Bible-believing Christians know that Adam and Eve’s fall into sin brought death and destruction to the human race. The “fall” damaged both people and creation. In Genesis 3:16-19, we read about the results of the fall: pain in childbirth, relational conflict, and a “curse” on the ground so that it produces thorns, thistles, and “sweat of thy face…”

This “curse” affects the productive work we must do for daily life: grow food, provide homes for families, and make useful products and services. When people gather to do productive work, things naturally go wrong. They go wrong in the production process, and they go wrong in people and relationships.

This is why business isn’t easy!

Here’s the good news: THINGS ARE NOT AS BAD AS THEY SHOULD BE.

If we read the Bible carefully, we will notice that God holds back some of the results of sin. He pours out much blessing when people deserve wrath and punishment. He does this even for those who are NOT people of faith. Here are a few examples:

• In Genesis 20, God prevents King Abimelech from violating Sarah, even though Abraham lied about her saying, “She is my sister.”
  
• In Matthew 5, Jesus commands His disciples to “Love your enemies…do good to them that hate you.” He says that God is our example: “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45, ESV)
  
• In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas preach the Gospel in the city of Lystra. Part of their message includes this: “In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”” (Acts 14:16–17, ESV)

Christian teachers have named this pattern “Common Grace.” Here’s a good definition:

God gives out gifts of wisdom, talent, beauty, and skill according to his grace—that is, in a completely unmerited way. He casts them across the human race like seed, in order to enrich, brighten, and preserve the world. By rights, sin should be making life on earth here much more unbearable than it is—and in fact, all of creation and culture should have fallen apart by now. The reason it is not worse is because of the gift of common grace.

Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller (Dutton/Penguin, 2012) p. 191.

How does all this apply to “Lean?”

I firmly believe that Lean is a COMMON GRACE system of attitudes, thought-habits, and self-control. These virtues reduce the destructive effect of human flaws and allow human strengths to be more fruitful. All people can carry out these common grace virtues to some degree. This is true whether or not they are people of faith. When a group of people DO apply the Lean virtues, they will become more productive and fruitful. They are likely to experience some of the “gladness” Paul and Barnabas spoke about.

Lean won’t save any one. Common grace isn’t saving grace. But as mentioned above in Acts 14:17, common grace is “satisfying” and is poured out to everyone. It’s part of how God “leaves Himself a witness” to all people that He is good, gracious, and loving.

Lean is the best way I know to apply Common Grace in a business.