Can leaders be Christians as well as businessmen?
We carry this idea that the Church is spiritual and all business issecular. And we think thatthe spiritual should never intermingle with the secular.The result is that many people livedouble lives. They areChristians first on Sunday morning, but in the workplace they arebusinessmen first and not so much Christians.
Interestingly enough, when considering men suitable for leading Christ’s Church, Paul instructs Timothy to find men who manage their own familieswell and who have childrenwho show proper obedience and respect. If a leadercannot manage his home well,how canhe manage the church?And Paul says that a leader must also have a good reputation with outsiders and be temperate, self-controlled, and respectable. The leader mustnot be given to drunkenness, not be violent,but be gentle, must not be quarrelsome, and must not be a lover of money. (1 Timothy 3)
There is hardly an exception to this rule: As goes the leader, so goes the marriage, and so goes the children, and so goes his work relationships. What is your reputationwith your wife and your children? And how about with your fellow employees? Character isn’t forged in the pew. Character is forged in the home, in the workplace, and in the midst of adversity.
Character is how devoted you remain to Christ while living and working in a secular world. Character is what you do when you are given authority over other people. It's the restraint you show when given a chance to make some serious money. It's what happens to your family as you pursue success. It's how you treat people along the way who frustrate your goals and ambitions. Few things will give you a glimpse into the character of a man than the way heruns his home or business.
The first century economy was built around the master-slave relationship.
I told you last week that the first century economy was built around the master-slave relationship. And yes, it was filled with all the horrors and abuses you might imagine. Christianity transformed the master-slave relationship by insisting that masters and slaves see themselves as servants of Christ first and brothers in the Lord second. Each was to do what was mutually beneficial to the other.
Per Colossians 3:22-24 (NIV) slaves were instructed to,"...obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Per Colossians 3:25-4:1 (NIV) masters were warned,"Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven."
This week read the book of Philemon. It's just 15 verses!Philemon is about a slave named Onesimus who runs away from his master,Philemon, probably because he was being treated harshly. Ironically, both Onesimus and Philemon become Christians. Though Philemon has full authority to do with Onesimus whatever he chooses, Paul appeals to Philemon to receive Onesimus back not as a slave,but better than a slave. He is to receive him as a brother in the Lord. Paul argues that Onesimus will have more value when treated as a brother than when treated as a slave.
Philemon and Onesimus' relationship wasn’t just transformed by Christ. It was revolutionized by Christ!Once Christ became central in each man’s life, the master-slave hierarchy became obsolete.Their relationship with Christ compelled them to look not to just their own interests, but also to the interests of each other! As a brother, Onesimus would become more productive. Together, they would become more prosperous.
When you remove Christ from the workplace, the dynamic of the old master-slave relationship begins to creep back in. One advances at the expense of the other. One is exploited for the gain of the other. One party typically begins to violate the rights and basic principles of fairness of the other. If Christ could break the chains of the master-slave hierarchy, imagine what he could do in our workplaces.Imagine what would happen if both employer and employee were guided by a deeper ethic.
The ethic for employees is Colossians 3:22-25. Employees,it is your duty (in the Lord) to give your employer your absolute best and to be grateful for the work he/she has provided. It is your duty to work with complete integrity, to glorify God in every aspect of your job, and to be motivated by heavenly rewards, a heavenly payoff. You areto trust God to settle your accounts wherever there is wrongdoing. But these same verses outline a compelling ethic for the employer and manager. Allow me to go verse by verse and explain their application to employers.
Principle numberone: Set clear boundaries for your employees.
Colossians 3:22 (NIV) begins, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything..."For a workplace to function properly, there must be a clear distinction of roles.There is the owner/manager (traditionally the master) and there is the employee (traditionally the slave). Yes, one party is always exercising authority over the other.
Authority is God’s design, not man’s design. God has always used authority to bring order to human relationships. We balk at the notion of authority whenever authority becomes abusive. But authority is a beautiful thing when all parties are submissive to Christ. Wives cherish their husbands' authority in the home when the husbands are first and foremost serving Christ. They resent and rebel against their husbands when such authority is abused.
In the Bible, Jesus Christ is our chief authority.He is the Lord of the universe. In the home it is the husband who is the head, and in the workplace it is the employer/owner who is the head. The employer sets the direction. The employer leads.The employer instructs. There cannot be ten directions. There needs to be just one. What destroys workplaces is too many chiefs and unclear lines of authority. Who is in charge here? Who am I accountable to?
Principle number two: Employers must set clear expectations.
