The Work Ethic

Background Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:6–13;
Lesson Scripture: Proverbs 24:27, 30–34; 20:4; 6:6–8;

Introduction

Ethics are defined as moral principles that govern a person’s behavior and activities. A Christian’s work ethic becomes evident in how he conducts his daily life. A Christian employee is ethical in all he does. A self-employed Christian is honest and faithfully manages his work.

God has placed us into His creation, and He did not arrange a free ride for us. It takes an effort to make a living so we can eat, sleep, and care for ourselves and our dependents. When Adam sinned in Eden, the Lord told him he would eat bread by the sweat of his face. Adam’s sentence has been passed on to all his descendants, and work remains critical to our existence and well-being. How can we manage our time to provide for both our physical sustenance and our spiritual health?

Key Verse

Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord (Rom. 12:11).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day He rested. He used the same pattern when He gave the fourth commandment, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work” (Exod. 20:8–9). God gave this guidance so man would establish his priorities in a way that would be a blessing to him. God blesses those who use their time constructively, whether working or resting.

The first verse in the lesson passage encourages us to first have a way to provide daily sustenance before acquiring the conveniences of life. If we build our home or purchase a costly vehicle before we really know what we can afford, hoping it will all work out somehow, we are inviting financial difficulties. It is wise to establish ourselves in steady work with a stable income and then build our house, purchasing what we can afford. We place undue stress and pressure on ourselves and our families when we fail to follow this principle.

Fields and lawns overgrown with weeds are an obvious result of slothfulness. This lack of motivation likely reveals itself in our daily employment as well. Similarly, the way we look after our natural life will often be the way we conduct our spiritual life. It will grow weedy and fruitless if we neglect it. When Christian life becomes less than fulfilling, it affects our work ethic. We become more concerned about the amount of money we earn and quitting time than about doing an honest day’s work.

Diligence, punctuality, self-denial, and good stewardship are all part of good work ethics. They apply to our temporal life and our spiritual life as well as in the Lord’s work.

Practical Truths for Today

Christian parents must be careful to teach their children godly ethics, remembering that this training will be basic to their future happiness. The primary lesson a child learns at home is submission, and that lesson continues to be learned as he goes through school. A child who lacks submission will have difficulties in school and later in the labor force. When a young person begins his first job, the difference between an ethical, humble worker and one who has not learned to submit soon becomes apparent. The one who has learned submission is a pleasure to work with while the one who wants his own way tends to think he is being treated unfairly and, consequently, is unhappy.

Wise parents teach their children to be diligent in doing their chores and to apply themselves in the responsibilities they give them. They teach them to pay attention to Mom’s orders—to complete their tasks in a timely manner and then report back. Students in school are taught to be diligent in their studies. Assignments need to be finished, if not in school, then as homework. With these constructive work habits as a basis for adulthood, young people need not fear to enter the work force.

We all hope to find a job within our capabilities; however, we begin on the bottom rung of the ladder of seniority. Our employer will train us, and wages will be paid accordingly. This is a time of learning. We should put our best efforts into our work, even if it is not what we eventually want to do. It is important to give our employer our best, remembering that he is paying for our time. Humility and self-denial make this much easier.

Honesty and integrity are an integral part of good work ethics. “Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men” (2 Cor. 8:21). When we make a mistake on the job or things do not work out the way we wish they would, our employer will appreciate an honest apology. Trying to hide a mistake will only put us in the difficult situation of trying to justify ourselves. Employers establish rules for the safety and productivity of their employees. For example, because of possible distractions, an employer may require that personal phones are not brought into the workplace. Godly integrity requires us to obey this rule as well as any others.

Disgruntled employees can create an atmosphere of hostility at work. An undercurrent of dissatisfaction with wages, working conditions, or fellow workers has a way of spreading. This attitude can gain strength as it influences more and more of the employees. In a certain workplace where there was unrest among the employees, the manager inquired as to what was causing the stress. Though it is not wise to tattle, someone suggested that the negative influence was coming from an individual employee. When this person left, so did the undercurrent. This type of worker agitation has become prevalent in today’s climate of personal rights. We need to be careful to not get involved with any agitation, either as an instigator or participant.

Though to be an employee is not an inferior way to make a living, many people look forward to a time when they can be self-employed. As owners, we will need the same humility we needed as employees, realizing that to own a business brings with it added responsibilities. Included in these responsibilities is scheduling work. We must be careful when a job is offered that we want and mean to do it but know we have another job or two that we also have promised. Making promises that we cannot keep is a form of dishonesty. This can apply whether we are hauling grain, building a customer’s home, repairing a farmer’s equipment, maintaining a client’s yard, or just working at everyday farming. Those who do not keep their word will have unhappy customers and neighbors and a troubled heart. Those who do a quality job on time seem to have enough work to provide a living.

If things go wrong and a customer’s animals do not thrive because of wrong feed we supplied, we should admit it. If an engine in equipment fails because of our error, the paint peels on a building we recently painted, or we sent out the wrong parts, we should take responsibility and own our mistake. If we stand behind our work and cover any extra expense, our reputation will not be damaged. Instead of losing confidence in our work, the customer will respect our honesty and integrity. He will very likely become a loyal customer.

The psalmist said, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Ps. 37:25). Some people seem to feel that the world owes them a living, while ­others are driven by an unrealistic desire to be financially successful. As men we have the responsibility to be the breadwinners in our homes. Our wives and children depend on us to provide a living. As we humbly commit our way to the Lord and pray for His direction in choosing a vocation, He will provide for us. It may not be our dream job but a way to earn a living.

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things” (1 Cor. 9:25). As young fathers apply themselves in their occupation, it is good to consider the spiritual needs of the family together with the temporal needs. A temperate spirit will help to balance the needs of both. If a sacrifice must be made, let it not be the spiritual part, because that is eternal whereas making a living is only for time.

Financially successful parents may have the means to provide easy money for their children and possibly eventually even provide their livelihood. Though it is not wrong to help our children, we must be careful to not take away the sense of satisfaction they find in working to provide for themselves and their families. There is a saying, “The third generation loses the business.” The first generation labors hard, making many sacrifices to establish the business or farm. The second generation carries on with the parent’s work ethics, still putting much effort into keeping the business profitable. The third generation can often float on the success of past generations, squandering the equity built by former workers and miss the reward of working hard and the satisfaction of a job well done.

God calls some of His children to serve Him in mission away from home. When the Lord calls workers to the great work of spreading the gospel and alleviating misery through humanitarian projects, He usually calls those who are busy at home. He calls those with good work ethics in both their temporal and spiritual lives; these same ethics will be used in mission work. When a call from the Lord is felt, take it to your minister and deacon and counsel with them. Prove with them as to whether the call is of the Lord, whether it is timely, and whether the financial obligations are in order. Let us not be so absorbed in “making it” financially and expanding our business that we close the door to mission service. We can trust God that He will help us take care of our finances so that they are not a hindrance to His work.

Questions

1. What are some things we face that challenge our ethics?
2. How can a husband and wife help each other place their priorities properly?
3. What should a Christian employee do if his employer asks him to do something he cannot conscientiously do?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).