Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro

The Godly Woman's Work Ethic

02/08/2013

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She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle. Proverbs 31:18-19 

The wise and godly woman here knows the taste of success. When it says that she "senses" her gain is good - God uses the word for tasting something. She works hard, which we see consistently in the previous verses. But more than that, she tastes that what she is doing it good. The things that she sells to the merchants brings her gain - it helps her to earn money. She knows and tastes the success that hard work brings. It is important that people experience the fruit of their labor. I am not one who believes in the economic systems of socialism or communism. Those two systems tout a false idea of community goods that are shared by all. The problem is that such systems kill the benefits of hard work and labor for the individual. In the end, the collective works only as hard as they want to - and since they receive nothing but the same allotment for their labors - they are not motivated to excell at them. The result of tasing the fruit of your labors will be far less labors. When we are allowed to taste that sweet fruit, we are motivated to labor harder, smarter, wiser for the good of our own benefit - and by that for the good of our family and others around us. 

This godly woman knows that her gain is good. Here we have another confrontation with the current thoughts on economics. In our world gain is bad! How dare Capitalists relish the fact that they are making a profit. We wrongly call them evil - yet it is their "so-called profit that allows so many others to enjoy benefits. This godly lady knew in her heart that hard work would yield good things - and would bless her - bless her family - bless others who bought them - and eventually would bless her community. When governments try to "equalize" the playing field - what they mean is that they are going to promise everyone the same outcome - because that is what they say is fair. What is amazing is that they want an equal misery for the masses - but for themselves luxury. Every socialist and communist leader has evidenced the sin nature. They talk a certain egalitarianism among others - but they themselves will have the most. They will have the best of everything. What they deliver to the people is equal poverty and misery. 

It is self-interest that will drive men and women to their best efforts. They must receive some reward for hard labor - and once they taste this fruit - they will want more. This results in hard work - work ethic as it is called. This woman knows that. Because she tastes that her gain is good - she works hard. She labors into the night as her lamp can testify. She stretches out her hands to make clothing - which is what the terms distaff and spiindle indicate. This is because she is working toward her own self-interest. In this case that means her own clothing - the clothing of her family - and clothing that can be sold to others to earn more money for the welfare of her home. This is the kind of work God encourages - and blesses. May He give us wisdom to reject the false philosophies that promote powerful government officials who speak of equality and egalitarianism - but who only deliver a corporate misery to the masses as they live high on the hog themselves. May we instead see the value of hard work, frugality, and wisdom in taking what God gives us and using it for the benefit of our families. The fascinating thing about this kind of life is that as families (Which are the basic unit of society in God's economy) multiply with these views, a village, city, region, and even nation is blessed and prosperous as a result. 



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How to Get People to Work Harder, Better, and with Greater Loyalty - Proverbs 29:19

11/28/2012

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A slave will not be instructed by words alone; for though he understand, there will be no response. Proverbs 29:19

Ever wonder how to deal with someone who works for you - but is not really willing to listen all that well to what you tell them? That is what today's proverb addresses. It speaks of the workplace and relationships within it. This especially relates to those who have employees who are either not working - or - are guilty of slipshod work or work that is counterproductive to what the business is seeking to accomplish. 

There are those who will not be instructed by words alone. Solomon speaks to his sons about this fact. Finding a good employee is often a difficult thing to do. There is an attitude that is being fostered today among those who are in the laboring class that will prove to do great damage to our nation - and in fact it already has. That attitude is one of jealousy and envy toward the business owner - and anyone else who makes more than they do for their work. This leads to an attitude where the worker does not listen to his boss when he instructs him on what to do. This brings about poor work habits - a poor work ethic - and an even poorer attitude toward authority. This will cost us millions in lost profit and the benefit that would come from it in future business expansion and growth. 

The problem though is not in whether the employee can hear or not. Note from the passage before us that he hears fine - he even understands what has been said to him. The employee has a serious attitude problem though - and refuses to respond to his employer. This lack of respect will result in the worker also not taking the boss seriously. In the end he will do his work with the same attitude with which he listens. So what is an employer to do when these things happen to him? 

