• He Treated Them as equals.

In Jewish society, there was clearly a hierarchy that existed – between rich and poor, between ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’, between Pharisees and ‘sinners’, and between Jews and gentiles.  This was very normal and accepted at that time, so one would understand the views of many of the people about Jesus’ relationships.

It would seem that some of Jesus’ disciples were considered more equal than others.  John, Peter and James were no doubt closer, in relationship, to him than the others.  In the gospel of John – though this was obviously written by John – this view seems to be supported in the following scripture:

“There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.  So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking."  He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" (John 13:23-25)

Firstly, John is closest physically to Jesus.  Secondly, there is an implication in the words “whom Jesus loved” that Jesus loved John more than the others.  Thirdly, even Peter suspects that John will know more about Jesus’ thoughts and views than the others, when he asks him to explain what Jesus means.

It is generally believed that Peter and John, in particular, were closest to Jesus.  Yet it appears that, in temperament certainly, they were very different in nature; Peter – fiery and impetuous; John – more gentle and pastoral.

Then we also remember the request by the mother of two of the disciples to have her boys at Jesus’ right and left hand in the kingdom that was to come.  In both these instances, we must remember that this was not Jesus’ view, but that of his disciples.  Jesus’ remarks to the well-intentioned mother

“He said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on my right and on my left, this is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father." (Matt 20:23)

seem to deal with any hint of favouritism.

The key to understanding this is to remember that though a great leader will treat all his followers as equals, they may not be equal – in skill, in commitment, and in adding value to the leader’s own efficacy in the workplace.  Great leaders are able to value all their followers equally, even though the value they receive may be disproportionate.   I love both my daughters equally, but my relationship with each one is different – and this is simply because they are different.  I have the same high regard for each one of employees, but my relationship with each one is different, and their contributions to the overall success of the team, is different.

The one thing we are very clear on is that Jesus did not discriminate between people, and this was one of the reasons he caused so much offense to the religious order of the day.  He spent time with prostitutes, publicans and tax collectors – all at the bottom end of the societal chain in ancient Israel.  He healed the sick, drove out demons and challenged the politicians of the day.  Laurie Beth Jones says that:   “Jesus showed respect by meeting people where they were and accepting them for who they were.  In the light of this acceptance, people wanted to be better, try harder, and do the good and right thing.  His respect empowered them.”

Treat your people like partners not peons.

•  He educated them.

The following comments by Dave Anderson, from his book “Up your Business” are all about developing what he refers to as “your human capital” – your people resources.  They are relevant to this aspect of leadership, and there is no doubt that Jesus spent a great deal of his time, in his short three-year ministry, ‘educating’ people – developing them, training them, bringing out the very best in them.

 If you don’t invest time and money in good people, you don’t deserve them.  In fact, you deserve to lose them and probably will.  It’s just a matter of time.

 There is one thing worse than training people and having them leave your organization: it’s not training them and having them stay!

 The number one reason good people leave an organization is to pursue personal growth opportunities elsewhere.

 As you add value to others it comes back to you multiplied.  But you must add value first.  That’s why you’re called the leader: Leaders go first.

One sentence sums up Jesus’ ministry –

“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.” (Matt. 4:23)

Since teaching is educating the mind, and preaching (proclaiming) is educating the heart, two thirds of Jesus work was to do with education.  Laurie Beth Jones says: “If you look at the instances when he healed people, nine times out of ten, he spoke to them about an attitude change or a new way of behaving that was to go along with their physical state of being. “Go and sin no more”. 

She goes on to say that “we will fund tin and metal before we will fund the human mind.  Our country spends more on defense than on education, and our teachers are still among the lowest-paid professionals.  As a former vice-president so aptly misstated, ‘a mind is terrible thing not to have.’” This is not too different in South Africa, where the standard of education of our children is deteriorating by the day. 

Small businesses generally rely on employing people who are already trained.  There is a misconception in many minds that ‘once trained, always trained’.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, all of us need to be continually training and none more so than the leader.  Dave Anderson says, “Life will not just come along and improve your people.  In fact, time and experience can make them worse if it’s the wrong experience.  You must deliberately pour yourself into your team in order to grow it.”  Jesus, in a sense, was constantly training himself.  He said that:

“….I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught me.”And He who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." (John 8:28-29)

Spend time on a personal growth and education program, and extend this into the lives of your employees.  Don’t use their mistakes to criticize them – use them to develop them.

• He was transparent before them

Jesus was transparent because he had nothing to hide.  The bible tells us that he was without sin.  He had no secret agendas; he didn’t lie to anyone (though clearly, his parables confused many!), nor did he try to defend himself or blame anyone else.  From the moment his ministry began – effectively after his baptism in the Jordan, his mission statement was simple and clear:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt. 28: 19-20)

Everything he did, and everything he said up to point, lined up with this final statement in Matthew’s gospel.

The Christian employer needs to be similarly transparent with his employees.  Regardless of what you may think, your employees watch you to see whether your walk matches your talk.  Saying one thing and doing another is not going to engender trust.  Be consistent in terms of what you are trying to achieve, and even if you mess up along the way, your staff will know it was just a slip.   Your true character is permanently on show. 

If your business is struggling, walking around trying to act like nothing is wrong simply won’t cut it.  They know what’s going on, and it’s better to be up front and honest than try to pull the wool over their eyes.  The truth will out eventually anyway.  Some of your staff may cut and run (even Peter deserted Jesus when the going got rough!), but you’ll be surprised how loyal most of them can be – especially when they know you’re being transparent with them.

Conversely, if your business is doing well, don’t try to downplay its performance in the hope that you can get away with keeping the benefits to yourself.  Remember, you only got where you are, because they were there with you along the way!

While I realise that some businesses products and services are highly sensitive to competition; and while not all employees are totally honest and loyal enough to keep things to themselves, I don’t believe there’s anything to be gained by trying to hide financial information from them.  It will do two things – it will tell them you don’t trust them, and it will make them suspicious of you.  And – as is usual in cases like this, this could only stimulate them to find out exactly what is that you’re so secretive about anyway.  Create a set of rules, and it’s human nature to want to break them!

I made a decision when I started up my business, that all our financial transactions (with the exception of employees’ personal remuneration details) are available to all my employees, at any time.  There are no passwords hiding ‘sensitive’ information from them.

They also know how much my personal income is.  Frankly, I find it quite liberating not having to worry about who might know what, and when they will use it against me!  There’s an old saying: “what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,” and this is very true.

More importantly, I believe that if I’m transparent my employees will tend to be the same.

• He believed in them.

Laurie Beth Jones says this:  “Jesus had to believe in his staff or he would never have slept nights.  Their backgrounds were not glorious, and they did not grasp what he was saying most of the time.  They were constantly arguing over who would get to sit where in the kingdom, and they dozed off and forgot him when he needed them the most.  Yet these were the people he chose to work with, and he visualized the best in each of them, even when there was evidence to the contrary…People tend to rise to the occasion when they have someone who truly believes in them.  Perhaps we just need someone to show us who we really are inside.”

Peter was really flaky at first – given to fits of temper and impulsiveness.  Matthew was a tax collector – a job that even today is frowned upon – and these guys were known (in those days) to be real sharks. Enough has been said about Judas, the ultimate betrayer, and if that wasn’t enough, he was also a petty thief, pilfering from their money bag whenever he got the chance.  Jesus had made him the treasurer, of all things – and I’m sure he knew what he was doing.  Talk about believing in your people!

