Daily Devotional Betty Miller shares her daily devotionals which are based on the book of Proverbs in
the Bible.
The Wisdom of God
Verses for the Day:
Proverbs
29:19-21 (KJV): 19 A servant will not be
corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.
20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool
than of him.
21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become
his son at the length.
Proverbs
29:19-21 (AMP): 19 A servant will not be
corrected by words alone; for though he understands, he will not answer (the
master who mistreats him).
20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a
(self-confident) fool than for him.
21 He who pampers his servant from childhood will have him expecting the rights
of a son afterward.
Thoughts for the Day:
These verses
from Proverbs give us instruction as to how a servant
or employee should be treated, and also warn us there is more hope for a fool,
than a man who is hasty with his words. A man who does not control what he says,
and blurts out his thoughts and words in haste, will have a fate worse than a
fool. A wise man will control his speech and be careful about the things he
speaks.
In verses 19 &
21 we find advice about dealing with servants or employees. Just because an
employer tells his servant to do something, he may not have his wholehearted
response if he is not treating him fairly. People will respond to those in
authority according to how they are behaving toward them. If the master or boss
is mistreating them by unjust pay or harsh treatment, the servant will not fully
hearken unto their words. We are also told that the employee who is hired when
he is young, and is pampered and treated like family, will also expect to
receive the rights of a family member. The Bible gives instructions for both
masters and servants. Here is what the Word of God says to the servants
(employees) and to the masters (employers).
Ephesians
6:5-9:
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh,
with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the
will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of
the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing
that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with
him.
Servants or
employees are addressed to be obedient and follow the instructions of their
masters and to do their work with respect and singleness of heart. They
are instructed to serve their masters as they would serve Christ. They are
also to do this with proper motives, not to please men, but to please the Lord.
If all employees would do their work as unto the Lord, they would not be guilty
of some of the common practices in jobs today. We can determine what kind of
servant we are by:
(1.) Examining what
motivates us to work. Love of money, fear, duty and necessity are some
of the world's reasons to work. Our reason should be one that is
motivated by love for our Lord.
(2.) Taking short cuts that will lessen the finished product because of
laziness or impatience. This wastes time because a job is done the
quickest way and not the best way.
(3.) Hiding mistakes that are costly to others because of fear or pride.
(4.) Stealing from our employer, which increases his operating costs,
that in turn, cause company wages or bonuses to be less.
(5.) Working in a careful manner to avoid carelessness to prevent
accidents. Safety rules need to be obeyed which helps lower insurance
costs.
(6.) Communicating properly when we have a problem with the boss,
instead of gossiping about him to other employees.
(7.) Being responsible and disciplined workers who are dependable and
loyal.
(8.) Avoiding slothful habits, such as tardiness and absenteeism without
a cause. (Pretending to be sick just because we do not want to go to
work is outright deception).
(9.) Lying about our qualifications when applying for a job, causing the
employer to believe we can do more than we are actually trained or
qualified to do. (This puts the employer at risk because of inferior
work that will be produced.)
(10.) Walking out on a job without proper notification.
Masters or
employers are instructed to treat their servants or employees with respect as
well, and not to threaten them or favor one over another. They should be just in
their dealings with each of them, t
(1.) Compensating
each with
(2.)
(6.) Correcting their workers when necessary with
kindness and grace.
Although these lists
are by no means complete, this will give us a starting place to examine
if we are living a Christian life in the marketplace. Notice the
examples used in this list are character-related, and unless people come
to God and allow Jesus to change their evil nature, our nation will
continue to plunge into a deteriorating workplace. We as Christians
should be examples in leading the way of good work ethics in the
marketplace. It is sad that many Christians fail to do this and our
witness in the world is not Christian at all, as we act like the rest of
the world.
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You so much for instructing us in our business relationships. Lord, may we
serve one another in love, regardless of our position. If we are working,
serving our employer, may we be the best employee we can be, by realizing that
our service to them is also our service to You. If we serve in the capacity of a
boss, then may we be one who is just, fair and honest in all of our ways,
treating our employees with kindness and respect. Lord, we invite You into
our workplaces and businesses. May our work be holy work because You are there.
I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