First, the employer (at least the one in this culture) needs to know that such attitudes will always exist. As long as there is a sin nature in man there will be jealousy and envy in the work environment. The wise employer will work to defuse such things so that the work environment is more healthy. Decrying the sin in workers will do little good - because sin will always be present. What the employer needs to do is to find ways to defuse the problem.

A wise employer seeks to hire people of character. You do background checks and seek information from other employers for this reason. If someone has a bad attitude - don't hire them. They will only bring that bad attitude into your workplace as well. If someone has a history of causing problems in the workplace - they will have that same problem in your situation as well. When you have people with good character - reward them and do all you can to keep them around.

A wise employer also will incentivise his workplace. Just as no employer starts a business for the purpose of providing employment for others - no worker gets a job for the joy of working alone. The employer starts his business to make money. He puts in the hours, makes the sacrifice, and labors hard to make a profit for himself and for his family. He grows the business so that it will expand his profitability - so he can provide better for his family. The worker is motivated by the same thing. He does not work for the joy of working alone. He wants to provide for his family - and would like to see that provision become greater over time. When the workman knows that he will be blessed as the company is blessed - he will work hard. The wise employer will not merely instruct with words - he will make a case for his employees that if things become more profitable for the company, things will be more profitable for everyone who works for the company. Words alone won't elicit response - but a share of the bounty of the company over time will.

A wise employer will also build a servant's heart in his people. He will do this first by his own example. He will not be so detatched from his people that they think he does nothing but play and collect a check. He will spend time with his people - and will let them know that he is a servant to the company as well. They all work together to serve their clientel. That attitude needs to spread to every level of management in the company. It also needs to spread to everyone who works in any position there is. They are not there to be served (which will lead to a bad attitude as they want more and more done FOR them) but to serve, and by so serving to make the company more successful. They are a success when their clients are happy. 

Ultimately - the wise employer will let his employees know and see that he does not work for himself - he works for God. This will only be for those employers who submit themselves to God and realize that everything they have is from God. Not only will their employees be judged for their performace - even they as an employer will be as well - by God. God warns both employee and employer that they are responsble to Him. They will have to answer for their actions in the end before His throne. When an employee sees that even his boss submits to God - and wrestles with what is right before Him - it will give the employee a sense of confidence and safety knowing that his boss is not a law unto himself. 

Words alone do not often bring about a response when we speak them. Words and promises are cheap - when they are not backed up with character and action. But when we speak the basic self-interest that exists within all of us - and do so with character, godliness, and a servant's heart toward those we lead - we will see response where previously there has been none. Whether it is in reference to a slave - a paid worker - or even family and friends, people want to know that they are doing something that will matter - and will profit them in the end. The truly wise boss will do this - and will let his employees know that the ultimate goal of any business venture in which he is involved is to serve their clients unto the glory of God. Want to have them listen, hear, understand, and respond? Live like this!
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Economics - Biblical Style! Proverbs 11:26

11/07/2011

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He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. Proverbs 11:26

Today's proverb is fascinating to me because it addresses an abuse that often happens in the area of economics. This abuse, though a proven way to make money, results in the inflation of prices for food.  What has happened over the course of economic history is that when this is done - and it reaches a critical level in food prices - it leads to riots and in some cases the overthrow of a government. 

Our proverb speaks of one who has much grain.  Here is a man who has worked hard and labored to produce a crop on his farm.  As a result he has a large amount of grain.  He can choose to withhold grain from the people and not sell it.  By doing this he will drive the price of grain up due to a scarcity of grain in the market place.  This will make him very wealthy, but in time it will backfire on him.  The people, who need grain, will begin to curse him because his actions are preventing them from eating - or is making it to where being able to provide food is becoming very expensive.  The cost is not coming due to natural reasons such as a flood or drought or crop failure.  The added cost is coming due to a man's greed.  But for the man who sells his grain there will be a blessing - not just a financial one - but one from God Himself.  This proverb allows us to consider the whole area of how Biblical authority addresses economic theory.

