The Art of Peace

Recently, I watched a History Channel documentary on Sun Tzu and the Art of War. If you aren't familiar with it, Sun Tzu was a general in a Chinese province more than 2500 years ago. According to the documentary, Sun Tzu's province, Wu, was under attack from a neighbor. Sun Tzu taught his emperor how to win in combat and later recorded the principles in written form. He emphasized deception, misdirection, and mistrust.

The Art of War has become quite popular, not just as military strategy (it is taught at every military academy), but also as a way of doing business. I searched for "art of war business" on Amazon and had over 500 hits. These are the first six:
• The Art of War for Executives: Ancient Knowledge for Today’s Business Professional
• Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers
• Sun Tzu—the Art of War for Managers: 50 Strategic Rules Updated for Today’s Business
• Sun Tzu for Success: How to Use the Art of War to Master Challenges and Accomplish the
Important Goals in Your Life.
• Sun Tzu for Women: The Art of War for Winning in Business

Look at that list. I can guess how the strategies proposed by those books compare to the Bible. Jesus advocated turning the other cheek and loving your enemies. Those strategies wouldn't go far in war.

But that's just the point. According to Jesus, your workplace isn't a warzone. You might say, "well, He hasn't seen where I work," but He has. And it doesn't matter what the other people around you are doing. They may be well versed in the Art of War, but you are supposed to respond with the Art of Peace. Paul tells the Romans to be at peace with those around them. And the Church was about to face intense persecution in Rome, probably worse than what you or I experience at work.

The next time you're tempted to maneuver for political advantage at work at someone else's expense, remember the Art of Peace. You're unlikely to win any wars with it, but your General is already taking care of what matters.

The Shrewd Manager

Luke 16:1-12

I have to confess that this is one of those passages that I don't fully understand. It seems that a manager was accused of mishandling his boss's wealth. The boss put the manager on notice that he was about to be fired. The manager had no skills or marketable ability. So he went to all of the people who owed the boss money. He basically gave big discounts to some of the debtors, hoping that they would appreciate the generosity and return the favor, hiring him once he was fired. One of the commentaries that I looked at for this passage suggests that the manager was charging extra interest and skimming off the top. So he credited the interest back to the debtors, asking them to pay only the principal. Under this interpretation, he was dishonest in charging more than was due and had helped himself to the extra, and this latest act was a return to honesty. That interpretation has the advantage of making sense of the story in a way that brings admiration to the honest character that the manager becomes. But in a way, I think that takes away part of the point that Jesus is trying to make. Look at verses 8 and 9. First, the boss commends the "dishonest manager." It doesn't say the reformed, dishonest manager. There's no indication that he's being commended for honesty. Second, Jesus says that "the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." As I read this, I don't hear Jesus praising the honesty of the manager. It seems to me that Jesus is pointing out the manager's cleverness in making friends, in using his resources to his advantage.

But even that interpretation could be questioned because then Jesus goes on to praise trustworthiness, which perhaps does support the interpretation of the dishonest manager becoming honest.

I don't pretend to have all of the answers here. But even in the midst of a passage that is difficult to interpret, I think there is an important workplace lesson. Look at verse 9: "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." We all have different resources in our organization, and some of those resources are based on who you know. Again, I don't have the key to unlock everything here, but I think part of the application is to use what you have to honor God. If you're friends with the facilities manager at your work, how can you use that to serve God? If you know the person in charge of corporate giving, how can you use your position to advance God's Kingdom. So part of the thing here is learning to make use of the connections that you have for God's glory. But part of the lesson is also making those connections in the first place. Get to know the people in your organization. Use your position to build relationships with people. The Bible talks in other places about being duplicitous and some of the other negative aspects of office politics. But here, Jesus may be talking about positive office politics. Build relationships. Get to know people. Those relationships may be something that you can use to honor God down the road.

Deny Yourself and Follow Me

Matthew 16:24-26; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-24

This is another one of those passages that really makes a good "theme" verse for what this blog is all about. "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." What does that really mean in the 21st century? What does it mean at work? It's not language we're really used to in every day conversations. Obviously, this verse applies to every part of our lives. But since this blog is about Christianity in the workplace, let me share some of what I think this verse means regarding work.