It is easy in this day and age to become a cynic about ethics and good, old-fashioned honesty and integrity.  It’s easy to say it no longer exists.  And just as easy to go out and design systems of control that not only micro-manages everything everyone does, all the time, but even manages the managers!  Now, I’m not suggesting that you effectively give every employee your pin number to the bank account, but I am suggesting you start giving them a chance. 

At the same time, we are all human (without the discernment Jesus no doubt had), and there is great value in preventing temptation.  History proves that even the most noble, honourable men and women have given in to temptation from time to time.   A good practical example of this is the system I employ in my own business. 

The first thing is to give your employees decision-making rights.  This means that they are given the right to make certain decisions for the business, within certain limitations, and without deferring to me about them.  However, along with decision-making rights goes accountability.  I therefore expect them to make certain decisions for the business without permission from me, but I will hold them to those decisions.  This means they cannot be frivolous about them – they need to think them through carefully, because there are consequences to all our decisions.  I have found that this encourages initiative and innovation, not to mention loyalty.  But more importantly, it tells them that I believe in them.

The second thing to do is set up your systems of control so that there are clearly defined boundaries within which those decision-making rights can be exercised.  When doing this, make sure that there are no grey areas, or areas of overlapping responsibility.  The person who is responsible for my business’ accounting does not have the right to make payments from the bank account. Conversely, the payments drawn from the bank account are accounted for by the bookkeeper. This is good internal control, and removes temptation at the same time.

So, having said that one needs to take sensible precautions, – it is mainly in the area of finance.  Money, it has been found, tests the ultimate issues of the human heart!

Believing in your employees, however, is much more than just about money. 

It’s about believing that they can actually do the job you’ve entrusted them with.  Sometimes we employ people, with certain qualifications, and then still hover over them to make sure the job’s done properly.  Jesus’ gave his disciples a commission to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations.  He told them:

"And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. (Matt 10:7 – 8)

Along with a few other instructions!  There was no more detail than this.  Jesus knew what this was going to entail – that the simple commission would multiply through hundreds of thousands of others over thousands of years and that it would affect the whole world.  A massive task with massive responsibility!  In this day and age, we would have gathered a team around us of scientists, economists, strategists, accountants, lawyers, teachers and MBA’s – and whole squad of marketers and advertising consultants.  He didn’t. He entrusted this commission to a few simple fishermen.  He believed in them. And they knew it! And look what happened!

Jesus is without doubt the best example of a Christian employer!

Well, you may say that Jesus wasn’t involved in business – and technically, I suppose that was the case.   However, he was most certainly involved in relationships, and remember, business is actually all about people, and relationships with people – and especially the relationships that leaders have with the people that follow them.

In the book, “Jesus, CEO”, written by Laurie Beth Jones, I came across a wonderful way of describing how Jesus led his followers, and which are especially relevant to Christian leaders in business today.  I have taken the liberty of using her chapter headings in the section called “Strength of Relationships” (interestingly, she starts this section of her book with the same scripture I began the series on – from Matthew 22:37-39) because they so aptly cover what Christian employers should model their business leadership on.  In the course of the next few newsletters, I will go through these in more detail (with grateful acknowledgement to her.) 

In his relationship with his disciples:

• He gave them a vision of something larger than themselves.

One simple statement, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” and the world was changed forever.  Jesus told them that their lives would have significant meaning.  To a humble fisherman, who probably thought he would be catching fish for a living for the rest of his life, these simple words, were very powerful.

Everyone wants to know that one’s life has meaning – has purpose.  Everyone has a desire for something greater than what they have accomplished to date.  That is why we adore super heroes, and follow pop-stars; always striving to be better looking, slimmer, faster, taller and brighter than the person we actually see ourselves to be.

I remember an incident many years ago, while working for a construction company, and being troubled by the desperately poor productivity of one particular labourer who had been given the task of digging a large hole, just outside my office.  He was just going through the motions, slowly swinging the pick and loosening the soil; then picking up his shovel and one-by-one emptying shovelfuls into a wheelbarrow until it was full.  He would then – slowly – climb out of the hole and – slowly, lift the wheelbarrow’s handles, and (guess what?) trudge slowly to a ever-growing pile of soil, and would tip the barrow’s contents out, before – slowly trudging back to his hole in the ground.  After a while, I could no longer concentrate on my own work and made up my mind to go outside and give him a good old-fashioned kick in the butt!  On my way, I felt God speak to me about what I was intending.  You know that troublesome ‘still, small voice’ that He has sometimes?  I heard the words “do unto others as you would have them do to you.”  I thought to myself, “What if that was me doing that meaningless, tiring, mind-frying work out there?”  And then I realised the answer: I needed to give him some direction, some sense of purpose, so this is how the conversation went:

“What are you doing out here?” I asked.

“Digging a hole!” he replied, as if I was stupid or something!

“Why?” I asked, as if I was still stupid!

“I don’t know! I was just told to do it,” he whined. 

So I told him to stop what he was doing for a minute and to listen to me.  I then told him, “We are about to build a large factory building on this property.  The building will be constructed of steel, and the framework will consist of large steel uprights which will need to be anchored on a number of solid concrete foundations.  These foundations will be placed in large holes in the ground.  The first foundation is the most important because it creates the ‘cornerstone’ of the whole building.  You are digging the hole for this foundation.  If this one is not correct, then the building will never get off the ground.  Therefore, my dear friend, the success of this entire project rests on your shoulders (and strong arms and back).  He looked at me for a few minutes until the import of what I’d said had sunk in.  His eyes visibly brightened, his sagging shoulders squared up, and I’ve never seen a hole dug faster and more carefully since. Well, that’s how I remember it anyway!

The point for him was – it’s not what we do but our attitude to it that matters.  The point for the Christian employer is – without a vision our people perish.  G.K. Chesterton once said,

“All men matter. You matter. I matter. It’s the hardest thing in theology to believe.”

Don’t just throw work at your people.  Spend a little time telling them about what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and how it’s going to contribute to the overall success of the business.  You’ll be surprised what a difference it will make.

• He looked at them

“Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him…” (Mark 10:21)

Some of the bible translations use the word ‘behold’ which better emphasises the importance of what happened in this instance.  This is not some casual glance – fleeting and then forgotten.  This is a focused moment in time.  Jesus looks at this young man, and then right down into the very depths of him.  Laurie Beth Jones says: “The moment of introduction is treated as a holy moment.  There is long and direct eye contact, and the leader focuses concentration on that person so that he or she feels like the most important person in the room.”

If you’re a Christian employer in business today, ask yourself this question: “have I really looked at my employees in this way? Do I really know them – know them so in spite of their quirks, I can love them?

In South Africa today, this is even more important.  We are faced with a society which is made up of a number of cultures, races and language groups.  Most of these were separated by ‘apartheid’ – the former government’s policy of separate development.  This legislated the ‘apartness’ and differences between people groups, so that getting to know one another – in a real sense – was even more difficult.  Getting over it has not been easy either.  Having employees who may not understand your language, or who have vastly different cultural outlooks to your own, can be really problematic.  Actually, this is even more reason for Christian employers to really look at their employees.

