Holiness at the Job

I was reading Luke today, and I came across John the Baptist's message. After he delivers a message of the Kingdom the exchange with the crowd goes something like this:

"What should we do then? the crowd asked.
John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and
anyone who has food should do the same."
Even tax collectors came to be baptized. "Teacher" they asked, "what should we do?"
Don't collect any more than you are required to" he told them.
Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"
He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely - be content with your
pay."

With each person that asks the question, "What should we do?" John answers back with something that has to do with the faults of their practice. The rich want to acquire more. Those with food are ignorant of those without. Soldiers extorted money because of poor pay. There are ethical implications of how we live our life based on the message of the gospel.

Two thoughts. First, what is your occupation, and what is said of the people in your occupation? In what ways can you counteract this to be faithful to the message of the Kingdom. For example (sorry car dealers), but a used car salesman is thought of to be slick and dishonest. How would they work differently based upon Kingdom ethics and the character of God, which we are to all reflect.

Second thought...what are the ways you need to be more Kingdom of God oriented in your vocation? Where are the areas you've bought into the system of how your company does things that is anti-character of God? How do you treat employees? How are people paid? How are profits made (at the expense of others)? How do you get ahead? How do you keep bosses thinking you're productive? Etc...

I'm thinking about this in my own vocation? What is the great accusation against pastors? And then second, in what ways do I have to change in my work to better reflect the character of God? Yes, pastors have to do this too!

Holiness, pt. 1

I'm not talking about piety. I'm not talking about works in a way that leads us to be justified before God either...although working is a part. What I'm talking about is holiness as a reflection of who God is.

I'm currently reading Called to Be Holy by John Oswalt. It's for our denominations credentialing process, but I'm finding it very helpful. Not quite through, but what struck me as I was reading so far was how our call to be holy is not necessarily a sense of being set apart. This is what I had interpreted to be before. We are God's and therefore we are set apart. However, it has to do with much more than just a state of being set apart. It has to do with how our character reflects that of God.

Leviticus 19 is an entire chapter devoted to holiness and what it means. You know what some of the things that describe holiness are? What do you think...prayer? Meditation? Reading the Torah (still being written at that time)? No. It's honor your parents. It's not taking advantage of people. It's giving your workers the wages they are due. It has to do with character.

So when God initiates the effort to bring himself to us...to bring us salvation...it is more than just salvation as we think. He wants us to represent. He wants us to reflect His character and the things He's about. We change. We become more like Him. That's why it's so important to me as I read the pages of Scripture to look for the character of God. What's He like? That question then defines my pursuits of what I need to be like. God must work through me...refine me...to be more like him.

Take a read of Leviticus 19 and think of how you think of holiness. It'll challenge your character.

A Prayer

"God of justice, God of mercy, bless all those who are surprised with pain this day from suffering caused by their own weakness or that of others. Let what we suffer teach us to be merciful; let our sins teach us to forgive. This we ask through the intercession of Jesus. Amen.