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For many of us, our working life takes up a third of our day for about two thirds of our life. A major slice of our time is therefore devoted to work, so how do we view it? This article is intended to help us ask some very significant questions about our working life, to ensure that it harmonises as far as possible with our spiritual lives.
The Work EthicWhy do we work? What drives us to want to be gainfully employed? That force is known as the work ethic. In itself, it is a commendable things, extolled from Proverbs to the writings of Paul. It is right and scriptural to be providing for our families or, in the case of single people, paying out own way in the world. In this way, work is a means to an end.
Lessons from HistoryThe first question we must ask is about the industry we are working in (or intend to work in). True Believers in the past, faced questions about the suitability of certain occupations from a scriptural perspective. Some occupations are clearly incompatible with our scriptural beliefs, such as the armed forces, the police force and the armaments industry. Other occupations, such as the Fire Service seem commendable at first glance. They are dedicated to the preservation of life and property; yet we cannot consider this to be a suitable occupation since it requires the swearing of an oath of allegiance to the monarch, amongst other things.We would not wish to be involved in politics, as this could put us in opposition to God as He works out His Divine Plan through the nations. We would avoid the legal profession, as we believe that judgement belongs to God, not Man. Hopefully the reader can see that the above professions are incompatible with Bible teaching. (If not, please contact us so that we can discuss it further). Yet, there are other less clear-cut examples which have vexed better minds than mine. It is not my intention to rake over these issues in detail as they have been debated before and many have been categorised as "matters of conscience". However, if there are young Believers, or indeed those who are as yet uncommitted reading this, then it may be beneficial to outline some examples, so that they may be aware of the implications of certain career decisions. One example is with regard to the selling of Insurance. There are Brethren who feel that it shows a lack of faith to buy insurance, since it could imply we do not believe God will help us in our hour of need. "The LORD is my Shepherd. I shall not want". Others feel that "God helps those who help themselves" and if He has blessed us with sufficient riches now, should we not make provision for a rainy day? This view harmonises with the Genesis account of Joseph and the seven years of plenty and seven years of hardship. Regardless of our own views on insurance, do our views extend to providing insurance services to others, including non-Christians? Another example might be working in the local newsagents. This seems an innocent enough occupation, whilst selling cartons of milk and packets of sweets; but if the product range includes cigarettes and "adult" magazines or videos, the whole picture changes. The Believer must ask themselves whether they are happy selling such things to others, though they would otherwise not wish to come into contact with such products. Another problem associated with the Retail and Hospitality industries is that of un-social hours, including Sunday working. Selecting a job in one of these industries might make it difficult to attend mid-week Bible Classes and even the Sunday morning Breaking of Bread. The Law in the UK does, however make provision for those in the Retail sector with religious objections to working on Sundays.
Choosing the Right JobThere are doubtless many other examples where caution is needed. The important thing is to approach job or career selection prayerfully and from a spiritual perspective. Remember, we should not do as the World does. Most of us have to work to pay the bills and possibly support the family. But if we consider the scripture "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God", it is clear what our priorities should be. At the risk of being unpopular, let's spell it out: a Believer would need a very compelling reason indeed to select a career that will prevent them from regularly attending the Breaking of Bread and mid-week Bible classes. Frankly, career progression, better salary or bigger company car are not compelling reasons. For those of us with families, it is right that we should provide for them, but it is far more imperative that we show by example what their priorities in life should be. If our family is clothed, fed and housed, it is enough. Many of us are blessed with a far higher standard of living than that, but we must be certain that this is not purchased at the expense of the spiritual well-being of our families and ourselves.
