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Christian Work Values
Dr. Joseph Stowell, president of Moody Bible Institute,
addresses values in his excellent book "The Dawn's Early
Light."
"Our values must be biblically based if we are to reclaim
our minds for Christ. Whereas some values are a matter of
preference, such as books over sport, other values are
absolute and clearly taught in Scripture.
In direct contrast to our culture's values, authentic
Christian values regard people above possessions, others
above self, eternity above the present, righteousness above
the temporary pleasure of sin, His will above my will,
forgiveness above revenge, giving above receiving, children
over careers, character above credentials, truth above
falsehood, fact above feelings, commitment above comfort,
and Christ above culture.
Because our values determine how we organize facts and drive
us toward decisions, clear biblical values help guarantee a
thought process that is godly, beneficial, and eternally
significant. All that remains is for the Christian to learn
what those values are and to choose them over the prevalent
systems of secular thinking and selfish desires."
Culture Christian
Reputation Character
Career Family
Getting Giving
Self Others
Possessions People
God's Intentions of Our Work
1. God creates us to have work responsibilities--rulers of
the environment. In Genesis 1:26,
"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our
likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and
the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the
earth, and over all the creatures that move along the
ground."
2. Enjoy our work, just like He enjoys His work-His
creation. In Eccl. 3:9-13,
"What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen
the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything
beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the
hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done
from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing
better for men than to be happy and do good while they
live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find
satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God."
3. Enjoy the fruits of our work. In Psalms 128:2, Eccl.
5:18
"You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and
prosperity will be yours."
4. Glorify Him through our work and to be a blessing to
others. Be the salt and the light. In 1 Cor. 10:31
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it
all for the glory of God."
5. Work rather than idle, and share our prosperity with
those in need. Eph. 4:28,
"He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must
work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he
may have something to share with those in need."
6. Work as diligent as we could (but lead a balanced life).
Eccl. 9:10,
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your
might."
7. Lead a balanced life. Exodus 20:9-11.
"Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you
shall not do any work. For in six days the Lord made the
heavens and the earth. but he rested on the seventh day."
8. God has a unique plan for each of us for our lives. We
should not compare to others as of what and how much we
must achieve in our career. Psalms 139:16,
"...your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days
ordained for me were written in your book before one of
them came to be."
Culture Christian
Who is our true boss? Culture: Our superiors in our
company, ourselves
Christian: God (Col. 3:24, Eph. 6:7))
What motivates us to
work? Culture: Physical needs, greed,
recognition, self, fear
for uncertainties
Christian: Live for Christ (Rom. 14:
7-8), physical needs
(2 Thess. 3:8-10),
love (1 Cor. 16:14)
Source of
satisfaction Culture: Work, material success
Christian: God (Eph. 5:18)
Whom does we glorify
through work? Culture: Ourselves
Christian: God (1 Cor. 10:31, John
15:8)
Style of doing our
work Culture: Competitive, watch for
one's own interests
Christian: Cooperative, helping
others (Phil. 2:3-4)
Condition for our
obedience to our
superiors Culture: Until our self-interests
are threatened
Christian: Until God's principles are
violated (Eph. 6:5-8, Ex.
1:15-21)
What is my purpose? Culture: Acquire, build up myself,
play hard
Christian: Honor and enjoy God
How shall I live? Culture: Trying to fulfill myself
Christian: Christ is sufficient
Work after Adam sinned
1. Work has become painful toil as a result of our sinful
nature. Genesis 3:17-19,
"...Cursed is the ground because of you; though painful
toil you will eat of it all the days of your life."
2. Work has become repetitive and meaningless without God.
Eccl. 1:9, Eccl. 2:17,
"What has been will be again, what has been done will be
done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
"So I hated life, because the work that is done under the
sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a
chasing after the wind."
3. Because of our sinful nature, our personal agenda is to
build a "city", like Cain. Gen. 4:17b,
"...Cain was then building a city."
4. The world is filled with injustice, including our
workplace. Eccl. 8:14,
"There is something else meaningless that occurs on
earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and
wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too,
I say, is meaningless."
5. We could get hurt by others. Eccl. 9:18,
"...but one sinner destroys much good."
Dealing with Injustice and Hardship
1. God is always in control. Psalms 105 and Eccl. 3:14,
"I know that everything God does will endure forever;
nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.
God does it so that men will revere him."
