Hobby Lobby Founder Gives Away Ownership: ‘I Chose God’

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The founder of Hobby Lobby, the popular Christian arts and crafts store is giving away ownership to “choose God.”

In an op-ed, Founder and CEO David Green wrote for Fox New that he had to truly contemplate the source of his success. After nearly losing the business at one point, God showed him that He was the one who has provided for him.

Green says, “In that vein, I’d encourage every leader to consider their source of truth. What is the basis upon which they make decisions? Is it just themselves, or even a leadership team?”

He has been vocal over the years about his strong faith in Jesus. He attributes the source of truth in his life to prayer and the Bible. Green’s heart is to see leaders around the world follow God and seek after His will.

If business owners around were as generous in their giving as Green, the world would be a better place. “But perhaps the biggest challenge is to ask the question of whether you are an owner or a steward—a manager of what you’ve been entrusted with,” he says.

In Genesis 39:2 it says, “The Lord was with Joseph, so that he became a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.” His master saw that God was with him and prospered what Joseph set his hands too which granted him favor in the Egyptians eyes. God even blessed the Egyptian’s house based on the fact that Joseph was there.

Green and his wife’s goal since launching Hobby Lobby was to honor God in all they did. “We worked hard and God gave the results. As we were blessed by God, we saw it as a great privilege to give back. We’ve been able to provide hope through supporting ministries and planting churches all over the world,” Green says.

Luke 12:48 says, “For to whom much is given, of him much shall be required. And from him to whom much was entrusted, much will be asked.”

Green recognized this. He saw the responsibility that was before him. “I wasn’t supposed to take the profit of the business and use them for myself. I also had a responsibility to the employees that God had put in my charge,” he says.

Hobby Lobby’s minimum wage is $18.50 per hour, they close shop on Sunday’s and are closed by 8:00 p.m. every day.

Green admonishes other business owners to take a look at what God has put before them and ask themselves this simple question: are you the steward or the owner? {eoa}

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Shelby Lindsay is an assistant editor for Charisma Media.