A Personal ExampleI do not wish to hold myself up as a paragon of virtue, because I am only too aware of my "feet of clay". But if I outline my own "career path", I hope I can prove from personal experience that God helps those who try to live by His Word.When I left school, there was really no doubt in anyone's mind that I should go on to higher education. The school was geared that way, my teacher parents were inclined that way and most of my peer group was doing the same. I was keen to escape what I considered a boring small-town existence. At this stage, although baptised into the Baptist church, my faith was to me very much something that only got exercised on a Sunday. Soon after I got to college, even my Sunday observance was abandoned as I devoted my time to more worldly pursuits. When I left college, I entered the Catering industry and often found myself regularly working on Sundays. I enjoyed this, as it gave me a free day in the week to go shopping, etc which, in those days you could not do on a Sunday. When I started to search for the Truth, I realised that I would need Sundays free to "try out" different churches. I confess that this was not the prime driver, but I applied for and got a head office job, which was more or less 9-5. As my search for the Truth extended beyond Sundays to mid-week studies, my job was restructured and I found myself as a Computer Operator working early and late shifts. This naturally interfered with my studies and was not a situation I had chosen for myself. I had to endure this for a year, until I was able to move into computer programming, which again enabled me to work more conventional office hours. This stability continued for several years, during which time I found the Truth and was baptised. I also got married to Jacqueline and had our children, Luke and Lydia. All these events helped to change my priorities. In time, I was promoted and found myself being given greater responsibility, which included being "on call" and supporting systems out of hours. This started to conflict with ecclesial and family responsibilities and I realised that I needed to change jobs. This was compounded by several projects that required staying away from home, sometimes for a week at a time. This put an extra strain on Jacqueline, who had to cope with the children on her own and made it difficult to fulfil duties. More than once, I had to pre-record a Bible Study as I could not be there in person. This situation could not continue, so I started applying for jobs. More than once, I thought I had found the ideal job, close to home and well suited to my experience and abilities, but each time it was over-ruled. Eventually a former colleague informed me of a vacancy at his place of work. Initially, I was unsure because it was not as close to home as I would have liked. Also, the company had several customers connected with the Defence industry. I decided to go to an interview anyway and discussed these issues. At my second interview, a director who is a practising Christian reassured me that the work I would be involved in would at no time be defence-related. Subsequent to my joining the company, my hours were adjusted to fit in with the train timetable, so reducing my travelling time and getting me home earlier. The company I work for is run on Christian principles and is committed to ethical business practices and at five thirty, everyone puts their coat on and goes home! There is no doubt that God has richly blessed me in guiding me to my present position - a job that I would have not considered from a worldy perspective. Such blessings do not always come immediately. I had to wait several years before I was guided to this post. Even if I get made redundant tomorrow, I believe based on past experience, that God will bless me and ensure that my family is provided for. Once again, I must stress that my personal experiences are not recorded here to imply any virtue on my part but to show that God keeps His promises. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be given unto you".
Conduct and Pressures at WorkLet us assume that we have found or been guided to a suitable position. Can the Christian then relax and get on with the job? Of course, the answer is "No". Whatever job we have, it is still in the World and we must be "in the World but not of it". We have been "called out" from the World, and must therefore maintain a degree of separation at all times.We have discussed previously that the job content and the hours need careful consideration prior to accepting the position. However managers change, companies change and we need to maintain our guard to ensure that we do not become embroiled in anything unethical or even illegal. Are we asked to take short- cuts, which could affect safety? Are we asked to give false information to customers? Are we being asked to break the Law? Office politics play a large part in some organisations. It is appropriate for Believersr to remain strictly neutral in such "power struggles" and not to be seen to be taking the side of one colleague against another. Jokes are part and parcel of working life in many offices and factories. I believe God has a sense of humour. Watching young lambs gambolling in spring or ducks waddling beside the pond convince me of that. Therefore I do not subscribe to the sentiment expressed in the hymn "though our pilgrimage be dreary". Our lives should be joyful, because of the wonderful hope we have, therefore smiling and even laughing are not forbidden! However, what we laugh at and when we laugh at it should be appropriate to our lives in the Truth. Therefore, it is best to be on the edges of humorous incidents, in the office, both figuratively and literally. If the humour is appropriate, we can smile, if not, we can walk away. Office parties have earned a reputation that is probably quite deserved. They are often a time for too much alcohol, which in turn can lead to inappropriate behaviour and even what are termed "Office romances". If one were to go to such events and remain aloof from everything around, one would be termed a kill-joy or stuffed-shirt or worse. You would not enjoy the experience and neither would your colleagues. My company has a family day in the summer, which I would happily attend and a Christmas party, which I happily avoid. Thankfully in the UK, there are no longer closed-shop agreements and the membership of unions is not a requirement of certain jobs. The Believer therefore will not be faced with this problem. However, it might be prudent to check out the function of any staff associations, employee representation or staff councils before becoming involved with them.
The "Fringe Benefits" of EmploymentMany people enjoy working. I knew a cartographer who, even if we had not had to work would have still drawn maps. He got paid for doing his hobby. If we are able to say the same, then it is a pleasant bonus. Paid employment enables us to contribute financially to the Ecclesia, as well as support our family. There are potentially other benefits. Personally, my presentation skills have been improved by several courses and kept in practice by giving training and presentations to colleagues and customers. This helps me when giving Bible talks. Likewise, my knowledge of computers has increased, enabling me to use them in preaching activities.However, one of the most enjoyable aspects of work is the opportunity to preach the Truth. Whilst not wishing to ram the Gospel down people's throats at every opportunity as I have seen happen, discussions on the News and issues of the day give an opportunity to quietly add a scriptural perspective to the conversation. Be warned, however that once your colleagues know you are a Christian, they will be watching you for un-Christian behaviour. This is a useful addition to our own consciences! A Christian at work should be calm, quietly spoken - no outburst of temper or bad language. A Christian should be helpful and hard-working; the sort that their boss wishes they had more of. This might be a tall order, but all aspects of our life in the Truth are hard. Why should work be any different? |
The Dawn Christadelphians