Joseph said the following after he had suffered much
hardship and injustice, Gen. 45:5,
"And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with
yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save
lives that God sent me ahead of you."
2. God will judge according to his time. Eccl. 3:17,
"I thought in my heart, `God will bring to judgment both
the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time
for every activity, a time for every deed."
3. Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Micah
6:8,
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does
the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."
4. As long as we are doing God's will and love Him, God is
watching over us. Rom. 8:28,
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose."
5. Read the story of Joseph and learn how he dealt with
hardship and injustice. Gen. 37-45.
6. Read the story of Daniel and learn how he dealt with
hardship and injustice. Dan. 1-6.
7. Read the story of Moses and learn how God led him with
his career. Exodus 2-3.
Relationships with Our Supervisors
1. Obey our boss/company until God's principles are
violated. Ex. 1:15-21, Eph. 6:5-6, 1 Peter 2:18-20,
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear,
and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey
Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their
eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will
of God from your heart."
2. We should be trustworthy. Luke 16:10-11,
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be
trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very
little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have
not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will
trust you with true riches?"
3. Avoid wicked boss. Psalms 1:1,
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of
the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the
seat of mockers."
4. Forgive, forgive, and forgive. Matthew 5:44,
"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you."
Relationships with Our Co-workers
1. Avoid competition. James 4:1-2,
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they
come from your desires that battle within you? You want
something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you
cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You
do not have, because you do not ask God."
2. Do not harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition. James
3:14-16,
"But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in
your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
Such `wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is
earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have
envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and
every evil practice."
3. Use wisdom from heaven. James 3:17-18,
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all
pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of
mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers
who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
4. Testify about our Lord. 2 Tim. 1:8,
"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or
ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in
suffering for the gospel, by the power of God."
5. Forgive, forgive, and forgive. Matthew 5:44,
"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you."
Dealing with Our Salaries
1. ALL of our salaries and material possessions are from
God. Job 1:21,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb. And naked I will
depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may
the name of the Lord be praised."
2. Make the one tenth tithe obediently. Malachi 3:10,
".Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there
may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord
Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the
floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that
you will not have room enough for it."
3. Helping our brothers/sisters in need when we have
material possessions. 1 John 3:17,
"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother
in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God
be in him?"
4. Live a simple life so that you never become slaves of
material possessions. Matt. 5:8, 1 Cor. 7:30-31,
"...those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to
keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not
engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is
passing away."
5. Never be greedy. Avoid get-rich-quickly thinking.
1 Tim. 6:6-10,
"...People who want to get rich fall into temptation and
a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that
plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of
money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager
for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs."
6. Pray and then do a budget. Recommendations by Mahlon L.
Hetrick in "The Money Workbook,"
Budget Categories Percentages Amount
Gross Annual Income $60,000
1. Tithe 10% $6,000
2. Taxes 30% $18,000
Net Disposable Income $36,000
3. Housing 25% $9,000
4. Food 10% $3,600
5. Auto 12% $4,320
6. Insurance 6% $2,160
7. Debts 5% $1,800
8. Entertainment/
Recreation 6% $2,160
9. Clothing 6% $2,160
10. Saving 5% $1,800
11. Investments 13% $4,680
12. Medical 4% $1,440
13. Miscellaneous 8% $2,880
Steps to Financial Freedom
1. Transfer ownership to God
2. Establish the tithe
3. Become debt free, esp. from using credit cards, and save
before buy
4. Accept God's provision
5. Keep a clear conscience
6. Put others first
7. Budget and prioritize your time and money usage
8. Live a simple life and avoid indulgence
9. Never be greedy
10. Seek Christian counseling.
The Five Dangers of Possessions
1. Adjusting to a life of indulgence as normal. Proverbs
28:20, 2 Timothy 2:4
2. Focusing on worldly success. 1 Cor. 4:11, Matt. 6:24
3. Dulling God's direction. Phil. 3:8, 1 John 2:15
4. Adopting an attitude of superiority. Phil. 2:3
5. Indifference toward the needs of others. Matthew 25:45
Balancing between Work, Family, Church
Our whole life is a ministry. We should serve our Lord
"full-time" in all these ministries. In Galatians 2:20, "I
have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for
me."
To balance between these three ministries, we should set a
budget for our time.
The importance of time management: John 9:4,
"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent
me. Night is coming, when no one
can work."
