God gives us a lot of amazing gifts. There's salvation. And that would be enough. But He showers down blessings on us, even in times that are tough.
But there's one thing that God will never give. God will never give us the right or the responsibility to take revenge. God says, "it is mine to avenge" (Deuteronomy 32:35). Leviticus 19:18 says "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself." New Testament writers also emphasized that this means Christians should not look for revenge on their enemies. Paul told the Romans not to take revenge (Romans 12:19) and the writer of Hebrews told his readers that revenge belongs to God (Hebrews 10:30).
There will always be people who cross us at work. It's part of dealing with other people, people who are also sinners. When they do, the temptation is to look for ways that we can get them back. When you do that, you are judging between you and them. You are saying that they are wrong and need to be punished. And God warns that He, and He alone, is able to do that.
Showing posts with label Revenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Revenge. Show all posts
Friday, August 5, 2011
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Love Your Enemies...What About Your Coworkers?
Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-35
The Bible is replete with the idea of love. John 4 says that describes the very nature of God as being love ("God is love"). In the two passages listed above, Jesus tells his followers to love their enemies. That doesn't seem right. Jesus, are you sure you got that right? Didn't you mean love your friends? It's pretty counter intuitive to love your enemies. And I don't think that Jesus is talking about loving them with the motivation that Paul mentions in Romans 12:20 of "heaping coals onto their heads." If that's the only motivation that gets you to show kindness to a rival, I suppose that's better than nothing. But I think, given the context of each passage, I think Jesus means to show genuine regard for your enemies. Watch out for them. Treat them, not with hostility, but with kindness. You've probably experienced a coworker or two that, while you might not use the term "enemy," they certainly weren't on the same side as you. We prefer "rival" or "competitor" in a business setting. How can you love your rivals? If a coworker is competing with you for the same promotion, how can you love him or her? Jesus says that everyone loves those who help them and are likely to love back. But Jesus demonstrated love for us, before we loved him (Romans 5: 6-8).
Perhaps one way to show love is to smile. Genuinely, not the kind of smile that says "I'm really angry on the inside." Perhaps a genuine compliment to your rival or about your rival to someone else. Maybe making sure he or she has equal access to information or to face-time with your boss. I don't think that loving your enemy means that you automatically cede the promotion to him or her. But perhaps making sure that you are judged on merits, not on any unfair advantage that tilts your way. And then, whether you get the promotion or not, be sure to be gracious in winning or in losing.
Another way to show love is forgiveness if someone wrongs you. I'll have a post in the not too distance future that focuses specifically on forgiveness. Forgiving others who cheat you, lie to you, or in any other way wrong you is a central part of turning the other cheek. Loving your enemies means not seeking revenge.
What are some other ways you can love your rivals? And what would the outcome be if you did that? I know it's tempting to say that they'd take advantage of you, and that may be very true in the short term. But what would happen long term? For the most part, Jesus never won over most of His rivals, but look at what happened because He loved them anyway.
The Bible is replete with the idea of love. John 4 says that describes the very nature of God as being love ("God is love"). In the two passages listed above, Jesus tells his followers to love their enemies. That doesn't seem right. Jesus, are you sure you got that right? Didn't you mean love your friends? It's pretty counter intuitive to love your enemies. And I don't think that Jesus is talking about loving them with the motivation that Paul mentions in Romans 12:20 of "heaping coals onto their heads." If that's the only motivation that gets you to show kindness to a rival, I suppose that's better than nothing. But I think, given the context of each passage, I think Jesus means to show genuine regard for your enemies. Watch out for them. Treat them, not with hostility, but with kindness. You've probably experienced a coworker or two that, while you might not use the term "enemy," they certainly weren't on the same side as you. We prefer "rival" or "competitor" in a business setting. How can you love your rivals? If a coworker is competing with you for the same promotion, how can you love him or her? Jesus says that everyone loves those who help them and are likely to love back. But Jesus demonstrated love for us, before we loved him (Romans 5: 6-8).
Perhaps one way to show love is to smile. Genuinely, not the kind of smile that says "I'm really angry on the inside." Perhaps a genuine compliment to your rival or about your rival to someone else. Maybe making sure he or she has equal access to information or to face-time with your boss. I don't think that loving your enemy means that you automatically cede the promotion to him or her. But perhaps making sure that you are judged on merits, not on any unfair advantage that tilts your way. And then, whether you get the promotion or not, be sure to be gracious in winning or in losing.
Another way to show love is forgiveness if someone wrongs you. I'll have a post in the not too distance future that focuses specifically on forgiveness. Forgiving others who cheat you, lie to you, or in any other way wrong you is a central part of turning the other cheek. Loving your enemies means not seeking revenge.
