Paid Employment From A Biblical Perspective!

Good morning and welcome to the Friday Edition, hot off the presses, on this October 26, 2018. Since I am scheduled to remove my person from the workplace next Wednesday, here's my Friday Flashback offering concerning what it means to be a Christ follower on the job we hold. This was my entire blog written eleven years ago today. I had been working here for nearly a year. This many years later I did feel compelled to update it some since it sounded a wee bit too preachy to me, but, as I often say, it is what it is.

(October 26, 2007) There’s nothing like opening a huge can of worms early on a Friday morning. The subject of a believer’s behavior in conjunction with the work they do or job they perform is been one that I’ve spent endless hours studying and thinking about. There’s a ton of research materials available but most of it indicates we who are Christians are not living it on the job. It seems that most believers end up adapting themselves to a dual morality approach where they apply one set of ethics in the marketplace and another in the home and church. This, sadly, comes as a result of expectations that focus solely on doing whatever it takes including the setting aside of one’s personal values in order to generate profits. When you think about it, that’s really the subtitle of how work is defined in the world.

Believe me, I have wrestled with this issue for years. No doubt even companies that portray themselves as ethical push the envelope all day long while walking a fine line in making sure they do not actually break the law. I remember a fellow I knew for a number of years who was an outspoken Christian in his portrayal of himself. He told everyone about his faith, his work on behalf of his church, and his proud family heritage of faithfulness. However, his approach to business was essentially to do anything and everything it takes in order to make the deal. His answer for this situation was that God knew that a man had to do what a man had to do. He chose not to see the huge disconnect but most people hated dealing with him because they saw the obvious hypocrisy in his talk versus his walk. In fact, they preferred to work with other people who were more ethical in their business dealings even though they had little or nothing to do with any expression of faith towards God.

I’ll just tell you that whether it’s me or you, it is a bad testimony if we are checking our identity as a believer at the door when we come to work. Many think that work came about as a result of the fall of Adam and it is part of the curse. That’s not true. Adam had a job as the caretaker over God's creation before he fell. It involved many different responsibilities. What happened in the fall was that work would no longer be without complications, difficulties, and pain. Now you know how your job came to be complicated, difficult, and painful. See, you learn something new every day. Yet the Bible clearly stakes out a standard for those of us who have jobs and work for pay. It first requires that we be who we are in Christ no matter where we are. This doesn’t mean we go around our workplace thumping a Bible since that would no doubt be distracting and even a misuse of company time. It requires that our allegiance is to God first and then we are to be a faithful servant to the enterprise that pays us. This doesn’t mean we will always work with ethical people because there are plenty who operate on the world’s philosophy. However, we are to quietly do what we do as if we are doing it for the Lord. (see Colossians 3:23) If the time comes when we are called upon to break what we know is our commitment to be faithful to our calling, then we will have to deal with that circumstance and try to find a way to meet the requirement another way. We must always make certain that we are on solid grounds for being concerned about a particular issue, but in the end, if we are required to violate our faith, we must make a decision, and leave the consequences in God’s hands.

That’s easier said than done and I’ve been all over the page in how I’ve handled these types of situations. In fact, I've worked in several situations where I knew I should have taken a stand. Why didn’t I? I thought I had to think about my financial obligations and my family and that was my rationalization at the time. However, the truth is the truth. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills which by the way means He owns it all! He knows how to take care of His own and while it would not have been easy because we are not promised easy, I am fully persuaded He would have made a way for me if I had stood up and been counted for what I knew was right. I can’t go back and change that now and I will tell you how wonderfully blessed I am to now be working in an environment where we are committed to doing business by the Book, God’s Holy Word. This doesn’t mean we or our program is perfect but we try our best to look at our business dealings through the lens of fundamental truths as set forth in God’s word. I can tell you that, thus far, working in this environment has been a rewarding experience for me. I leave you with one thing and that is an encouragement to be the real you in Christ, no matter where you happen to be. The temptation is to throw in the towel even before you are engaged in the conflict. Believe me, it will come but God will be with you. And, remember, we are to be a testimony to those who do not know the Lord. They act the way they do because they have not been changed by His power. We may be the Bible God has given for them to read. And, always remember, these words come from one struggler to another or as I like to remind us all, from one beggar telling others beggars where he found food. For the soul. Have a great weekend and on Monday I’ll try to come up with something not quite so heavy. Amen.   …..More later