Laurie Beth Jones goes on with: “people respond to how you behold them in your consciousness.  You don’t have to say anything; they can sense how you perceive them.  Too often we only view people in terms of our needs and hidden agendas.”  Sadly, both capitalism and socialism tend to equate people with what they do and not who they are.  As a result, we tend to value them in terms of what they are there to do for us and for our businesses, rather than who they are and how we can serve them.

In bigger businesses that employ lots of people, it may not be possible for you – the Christian employer – to really ‘behold’ every person who works there.  It will make a huge difference, however, if you try.  Train yourself to remember their names, where they live and what has been foremost on their minds of late.  A genuine interest in what’s going on in their lives will secure a loyalty that money cannot buy!

The important thing to remember is not to place each employee in a box, wrap them up and then forget them.  Don’t just look at them once and think you’ve got them soused. Presume too much and you could lose out on a lot of hidden potential.  So, look at them – behold them – fresh and new each and every day. Because that’s how God views us!  We’re not the same person today that we were yesterday.  Changing circumstances and events, the march of time and new relationships and challenges all help to create us anew – daily, if we let them.

• He was open to people and their ideas.

This is one of the most interesting characteristics of our Lord. He was God incarnate – truly master of the universe.  Yet he didn’t go around telling people what to do.  When God created man, he created them in His image – to be creative and innovative; to have ideas, dreams and plans.  He gave Adam and Eve the right to name all the animals in the Garden of Eden.  “There seems to be a divine yearning for a cooperative creative venture between God and humankind.’(Laurie Beth Jones.)  

There a variety of different leadership styles in every form of organization.  Most of them have their pros and cons, and some clearly, are more effective than others.  Jim Collins, in his book “Beyond Entrepreneurship” has this to say about participative leadership, which is what I’m advocating here:

“The advantage of participative decision making is that it has the benefit of multiple points of view and vigorous discussion, yet allows an avenue for rapid decision.  After an intense thrashing of the issues, the leader can state quickly and resolutely, ‘this is what we’re going to do.’  In general, the most effective leaders tend to make extensive use of participative decision-making.  The best decisions are made with some degree of participation – no one is brilliant or experienced enough to have all the answers. No one.”

Jesus knew exactly what his objectives were – the cross on Calvary.   He didn’t allow anyone to deter him from this goal.  When Peter tried to dissuade him he was met with “Get behind me Satan!” Yet, – he was open to people and their ideas, compassionate and caring and genuinely interested in them.

Just over a year ago, I decided to change the logo of our firm and review our goals and objectives.  I contacted the team at Temple Creative, who designed my web site, and asked them to come up with a new logo, and which would be used on the new web site.  They came up with a number of options.  Before making a decision of my own, I circulated the alternatives among my own staff, asking them for their opinions and views.  All views were considered, and it just so happened that the majority view was the one I also liked (Phew!).  We went for it!  (And we’ve had a lot of compliments about it too!)  I believe it gave each one of my employees the feeling that they had contributed to the new look of the business – that they ‘owned’ the decision, as it were.  

In the next newsletter, we’ll have a look at a few more of these characteristics of a Christian employer…

Well, the bible tells us very little – directly – about how to be a good employer of people.  There are very few clear specifics – how-to’s – anywhere in scripture.  There are exceptions of course, and I will highlight these further on in this Insight, but generally speaking, the bible is not that specific.

The Bible is, however, full of very clear directives about how we are to live in relationship to others, and clearly, as Christian employers, we are in relationship with those who work, and will be working, for us. 

And so we take these directives, and we allow them to percolate through our business lives – extrapolating the principles inherent in scripture into every business circumstance.

Jesus was once asked about the commandments by the teachers of the Law.  He replied that there were two:

“And He said to him,  ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matt. 22:37-39 – emphasis – mine.)

In this series on the Christian in Business, we’ve already covered the work ethic and emphasised that all our work is actually ‘as unto the Lord’. (Col. 3:23).  This is one of the ways we show that we love God. 

We now extend this to the relationship we have with our employees.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR EMPLOYEES?

Well, as Christians we don’t simply ‘employ’ people to do work – we don’t just treat them as units of labour.  There are two main aspects to our relationship with those who work for us:

• We are to regard them as ‘neighbours’ and to love them as we love ourselves.
• We are called to be leaders to them. 

Let’s have a more detailed look at these aspects:

OUR EMPLOYEES AS ‘NEIGHBOURS’

If they are NOT Christians?

If they are not Christians we are to treat them as the bible calls us to treat all unbelievers, with love – even if they’re seen as enemies.   This can be extremely difficult for any employer who is confronted by workers who are actively disengaged, recalcitrant or just purely militant.

Our desire then, should be to see them become Christians and with that constantly in mind, our relationship takes on an evangelistic flavour.  This does not mean that we go out and issue a new company policy calling all staff to meet at 08h00 each day for prayer.  If you’re paying people, they’ll all pitch up for prayer rather than risk losing their jobs, but you could also encourage resentment to the cause of Christ. 

Your greatest evangelistic ‘tool’ is your own walk with God, and the way in which you model your Christianity to those you employ in your business.  Whether you like it or not, – and it seems to be a human character trait, – your employees will begin to model their lives on yours.  Some may even ‘ape’ your walk; use words and sayings that you do, and treat people like you do.  If you’re out to get everything for yourself, then they will be too.  If you start bleeding your business dry, they will do the same.  If you lie, cheat, and are unfair and inconsistent – well, guess what? They will be too!  You are the gospel of Christ!

If they ARE Christians?

If they are Christians we must realise that this relationship takes on an even more important aspect – they are actually regarded as ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ in the Lord. There is a tremendous tension in this and many Christians struggle to manage it. 

When Paul wrote to Philemon about Onesimus, he addressed this tension to a certain extent.  Onesimus had been one of Philemon’s slaves (employees), but after he had become a Christian, he had run away to Paul.  In those times, runaway slaves were either severely beaten or killed for this kind of offence.  Paul wrote to Philemon pointing out to him that although Onesimus was a slave, he was also a brother in the Lord, and therefore had to be treated differently.

“For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” (Phil. 1:15-16)

The whole letter is actually worth reading. Paul offers to make good any loss which Philemon might have suffered as a result of Onesimus’ disobedience, and there are a number of wonderful examples of Christian love and loyalty in this passage of scripture.

WE MUST LEAD OUR EMPLOYEES.

If you are an employer of people – an owner of a business; you are a leader.  You may not be a very good leader, but by virtue of the fact that you have set the pace with your business, as it were, you will find your employees looking to you for leadership.  This applies in just about every form of organisation, including the church. 

Christian employers, in other words, are also Christian leaders.  So, you don’t have to be a full-time pastor of a church to be a Christian leader – what you have to recognise is that you are as much a full-time pastor to your employees as your pastor is to his church.

People generally need leaders.  In many ways, people can be like sheep, and if if left to their own devices, end up running around aimlessly.  So, in your businesses, you will have created systems of internal control, and a list of policies and procedures (or rules) by which you manage processes and people.  If your systems are good, the people won’t need much managing.  No matter the system, though, they will always need leadership.