What are some other ways you can love your rivals? And what would the outcome be if you did that? I know it's tempting to say that they'd take advantage of you, and that may be very true in the short term. But what would happen long term? For the most part, Jesus never won over most of His rivals, but look at what happened because He loved them anyway.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Philemon and Onesimus
Philemon 8-21
I've written several times recently about the importance of submitting to authority at work. I don't want to be one dimensional, and there are certainly other important points as well. So this will be my last post on the subject for a while. Philemon provides an opportunity to review some ideas about relating to supervisors as well as nuance those ideas a little more.
The book of Philemon is an interesting letter that addresses the issue of how a Christian slaveowner should treat a Christian slave, particularly when that slave has wronged his owner according to the laws of the day. By law, Onesimus could be killed or tortured for escaping (and possibly stealing from Philemon, see v. 18). But as an escapee, Onesimus had become a Christian. Paul appeals to Philemon that he not treat Onesimus harshly but "as a very dear brother."
I see two very important applications here regarding how supervisors and subordinates should treat each other. First, Paul tells Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to accept him back as a brother. We don't know for certain whether Paul is arguing for his emancipation, but at the very least, Paul is suggesting that Philemon not punish Onesimus for running away. He is advocating for forgiveness. The application to supervisors is that, when employees have messed up in some ways, forgive them. Even when those mistakes cost you money, use mercy as you deal with your subordinates. Especially when those subordinates are Christians. If you cannot treat Christians with love and mercy, how can you model Christ to others? This doesn't mean getting rid of performance standards, but it does mean recognizing the humanity in others and recognizing that we all need forgiveness from time to time.
Second, Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon. That's important to note. You can probably imagine the conversation between Paul and Onesimus as they were discussing this. "You want me to go WHERE?? But you know what he's going to do when he sees me!" Nevertheless, Paul knew that Onesimus had to come clean. I see this as indicating that subordinates need to fulfill their obligations, even those obligations that aren't pleasant. If you accept the connection between slave masters and supervisors, Paul talked in other letters about respecting your boss and being subject to your supervisors. Onesimus returned to Philemon before he knew what his fate would be, and we need to fulfill our duties at work, regardless of how our supervisor treats us. Remember, Peter says to obey your supervisor, regardless of whether he or she deserves that respect (Peter says to obey harsh supervisors as well as considerate supervisors). Don't miss the fact that Paul promises to restore everything to Philemon. Paul says, "if he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me...I will pay it back." Don't think that being a Christian with a Christian supervisor allows you to slack off on doing what you are supposed to do. If anything, work harder so that others can see Christ in how you treat your boss. Work so that, as the Hebrew writer says, you are not a burden to your supervisor.
Two powerful lessons in this short little book. These aren't the only places the Bible talks about masters and slaves, or if you will, supervisors and employees. But this letter presents a fascinating look into supervisor-subordinate relationships, especially between Christians.
I've written several times recently about the importance of submitting to authority at work. I don't want to be one dimensional, and there are certainly other important points as well. So this will be my last post on the subject for a while. Philemon provides an opportunity to review some ideas about relating to supervisors as well as nuance those ideas a little more.
The book of Philemon is an interesting letter that addresses the issue of how a Christian slaveowner should treat a Christian slave, particularly when that slave has wronged his owner according to the laws of the day. By law, Onesimus could be killed or tortured for escaping (and possibly stealing from Philemon, see v. 18). But as an escapee, Onesimus had become a Christian. Paul appeals to Philemon that he not treat Onesimus harshly but "as a very dear brother."
I see two very important applications here regarding how supervisors and subordinates should treat each other. First, Paul tells Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to accept him back as a brother. We don't know for certain whether Paul is arguing for his emancipation, but at the very least, Paul is suggesting that Philemon not punish Onesimus for running away. He is advocating for forgiveness. The application to supervisors is that, when employees have messed up in some ways, forgive them. Even when those mistakes cost you money, use mercy as you deal with your subordinates. Especially when those subordinates are Christians. If you cannot treat Christians with love and mercy, how can you model Christ to others? This doesn't mean getting rid of performance standards, but it does mean recognizing the humanity in others and recognizing that we all need forgiveness from time to time.
