For those of you who work out in the public each day, I know Friday for many of you is important because it ends the workweek. This one is marked February 5, 2021, and I commend each of you for your working but I also remind each one to be thankful if you have a job. Many of those without jobs and those with reduced incomes as a result of COVID are now doing their best to adjust to their new normal. This has made an impact throughout our land. Based on what I am reading about Churches, the full impact of the pandemic is becoming more well known each day. Attendance has faltered and with that, the offerings have suffered as well. This is creating great challenges for those charged with leading local fellowships. One need only Google 'Churches going out of business due to COVID' to see the many hits describing the dire conditions being faced by congregations throughout America. We know Satan is the enemy of all that is of God. The Church is God's plan and the Founder is none other than Jesus the Christ. That makes it one of Satan's most hated adversaries. While there will be some that end up closing their doors permanently, we need to be reminded how the Church belongs to God and Jesus made it clear His Church would persevere and the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. (Matthew 16:17-19) For those of us who God has provided continuing resources during the pandemic, we need to do all we can to support the local fellowship where we serve and worship Him. Amen.
Speaking of the workplace, here is a piece, (very long), I wrote many years ago. Have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. Lord willing, I'll catch back up with you next week. Amen. ....More later.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2007
Paid Employment From A Biblical Perspective!
T
here’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 has 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 setting aside 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 whil
e walking a fine line in making sure they do not actually break the law. I remember working for a man 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, I’ve worked for many other people who were more ethical in their business dealings than he was even though they had little or nothing to do with any expression of faith towards God.
I’ll j
ust 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 before he fell as the caretaker over God’s creation. 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 matte
r 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 being 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 worked for seven years for the m
an mentioned above knowing I should have confronted him and left the company rather than be a supporter of his open maligning of the faith. Why didn’t I? I thought I had to thin
k 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 for a man who is committed to doing his business by the Book, God’s Holy Word. This doesn’t mean he or me 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 working in this environment has been a rewarding experience for me. I leave you with one thing and that is an encouragement to not give up the struggle and throw in the towel even before you are engaged in the conflict. It will come but if you have already compromised away your beliefs, you will end up operating no differently than those who are out for themselves only, without Christ, and enslaved to the ruler of this world, Satan himself. You don’t have to be a theologian to know this is not what God would have us to do. This will give you something to think about over the weekend and on Monday I’ll try to come up with something not quite so heavy. …..More later.
here’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 has 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 setting aside 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 whil
e walking a fine line in making sure they do not actually break the law. I remember working for a man 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, I’ve worked for many other people who were more ethical in their business dealings than he was even though they had little or nothing to do with any expression of faith towards God.I’ll j
ust 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 before he fell as the caretaker over God’s creation. 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 matte
r 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 being 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 worked for seven years for the m
an mentioned above knowing I should have confronted him and left the company rather than be a supporter of his open maligning of the faith. Why didn’t I? I thought I had to thin
k 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 for a man who is committed to doing his business by the Book, God’s Holy Word. This doesn’t mean he or me 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 working in this environment has been a rewarding experience for me. I leave you with one thing and that is an encouragement to not give up the struggle and throw in the towel even before you are engaged in the conflict. It will come but if you have already compromised away your beliefs, you will end up operating no differently than those who are out for themselves only, without Christ, and enslaved to the ruler of this world, Satan himself. You don’t have to be a theologian to know this is not what God would have us to do. This will give you something to think about over the weekend and on Monday I’ll try to come up with something not quite so heavy. …..More later.
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