Six Figures
Deuteronomy 17:1
Who do you work for and who signs your paycheck? Verse 1 tells us that whatever we give or do for God should be our best. This is true for all Christian employees and all Christian employers. Christians are here to live our lives in such a way that we bring attention to God and His love for mankind. Christians represent God to the world and that includes the work place.
I hear a lot today about six figure incomes and seven figure retirements. It seems that these are the things people are working for. If we stop and think this through for a moment we will see that money has become god and money is the blessing and security people are working for. This has the potential of producing a very competitive, often hostile, dog eat dog, environment. Serving money is serving self and when self comes first, the workplace can become harsh, families and marriages suffer, relationships suffer, and anger increases with each goal that is blocked in the environment we call life.
When I pray for the government I pray for justice and righteousness. As I read the verses in this chapter and the chapters that follow I understand that we as God’s people are to exhibit justice and righteousness in how we live and conduct our lives. This includes the workplace. We spend a lot of time there and we are often side by side with people who do not know or care to know God. It would be good to ask ourselves, “What do people see in us as we conduct our lives at work?” “Are we a positive influence or are the people we work with influencing us?”
The answers to these questions will likely reflect who we are working for. I have been self-employed most of my life but I have worked various jobs including one recently that paid minimum wage. Some jobs I took on in my self-employment went bad and I had to do them over and some cost me more to do than I bid. Early in my self-employment years I attended a Christian Financial Management Bible study. One of the verses that the teacher drummed in to us was Colossians 3:17, And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” NASB
Putting this verse into practice in the work place has been a real blessing and has taken the edge off of many difficult situations. Whether I am working for an employer or a customer in my business I set my focus on the Lord. I am working for Him and He signs my paycheck no matter whose name is on the check. If I am dealing with my employer’s customer I see them as my customer and do my best to treat them well for when God sends the money for my paycheck he sends it through my customer to my employer and ultimately it comes to me. Doing my best also means being on time and there every day I am scheduled. I work for the Lord so I need to consider how to represent God to my employer, my employer’s customers, and my coworkers. I don’t corner them and preach; I do my best to practice justice and righteousness and glorify God in my work. I always try to remember God is my provision.
One of the other verses that our Bible Study leader repeated often was Matthew 6:33. This verse and its context is our homework for today.
Who do you work for?
Pastor Dave