 Throughout the bible, the single most important aspect of Christian leadership is service.  Leaders are called, as Peter says, to be:

“..exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:2-3)

This means, in effect, that we are to serve our employees – for that is the underlying principle to Christian leadership.  Peter Block, in his alternate (secular) book on Management entitled “Stewardship” refers to this service as:

“… the willingness to be accountable for the well-being of the larger organisation by operating in service, rather than in control, of those around us.  Stated simply, it is accountability without control or compliance.  The underlying value is about deepening our commitment to service.  We have the language of service……..what is missing is the experience of service.” (emphasis – mine)

Once you adopt the view that you are actually in your business to serve those who work for you, your relationship takes on a whole new meaning – and the response from your employees will surprise you.  In the same way they model your speech and mannerisms, they will also begin to model your servanthood.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHRISTIAN LEADER

The bible, and in particular, the New Testament, pays a lot of attention to the word “honour”.  It is used quite often, and Paul says:

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; ……………..” (Romans 12:10 – emphasis – mine.)

‘Honour’ is an old-fashioned word today – it’s largely gone out of fashion.  Some cultures still practice the honouring of the elderly or those in authority; many today simply don’t care.  Perhaps a more modern way of referring to it today would be with the word – Respect!  This is one of the most important characteristics of Christian leadership today – especially in Christian-owned businesses.

Jim Collins in his book entitled “Beyond Entrepreneurship” links the success of great organisations to this key factor, and he says:

“Great organisations are built on a foundation of respect.  They respect the people they serve, they respect themselves, they respect their relationships.  Most important, they respect their people – people at all levels, and from all backgrounds.

• They respect their people, and therefore they trust them.
• They respect their people, and therefore they’re open and honest with them.
• They respect their people, and therefore they give them freedom to act and make decisions. 
• They respect their people, and therefore believe in their inherent creativity, intelligence, and ability to solve problems.
• They respect their people, and therefore expect high performance.  They set high standards and stiff challenges because they believe their people can meet the standard and arise to the challenge.  Ultimately, employees in outstanding organisations attain consistent tactical excellence because someone believes they can.”

This is true Christian leadership of the highest order.

In the next newsletter on this subject, I will be addressing many of the frequently asked questions of many Christian employers of people; – questions like, "should I only employ Christians?" and "if I do, and especially if they’re in the same church as me, how do I treat them?"

 This work ethic, which was deeply rooted in the Protestant reformation, was the very core of what made America great in its early years. But in the mid-nineteenth century this ethic began to erode. As Sherwood Wirt says, “The calling lost its vertical bearings in the incessant whir of machinery and the grime of the mill town. As the modern world awoke to its material strength and shook off the disciplines of the Puritan way of life, it found that the doctrine of secular calling had become unnecessary. Vocation became simply ‘occupation’. As the eighteenth century arrived and the Enlightenment came into full force (with the dawn of human reason), humankind increasingly became the centre of all things, and work turned from an ennobling occupation to one that was simply utilitarian – a means to an end. Loving God and caring for others were no longer at the centre of work. Labour itself became the shrine.” (emphasis – mine.)

This work ethic must be reflected in every critical area of your life. 

Dr Jensen relates a story of our own Gary Player, one of the greatest golfers the world has known:

“Throughout his career, people have said to him: ‘I’d give anything if I could hit a golf ball like you!’  On one particular tough day, Player was tired and frustrated when once again he heard that comment: ‘I’d give anything if I could hit a golf ball like you.’  Player’s usual politeness failed him as he replied tersely to the spectator, ‘No you wouldn’t! You’d give anything to hit a golf ball like me if it was easy.  Do you know what you’ve got to do to hit a golf ball like me?  You’ve got to get up at five in the morning every day, go out on the course, and hit a thousand golf balls.  Your hand starts bleeding, you walk up to the clubhouse, slap a bandage on it, and go out and hit another thousand golf balls.  That’s what it takes to hit a golf ball like me.”

Thomas Paine said: “That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly.”  If you really value something, you’ve got to work hard at it.  Research (in America, naturally!) says that more than 70% of all workers say they could be more productive and 45% say they could be twice as productive.  One writer said it this way: “Millions are idle – even if they have jobs.  Some have great careers while others simply chisel.”

 I’m seeing the same thing happening here in South Africa.

A couple of years ago, I was involved in a Christian social initiative called “Project Gateway”.  I had the opportunity to visit an informal settlement just outside of my home town, Pietermaritzburg, with the rest of the Gateway executive team. The settlement had been in existence for some 30 years. That it was steeped in poverty was without doubt. It was a weekday and many of the community’s adults were there – quite clearly without jobs.  However, I couldn’t help noticing the heaps of refuse lying around, plastic bags and bottles left to lie in the open, vegetable gardens untended, while men – mainly men – sat or lay around doing nothing. The signs of despair and hopelessness were clearly evident.  Now, I know that social workers and psychologists will tell me that the lack of motivation is to do with extreme poverty, and I’m very aware of the fact that it would probably take enormous will-power to motivate yourself to work when you’re hungry.   But let me say this; – it is not a poverty issue – It is a leadership issue. It is a poor, not to say perverse leadership, – that cannot find anything for people to do.

Where are the leaders who are willing to stand up and set the pace?  Remember what I said was inherent in the Genesis scriptures? – work is honourable and it gives satisfaction. It restores lost dignity; – it provides the sense of achievement and accomplishment so desperately needed in our society; a society where a culture of entitlement tends to prevail; and where everything is done for you if you have enough money.

Dr Jensen draws the following comparison between the time honoured view of work, and the growing view of work:

And this is not just about those who don’t want to work.  It’s just as applicable to those who work all the time – the workaholics.  The work ethic, ultimately, is about who you’re really working for.  Paul, writing to the Colossian church, summed it up in these words,

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. (Col 3:23-24)

Douglas LaBier wrote in “Modern Madness”: “Careerism has become the main work ethic of our time.  At root, careerism is an attitude, a life orientation in which a person views career as the primary and most important aim of life.  An extreme but not uncommon expression of this is found in the comment of a man who told me that he feared dying mainly because it would mean the end of his career.”

He goes on with: “One senior executive jumped off the roof of his building when he walked into work one morning and discovered that his desk had been moved.  A chemist, who failed to receive a grant for a research project, returned to his lab one night, concocted a poison and drank it, dying where he felt most at home and most betrayed.”

Aldous Huxley stated, “They intoxicate themselves with work so they won’t see who they really are.”

NOW, HOW RELEVANT IS ALL THIS TO CHRISTIANS IN BUSINESS?

Very!  And let me stress this point – it is just as relevant to the Christian employee as it is to the Christian employer, – the boss!  Christian bosses have an opportunity to set an example for their employees – Christians and not.  If they’re idle, they’ll soon have idle workers.  If they cheat and steal, well – don’t be surprised if their workers do the same to them.  If they’re workaholics and spend every moment barking and shouting orders; driving their employees to work harder, they’ll create mean-spirited people.  If they’re mean and pay their employees badly, they’ll be telling them they’re not valued too highly. On the other hand, if they decide to serve their employees, they will engender the same attitude in their workers.  Like Peter said:

“…exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples…” (1 Pet 5:2-3)

These words are not just for leaders within a church environment.  They are for Christian leaders in every environment – including the work place.

There is no biblical precedent for the establishment of work.  However, the Bible does speak of the appropriateness of work.  It also speaks of work having its reward.  Our society has unfortunately limited this concept to the pay-packet.  Job satisfaction should include a sense of achievement, of producing something worthwhile, of creative expression, of appreciation of others.

