keep and aircraft airborne are very exacting. The principle of grace in interpersonal relationships only works when it is freely given. It is a cancer when it becomes an expectation.

Unfortunately many Christian business owners operate on the premise that they will be given “grace” for their lack of skill or competence. Make no mistake there is no grace in the marketplace. You must be able to deliver your products and services to a standard of competence at least equal to that of your competitors or you will quickly cease to exist. The marketplace rewards high levels of competence and punishes incompetence ruthlessly. This is not a law or a regulation that you can amend or appeal. This is a reality as predictable as the sunrise. The marketplace sets its own rules but it does place a high value on what God values.

In life we grow from ignorance to competence and ultimately to excellence if we dedicate ourselves to disciplined, focused attention to our God given gifts, talents and abilities. Think about the last time you traveled on a commercial airline. You probably took it for granted that the pilot was competent. At some point in his or her life he or she did not know how to fly, he or she was completely ignorant. Then over a period of time through rigorous training and practice they reached a level of competence that allowed them to take on the responsibility as a pilot in command of a commercial airliner. Additionally we know and understand that their competence is continually evaluated and assessed by a regulatory agency which has the authority to revoke their pilot privilege if their competence deteriorates. Of all the pilots in the world the top 5% might be considered “excellent” but we as the passengers have no way to know or understand or evaluate the criteria that might make them “excellent”. We assume they are all competent. Would you be interested in boarding a commercial airline whose pilots were given “grace” for their marginal competence?

Dan Meylan is the President and Founder of Weavers a ministry that teaches and trains business owners to operate their business according to biblical principles.