In Business for the Glory of God, Wayne Grudem shares this important insight:
Employer/employee relationships provide many opportunities for glorifying God. On both sides of the transaction, we can imitate God, and he will take pleasure in us when he sees us showing honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, kindness, wisdom, and skill, and keeping our word regarding how much we promised to pay or what work we agreed to do. The employer/employee relationship also gives opportunity to demonstrate proper exercise of authority and proper responses to authority.
Please join me as I unpack some of the passages in the Bible that specifically address employers and employees.
Principles for Employers
In Lev. 19:13, where Moses gave various laws from Yahweh to pass on to the Israelites, they are commanded, “Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.” Deuteronomy 24:14-15 reinforces the same thing, which employees appreciate—pay your employees in a timely manner because they depend on it. In Jer. 22:13, God warns those who do not pay their workers adequately. (Note: Jesus reinforced this principle that a worker is worthy of his wages (Luke 10:7) and James 5:4 reminds us that it is the rich who were condemned if they failed to pay their workers the wages they were due.)
In addition to the things that employers were told not to do, here is one example of what a good employer does. In 2 Kings 12:11-15, a scene is described where the supervisors of the workers (carpenters, builders, masons, and stonecutters) that were repairing the temple acted with complete honesty with respect to the funds they were entrusted with to pay the workers.
Jesus said something about having a servant spirit (Luke 22:24-27). He gave us an example by washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17). Jesus clearly demonstrated this principle when He came to earth as a servant, put on flesh as a helpless babe, and then sacrificed His life for us. Let me paint a picture of how I exhibit a servant spirit as an employer at my job, in an effort to apply these truths.
I recently realized that I am a lot like Mr. Carson, the butler on the successful television series Downton Abbey. I may be in charge of all the servants, but I am still a servant myself. I try to demonstrate a servant spirit at work as a supervisor every day, but it is a continuous challenge. It is all about being willing to humble myself. I have to make every effort to think, say, and act on this principle: “No task is beneath me. If it meets the real needs of people, I am willing to do it.”
I have not been the perfect boss, but I strive to be a good one. I can honestly say that I have been able to consistently provide a positive work environment for my team. I use my sense of humor to ease the stress of time pressures, managing multiple requirements, and the constant changes that characterize an operations shop. I always let the members of our team know they are valued. I truly care for them.
Guidelines for Employees
As I sifted through my Bible to find relevant references to what we as employees were called to do in order to glorify God in His presence at work, I found a huge gold mine in the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs is full of wisdom for the workplace, as its purpose is to give wisdom for life. There are numerous verses that help focus a young person on developing proper attitudes and right actions on the job. In Prov. 6:6-8, the ant is held up as a great illustration of a hard worker who wisely shows initiative in preparing for the future. We should all be like the ants.
The majority of the passages that immediately follow this are directly aimed at laziness. I struggle with laziness occasionally, putting off those unpleasant tasks I do not care to do right now. (Click here to read an article about that). In general, I am a hard worker. Most everyone I know works hard as well. (Some work too hard.) Most people do want to get a full-time job. Honestly, though, we have all heard about the young adult who fails to launch, choosing to live in his parent’s basement and play video games all day while Mommy still does his laundry. Do you know anyone like this? These verses were written just for them.
Proverbs 6:9-11 describes the lazy individual using the term “sluggard,” meaning that he is reluctant to get out of bed to go to work or to find work. This label does not apply to someone who is working hard to find a job but happens to be unsuccessful. This is someone who refuses to work. As a result, he will be caught unprepared to meet his obligations and will be brought to poverty. This is not the kind of poverty that comes because of a systemic lack of educational or economic opportunities, but it is one of the natural consequences of laziness. This is also highlighted in Prov. 10:4, 14:23, 21:25, and 28:19. As such, it should motivate us to work.
Proverbs 12:11 issues this plain-sense general observation: He who works his land will have plenty of food. He who chases fantasies lacks judgment. Proverbs 12:27 instructs that the lazy person is not a good steward of what the Lord provides for him. (This reminds me of what my mother used to say to me once in a while about me using the brain that God gave me.)
Proverbs 13:11 offers this wisdom: Money gained dishonestly does not last. He who gathers it little by little honestly will benefit. Proverbs 16:26 teaches that our appetite is a good thing. It motivates us to keep on working hard so that we can earn enough to buy food. Solomon observes in Prov. 18:9 that a man who is slack in his work is a destructive person. He continues this thought in Prov. 19:15 by stating that being lazy is self-destructive. It diminishes your motivation and eventually leads to poverty. As Prov. 20:4 indicates, the lazy person does not work hard when he has a chance. He will regret it later when he has nothing on which to live.
In contrast, Prov. 22:29 instructs us that a man who is skilled in his work will eventually go far in life. This is one of the biblical principles I intentionally highlighted to my youngest son after his face was plastered on a billboard on the main drag of his college town after he had been cast as the lead in Hamlet. My son’s hard work and passion for his craft motivated him to learn technical aspects of his field, improve his skills, stretch his wings, and audition for big roles. I pointed out to him that if he faithfully used his God-given talents as they developed slowly over time and polished them to perfection, his work would catch the eye of people who could make a difference in his life. Then they would find it easy to trust him to take on more and more responsibility.
However, success is not everything. Prov. 23:4-5 warns, “Don’t waste your time striving to get rich, as riches will not last.” The idea here is to maintain a healthy balance in your life.
Proverbs 24:30-34 again addresses the sluggard. Those who refuse to work hard or neglect their responsibilities at home will lose what little they have. His foolish behavior is reemphasized in Prov. 26:13-16. This person makes excuses not to work and is unmotivated to work or take care of himself. He sees himself as wiser than others, but he only fools himself. Proverbs 27:18 highlights the universal principle of sowing and reaping. “He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.” This verse reinforces the development of character qualities such as diligence, faithfulness, and loyalty.
Closing thoughts
I love how the Hebrew Scriptures (AKA the Old Testament) taught God’s people practical principles for everyday life. This is where men and women spend most of their time. These aren’t lofty ideals that can only be grasped by the educated few. These truths are for everyone, including us in the present day.
If Christian employers and employers make efforts to do and say what God commands His people to do and say at work, I think we would experience a lot less of the nasty thorns and thistles that will naturally come with the territory in this time in which we live, in between Jesus’s first and second coming. But let’s not just do it for our benefit. Let’s do it to put the spotlight on God.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Russ Gehrlein
Featured Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay
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