 Our apartheid legacy created an environment where the majority of people only worked if they were – at worst, beaten as slaves or – at best, if they were paid. This is not unlike the situation for the Israelites in Egypt. They had experienced 300 years of slavery.   They thought like slaves and they acted like slaves. They only worked if they were beaten and I guarantee that as soon as the whip carrier’s back was turned they would stop working.   It took a man who had lived outside of that slavery – Moses – and God’s great miracles – to coerce them to leave.   It is time for Christians – who theoretically live outside the slavery of this present age – to stand up and say we no longer have to be like that. We are, after all, new creations! The ‘old’ has gone and the ‘new’ has come. 

Now that I’ve hopefully laid this foundation of the appropriateness of work, in my next newsletter, I will address the role of the Christian employer, and how he should be functioning in the marketplace.

In the first part of this series on "The Christian in Business", I raised the issue that so many of us are confronted with from time to time – the pressure to conform to the ways of the business world – and often at the expense of personal integrity.

Warren Wiersbe observes: "A person with integrity is not divided (that’s duplicity) or merely pretending (that’s hypocrisy). He or she is ‘whole’; life is ‘put together’ and things are working together harmoniously. People with integrity have nothing to hide or fear. Their lives are open books."

Unfortunately, even Christians sometimes ‘cook’ these ‘books’!

Lee Strobel says that "If we want to survive the rat race without becoming rats, we need confidants who love us enough to tell us the truth. Equally important, we need to have a teachable spirit that keeps us open to doing the right thing – even when the wrong thing seems so attractive."

In a way, I’m hoping to be one of those confidants; hoping that Christians who read this may be challenged whenever they are faced with having to make a dubious business decision. As I write it, I’m also conscious of the fact that I’m a Christian in business – and these words are therefore timely reminders for me too.

THE WORK ETHIC

Business involves work – I’m sure we all realise that. Some business involves a huge amount of work – and sometimes for very little reward. Annoyingly, other business seems to generate huge returns for little effort. (I sometimes think I belong to the first group most of the time!) Work is a key, really, to success in business.

King Solomon (who probably didn’t work very hard and was one of the richest men who ever lived!) penned these words:

"A lazy person will end up poor, but a hard worker will become rich." (Proverbs 10:4),

There is a growing tendency throughout the world today to alienate work from our daily agendas. The exponential growth of the burgeoning leisure industry is evidence of this. Organised labour groups in many of the more affluent nations are constantly lobbying for shorter working weeks, but with the same benefits. (Naturally!) Technological development has also made it possible for us to accomplish more in less time. Surprisingly though, this same technological development has created a whole lot of new work for most of us – and we don’t even realise it most of the time! Just think about it – we now have a great deal more information to sift through – every day; it’s getting worse – and most of it is junk as well!

At the same time, there are vast numbers of people in the developing world who are unemployed, poor – but also not working. There is a distinct difference between being unemployed and not working. This is a very important consideration, especially for Christians.

The prevailing attitude is this: as long as you pitch up for work, you have a right to be paid, whether you actually do any work or not. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that employees work; not their responsibility to do it!  It is part of a ever-growing culture of entitlement, – universal, but very prevalent in our country. Sadly too, unless there is a promise of reward, no work will even be considered. 

As employers of people, business owners throw up their hands in frustration at what we know as the poor work ethic which prevails. Very often, though, those same business owners have very short arms and very deep pockets when it comes to adequately rewarding those who work for them.

Many Christians today have a wrong understanding of what the word "work" actually means. When God created the heavens and the earth there was a very clear order to it. As Christians, we believe in this stuff. We know, for instance, that God made man for fellowship and to care for all that had been created – to tend, to steward – to work! The bible confirms this with:

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15)

In fact, God began the whole work ethic himself by creating the heavens and the earth and everything else, and the Bible says,

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing, so he rested from all his work." (Genesis 2:2).

Clearly then, as Christians, we can say that if it was good enough for God, it’s good enough for us! The concept of work is a good one.

Work – in its God-created sense is not onerous; it isn’t hard labour. That came after the fall from grace. Man’s disobedience resulted in the fall of the whole of creation, and work became toil – Man needed to do it to survive, to feed himself. This was God’s decree at the time:

"Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life." (Genesis 3:17).

So, a thorough reading of those first two chapters of Genesis reveal the following inherent principles about work:

• Work is honourable
• Work is good
• Work gives satisfaction
• Work should also involve rest
• Work should produce results.

In contrast to the modern world system, the scriptures don’t force a divide between the sacred and the secular – that was something that came out of certain church traditions. Consequently, as Christians, we believe that all work is a ministry to God and our fellow human beings. If I had to ask all the Christians I know whether they believed that they would say ‘yes!’ They would say ‘yes!’ because they know the words are in the bible and because they have heard them said before; but do they really believe them; enough to flesh them out in every respect?

As Christians, integrity means that there should be a clear link between our character and our creed, between our beliefs and our behaviour.

As Christians in business therefore, we need to have a right attitude to work. "Unless the job means more than the pay, it will never pay more." (H Bertram Lewis.)   It all comes to our own heart attitudes, doesn’t it? As Christian employees, we are to have the right attitude, regardless of who we work for. Yet as Christian employers, regardless of who is working for us, we are to ensure that our employees are treated fairly, paid well and not only regarded in terms of what they do, but who they are. There’s the rub!

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he addressed the need for people to work. These words might have been written some 2000 years ago, but they’re still relevant – probably even more so in our generation!

"Those who are stealing must stop stealing and start working. They should earn an honest living for themselves….." (Ephesians 4:28).

He goes on with,

"In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people." (Colossians 3:22-23) .

In the book of Proverbs, the so-called ‘wisdom’ book, there is much said about this aspect of daily life:

"A person who doesn’t work hard is just like someone who destroys things." (Proverbs 18:9),
"Those who gather crops on time are wise, but those who sleep through the harvest are a disgrace." (Proverbs 10:5).

Finally, in this regard, Paul has a stern word for idlers in his letter to the Thessalonians, and even commands Christians to avoid them,

"Stay away from any believer who refuses to work and does not follow the teaching we gave you. You yourself know that you should live as we live. We were not lazy when we were with you. And when we ate another person’s food, we always paid for it. We worked very hard night and day so we would not be an expense to any of you. We had the right to ask you to help us, but we worked to take care of ourselves so we would be an example for you to follow. When we were with you we gave you this rule, "Anyone who refuses to work should not eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:6-10)

It is important that we understand this aspect of God’s kingdom rule. It shouldn’t even matter whether we’re paid for what we do!

Although most of the Western world has become materialistic and self-centered, the main reason why it is the wealthiest and most prosperous part of the world today is because of the work ethic of the early pioneers. The current generation is simply reaping the benefits of the hard work done by their forbears. Dr Ron Jensen, in his book, "Make a Life, not just a living" has to say:

"According to writer Arthur Burns, America was founded on the shoulders of enterprising Jewish, Scottish, Protestant, and Italian Catholic immigrants, all of who believed "their work mattered to God." They saw their lives as much more than simply being busy and bringing home a paycheck. In fact, work was a fundamental dimension of their very existence. Work to these individuals was a moral imperative that was the key to the "ethic" in work ethic. These people saw their work as a gift to God and their task as ultimately working for God. Moreover, they saw significant social implications to their work. As reformation leader Martin Luther said, "Man does not live for himself alone. But he lives also for all men on earth." In this vein, Luther’s contemporary in the reformation, John Calvin, encouraged workers to produce more than they needed so they could meet the needs of others. (emphasis – mine.)

In the next newsletter, I will pose the question: "is the work ethic still relevant today?"

