Chuck Bengochea was born in Cuba, raised in the USA and, after important management positions at General Electric and the Coca-Cola Company, became the CEO of The Original HoneyBaked Ham Company of Georgia. In 2009 he spoke with The Pentecostal Evangel, answering several key questions.
How does being a Christian translate to the workplace?
Scripture clearly says (Colossians 3:23), “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” I’ve made that an anchor verse. In other words, it’s no more sacred to be serving in Haiti than it is for me to come to do what I do – as long as the condition of the heart is the same. Whatever we’re doing, we’re doing it for the Lord.
The requirement of us in business is intimacy with the Savior. Our full-on 24/7 pursuit should be to draw closer to our Father. And if we do that, then a wall drops. In other words, I don’t come to work and look at it as if there’s this wall or door I’m going to go through and, when I go through that door, I have to act a different way.
There should be nothing prohibiting me from sharing the gospel proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ.
If you have the right heartbeat, you realize when you come to work that, whatever it is you do, you work as unto the Lord. You start by investing in your folks and making sure that at some point – having served them well, having loved them well – that you get the privilege of ensuring they know the reason for that is Jesus Christ.
What are some other principles Christian business-people should live by?
For too many Christian business people, God is in a box. They leave God at home and change their behavior in the office as they pursue a profit or a bonus. We serve a living God who’s not in a box, who is King and on His throne every day regardless of where we are.
Christians in business should honor and serve God every day in how they treat their vendors, employees and customers – all of that is under God’s authority. God is over your job, not just your church.
How does your faith influence how you do business?
I strive to always be aware that I’m a witness for God. One of the things I publicly say in my company all of the time is that I’m not interested in my legacy being how many hams I sold. But I want my legacy to be how many people I impact. That’s what I’m more interested in – how many people did I love with God’s love.
At the end of the day, no matter how bad my flesh wants to screw things up, I try not to lose sight that I serve God and represent Him. That’s a joyful privilege, but also a sobering one. (Emphasis added)
You might not be the CEO of a major company like Chuck Bengochea but the truths he shares apply equally to you – no matter if you are an employee, a student, or even unemployed. Do you recognize that the Lord is to be exalted by Everything you say and do? Whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord! Offer it as an act of worship.
This Sunday, September 5, in recognition of Labor Day, we will look at “The Gift of Work” (Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:17). Some people try to avoid work, but it is actually a gift from God.
Hopefully you can join us in-person in the building at 10:35am for worship. If not, please join us online for the Live broadcast on both Facebook (Search: Honolulu AG) and our YouTube channel (Search: Honolulu Assembly of God). A link will be posted later to our website (honoluluag.org).
A Big Mahalo goes to Russell Muramoto who is doing a great job each Sunday with the multi-stream broadcast. The video and sound is getting better every week!
Note: The 9:30am Adult Bible Class, following the same theme, will study the lesson, “The Blessing of Work”. The new teaching series, “Parables: the Greatest Stories Ever Told”, will resume the following Sunday. There are also Bible classes each Sunday morning for children and youth.
Aloha and Aloha ke Akua!
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