In our day it is considered a wise business move to hold on to goods until they wind up in short supply.  This allows the person who has them to artificially inflate the price of what they sell so that they can make huge profits from it.  Such actions eventually become accepted business practices on larger levels so that embargos are used by nations to boost the price of their domestic products.  In time groups of businesses form consortiums that try to corner an entire market so that they can set the price wherever they want.  The government then steps in a tries to enforce what they call "social justice."  They impose restrictions on businesses so that things will be fair.  The problem is that in time the government oversteps their bounds and corruption within the government (due to the sin nature in all of us) begins to crystalize.  It is then that officials learn how to use their power to corner their own political markets and do the very thing they initially were trying to prevent in the public sector.  The problem throughout all this is that the poor are hurt the most by such practices. 

Some think wrongly that the end of all labor is to make money.  But Scripture militates against that philosophy.  God desires us to work hard and be diligent to make a profit - but - He also desires for us to be compassionate in the process.  This sets up a very interesting tension in life and in the economic theory that governs Bible-believing Christians.  At one end is the philosophy of pure Capitalism.  This philosophy functions under the idea that life is about the profit motive at all times.  But God warns against a "love of money" which He says is a root of all sorts of evil.  At the other end is Socialism and Communism.  This philosophy functions under the assumption that a government should rule over all land and production efforts.  Their goal is then to take all profits and distribute them equally to all the people.  Both of these extremes will fail.

Pure Capitalism will fail because greed will so rule men's hearts that they will lack compassion for others - and especially for the poor.  In time their greed will consume them with a desire for more and more profit - and an insatiable desire for more and more wealth.  In the process they will shut their hearts to the plight of the poor.  This will lead to greater levels of abuse of the poorest - who will then curse those who have the economic power - and will ultimately lead to revolution and the overthrow of those who have the wealth and power in society.

Communism and Socialism will fail because of greed as well.  Though such economic philosophies sound wonderful at the outset, they fail because of several factors.  First, there is no man who is not fallen.  When given the power to confiscate the wealth of a society, they will NOT distribute it equally.  They will eventually treat themselves well - and let the rest of society live on the rest.  This has happened in every situation when such an economic system prevails.  Their goals may sound lofty, but their practices wind up eerily similar to the captialist.  Second, there is no motive in this system to work.  Actually there is a motive - to do what you do for the good of all others in the collective society.  But this equates good as distributing things equally among all in the society.  This will not work in a fallen world because over time some will sinfully decide that if they don't work hard - or at all - they will still get an equal part of the collective pie.  Others who intially work hard - will be greatly discouraged that it is their hard work that is allowing the lazy, the undisciplined, and the slothful to live just as they do.  In time there will be an equality - but it will be an equality of poverty and want - because no one will be motivated to work to the best of their ability.  No matter how hard they work - they only get the same part of the collective's goods.  These will never be enough for collective prosperity because sinfulness will move many to barely work at all - or at a level where they are forced to work. 

The system God will bless is one that encourages and rewards hard work and industriousness.  This is captialism - but there must be a restraint in this system as well, if it is to succeed.  This is what I call "Compassionate Captialism."  It is a system where the profit motive and self-interest is encouraged.  But it is also a system that values compassion and kindness.  Where a profit and self-interest motive might move a man to withhold grain so he can make an obscene profit - he does not do it.  He is moved by the desire to serve those who buy his grain.  Understanding this he chooses to sell his grain - not just for a profit - but for a profit that also allows those who are poor to be able to afford to feed their families.  In the end, this man is blessed with profit - and also is blessed with the favor of God for acting with kindness and compassion toward those who can easily be taken advantage of by the system.  He chooses a wise profit level rather than one driven by greed alone.  This promotes peace and the welfare of all those in the market. 

It is fascinating to see the wisdom of God address all areas of life.  One would not readily think that the Word of God would be a good place to learn economic principles.  Yet when we read and mediatate on God's Word - immeasurable benefit is gained from it.  Oh, that we would not divorce academic pursuit from the queen of the sciences - theology.  May God gives us wisdom to see that His perspective is best in all academic and lifestyle pusuits.  Then we can be blessed - not just a religious context - but in all of life.
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