And these issues will span all commercial transactions – and commercial relationships! Your customers, your suppliers and your employees will all have been at the sharp end of some dubious financial decisions or practices, at some stage in your business life. Even though God’s grace is sufficient to lift us out of the ‘miry clay’ of such situations; we must admit that they sometimes leave us feeling awful. But sometimes, they don’t; and this is real cause for concern!

Sometimes Christians in business have become so used to acting like those in ‘the world’ that no one can tell the difference. The Bible says that they have "hardened their hearts". Lee Strobel, author of "The Case for Christ" and "God’s Outrageous Claims" has to say:

"If you’re involved in the everyday maelstrom of the working-world – as an employee or manager, salesperson or executive, blue-collar or white-collar worker – then you will inevitably face ethical issues. Sooner or later you’re going to be tempted to sacrifice your integrity on the altar of commerce.
I’m not suggesting that integrating faith into the workplace is simple, because I know it isn’t. In fact, if it were easy, more people would be doing it. But researchers have found that on the average, people who attend church aren’t much more ethical than people who don’t. One Gallup poll found that 43% of unchurched people have pilfered work supplies, while 37% of churchgoers have too.
Obviously, a lot of people are saying one thing while sitting in the pews on Sunday morning and doing something quite different after punching the time clock the following day. Regrettably, for many, faith is a weekend proposition, not a weekday reality.
So how do we make God-honouring decisions when we’re trying to resolve marketplace dilemmas? Although there is no fill-in-the-blank, one-approach-fits-all answer to ethical choices in the working world, there are some steps we can take to help us make decisions that are consistent with biblical principles. However, one prerequisite is that we must acknowledge that there are certain tensions between faith and commerce that may never be fully resolved." (Emphasis – mine)

As Christians we will all agree that we are to love one another; that we are called to serve one another; that we are to speak the truth and be honest in all our dealings with one another; that, in fact, we are to do to others as we really would love them to do to us! In spite of that, we are faced with daily challenges to those beliefs – challenges that sometimes we succumb to, and quite often because we are used to acting in a certain (secular) way, we are not even conscious of what we’re doing.

Laura Nash, formerly of the Harvard Business School, interviewed the type of leader who "genuinely wrestles with his Christian conscience and business responsibilities in order to seek out as compatible a response as possible, even though he knows that the concept of being a ‘perfect’ Christian doing the ‘perfect Christian deed’ is beyond any human’s comprehension."

In her book entitled, "Believers in Business", she outlines seven points of tension faced by authentic Christians in the marketplace:

• The love for God and the pursuit of profit.
• Love and the competitive drive.
• People needs and profit obligations
• Humility and the ego of success.
• Family and work
• Charity and wealth
• Faithful witness in the secular city.

"She found that when Christians don’t shy away from these tensions but instead thoroughly grapple with them, they came up with unexpected, creative and workable solutions to what seemed at first blush to be insurmountable moral quagmires." (Lee Strobel)

This newsletter is going to be the first of a series I will be doing on the challenges or tensions Christians face in the marketplace – both as employers and as employees. I will try to address some of those tensions highlighted by Laura Nash – and especially within a South African context. I hope, through the series, to bring a number of these tensions into the light, and to give you insight into how to deal with them.

In the next newsletter, I will be dealing with the subject of ‘What is Work?"

However, I’m just as aware that if we begin to follow a set of legalistic rules in this regard, we are in danger of living by fear rather than by faith. If you’ll let me, I would like to be a father to you in this matter. I hope that as we progress through the subject, you’ll hear God’s wisdom, and like the sons of Issachar, will understand the times and know what you should do.

As we approach Christmas – a mere 14 days away – many of us feel the increasing pressure to buy things – things for ourselves and things for our loved ones. We get caught up in the urge to buy gifts; gifts we can’t really afford, and quite often which are not really needed by those we buy them for. We tend to accumulate more stuff at this time of the year than at any other time. A few years ago, these comments appeared in a Sunday newspaper:

"Consumers are set to embark on a record-breaking festive season spending spree despite fears of an interest rate hike…Domestic tourism will be lively, and consumer appetite for trinkets and toys, electronic equipment and fashion apparel will be strong…Rising consumer demand has spurred credit growth, taking household debt levels to eight-year peaks and sparking concern over sustainability."

Today, three years later, we are not faced with rising consumer demand, because times are a lot tougher, but it’s just as easy to give in to the temptation, unless we’re careful. Great danger lurks out there for Christians living in a world that is driven by greed and the need to possess.

I want these words to be intensely practical for each of you to follow. However, I believe I need to teach you about debt off a "wisdom" foundation. You see, there’s nothing in scripture that says "Thou shalt not borrow or lend money". Scripture is actually a bit confusing when it comes to this subject! At first glance, it appears in both the Old and New Testaments that lending is encouraged, especially amongst God’s people. At the same time, there are clear warnings that we should not be indebted to anyone for anything but love.

So I felt God saying, "Teach them to be wise at a time like this!" Listen to the words from Proverbs in this regard:

"My child, hold on to wisdom and good sense. Don’t let them out of your sight. They will give you life and beauty like a necklace around your neck. Then you will go your way in safety, and you will not get hurt. When you lie down, you won’t be afraid; when you lie down, you will sleep in peace. You won’t be afraid of sudden trouble; you won’t fear the ruin that comes to the wicked, because the LORD will keep you safe. He will keep you from being trapped." (Proverbs 3:21-26)

It’s not about a set of rules. It’s about applying some good, sound common sense. Much of what I’m going to say is based on what I have learned and applied in my own life.

Over the last few years we have been speaking about being an ‘apostolic’ people. To my mind, that means we are a People, full of the Spirit and Wisdom, who are called to take the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to our neighborhood and to the farthest ends of the earth. Since the Kingdom of God is all about His rule and His reign, in and through us, it follows that wherever we go, and whatever we do, it should always be with this in mind.

If we are in debt, we are not ruling or reigning, we are actually slaves to our lenders. Therefore, if we’re going to get on with the work God’s called us to, then we are going to have to deal with issues like this.

Apostolic people are those who have learned to overcome the obstacles in life and keep going. You may be a born-again, card-carrying, Spirit-filled, tongue-speaking, miracle-working Christian but, if you’re constantly in debt, you will not be experiencing the fullness of what God intends for you.
And, once you’re in debt, the temptation to do wrong (to sin) increases at an alarming rate. You may find that there is an unhealthy emphasis on money in your life; that you are inclined to lie about your financial situation, and you may even be stealing!!

These may appear to be harsh words but they’re true. My purpose in sharing them, though, is not to bring condemnation but hope. You don’t have to remain like this. And, in order to overcome this problem we have to avoid conforming to the "world’s" ways, and thinking like the "world" does.

An apostolic people are those with a different spirit to that of the world.

"But my servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely. …" (Numbers 14:24)

Caleb was faced with a number of disturbing facts – the way into the Promised Land was fraught with obstacles. But his focus was on the Promiser and the Promise and not on the problems. Were the problems going to go away? No! They were not! Was he going to have to face them? Yes! He was! Did he believe God was going to support him? Yes, he most certainly did! So he stepped out in faith.

As an apostolic people we too have our eyes firmly fixed on the Promiser and the Promise. Are our problems going to go away? Probably not! Is God going to be with us as we address them? Yes, he most certainly is! The promise to Caleb is a promise to us too but, like Caleb, we are going to have to THINK DIFFERENTLY to those who are in the world.

