Prayer @ Work – Success

Should we pray for success at work? When things go well, should we give the credit to God? How intimately is God involved in the details of our working lives? The key is our definition of success.

This question was prompted by 2 Samuel 22, which I read again this morning. The 21 chapters leading up to this song of praise recount how David established his position of power as Israel’s king, defeating enemies from within and outside Israel and uniting the 12 tribes in a way that had never been true before and would never be true again after his son Solomon. These chapters include much bloodshed (so much that God wouldn’t let David build the Temple) and seemingly senseless annihilation of large groups of people. From the Psalms we know that David continually sought God’s intervention and help in this process, and at the end of it, in 2 Samuel 22 (and Psalm 18) David praises and thanks God for being on his side.

So, should I pray before I go into a negotiation that God will give me success? When one of our business goals is met, or a property is sold, or an investment is received, should we give the credit to God? I am reminded again of the dilemma we try to put before God (referenced in an earlier post) – the football dilemma. Two Christian schools are playing football against one another. Both of them pray for a victory. What should God do? From a Kingdom perspective the outcome of the football game isn’t significant, but the impact it has on the players, coaches, support staff and spectators is. In the same way, when we are pursuing business goals, the goals themselves are often secondary to the impact on people, communities, and Creation. Sometimes our goals are specifically geared toward justice or mercy or stewardship, in which case a direct prayer for success makes sense (understanding that we have a very limited view that is bound by time, space and our own limitations). But in general success has to do with what is right and good, and that’s what we should pray for.

For David, success in his mind may have been winning a battle, and he praised God for it. But God’s perspective was greater than that, as later history showed. It had to do with consolidation of His chosen people, the model for the Kingdom that Jesus would usher in fully a thousand years later. It had also to do with establishing David as the fallible model for the infallible Messiah – Jesus. In our case, success may be much bigger than our business goals. But it is good for us to examine our goals, and ask whether we can in all conscious ask for God’s blessing on them – did they come from Him in the first place, and are they righteous and in line with our understanding of His will. Then praying for success makes sense, and giving God the glory and credit for success when we see it will make perfect sense.

Fruit of the Spirit @ Work – Goodness

What is goodness? It’s one of those things that defy precise definition, and yet we feel we know it when we see it. In the workplace, we may feel we don’t see it very often, at least not without strings. What should others see in us if we truly exhibit this segment of the Spirit’s fruit?

At its simplest, goodness could be described as Godliness, or a likeness to God. In that sense the more the Spirit is in control, the more goodness will be visible. (I discovered, rather to my surprise, that there is probably no etymological link between the words god and good, but I still think there’s a link in their meanings.) What are some of the things that come to mind when we say that a person displays goodness, or just that a person is a good person? Sincerity, honesty, and morality perhaps? Or perhaps truthfulness, dependability, or trustworthiness? Sometimes it implies an element of doing what is right (righteousness), which in turn means doing what pleases God and benefits our fellow humans. Regardless of how we view it, though, there is a comfortable, warm feeling that comes from being in such a person’s presence – we feel safe, we trust them. We wish everyone we dealt was the same way.

At the same time, apparently the Greek word translated goodness (agathosune) is an active, rather than a passive word – it speaks to our actions which in turn reveals our character, and that of the Spirit if we allow it.

It would be interesting to know if others think of us as good wouldn’t it? How would we find out? Perhaps by seeing how much others trust us, and how much they’re prepared to depend on us? Perhaps we could even ask them. When I enter into a negotiation with somebody who knows me, will they assume a good-faith negotiation, or will they be on their guard? When I purchase a service or product from somebody, do they see the need to demand a retainer or large deposit to protect their interests? (This is a tricky one, particularly when we have cash flow issues – see last week’s post on Justice – Paying Bills. It does illustrate the degree to which what we do bears witness to what we are.)

As always, it has to be my constant prayer that God’s goodness will shine through me, that my own selfishness and sinfulness will be increasingly set aside to make room for the fruit of the Spirit – goodness. Pure goodness isn’t something I can generate by or from myself, unless the Spirit is in me. It is the Spirit of Christ who reveals the goodness of God Himself.

Theology @ Work – Work’s Curse

“Whatever God’s original intent for work, because of the Fall it is now just a curse.” Sometimes it feels that way, but it isn’t true. As our theological overview goes from God’s work in Creation, to our being made in His image, to our Calling as workers, we come to the Biblical account of the Fall – the rebellion of Adam and Eve in Eden. This account describes humanity’s separation from God, and the consequences. One of those consequences is for the nature of work.

