Proverbs 30:10 (NLT)
Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
I read this the other day and it spoke to me. Partially because it reminded me of a conversation I had earlier this week with a couple of coworkers. It was a healthy conversation about how saying nothing at all can be the hardest thing to do, and is sometimes the best thing we can ever say. It can be a true test of character and humility to listen, watch, and hear things spoken about us yet have the strength to refrain from speaking back, especially if what is being said isn't true. It is hands down one of the hardest things for me to do and I still struggle with it at times. That being said, when I read this verse recently, the initial glance of looking at it through my "office/work" lenses quickly passed and I began looking at it through the lenses of an “employee of Christ”. What do I mean by that? Well, as Christians I believe we are "employed" and "deployed" through the love of Christ to do the work that our Lord and Savior has called us to do. Work?
Romans 4:4-5 (NLT)
4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.
We do the "work" not for the wages we will receive, but rather because He freed us from the wages we had already earned through our sin. After sin entered the world, we were all issued a complimentary "direct deposit" to eternal destruction. That's what "we" earned! Apart from Jesus, we are and always will be spiritually bankrupt! When the word "bankrupt" first came to mind, I wasn't sure about the choice of word at first so I looked it up.
Bankrupt - (of a person or organization) declared in law unable to pay outstanding debts. Yes, we are definitely spiritually bankrupt without a personal relationship with Jesus.
Romans 6:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Where am I going with this? It is only through my salvation in Christ that I am now able to work out of love and celebration, rather than out of obligation. It becomes a labor OF LOVE, not a labor FOR LOVE! Some might say we are not "workers", but in Ephesians 2:10 it states we are God's handiwork and created to do "good works”.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
As I continued to think about this, the parable of the three servants came to mind. Each was given a different amount, but in the parable it wasn't about how much they were given. It was about what they did with what they had already received. It was the end portion of this parable that initially came to mind, when the last servant said, “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate” (Matthew 25:24 NLT). Was this slander? And what did the master do next?
Matthew 25:28 (NLT)
“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver’.”
Which bring me back to "...you will pay for it" in the original verse. Each servant was rewarded according to how he invested his talents. As Christians, we are all children of the same Father, doing the work of the same King. To slander one is to slander all, because we are all part of One! If I slander my brother, I curse my leg and if I slander my sister, I curse my arm. Why? Because there are many body parts, and each is necessary and connected.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT)
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.
Our days are numbered (Psalm 39:4) Our time is limited (Psalm 144:4) And God is looking to see what we are going to do with it. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Perhaps when we slander others we are actually slandering ourselves, and the cost associated with it is not in "what is" but rather "what could be".
Luke 10:2 (NLT)
These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Father,
Thank You for Your unfailing love and for the opportunity to serve others as You so graciously served us. Help us to stay focused on the task at hand and remember our purpose. Holy Spirit, train us and teach us how to wisely invest all that You give us in a way that is pleasing to You. Teach how to maximize your return oh Lord. We love You, honor you, and thank You in advance for the plentiful harvest! May our family grow and Your name be glorified! Amen.
Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
I read this the other day and it spoke to me. Partially because it reminded me of a conversation I had earlier this week with a couple of coworkers. It was a healthy conversation about how saying nothing at all can be the hardest thing to do, and is sometimes the best thing we can ever say. It can be a true test of character and humility to listen, watch, and hear things spoken about us yet have the strength to refrain from speaking back, especially if what is being said isn't true. It is hands down one of the hardest things for me to do and I still struggle with it at times. That being said, when I read this verse recently, the initial glance of looking at it through my "office/work" lenses quickly passed and I began looking at it through the lenses of an “employee of Christ”. What do I mean by that? Well, as Christians I believe we are "employed" and "deployed" through the love of Christ to do the work that our Lord and Savior has called us to do. Work?
Romans 4:4-5 (NLT)
4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.
We do the "work" not for the wages we will receive, but rather because He freed us from the wages we had already earned through our sin. After sin entered the world, we were all issued a complimentary "direct deposit" to eternal destruction. That's what "we" earned! Apart from Jesus, we are and always will be spiritually bankrupt! When the word "bankrupt" first came to mind, I wasn't sure about the choice of word at first so I looked it up.
Bankrupt - (of a person or organization) declared in law unable to pay outstanding debts. Yes, we are definitely spiritually bankrupt without a personal relationship with Jesus.
Romans 6:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Where am I going with this? It is only through my salvation in Christ that I am now able to work out of love and celebration, rather than out of obligation. It becomes a labor OF LOVE, not a labor FOR LOVE! Some might say we are not "workers", but in Ephesians 2:10 it states we are God's handiwork and created to do "good works”.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
As I continued to think about this, the parable of the three servants came to mind. Each was given a different amount, but in the parable it wasn't about how much they were given. It was about what they did with what they had already received. It was the end portion of this parable that initially came to mind, when the last servant said, “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate” (Matthew 25:24 NLT). Was this slander? And what did the master do next?
Matthew 25:28 (NLT)
“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver’.”
Which bring me back to "...you will pay for it" in the original verse. Each servant was rewarded according to how he invested his talents. As Christians, we are all children of the same Father, doing the work of the same King. To slander one is to slander all, because we are all part of One! If I slander my brother, I curse my leg and if I slander my sister, I curse my arm. Why? Because there are many body parts, and each is necessary and connected.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT)
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.
Our days are numbered (Psalm 39:4) Our time is limited (Psalm 144:4) And God is looking to see what we are going to do with it. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Perhaps when we slander others we are actually slandering ourselves, and the cost associated with it is not in "what is" but rather "what could be".
Luke 10:2 (NLT)
These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Father,
Thank You for Your unfailing love and for the opportunity to serve others as You so graciously served us. Help us to stay focused on the task at hand and remember our purpose. Holy Spirit, train us and teach us how to wisely invest all that You give us in a way that is pleasing to You. Teach how to maximize your return oh Lord. We love You, honor you, and thank You in advance for the plentiful harvest! May our family grow and Your name be glorified! Amen.