WHAT IS DEBT?

Firstly, we need to have a clear understanding of what "Debt" actually is. If you are in debt it means that you owe something to someone. It means that you have an obligation to that person. It can be said that you are "bound" to that person.
Debt has always been around. People have been borrowing from other people for ever, in one form or another. Their reasons for borrowing may have differed over the centuries, but essentially the concept is not something new. It used to be a personal thing between one person and another. It is now global, corporate, and even national as governments borrow from other governments. Though Debt has many forms it almost always involves Money, and this is the worst form.

Let me explain something about Debt:

• THE CREDIT SYSTEM

The Credit System, as it is most commonly known, really only came about after the Industrial Revolution. It has never been as rampant as it is today. In large parts of the World, it is estimated that the average person is born into debt.

This system has enabled us to have an amazing variety of consumer goods, (microwave ovens, TV’s and cell phones) many of which are not actually necessary. (we don’t need them to survive!) But, we feel we cannot do without them anymore! The problem is that the cost of these goods is increasing beyond our ability to pay for them! And this urge to posses has another unpleasant side-effect – as you buy more goods, you need more space to store them; and so you end up having to purchase bigger and bigger homes, which means you probably have to go more into debt to do so.

This system functions on future expectations. So, – for example, one person decides to make a table for resale. He doesn’t have the money for the wood or the tools to make it, so he borrows it from a bank. He makes the table and sells to another person who promises to pay him for it over the next 6 months. The buyer is a salaried employee and he has to work before he will be paid, and only when he is paid will he be able to pay the manufacturer, who will then pay the supplier of the raw material. During this whole process very little actual money changes hands. It’s all on paper in the form of agreements. It’s based on promises and commitments made about some future event, which may, or may not, happen. If we view this simple example from a national and corporate perspective, you can see very clearly how easy it is for whole economies to exist on the fragile foundation of a ‘paper’ commitment. It has no real substance – it’s like a house of cards – liable to collapse at any moment.

Within this system, we tend to buy things today in the hope that we can pay for them tomorrow, instead of saving today so that we can buy tomorrow.

The Credit system is a weapon which Satan (the enemy) uses very effectively. He uses it to create bondage/slavery to this present age. He doesn’t want us to live our lives today with an end-time, outcomes-based mindset. He wants us weighed down with the cares of this present age, so that our thought life is dominated by care, concern and anxiety, and not on the things of God.

• BONDAGE AND SLAVERY

The Bible tells us that:

"….the borrower is the slave of the lender." (Proverbs 22:7b)

Slavery has been ‘officially’ outlawed in most places in the world. In the years when it was tolerated, it often meant cruel and inhuman conditions for those who were slaves. Very often, in biblical times, people sold themselves into slavery in order to raise money or to repay their debts. This is the basis for that scripture in Proverbs 22:7. However, Hebrew Law commanded that a man who had become a slave to pay his debts should be freed in the seventh year of his service (Ex. 21:2). (What’s interesting though, is that no such law was given for setting free female debt slaves. Really tough on women isn’t it?)

We see a similar process in our law today. Someone who cannot pay his debts is eventually declared bankrupt by the court. For a period of ten years, he cannot legally purchase anything on credit again. The difference today is that there is almost no real punishment for someone who cannot repay his debts. (Other than having a bad credit record!) In fact, under the New Credit Act, people in debt even enjoy quite a lot of protection under the law. Much more lenient than being sold into slavery, isn’t it?

What many Christians do not realise today is that although physical bondage/slavery does not exist any longer, once we borrow money from someone, it creates a form of spiritual bondage – in other words, it has a supernatural implication. We become yoked (often unequally to unbelievers) to someone else and this bondage is only broken in the supernatural realm when the debt is paid.

Bondage to debt is one of the signs that the Mammon spirit has an influence in your life!

If you’re concerned about your own situation, some of the warning signals to look for are contained in the following questions which we need to ask of ourselves:

• Do my consumer debts (debt that has been created by buying food and clothing on credit instead of for cash.) total more than 15% of my annual take-home pay? For example, if my net salary is R60,000 per year (R5000 per month) and my consumer debts are more than R9000 in total, then I have a problem!
• Do I consistently only pay the bare minimum due each month on my credit card? In some cases, Banks allow credit limits far in excess of what we can afford. We can purchase goods for say, R2000, and then only have to pay back R200 per month on that debt. The problem with this is that the interest rates charged on credit cards is so high that you will take years to repay this debt at the minimum amount.
• Do I tend to add more expenses to my credit card than I can afford to pay off at the end of the same month? If you use a credit card at all, it should only be for security (rather than carrying cash; in this case I would prefer that you rather had a debit card which can only be used if you have money in the account.) reasons – never spend more than you can afford to pay in full at the end of the month!
• Do I find that I’m charging consumable items that were formerly purchased with cash, to an account? If you find that you’re purchasing food, clothing and fuel on account, in order to carry you through to the end of the month, it’s likely you’re spending more than you earn!
• Do I have an inner "lack of peace" about my consumer debt situation? Do you wake up at night worrying about how you’re going to pay your debts? Do you feel a real ‘check’ in your spirit before you make any credit purchase?
• Have I received any letters of demand about arrear payments? When this happens you’re already in trouble, and you need to seek help urgently.
• Am I able to save at least 10% of my take-home pay each month? We are recognised as a nation that does not save. If we don’t we could end up becoming a burden on others and on the state.

• TYPES OF DEBT

It is important at this point to explain the difference between "good" and "bad" debt, if there are such things.

Good Debt

• When you buy something that has a value in excess of the debt raised to pay for it, then one could call the debt "good" debt. A mortgage loan of R80,000, raised to buy a house worth R100,000 is an example.
• When you buy something which enables you to generate an income as a result. Purchasing a car-washing machine to wash cars for money is an example.

However, it can only be viewed as "good" debt if you

• Accept that it is not owned by you until it is paid for, 
• Are prepared to give it up if you cannot pay for it, and
• If you do have to give it up and it is sold, there should be no balance left still to pay.

Bad Debt.

This type of debt, however, is that which has been incurred in buying consumable goods (food, clothing, fuel, car repairs, music etc) today, with tomorrow’s money. Examples of this are, the "Fly-now, pay later" travel schemes, food and drink on credit cards, clothing on 6-months-to-pay accounts, and for me the worst of the lot, furniture on account. This is also known as Consumer Credit. This means that the goods you are buying are being consumed, used up, and therefore they do not exist for sale or repossession if you cannot afford to service the debt. You could argue that furniture is not really a consumable item and it will be available for repossession if you can’t meet your repayment plan, but in this case, it vitally important that we understand how these furniture shops operate: Most of them advertise that you can purchase, for example, a washing machine, for the sum of R250 per month. They are not just selling you a washing machine – a commodity, – they are selling you a product, which is three-fold:

• Goods (the washing machine).
• Finance (at exorbitant rates) and
•  A ‘warm’ feeling.

This method of marketing is particularly effective to the poorer people (who can least afford it) because it invokes a feeling of success, a form of self-esteem.

