So what is the best choice in the business world? Is it to allow capitalism free reign or to
support social laws that limit it? If
the former, it is easy to see that working conditions will degrade, wages will
fall, and profits will soar. If the
latter, costs will soar, profits will climb, and working conditions will maintain
themselves. Soaring costs are a
legitimate problem, since rising costs do weaken the economy and cause a lot of
pain for everyone. In the former case,
soaring profits helps grow the economy, creates jobs, and economic prosperity
for at least some.
Jesus did say that we will always have the poor among us, and
so in some ways, I suppose this position is justifiable. Of course, people can find scripture and other
ways of justifying just about anything.
The question ultimately is whether or not it is right for
the boss to live in a mansion surrounded by luxury while their employees
struggle to live in a trailer park? We
could say all kinds of things like, “everyone has an equal opportunity to
better themselves.” Quite frankly that
is not true, and besides, not everyone can be a boss. Not everyone can own their company. Some people are given the opportunity to have
such a position. It is not, however, “given”
in the sense that Obama would have us believe.
Obama would have us believe that what we have is given to us by the
country or worse—by the government. Ultimately,
for the Christian, the only thing we can rightly believe is that what we have
was given to us by God.
If we believe that, then it must also follow that we are
given these things in the same sense that the master gave his servants the
money and expected them to invest it and grow it for his purposes. So the point then is that a business owner is
given stewardship over what they have, not ownership. (The same is absolutely true of all of the
resources we have, whether we are a business owner or not.) To that end, they are ultimately responsible
for the living they grant to those in their care. Does this mean that it doesn’t matter how
hard a person works—that they should be given a wage irregardless of their effort? Certainly not. Good work should be rewarded. But
think about this from the perspective of the kingdom
of God
Even a negative action such as firing/laying off must be
seen in a loving way. It may be that
saying, “you need to try harder at your work, and so I am laying you off so
that you will eventually be more responsible” is the most loving thing that you
can do.
Ultimately we are responsible for not only our own actions,
but the actions which we support. When
you spend a dollar, what do you support?
Are you supporting slave labor whether in this country or others? Are you putting someone else in poverty so
that you may have your luxury? Most of
us are ignorant about the ramifications of our buying choices. But those of us who are given knowledge and
the ability to choose must choose wisely and with the knowledge that our master
will return soon.
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