Faith & Family Business
The many facets of our family members (1 Samuel 16:18)
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. We see David in a variety of situations, from youthful shepherd to unexpected victor in battle against Goliath, to a person whose rise in prominence threatens King Saul. David experiences incredible success and becomes King, but then his family life falls apart after an unfaithful relationship. Finally, he becomes one of the most noted religious poets in history. My hope is that your own faith, family, and understanding of your family business will be enriched by considering David's story.
In last week’s reflection, we met David, the youngest son of Jesse and a shepherd tending the family’s flock while his brothers are fighting for King Saul. But that isn’t our only introduction. Earlier, Saul's assistants were looking for someone to play music to help calm Saul's mind:
One of the young men answered [Saul], “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing [the lyre], a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” (1 Sam. 16:18)
This description adds more layers to our understanding of David. He’s not just a young brother and shepherd, seemingly too young to fight. He’s musically inclined, creative, courageous, a good fighter, and eloquent. He’s multifaceted and he has “good presence.” He shows up!
A tendency in family businesses, especially when siblings and parents and cousins are around each other constantly, is to lose sight of the many other positive aspects of our partners. The brother who negotiates deals may also have a generous heart. The mother who manages detailed accounting records may also mediate the family’s disputes. The quiet son-in-law who works with equipment may also know how to improve your company’s culture. The daughter who manages customer relationships may also be the champion for making your family business more professional. In business, people bring their strengths to a particular role. But in a family business, everyone wears multiple hats and offers a variety of gifts. Some roles have job descriptions, but many contributions are more informal and nuanced.
Beyond your stated role in the family business, how do you contribute to the well-being of your family? How might you recognize one of your family member’s less acknowledged, but still valuable, roles?