Tipping the Balance: The Ethics Course You Did Not Get In Business School.

Tipping the Balance
The Course on Ethics You Did Not Get In Business School.

Years ago when I started getting involved in Marketplace Ministry, most of the information I found was on ethics. I remember thinking how this all sounded elementary and thought it was a shame us Christian had to be told that we needed to be ethical in our workplaces. And of course I was not the perfect worker back then and I now am older and hopefully wiser. Yes, we need a refresher course or even a new approach.
This is what I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me. It had to be him because I could not have come up with this myself and I did not read it in a book. And I have read many.
I want you to picture in your mind a balance, one of those with a center pole and hanging dishes on the left and right. Now picture the person on the right with no ethics or very little ethics. It tips to the left and his way. Now picture the ethical person on the right side bringing the balance level. This is how it is when you follow the rules. But there is a problem. You follow the rules to the minimum. You do just enough to be called a good employee or business owner. I once posted a meme on Facebook picturing one of these with the caption,” The Bible says a crooked balance is an abomination to God so a good one pleases God. Give your employee an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage.”
I have seen how this will not do. To be balanced is to just get by in God’s eyes. The balance tipped to the right is showing that we not only obey the rules but we are to do more than asked. On the sermon on the mound in the Bible, taught by Jesus Christ, He teaches us this.
In Luke 6:20-36 and Matthew 5:1-48 He teaches that:

“You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. “.

Not only are we supposed to obey the commandment to not commit adultery but Kingdom Ethics says we are to go farther. Don’t even look on a woman with lust.

“You have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. “

He taught that we should not payback in revenge. If we are sued over something we’ve did and judged to pay damages, we are to pay more that the law calls for.
And we know that in those days the Romans could command a Jew to carry his pack for a mile. But Jesus says to do more, which is where the well-known phase comes from,” go the extra mile”. This means to go beyond what the law demands or what the employee handbook calls for.

This is how we tip the balance. We are to go further than is called for. Can you see that the left is the non-ethical person, the center is the worldly ethical person and the right is the Kingdom Ethical person?

I encourage you to be the one that changes the copier ink. Be the one to clean the bathroom or Heaven forbid the refrigerator. While walking through the parking lot on the way into work, pick up that piece of trash. Help that fellow co-worker when you have the time. And don’t be concerned if no one notices. Even if it does not lead to a promotion or raise. When you come under the employ of God Himself and He is behind your motivation, you will not lose. People may laugh or take advantage of you. But you cannot think on it. You must determine which ethical person you wish to be. Lean to the left, stay center of tip the balance to the Kingdom.

Wayne Brooks
02/25/2020

Rick Warren on "Can a Business be Christian?"

In the March 2013 issue of "Decision" Magazine, Pastor Rick Warren made a very good point on on the matter of , "Can a business be Christian?" In the article, "Rick Warren on the Hobby Lobby Lawsuit.", page 14.  In the article Pastor warren answers the question asked above.  To quote the article, "Some flippantly say 'A business cannot be a Christian,' but the truth is, every business is either business is either moral or immoral, ethical or unethical, depending on the values they base their business on. "
I interrupt this as saying that a business, just as art, music and literature,  reflects the morals and ethics of its creators  We creations should reflect the morals and ethics of our creator  God. This article can be read at:  http://www.becketfund.org/pastor-rick-warrens-on-hobby-lobby-lawsuit/

Examine Your work

" But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another" Galatians 6:4

Have you ever been involved in your work or some activity and the thought crossed your mind, "Why should I do extra? No one will notice." In my current job I find it coming up again and again. Then I came across this verse-Galatians 6:4. In context with the rest of the chapter or verses 1 through 5 we are being instructed to help those who are weak and have fallen. Bear each other's burdens. Don't think too highly of yourself. And take responsibility for yourself and your brothers in Christ.

The above verse tells me that I need not worry if others notice my work. I should be able to take the fact that I did a good job with the best of my ability as my only reward. It is easy to state this, but a lot of times I have to work on this attitude. The best way I've found to adjust my thinking is to see my labor as my responsibility and none other. This would show my employer that as Christians we can be trusted to get the job done. And in turn maybe hire other believers or better yet, become a believer themselves.

On God's Time

In an article way back I wrote on the subject of being called to the workplace I stated that I wouldn't write about the basic things of the Christian life. I had stated that I felt these things were sure to be part of a believer's character and not something we should work on.

But on further examination I have seen a lack of these qualities in many true believers including myself. In this post I would like to offer some hint of the way we should conduct ourselves in the workplace. So that we may not damage the witness we desire to be. The one thing that never ceases to amaze me is how a believer who is trying to please God and witness to his co-workers can habitually show up for work late. Employees and employers know that this will sometimes happen, but I have noticed that some Christians make a habit of dragging in late almost everyday. You can rely on them always to be there, but in their own time. I had one older brother tell me years ago that when he was younger his boss started work at a certain time but had him coming in 30 minutes earlier. When he asked his boss why, he answered that he could count on one thing about him. That was that he would be late everyday at least 30 minutes. That put him at work on time.

Do we seriously believe the Lord is pleased with this attitude? How would we feel if all of our prayers and blessings from God where always late. Our witness of God would be like this: "My God answers prayers all the time. Always late, but hey, better late than never. Right?"

This attitude of serving our employer at our own pace usually spills over into the church. I find it easy to make it late to services. Surely it's different than work, I don't get paid to go to Church (Or do I?) But lately I've seen that it's not a matter of distraction that keeps us tardy but an attitude that we're get there when we get there. The whole world moves around us and "if " we make it at all, those waiting should count themselves blessed that we did.

I cannot picture the Lord Jesus as being late for anything. He was accused of being late for Lazarus but they found out different. God the Father told Him to wait on arriving in Bethany, but I'm sure He was never late getting to the carpenter shop or the synagogue. The whole life of Christ was spent being on God the Father's time and not His own. If we are to walk as Christ walked, should we also live our lives on God's time and not our own?

And remember; "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve (work for) the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:22-24

August 10, 2001