Christian employees’ work ethics: The sacred Calling.
Tom
S Haokip
There is a Latin word which became an English word,
while over time losing its meaning to the English world. It is the Latin word,
vocatio, which means, “a calling”. As early as the 1500’s, the word was used to
refer to every work – every vocation – as a sacred calling from God. In fact,
Martin Luther, the reformer from the 16th century, used the word to refer to
any and all occupations. He wrote that God could populate the earth by creating
each new generation of babies from the dust – but instead, He ordained the
offices of husband and wife and parent as sacred vocations. He wrote further,
“All our work in the field, in the garden, in the city, in the home, in
government – these are the masks of God, behind which he is hidden and does all
things.”He even wrote, “God Himself is milking the cows through the vocation of
the milkmaid.” Every vocation was a sacred calling through which God fulfilled
His divine purposes. Behind that term – vocatio – was the idea that every
legitimate kind of work or social function was a distinct calling from God –
utilizing God-given skills and talents and gifts. God Himself was and is active
in everyday human labor, responsibilities and interactions. The Reformation
leader and theologian John Calvin wrote around 450 years ago that the workplace
was to be considered a place of worship.
You see, what these Reformers did was wrestle the idea
of a sacred calling away from the clergy alone and gave it equally to the
tradesman, the mother, and the milkmaid in the dairy barn where it belonged.
They were pointing out the fact that every Christian has a sacred calling from
God; whether you’re a student or a teacher, an artist, a housewife or a farmer.
So it doesn’t matter if you’re the chief surgeon or chief of police or chief
executive officer or the chief custodian – you happen to be carrying out a
calling from God – a sacred duty. And for the Christian, this was revolutionary
application. Any vocation – any status or occupation in life – is the work of
God. Nothing’s wasted. Even the mundane act of milking a cow was touched with
magnificent meaning.
The
Reformers were simply fleshing out what the Apostle Paul had already written
nearly 2,000 years ago as he encouraged Christians in whatever you do,
work with all your heart as for the Lord and not for men . . . it is the Lord
whom you serve (Colossians 3:23-24).
Unfortunately
today, the word vocatio has become common place; we talk about our
different careers, our vocations, our vocational training independently of
anything sacred. Today the motive for work has been reduced to a paycheck and
the incentive for work has become the weekend and the ultimate goal for work is
freedom from poverty and of self actualization. Would you please turn to the
Letter of Paul to Titus, chapter 2 and verse 6.
Urge bond slaves to be subject to their own masters in
everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing
all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every
respect.
Now when Paul wrote this letter to Titus, there were
as many as 50 million slaves in the Roman Empire. In fact, estimates indicate
that as many as 1/3rd of the population of the Roman world were occupying the
place of servant or slave.
And
from this text – for us who live in a free world – come six distinguishing
characteristics that will revolutionize your own personal vocation. In fact,
embedded in this exhortation to Titus, are six observations for every modern
day employee – and I’m going to apply this text within the context of our world
today.
1. The characteristic of
humility
Notice again verse 9.
Urge bondslaves to be subject to their masters in everything.
The word “subject” carried the idea of lining up in
rank in file. In other words, urge bondslaves to make sure they are in order.
It isn’t a matter of being bullied into submission; it’s a matter of being
willing. No matter how difficult . . . no matter how unfair . . . no matter how
oppressive. The faithful believer perseveres with humility and self-sacrifice
as long as he is employed at that job. While the others at your job roast the
management and talk about the boss and run down the company, the Christian
stays in his place – willingly and graciously doing the hard task even if he’s
never thanked by his supervisor or paid what he believes he’s worth. Believers
who understands that their supervisor really isn’t their final authority – that
their job is a sacred calling from a living God who will work through them to
fulfill His purposes and reflect His glory through their humble and gracious
perseverance, is able to carry on.
That’s why Paul begins with the
categorical characteristic that makes this employee unique and outstanding –
the characteristic of humility.
2. The distinction of
reliability
Paul adds in verse, 9, to
be well-pleasing.
The word well-pleasing was almost always used in the
New Testament for being well pleasing to God. And Paul again is hinting at the
greater vision for any employee. Paul wrote, It was his ambition to be
pleasing to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:9) He is our ultimate supervisor. Being
an employee has to do with your status. Being well-pleasing has to do with your
spirit. So a Christian employee has no excuse for half-hearted
work, for cutting corners, for laziness, for a lack of initiative or
carelessness. That person will never please his boss. What Paul wants us to
know is that we’re not pleasing the Lord either. Martin Luther again was once
approached by a cobbler who wanted to know how he could best please his Savior
now that he was a Christian. So he asked Luther, “How can I serve God?” Luther
asked him, “What is your work now?” The man said, “I am a shoemaker.” Much to
the cobbler’s surprise, Luther replied, “Then make good shoes and sell them at
a fair price.” What Paul is doing is what the Reformation attempted to reignite
- a higher motive for work. A standard of excellence because of the person you
ultimately represent: it is then possible for the housewife to cook a meal as
if Jesus Christ were going to eat it, or to clean the house as if Jesus Christ
were to be the honored guest. It is possible then for teachers to educate
children, for doctors to treat patients and nurses to care for them, for
salesmen to help clients, shop assistants to serve customers, accountants to
audit books. That’s why the Christian does the hard task; volunteers to go the
extra mile; he works extra to help someone out.