In Genesis 3:17-19 we read God’s words to Adam: "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Notice that the curse is on the circumstances and conditions of work, not on work itself. I deduce from this that work itself is still just as high a calling as it was before humanity’s rebellion. But now, work is full of difficulties, barriers, exertion and frustration.

This is a very important distinction. It is so easy, especially when work is particularly hard or tedious or stressful, to think that work must surely be an evil burden that we have to bear, and that we work only because we have to in order to eat. From there, we will go through the motions, doing as little as we can get away with, just counting the hours until we can go home for some “real living”. But if we really believe that work is still God’s primary intention for us, and that our calling to work is a calling to partner with God in His Kingdom, then work becomes the highlight of our lives. This is true whether it is manual labor, routine office work, high-powered executive work, home-making, teaching or foreign missions. In a sense it is all the same to God. It all has barriers and burdens. It all has the potential to transform lives, to reconcile Creation to God, and to be a part of God’s redemptive purpose in His Kingdom.

Bottom line – if our attitude to work is that it is a necessary evil, cursed by God because of the Fall, then we will likely not see God in it, will not be aware of the opportunities it presents, and will not find it fulfilling. On the other hand, if we still see work as God’s special gift to us, we will recognize the difficulties as results of humanity’s brokenness and separation from God, and will look for what God is doing and join Him in His work of redemption. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the second approach any day, with gratitude to God for the work He has called me to.

Theology @ Work – Work’s Curse

“Whatever God’s original intent for work, because of the Fall it is now just a curse.” Sometimes it feels that way, but it isn’t true. As our theological overview goes from God’s work in Creation, to our being made in His image, to our Calling as workers, we come to the Biblical account of the Fall – the rebellion of Adam and Eve in Eden. This account describes humanity’s separation from God, and the consequences. One of those consequences is for the nature of work.

In Genesis 3:17-19 we read God’s words to Adam: "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Notice that the curse is on the circumstances and conditions of work, not on work itself. I deduce from this that work itself is still just as high a calling as it was before humanity’s rebellion. But now, work is full of difficulties, barriers, exertion and frustration.

This is a very important distinction. It is so easy, especially when work is particularly hard or tedious or stressful, to think that work must surely be an evil burden that we have to bear, and that we work only because we have to in order to eat. From there, we will go through the motions, doing as little as we can get away with, just counting the hours until we can go home for some “real living”. But if we really believe that work is still God’s primary intention for us, and that our calling to work is a calling to partner with God in His Kingdom, then work becomes the highlight of our lives. This is true whether it is manual labor, routine office work, high-powered executive work, home-making, teaching or foreign missions. In a sense it is all the same to God. It all has barriers and burdens. It all has the potential to transform lives, to reconcile Creation to God, and to be a part of God’s redemptive purpose in His Kingdom.

Bottom line – if our attitude to work is that it is a necessary evil, cursed by God because of the Fall, then we will likely not see God in it, will not be aware of the opportunities it presents, and will not find it fulfilling. On the other hand, if we still see work as God’s special gift to us, we will recognize the difficulties as results of humanity’s brokenness and separation from God, and will look for what God is doing and join Him in His work of redemption. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the second approach any day, with gratitude to God for the work He has called me to.

Justice @ Work - Paying Bills

It’s easy for us to talk about justice when it’s somebody else, somewhere else, or when it’s something we would never consider doing ourselves. But the workplace has all sorts of smaller scale but no less important justice challenges. Over the next few weeks I’m planning to explore a few of them.

For today let’s talk about paying bills. Most companies have been sufficiently cash-strapped at one time or another that they can’t pay all their bills. But is failing to pay a bill according to an implicit or explicit sales contract a just thing to do? How does that fit in with Biblical perspectives on repaying what is due, or on using fair measures and weights in trading?

The problem is that, in cash shortages, we often have a Hobson’s choice between failing to pay a supplier on the one hand, and failing to meet some other critical obligation (such as payroll) on the other. Ultimately if we pay all our bills on time, but as a result the company collapses, then lots more people lose. We really do have to make difficult and less than optimal choices sometimes (just as in other parts of life).

