This Insight is the third in a series on being a Christian Employer.  Remember, we have said that there is no such thing as a ‘Christian’ business – only Christians IN business.  Christian business owners – employers – have a vital role to play, both with their Christian employees, but even more so with their non-Christian employees.  Business owners, who are Christians, are more on display to unbelievers, than Christian employees.  They will be closely watched, and nowhere else do they have a greater opportunity to display the glory of God, than in the workplace.  With this in mind, let’s continue having a look at the characteristics of  a Christian employer, through the model of Jesus himself.

• 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.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 10:25 am and is filed under Christians in Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.