Second, Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon. That's important to note. You can probably imagine the conversation between Paul and Onesimus as they were discussing this. "You want me to go WHERE?? But you know what he's going to do when he sees me!" Nevertheless, Paul knew that Onesimus had to come clean. I see this as indicating that subordinates need to fulfill their obligations, even those obligations that aren't pleasant. If you accept the connection between slave masters and supervisors, Paul talked in other letters about respecting your boss and being subject to your supervisors. Onesimus returned to Philemon before he knew what his fate would be, and we need to fulfill our duties at work, regardless of how our supervisor treats us. Remember, Peter says to obey your supervisor, regardless of whether he or she deserves that respect (Peter says to obey harsh supervisors as well as considerate supervisors). Don't miss the fact that Paul promises to restore everything to Philemon. Paul says, "if he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me...I will pay it back." Don't think that being a Christian with a Christian supervisor allows you to slack off on doing what you are supposed to do. If anything, work harder so that others can see Christ in how you treat your boss. Work so that, as the Hebrew writer says, you are not a burden to your supervisor.
Two powerful lessons in this short little book. These aren't the only places the Bible talks about masters and slaves, or if you will, supervisors and employees. But this letter presents a fascinating look into supervisor-subordinate relationships, especially between Christians.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
David Spares Saul...Twice
! Samuel 24:6
David had been pursued by Saul though David had done nothing wrong. Sound familiar? There are times in all of our lives when we are punished and persecuted for things that we didn't do. But notice David's response. Similar to Joseph, David had Saul's fate in his hands. His men urged him to kill Saul, to end this relentless pursuit. It would have been easy to do. David had the sword in his hand. But he said, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him." Almost exactly the same situation happened two chapters later. And in 2 Samuel 1 and 4, David punishes those who would "help" him take revenge. David refused to take matters into his own hands. He trusted God enough to know that God will take care of this situation.
Can you trust God that much? When that coworker that has been at you slips up, can you resist "going for their throat" and let God take care of you? When you finally have the upper hand on that supervisor that seems to have it in for you, can you act with grace? It really is a matter of trusting God rather than taking matters into your own hands. Do you trust God enough to let him sort things out for you?
David had been pursued by Saul though David had done nothing wrong. Sound familiar? There are times in all of our lives when we are punished and persecuted for things that we didn't do. But notice David's response. Similar to Joseph, David had Saul's fate in his hands. His men urged him to kill Saul, to end this relentless pursuit. It would have been easy to do. David had the sword in his hand. But he said, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him." Almost exactly the same situation happened two chapters later. And in 2 Samuel 1 and 4, David punishes those who would "help" him take revenge. David refused to take matters into his own hands. He trusted God enough to know that God will take care of this situation.
Can you trust God that much? When that coworker that has been at you slips up, can you resist "going for their throat" and let God take care of you? When you finally have the upper hand on that supervisor that seems to have it in for you, can you act with grace? It really is a matter of trusting God rather than taking matters into your own hands. Do you trust God enough to let him sort things out for you?
Friday, July 2, 2010
Revenge is a Dish Best Served...Never
Genesis 45
Later in Joseph's work in Egypt, he has the opportunity that some people only dream of. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, holds the power of life and death over the very ones who mistreated him. How many times have you wished to be in a position to get back at those who made life harder for you? Perhaps someone takes credit for your work, backstabs you in front of the boss, or gets the promotion that should have been yours. Just let them wait till you're the one with the power, right? That's exactly where Joseph was, but his response to that power was completely counter to what we might expect in a dog-eat-dog world. He refused to take revenge in his business dealings (or personal dealings with them). That's described in chapter 45 and then again in chapter 50 (where his brothers assumed that he'd waited for revenge until after their father had died).
This is not exactly a work-related lesson, but I think the application for work is clear. There's a fair amount of research on revenge and retaliation in the workplace. Looking at Joseph, we see someone modeling God's grace. Instead of revenge, Joseph ensures that his family is treated like royalty.
Later in Joseph's work in Egypt, he has the opportunity that some people only dream of. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, holds the power of life and death over the very ones who mistreated him. How many times have you wished to be in a position to get back at those who made life harder for you? Perhaps someone takes credit for your work, backstabs you in front of the boss, or gets the promotion that should have been yours. Just let them wait till you're the one with the power, right? That's exactly where Joseph was, but his response to that power was completely counter to what we might expect in a dog-eat-dog world. He refused to take revenge in his business dealings (or personal dealings with them). That's described in chapter 45 and then again in chapter 50 (where his brothers assumed that he'd waited for revenge until after their father had died).
This is not exactly a work-related lesson, but I think the application for work is clear. There's a fair amount of research on revenge and retaliation in the workplace. Looking at Joseph, we see someone modeling God's grace. Instead of revenge, Joseph ensures that his family is treated like royalty.
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