Colossians 3:22 speaks of slaves obeying their earthly masters in everything. There cannot be obedience without clear direction. There are few things more frustrating than working for someone who doesn’t give clear expectations. When I was in high school I was fired from a job on the first day because I didn’t take my break at the proper time. Later in the shift the supervisor saw me sitting on the job drinking a coke and fired me! The problem was that she never told me the rules! The next day I bypassed her, and pleaded my case to the factory owner. Igot a second chance.
If you are a manager of people you owe it to your employees to define exactly what you expect of them. Yes, there are lazy employees. But often it’s the manager who becomes lazy and fails to provide clear direction. What is my job? What is expected? What are my parameters? What is my quota? How am I doing? The primary cause of failure in workplace relationships is the absence of candid, timely feedback.
Principle number three: Give space for your employees to succeed.
Colossians 3:22 speaks of obeying masters not only when their eye is on you, but at all times. If you are a manager, you need to pay close attention to your employees. You need to know their concerns, their frustrations, and what’s impacting their morale. But you also need to give them space to succeed. Watch their work closely, but do not micromanage. Your goal is to empower, to equip, to develop your workforce, to build their capacity, and to teach them to think and solve problems.
When you micromanage people, essentially distrusting their abilities, employees don’t learn to think for themselves or solve problems. Not wanting to displease you, they’ll pass all their work back to you and they'll remain dependent."What do you think about this? How do I solve this? What should I do when?So-n-so called and I don’t know what to say."
If you are a manager, challenge your employees. Encourage them to take risks and solve problems. Encourage them to find the right answers. Allow some controlled crisis to unfold to allow them to develop new skills and better thinking. Leave them alone for a while and see how they do. Empower, unleash, and encourage them. Or drown in the work your codependent workforce throws back on your plate.
Principle number four: Expect excellence from your employees.
Thereis never a circumstance when an employee shouldn’t givehis personal best tohis job. Colossians 3:23 speaks of working with all your heart. The employer-employee relationship is not a marriage. It's a contractual relationship. The contract is that you give your best to advance each other’s interests. When one party stops givinghis best, it’s time to investigate. What is going on? What has changed?
What I would say is to not tolerate a D or F student. If an employee is unmotivated, stubborn, refuses to learn, and won’t discusshis performance,then lethim go, for both your sakes. You will spend twice as much energy on a poor employee than if you just did the job yourself.He may fit better in another job.
If you have a C student, kickher in the pants. C students don’t live up to their potential. They’re used to coasting by with minimal effort and maximum personality. Theirparents and other people have bailed them out their whole lives. They never take responsibility. They take the easy path and they let important things slip. Outline your expectations, equip them to succeed, and train them some more. But if they don’t respond,move them on.
If you have a B or an A student, reward them generously. Let hershare in your wealth. You get what you reward. If you reward a C effort because of some misguided idea of fairness, you will get more C effort. Remember that God condemned the wicked and lazy servant, and his talent was given to others.
Principle number five: Have a larger dream than creating wealth.
In Colossians 3:24 Paul speaks of receiving an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.Employers who set their affection on wealth fall into trouble and hardship. It’s not money itself, but the love of money,obsession and preoccupation with money, that is the root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)
Wealth is always a means to something greater. But to what? What is your dream? What value is there in making hundreds of thousands or millions if you’ve never led your employees to Christ? When you die you lose everything. But if you invest it in building Christ’s kingdom, you can impact people for eternity. Enjoy the first fruits of your work. Live well. But give generously to those things that matter for eternity: people.
Principle number six: Ruthlessly eliminate favoritism in the workplace.
Colossians 3:25-4:1 (NIV) says, "Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven."
What is right and fair is often in the eye of the beholder. No one knows this more than an employer!Few things destroy the morale of your workforce more than favoritism. Everyone should have the opportunity to succeed regardless of their gender, race, skin color, age, or nationality. Be extremely careful about hiring family members and friends. They often misrepresent you, and can become abusive to other employees. Avoid playing favorites. Don’t be deceived by an employee’s flattery or self-promotion. Investigate and discover who the real contributors are and reward them accordingly. Hint: It’s probably the quiet ones.
Principlenumber seven:You are accountable to the Lord always.
Colossians 4:1 (NIV) says, "Provide what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven."
Keep in mind that you are more than a manager. You are a steward of everything God has given you. Be faithful in all that you do. Jesus said if you arefaithful with little, you will be faithful with much. And he also said that whatever measure you use, the same will be measured to you. Be generous and graceful in all things. Don’t give your employees cause to take you to court or to call your reputation into question. Honor the Lord in everything, big and small, seen and unseen.