Back to the notorious furniture shops: First of all, the product they sell is retailed at a much higher price than what you could pay for it in a discount store. Secondly, they raise finance charges at rates not unlike those charged by some of the Cash Loan businesses. (Loan Sharks). And then to add insult to injury, they also add on an insurance (at a ridiculous premium) to cover unemployment. A lady who used to be in our church was the victim of one of these ‘deals’ and ended up paying over R8000 for an item that would have cost R2000 in a discount store. The worst part of it is that if you can’t repay the debt, they will repossess the goods, give you very little in return for it and then make you pay the balance anyway. And, you will pay and pay and pay and pay – mostly legal costs because they are deducted first – for what seems like forever.

Many people run up enormous amounts of "bad" debt and then find that they cannot afford to service it with their current incomes. Credit cards are particularly dangerous in this regard. They should only be used as a security convenience. In fact, if your credit card is constantly in a red-line situation, I suggest you cut it up!

Quite often, when people get into this situation they start "robbing Peter to pay Paul" and it eventually de-generates into total financial chaos, followed by all sorts of unrighteous behaviour. This just results in ‘black marks’ on credit records, and creates psychological wounds which can take years to heal. Even if you manage to avoid having to repay the debt, because the court declares you bankrupt, you must remember that the obligation remains – the bondage (slavery) remains – in the supernatural sense, until and unless it is repaid, or the lender releases you from that obligation.

The bible is quite clear about the non-repayment of debt – Psalm 37:21 tells us that in the Kingdom, the non-repayment of debt is considered to be wicked. "The wicked borrows and does not repay."

• GAMBLING

Lastly, in explaining just what Debt is, I believe it is a form of gambling. Gambling is all about taking a chance on some event which or may not happen in the future. If you purchase a lottery ticket, you are purchasing a wish, a dream that you may become rich if your number comes up. If you play the one-armed bandits at the casino, you are also hoping that your number comes up. When you buy on credit, you are also banking on your ability to repay the debt at some stage in the future. You have no knowledge that you may be employed in the future or whether you would even be alive!! You are therefore gambling when you buy on credit!

HANDLING EXISTING DEBT

If you have managed to get yourself into trouble financially, it is important to adopt the following responsible attitude to settling your debt, no matter how impossible it may sound.

• Step up to the debt. Acknowledge it to yourself (I owe money to this person.), and to your creditor by going to see him.
• Make an offer to repay the amount due over time. This must be calculated as the same proportion of what you have available to pay, as the specific debt is to your total debt. This may seem a ridiculously small amount in relation to the debt, but most creditors will accept payment terms if they’re going to recover the amount due to them. It is important, to get your creditor to agree to your offer. This eliminates any unrighteousness since a formal agreement will have been reached.
• Then make sure that you meet this commitment every month. This is all about accountability.

Once you have adopted this attitude an amazing thing happens, – God gets involved! Why? – Because God always gets involves in acts of righteousness.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matt.5:6)

Once that process of righteousness has been activated, the rule and reign of God is introduced into the equation. The debt becomes subject to His supernatural power and He will provide the means to overcome. Not only is the debt very often repaid ahead of schedule, it restores your name, which gives glory to God. In the short term it may put you under financial pressure, but in the long term it will give you peace.

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred. (Proverbs 15:16-17)

DOES THIS MEAN WE SHOULD NEVER GET INTO DEBT?

No, it doesn’t! However, Paul said this:

"Do not owe people anything, except always owe love to each other, because the person who loves others has obeyed all the law."(Romans 13:8)

That statement is often used by Christians against any form of debt. Paul, however, is using it in the context of being committed to love one another rather than in the context of going into debt.

You may need to borrow money from a bank to start up a business, so that you can earn an income and employ other people, and fund the apostolic mission at the same time. Businesses which employ large numbers of people and expensive equipment would find it very difficult to finance their operations without the assistance of lending institutions. Banks are able to provide this capital, even though the interest costs can be high.

What is important for everyone to consider is that you never go into a debt situation without first obtaining wise counsel. And there is plenty of wise counsel in the Church! Is your plan to make money going to work, and will it make enough to pay off the debt? You may even need to obtain some form of collateral, perhaps in the form of a suretyship (a guarantee) from someone else, to raise that loan capital. But hang on, you say, doesn’t the bible speak out against suretyships?

SURETYSHIP

This scripture from Proverbs 6:1-2 (and others) is often used by people against suretyship.

"My child, be careful about giving a guarantee for somebody else’s loan, about promising to pay what someone else owes. You might get trapped by what you say; you might be caught by your own words."

However, Scripture does not flatly prohibit suretyship. In fact, it offers several examples which indicate that guaranteeing a loan can be a form of service to others, and even a testimony of love and the self-sacrificial spirit that lies at the heart of the gospel: The patriarch Judah volunteered to be "collateral" for his younger half-brother Benjamin (Gen. 43:8-9). Joseph was overwhelmed by this willingness of Judah to place himself at risk (Gen. 44:32; 45:11). Judah was demonstrating the kind of self-sacrifice that Jesus later urged His followers to practice. Paul became surety for the runaway slave Onesimus (Philemon. 10-13, 18-19). Paul did not incur this risk foolishly. He knew Onesimus quite well (Philemon. 12). Nonetheless, Paul’s act was a marvelous display of the grace of Christ.

In light of these models, there may be times when guaranteeing a loan not only makes sense, but gives us an opportunity to demonstrate in concrete terms the redeeming work of Christ. Please, however, make sure it is done wisely, and after obtaining counsel.

For example, a wise and financially able believer could offer to become surety for someone who needs help in buying equipment or tools to earn a living. He could explain in the process that what he is doing is a lot like what Jesus has done for us. Thus the person providing the guarantee would not only be sharing the gospel, but showing the gospel as well.

WHAT IF YOU’RE THE LENDER?

The bible is very clear about one thing, – we should be prepared and willing to lend to anyone (even our enemies) and without expecting to be repaid.

"If you lend things to people, always hoping to get something back, what praise should you get? Even sinners lend to other sinners so that they can get back the same amount! But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy." (Luke 6:34-36)

For me, this means that we should actually consider not lending, but GIVING. In fact, as far as Christians are concerned, I would advise that if you are not prepared to GIVE, then you shouldn’t lend either. If I lend money to a brother Christian it can create problems between us. He feels bound to me if he can’t pay for some reason; and I might feel irritated with him. This can create resentment in him, and so on! It can result in broken relationships between Christians.

SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO MANAGE TO LIVE ON A SMALL MONTHLY INCOME?

I would like to suggest that the first and best decision we need to make is this: JUST DON’T DO DEBT!

No matter what (unless lives are at stake) – don’t get into "bad" debt for any reason, and only use "good" debt once you’ve been wisely counseled. If you need a new stove, save up until you have enough cash to pay for it. Better still, take your need to God and the elders of the church, for there should be none among us with needs!

I began this teaching with a quote from Proverbs because I believe that whether we go into or debt or not is actually about being wise.

In closing I would like to quote from the Proverbs again:

"Listen carefully to what wise people say; pay attention to what I am teaching you. It will be good to keep these things in mind so that you are ready to repeat them. I am teaching them to you now so that you will put your trust in the LORD. Have I not written you excellent things of counsels and knowledge? I am teaching you true and reliable words so that you can give true answers to anyone who asks." (Prov. 22:17-20)

THE AUTHOR:

This article was written by Gary Smith for the use of members of Grace Generation Church, Pietermaritzburg. Gary is an elder in the church. The article is drawn from a teaching presented to the church In November 2005 by Gary, a recording of which is available from the GraceGen church office.