As I think this through for myself, so far I have only been able to do the following:

1. Ensure when I enter into a purchase agreement (or any other kind of contract) that I have a reasonable expectation that I will be able to meet the terms of the agreement, and that I honestly intend to do so.
2. Question carefully the implications on my supplier if I fail to make a payment. Even though I owe to a corporate supplier just as much as to an individual contractor, the impact of delay on people’s lives is potentially much greater in the latter case. (This is not, however, an excuse not to pay corporate suppliers).
3. Engage in discussion with someone (generally my boss, the company owner, who struggles with the same issues) in a kind of mutual accountability that challenges rationalization and injustice in such situations.
4. Then make the decision that will best serve the “common good” and determine what could be done differently in the future to avoid a repeat of this dilemma.

I’m not saying this is how I always act – just what I think God demands in 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.”

Justice @ Work – Paying Bills

It’s easy for us to talk about justice when it’s somebody else, somewhere else, or when it’s something we would never consider doing ourselves. But the workplace has all sorts of smaller scale but no less important justice challenges. Over the next few weeks I’m planning to explore a few of them.



For today let’s talk about paying bills. Most companies have been sufficiently cash-strapped at one time or another that they can’t pay all their bills. But is failing to pay a bill according to an implicit or explicit sales contract a just thing to do? How does that fit in with Biblical perspectives on repaying what is due, or on using fair measures and weights in trading?


The problem is that, in cash shortages, we often have a Hobson’s choice between failing to pay a supplier on the one hand, and failing to meet some other critical obligation (such as payroll) on the other. Ultimately if we pay all our bills on time, but as a result the company collapses, then lots more people lose. We really do have to make difficult and less than optimal choices sometimes (just as in other parts of life).


As I think this through for myself, so far I have only been able to do the following:


1. Ensure when I enter into a purchase agreement (or any other kind of contract) that I have a reasonable expectation that I will be able to meet the terms of the agreement, and that I honestly intend to do so.


2. Question carefully the implications on my supplier if I fail to make a payment. Even though I owe to a corporate supplier just as much as to an individual contractor, the impact of delay on people’s lives is potentially much greater in the latter case. (This is not, however, an excuse not to pay corporate suppliers).


3. Engage in discussion with someone (generally my boss, the company owner, who struggles with the same issues) in a kind of mutual accountability that challenges rationalization and injustice in such situations.


4. Then make the decision that will best serve the “common good” and determine what could be done differently in the future to avoid a repeat of this dilemma.


I’m not saying this is how I always act – just what I think God demands in 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.”

Fruit of the Spirit @ Work – Kindness

Does kindness have a place at work? Someone told me recently that for a man to be told he is “kind” is an insult to his manliness! Even more at work, the typical image of a successful business executive is anything but kind. So is this a fruit of the Spirit that we should leave at home?

I see kindness as being considerate of the other person – their feelings and their circumstances – and being prepared to take the time and trouble to empathize, and also to adapt our own communication accordingly. Kindness shows care and concern for another’s situation, and acknowledges their pain and difficulty. This seems to conflict with business goals – getting the most out of employees, insisting on deadlines being met by colleagues, negotiating the best price with a supplier and so on. While we don’t want to be called “ruthless”, we do want to be thought of as effective and results-oriented if we are to advance in our chosen careers.

While this view is widely held, I am convinced it is also false. Jesus was kind and firm at the same time. He communicated very clearly but adapted his communication approach to the situation and the person. Always He considered the person and where they were in life. Contrast, for example, the way He spoke to the Pharisees and the way He spoke to the woman taken in adultery. In the latter case, he acknowledged how harsh her accusers had been, but He was also very clear that she needed to repent – to turn away from her sinful lifestyle. (His conversation with the Samaritan woman was similar in this respect, except that He didn’t need to tell her to stop sinning – she got it on her own). In fact, the kindness of Jesus was more effective than any amount of blunt criticism or ultimatums.

For me, kindness means approaching everyone with consideration of their challenges, their feelings and their capabilities. It doesn’t mean that we avoid difficult conversations (for example a manager still needs to challenge poor performance) but that we value and empathize with the other person. I’m not very good at it. Generally it isn’t what I’ve been taught or have seen modeled over my career (with a few exceptions). It is something I have an ongoing dialogue about with my boss (who doesn’t necessarily share my understanding of the value of kindness in this context, even though in his way he is known as a kind man). Bottom line – I need to get better at it, which means I need to allow the Spirit full sway in my life. Of course that’s the bottom line with all the fruit – more of Him, and less of me.