God in the Grind: The Rich Young Ruler
In the bustling landscape of today's work environment, maintaining a strong Christian work ethic might seem challenging. However, as followers of Christ, we are called to integrate our faith into every aspect of our lives, including our professional careers. Mark 10:17-31 serves as a pivotal reminder of the importance of prioritizing spiritual wealth over material possessions, and how this principle can be applied in the workplace.
Understanding Mark 10:17-31
This passage tells the story of a wealthy young man who seeks eternal life. When Jesus advises him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor, the young man walks away in sorrow, unable to part with his earthly riches. This narrative invites each believer to "deed over" all they possess to God, for Him to use as He sees fit. It is an invitation to live life as a steward of all God's blessings understanding that anything they possess came from God anyway. We don’t actually own anything, we are blessed with material things to steward on behalf of God.
What does it mean to steward something? Let’s look at the dictionary definitions of those terms. The term “Steward” is both a noun and a verb.
Steward as a Noun
At its core, a "steward" refers to a person who manages or supervises resources, such as money or property, on behalf of someone else. This person is usually entrusted with the responsibility because of their integrity, skills, or position. For instance, in a corporate setting, a financial steward manages an organization's funds responsibly, ensuring sustainable growth and ethical practices.
Beyond this, a steward can also refer to individuals who provide services in specific settings. For example, in the aviation industry, an airline steward (or stewardess) is responsible for passenger comfort, safety, and service during a flight.
Steward as a Verb
When "steward" is used as a verb, it denotes the act of managing, supervising, or caring for something or someone. It often implies a sense of responsibility and accountability. In environmental context, "stewarding the environment" means to manage natural resources responsibly, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
Translating Biblical Principles into Workplace Ethics
Stewardship Over Ownership
In the context of the workplace, the concept of stewardship means recognizing that our abilities, resources, and even our jobs, are not truly our own but are gifts from God. When we see ourselves as stewards rather than owners, we are more likely to use our resources responsibly and ethically. If you go on vacation and leave your home with me to house-sit for you, you would expect that I would take care of and manage your house and your possessions well until you return. When you get back, there will be a lot of questions to answer of it is unkempt and has an extra hole or two in the walls that it didn’t have when you left. You will question how well I stewarded what was yours.
Our job, our possessions, our intelligence, our work ethic, everything we have belongs to God. You and I are to act as stewards of these gifts. We are to manage these things well.
Prioritizing Spiritual Wealth
The rich young man was unable to let go of his earthly riches for the sake of spiritual wealth. Jesus doesn’t argue with this young man. “Jesus looked upon him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, and sell all that you have and give to the poor…..and come follow me.’” Jesus did not argue that he had not done all of the right things. Jesus actually says that he only lacks ONE thing. In that Jesus acknowledges that this young man, by the world’s standards, was perfectly in-line, but by God’s standard, he only lacked ONE thing. That’s way better than I am doing. I have a laundry list of things I’m missing on, but I do have the ONE thing that the rich young ruler did not have. Having come from a place of nothing, I am fully willing to go back to that place if I can only have the presence of God with me. I have lived both ways, and I will take the presence of God in my life over anything this world can offer me.
As John Bevere states in his ‘Drawing Near’ study, “I would much rather have God’s presence without His promises than to have God’s promises without His presence.”
Consider this question: If you died and were carried to heaven and it was just exactly as you had read about: streets of gold, crystal sea, angels, feasting, a place prepared just for you, your relatives and loved ones were present, etc, but God was not there, would you be happy? If God was not present would you still be happy there?
In the workplace, this teaches us to prioritize God’s presence, personal integrity, unwavering honesty, and ulitmate respect over personal gain.
Seeking God’s Approval, Not Man’s
The young man sought Jesus' approval, indicating a desire for righteousness. He wanted to be righteous before God, and he had followed all of the laws. Jesus agrees with him on that. Similarly, in the workplace, we should seek God's approval, following all of the policies and procedures put in place by our employer (unless they explicitly ask us to sin) and by doing our best in working "as for the Lord, not for human masters" (Colossians 3:23). Work looks a whole lot different when you are working in a manner to please God than to please man. God’s standards are so high, that any man-made standard will be dwarfed in comparison. Strive for God’s standards and you willhave a much better opportunity to hit every man-made mark along the way.
Working as for God and not human masters transforms work from something we must do, to something we get to do. It brings a whole new level of excitement when you see it for what it truly is: A mission from God.
Practical Guidelines for a Christ-Centered Workplace
Promote a Culture of Respect: Treat everyone, regardless of their position, age, race, sexual orientation, etc with the same love and respect that you would want to receive (Matthew 7:12). Jesus didn’t ask you to agree with them; he commanded you to love them. My parents and I do not agree at all politically, but I love them without agreeing with them on eveything. You love your spouse, but I guarantee you that you do not agree on where to eat everytime you go out for dinner. Same principle. You can fully love someone and not fully agree with them.
Uphold Honesty and Integrity: Be truthful in all your dealings. Remember that "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely" (Proverbs 10:9). Jesus never sugar coated anything. He never lied to anyone. Being a ‘yes’ man is both dishonest and lacks integrity. The most dangerous thing you can do to your boss or your company is tell them ‘yes’ when the real answer is ‘no’. Be honest, and be willing to explain your answer with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us “…always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do so with gentleness and respect”. We can apply that principle here as well as to sharing our faith, after all, honesty and integrity are pillars of our faith.
Value Your Work: See your work as a form of service to others and to God. This perspective can bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment to your professional life.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, living out the teachings of Matthew 19:16-22 in the workplace involves seeing ourselves as stewards of God's gifts, prioritizing spiritual wealth over material gains, and seeking God's approval above all. By doing so, we can cultivate a workplace culture that reflects the love, integrity, and respect that are at the heart of the Christian faith.
Sources
https://thebiblesays.com/commentary/matt/matt-19/matthew-1916-22/
https://bible.org/seriespage/28-wealth-and-kingdom-heaven-matthew-1916-30
https://www.theologyofwork.org/new-testament/matthew/living-in-the-new-kingdom-matthew-18-25/the-rich-young-man-matthew-1916-30/
https://www.calvaryhillsboro.org/watch-listen/messages/rich-jones-2017-05-21-matthew-1916-22
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steward
Bill Simmons, AIC, CPI, CCI, CASA is the owner of L2 Insurance Consulting LLC, and he is an industry recognized expert relating to insurance claims and claim related damage. Bill has worked in every aspect of insurance claims from automobile liability and subrogation to property claim specialist, and he has worked both aspects of insurance claims, for carriers as a staff adjuster and as an independent adjuster. Bill also serves as an expert witness in the insurance claim legal process. Bill lives in Panama City, FL with his wife, Amanda and their two sons, Layton and Lucas.
