Faith & Family Business
Recurring battles in the family business (2 Samuel 5:25)
Welcome to my third Faith and Family Business series, focusing on the Biblical King David. David’s story explores a full range of emotions and experiences in life, offering insights about ourselves and others in work and family. My hope is that your own faith, family, and understanding of your family business will be enriched by considering David's story.
David has been fighting the Philistines throughout his life. When they hear he’s been named king and that he’s in Jerusalem, they come after him again. He fights them twice, asking God for guidance in the battles.
And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer. (2 Sam. 5:25)
David first battles the Philistines when he fights the giant Goliath. He battles the Philistines again when he comes into King Saul’s service. After the Philistines kill Saul, and David becomes king, he fights them again. They are not David’s only enemy, and he even lived with them for a time, when Saul was trying to kill him. But they are constant in their efforts to overthrow Israel, an ever-present threat to a people and its leader.
Most family businesses, and their leaders, also face recurring battles with the same foes. Some are external to the business: competitors, supply chain “partners,” regulators, or even the constant poking of the disagreeable neighbor. Some come from within the family or business system: ongoing fights with the same family members over inheritance, recurring disagreements with certain owners over business philosophies, or battles with siblings over the management of certain areas of the business. And some of the fights we repeat are within ourselves: depression, self-esteem, anger, negativity, addiction, or fear, are a few of the opponents.
Have you experienced a recurring battle with the same opponent in your family, your family business, or yourself? What strategies have you used, or what guidance have you been offered, in overcoming these adversaries?