I think, first and foremost, it means that we need to resist our human nature toward ambition at any cost. I don't think that's a univeral trait because I've seen people who are not overly driven by ambition, but I think it is a common trait. We want to succeed. We want to be the best. And being the best means that others around us are not the best. Sometimes, our winning means they have to lose. But that's ok, because we have to be the best. There is a sense that any sacrifice is ok if it means that we advance, that we are recognized as "the best" or "among the best" at whatever it is that we do. And so relationships, family, integrity, it all may fall prey to the drive to achieve.

As I've posted before, God wants us to be good at what we do, to use our talents to His glory. We need to do quality work. But we're not supposed to be working to achieve our own glory. We're to do quality work because we're working for God's glory, not our own. So that's really the first part of today's passage--deny yourself, which might mean "deny your drive to accomplish your own glory" at work.

Then second, pick up your cross and follow Christ. Being Chrisitan at work makes you different, makes you stand out from the crowd. Your talk is different. You don't lie or gossip. You respect authority, even when the boss is not looking. Those things may make you the subject of ridicule from your coworkers, who laugh at you for being soft and not cut-throat enough. You may miss out on promotions because you turn the other cheek instead of going for the kill. That's why following Christ means picking up a cross.

It's not the easy road. And contrary to some popular wisdom, it won't win you fortunes and fame. So why do it? First, because look at how much you've been loved. That's enough right there. But if you need more motivation, Jesus gives it two verses later: "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Does your success in your job, at the expense of so many other things, get you anything in the long run? I'm talking about the really long run here. At the end of everything, you won't be taking anything that you've earned with you. It won't matter how many deals you've closed, how much overtime you've logged, or how many people you had to climb over to claw your way to the top. It won't matter whether you had the corner office on the top floor or whether you worked as a clerk in the mail room. The only thing that will matter is Jesus.

He calls to you: "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me." What do you say to Him?

Let Your Yes Be Yes...

James 5:12

Jesus said it first, and James re-emphasizes it here. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Say what you mean. I think many times we get caught up in saying what people want to hear. It's part of office politics. And don't get me wrong, I do think a certain amount of audience analysis is a good thing. But when everything is said and done, you need to say what you mean and follow through with anything you commit to. When you say one thing, mean it. If you say that you'll do something, then do it. Don't be duplicitous. It's a great thing when people know they can take you at your word.

Be Subject to Your Boss

Titus 2:9-10

Again, this passage is about the master-slave relationship, but it is still applicable to workplaces in our culture. Paul says that Titus should "teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them." Isn't that interesting. We, as employees, should act as subjects of our supervisors in everything. Paul talked with Timothy about some of the negative manifestations of office politics like gossip and quarrels, but here, Paul says to teach some of the positive ways that employees can engage in office politics--try to do what is helpful to your supervisor and talk respectfully to him or her. That's not brown-nosing or any other idiom you want to use for it. It's just building good relationships. It's not being a yes-man or yes-woman. Disagreement may be the most helpful thing you can do in some circumstances, though you can still disagree respectfully. Our society teaches us that being "subject" to anyone means that we are inferior. I don't think that is how Paul is seeing it. Paul is saying that this person has authority over you by virtue of a position. You responsibility is to show yourself trustworthy and to demonstrate Christ. You can do both in respectful submission to a supervisor.

In the next chapter, Paul talks about submission to government authorities, but those lessons might also be applicable at work. Be obedient. Don't slander your supervisor. Be peaceable. Be considerate and act with humility. All of these paint a picture, not of the rebel looking out for Number One, but for someone who understands the hierarchy of his/her workplace, who respects it, and who is more concerned about reflecting the attitude of Christ than making sure that his/her ego is inflated. Rather than seeing your boss as a threat, consider treating him or her as someone to whom you should submit. Then look for ways to help him/her with work, to "try to please." It will likely take some time, but you may be amazed at the way God moves in your workplace.

Quarrels and Gossip

2 Timothy 2:14-16 , 23-24

This passage is also not specfically about work, but I think it's certainly related. There are three keys to living in these verses, each of which applies to workplaces. First, try to avoid quarrels. I think this specifically relates to arguments over smaller issues. Second, work in such a way as to not be ashamed. Make sure that, if your actions were public knowledge, you would not be ashamed for people to know what you're doing. Third, avoid godless chatter. You might think about that as gossip.

One thing occurs to me as I read this passage. All three things relate to some of the negative aspects of office politics. Quarrels/coalitions, backroom deals, and slander seem to be tools of the office politics. Something to remember as you relate to those around you. There are positive aspects to office politics as well--building good relationships, acting credibly, helping others. These are better ways to handle the informal side of work.