April 24, 2007

A good work ethic in a booming economy

The very young clerk in a high-end women’s clothing store completes a sale while continuing a personal call on her cell phone. A bank teller, who is a bit older, makes a customer stand and wait while she finishes wrapping a Christmas gift. Two clerks totally ignore a customer standing at the till with a purchase. After waiting a long time, she gives up, puts the item on the counter, and leaves the store.

Our part of the world is experiencing an economic boom plus a huge shortage of labor. My husband’s place of work is expanding so fast that they are out of space every week, looking for floors of empty offices anywhere they can find them. The fast-food chains are importing workers from Mexico and other countries. We’ve had debates about the ethics of hiring pre-teens to work some of those jobs.

Jobs are easy to find, wages are high, and getting fired is almost impossible. My daughter is worried that this boom is going to produce an entire generation of young people without a work ethic.

I’ve been thinking about the source of the ‘work ethic’ she is talking about. People can do a good job out of a genuine concern about the customer, respect for the boss and the business they work for, and a basic honesty and desire to do a good job, OR it can be from a fear of losing their job because they need the money and have to support themselves and their family. For some, their work ethic might be a combination of both, but remove any threat to job security, and I’m sure an employee’s motivations for working will soon show up!

I opened my Bible this morning to Ephesians 4. It begins with, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called . . . .”

Paul lived out what he believed. He is the highest example, other than Christ, of someone who practiced what he preached, who lived out his code of conduct. By doing his job the way his Employer wanted him to do it, he didn’t get a raise in salary (which was zero in the first place), or a cushy retirement package. Instead, he was put in prison for his faith.

Yet Paul urged others to do the same as he did, to walk worthy of their calling, to live out their position in Christ. He exalted the ‘job’ far above any reward or remuneration, at least on this earth.

He had reasons for his work ethic. First, God told him to “spend and be spent” for the sake of the Gospel. He loved and believed in his Boss, and trusted Him to supply all his needs. He knew that his term of employment was short compared to eternity, and if he did his job well, many others might join him there, with Christ, forever.

Second, eternal rewards were more important for him than temporary ones. He knew what lasted and what did not. He kept his eyes on Christ, and focused on what was going to last. He didn’t consider short-term gain a priority.

Third, as this passage says, he saw the reality of what Christ does for people who walk with Him. He didn’t want that to be diminished but perpetuated through the obedience of His people. When I walk worthy of my position in Christ, I am adding strength to the entire Body of Christ. Each person’s contribution to our Employer is important to the entire kingdom of God.

The most important reason I can think of for Paul’s work ethic is that it was part of his new nature in Christ. When Jesus saved him, He filled this man with Himself. The nature of Christ is to give, to be honest, to care about others, to do what He is called to do without complaint or slacking off. Paul’s work ethic was part of his character as a believer in Jesus Christ and he consistently urged others to ignore the desires of their old sinful nature, and live in the incredible power of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s slacking off in the workplace is partly the result of this booming economy, but it is also a manifestation of what is going on in people’s hearts. If a person lacks integrity and a heart for others, it doesn’t matter if jobs are scarce or not—that attitude will come out. If they have a good attitude toward people, their boss, and working, that will be seen.

The bottom line for me is that because I am a saved, sanctified, and transformed child of God, I’m supposed to act like it. I’m not out there in the current workforce, but I’m still ‘employed.’ My Boss expects me to be on time, ready and willing to take on any assignment He gives me. He expects me to deeply care about the people that He asks me to serve, to be quick to do His bidding, and to remember always that He is the boss, that the pay comes later, and that my retirement package is out of this world!

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