The most frequent time robbers:
.. Procrastination
.. Poor personal planning and scheduling
.. Interruptions by people without appointments
.. Poor delegation
.. Poor use of the telephone
.. Lack of concern for good time management
.. Lack of clear priorities
.. Television
To identify your personal time robbers: use Time Inventory
Sheet.
What I plan to do tomorrow What I actually did
______________ 8:00 ______________
______________ 8:30 ______________
______________ 9:00 ______________
______________ 9:30 ______________
______________ 10:00 ______________
______________ 10:30 ______________
The following rules will help:
1. Avoid working on several small projects at once.
2. Finish one project before starting another.
3. Prioritize your projects and work on the most important
ones first.
4. Set self-imposed deadlines for all projects and meet them.
5. Concentrate on results.
6. Learn to say no to things that do not contribute to the
priority.
7. Avoid activity trap: busy does not mean a lot gets
done.(1 Kings 20:40, Luke 10:38-42)
How to set priorities: Use Priority Scale:
1. In the upper left-hand corner of the priority scale under
"List To Be Prioritized," record the items you wish to
put in priority order.
2. Compare item 1 with item 2 and circle the one most
important. Next compare item 1 with item 3, then with
item 4, and so on, circling the most important items.
3. Once you have completed the comparison, add up the total
number of 1s, 2s, 3s, ... and record them under "Total
Circled".
4. Now you are ready to rearrange - in order of priority -
the items to be included in next week's work schedule.
PRIORITY SCALE
List To Be Prioritized Total Circled
1. Spend time in Church for B.S. __ 1s
2. Final Exam 1 __ 2s
2
3. Film festival on TV 1 2 __ 3s
3 3
4. Aunt visits 1 2 3 __ 4s
4 4 4
5. Clean bathroom 1 2 3 4 __ 5s
5 5 5 5
Balancing between Work, Family, and Church
.. Setup a budget--do not overcommit
.. Identify your time robbers
.. Strive for efficiency and minimize waste
.. Avoid too many stressful events at the same time
.. Delegate more and form partnership
.. Pray for God's wisdom
.. Learn to say NO
How to Enjoy our Work/Ministries
.. Identify the beneficiaries of your work
.. Have a serving heart
.. Know that God is boss
.. Know that God has his own timing
.. Know that God is with you
.. Be creative, be positive, take initiatives
.. Be nice to everyone around you
.. Be thankful that you have a job and ministries-it's a gift
Dr. James Dobson's advice in the book, "Life on the Edge,"
1. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt.
6:33). This is the fundamental principle of life on
which all others rest.
2. Overcommitment and time pressure are the greatest
destroyers of marriages and families. It takes time to
develop any friendship. whether with a loved one or with
God Himself.
3. The universe and everything in it will someday pass away
and be made new by the Creator. Therefore, the events
of today that seem so important are not really very
significant, except those matters that will survive the
end of the universe (such as securing your own salvation
and doing the work of the Lord).
4. This is the way to be successful in life: Treat every
person as you want to be treated; look for ways to meet
the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those
around you. Suppress your desire to be selfish and to
seek unfair advantage over others. Try to turn every
encounter with another person into a new or stronger
friendship. Then when this confidence with people is
combined with hard work, your future success is assured.
5. Human worth does not depend on beauty, intelligence, or
accomplishments. We are all more valuable than the
possessions of the entire world simply because God gave
us that value. This fact remains true, even if every
other person on earth treats us like losers.
6. Comparison is the root of all feelings of inferiority.
The moment you begin examining other people's strengths
against your most obvious weaknesses, your self-esteem
starts to crumble!
7. If you're going through difficult times today, hold
steady. It will change soon. If you are experiencing
smooth sailing and easy times now, brace yourself. It
will change soon. The only thing you can be certain of
is change.
8. "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim.
6:10). That's why Jesus issues more warnings about
materialism and wealth than any other sin. Obviously, it
takes a steady hand to hold a full cup.
9. One of the secrets of successful living is found in the
word balance, referring to the avoidance of harmful
extremes. We need food, but we should not overeat. We
should work, but not make work our only activity. We
should play, but not let play rule us. Throughout life,
it will be important to find the safety of the middle
ground rather than the imbalance of the extremes.
My Suggestions
.. Lead a simple life
.. Early retirement, and serve full-time ministry
.. Do not compare with others
.. Change is the only certainty
.. Balance is key
.. Greed is bad--it enslaves
.. Aleways have good relationship with God
.. Don't worry, be happy, just trust God
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