3. An attitude of complicity
This
might be the hardest one yet – he adds in verse 9. To be well-pleasing,
not argumentative .Paul refers to complicity – not argumentative.
This effectively shuts down most of the interoffice conversation, doesn’t it? I
mean, what in the world are you going to talk about at the water cooler if you
can’t talk about your supervisor, or the company, or the low wages, or the
unfair treatment, or whatever.
Work
won’t be nearly as fun. Paul actually uses a verb that means to speak
against or in our vocabulary –to talk back. It carries the idea of
mouthing off. So the issue isn’t that you agree to fulfill a task – or that you
plan to do it with excellence, but that you don’t complain about it in the
process. Now in case you’re wondering, this characteristic doesn’t mean you
can’t express a grievance through legitimate means. It doesn’t mean that
management is to be complied with if it means you commit some sin by obeying.
This
doesn’t involve doing something unethical or immoral just because your boss
demanded it. That Christian employee has forgotten he is actually on a sacred
mission – designated by Christ as His representative on earth and through whom
the living God fulfills His purposes.
4. A mark of Honesty
Paul adds at the beginning of verse
10, not pilfering
It’s
a word used in the Greek world for embezzlement – putting something aside for
yourself that doesn’t belong to you. And it isn’t necessarily big stuff . . .
it’s a lot of little stuff. Theft of resources, personal use of office
equipment, false expense reports . . . and it all adds up. What could happen in
our world if everyone began living honest lives?!
Let me read
you one description of a Revival that swept through the tiny country of Wales
during the early 1900’s. Over 100,000 people responded to the gospel and came
to faith and began making restitution; which unexpectedly created severe
problems for the shipyards along the coast of Wales. Over the years workers had
pilfered all kinds of things. Everything from wheelbarrows to hammers had been
stolen. However, as people sought to be right with God, they started to return
what they had taken, with the result that soon the shipyards of Wales were
overwhelmed with returned property. There were such huge amounts of tools and
machinery being returned that several of the yards actually put up signs asking
the men to stop. One sign read, “If you have been led by God to return what you
have stolen, please know that the management forgives you and wishes you to
keep what you took.”
Today,
if we also want to impact the lives of our people and our land we can start by
having all the employees who have stolen things that don’t belong to them,
return them and then steal no more. Do we work with the characteristic of
humility; the distinction of reliability; the attitude of complicity and the
mark of honesty?
5.
The demeanor of loyalty
He writes, But showing
all good faith . . .
The word “showing” here means “to show for the purpose
of demonstrating or proving something.” In other words, you prove to your
employer that you have the best of intentions for the place where you work. One
commentator wrote, “The Christian employee is not to leave his loyalty in doubt
but is to give ample evidence of it. Tragically, good faith loyalty to one’s
employer, and to one’s fellow employees, is a common casualty of the modern
work ethic, even among Christians. By the way, this mark of loyalty is the very
characteristic that raised Daniel from middle management to taking the senior
role in the kingdom of Babylon. He had been abducted as a teenager – taken
effectively as a prisoner of war. And eventually Darius, Daniel’s new Persian
King, promotes him. Why? Because for some strange reason, this exiled Jewish
man did his best at whatever job he had, even if it meant the advancement and
betterment of a kingdom to which he didn’t really belong. Daniel never went
back home! But it was because of Daniel’s loyalty to the King and the King’s
assignment that God was glorified.
Before you tell your world what the gospel means, make
sure they can see the difference the gospel makes in your life
6. With the perspective of
eternity
Not only should we work with humility and complicity
and reliability and honesty and loyalty, but lastly, we turn work into worship
when we work with the perspective of eternity. Paul adds that final purpose statement - so
that, in other words, do all the above – so that they will adorn the doctrine
of God our Savior in every respect. One commentator writes, “So live a
life that adds luster to the gospel of God our Savior.”Why? Because your boss
needs a Savior. You work for your employer with the thought that your boss and
your coworkers and your friends and all those in your world are going to live
somewhere forever. And there are only two options – heaven or hell. And you
can’t get into heaven without the doctrine of God our Savior.
Justin Martyr wrote in the second century that those around believers should
be ready to hear about Christ by either watching the Christians lives or by
doing business with them.
I wonder how many people would be receptive to our gospel
after having done business with us. However, this does not mean we have to go
out and do something big – or amazing – or great. Paul basically tells us all
“Just do your job.”
· show up
· work hard
· smile often
· stay out of trouble and stay away
from troublemakers
· don’t talk back
· tell the truth
· live for something greater than the
weekend
· point people to your Savior whenever
you get the chance.
There are a
lot of Christians willing to do great things for God – not as many willing to
do little things for God. According to Paul’s letters, even little things are
events where God touches earth and moves His hand to perform His will.
