Honor God in the way you do business.
| posted 1/30/2009
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Money sometimes equals power. Power isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself. In the right hands, power can produce tremendous joy and freedom; but in the wrong hands, it brings much misery and pain. The people to whom God sent Amos made particular use of their power to oppress the needy. They sold poor people for the price of sandals (2:6). If a poor person needed money, they provided a "loan" in exchange for the person's cloak—his only way of keeping warm at night. Clearly, they weren't using their power or their money to honor God.
What do you do when the power abuser is your boss? If you confront him or her, you could lose your job. If you keep silent, you could lose the chance to remedy the situation—not to mention regain your self-respect.
Try to approach the situation in a way that honors God. Pick your battles wisely, but when the well-being of the needy is at stake, you ought to speak up. That person may be prompted to change because you had the courage to confront. No matter what the immediate result, God will honor your desire for justice to those in need. Amos followed God's call to expose the power abusers in Israel, but then left their fate to God. You can do the same. (See also Psalm 26; Proverbs 28:11-26; Habakkuk 2:4-17.)
Good Words to Remember:
"I raised up some of your sons as prophets …," says the LORD. Amos 2:11
Today's Challenge:
How can you use your power wisely to lovingly confront power abusers?
Copyright 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.
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