_ I believe it is in our fallen nature to desire to exploit; to maximize our gains, while aiming to minimize the effort and resources that we need to put in to achieve those aims.
We see it most clearly in the business world. Employers demand “best in market” performance from their staff. Anything less is unacceptable. Just meeting targets is deemed a failure. “Exceeding expectations” is the new acceptable norm.
Yet when it comes to rewarding their staff for their “best in market performance”, few employers will venture to pay “best in market” salaries to their staff. Instead, they try to “benchmark” to the industry, so that salaries always stay near the mean of (usually below) the industry standards, in the name of staying “competitive”.
But everyone knows the real reason:
Get the most from your employees….while giving back the minimum -
We see it most clearly in the business world. Employers demand “best in market” performance from their staff. Anything less is unacceptable. Just meeting targets is deemed a failure. “Exceeding expectations” is the new acceptable norm.
Yet when it comes to rewarding their staff for their “best in market performance”, few employers will venture to pay “best in market” salaries to their staff. Instead, they try to “benchmark” to the industry, so that salaries always stay near the mean of (usually below) the industry standards, in the name of staying “competitive”.
But everyone knows the real reason:
Get the most from your employees….while giving back the minimum -
Exploitation.
Employees of course are not without blame in this area. All workers want high salaries and bonuses, as well as quick promotions. Yet not all are willing to put in the hard work to achieve the performance to warrant them. Many want the “short-cut” to success. Get the promotions and high pay in the shortest time. Find ways to put in the least effort, and yet give the impression to bosses that they have achieved the most. Never mind that you are not adding real value to the organisation.
Get the most from your employer….while giving back the minimum -
Employees of course are not without blame in this area. All workers want high salaries and bonuses, as well as quick promotions. Yet not all are willing to put in the hard work to achieve the performance to warrant them. Many want the “short-cut” to success. Get the promotions and high pay in the shortest time. Find ways to put in the least effort, and yet give the impression to bosses that they have achieved the most. Never mind that you are not adding real value to the organisation.
Get the most from your employer….while giving back the minimum -
Exploitation.
I think many of us also carry this mentality into our relationship with God. We want the best out of our faith: assurance of salvation, forgiveness of sin, spiritual and material blessings galore, so that we can live the “good life” while on earth (which unfortunately also includes gratifying our desires, sometimes sinful ones), and at the same time assured of our eternal destiny.
But is that what the Christian life is all about? What about nurturing our relationship with our Heavenly Father, so that we grow to desire Him more than any other thing on earth? What about a lifetime of faithful service in His Kingdom, to serve and to make His Name known? What about a life of obedience and sacrifice, so that the Name of Jesus will be glorified?
My guess is that many of us are not so “hot” for the latter. Why? Because that requires hard work, discipline, sacrifice and obedience from us.
So we want the best from God…while hoping to give back to Him as little as possible -
I think many of us also carry this mentality into our relationship with God. We want the best out of our faith: assurance of salvation, forgiveness of sin, spiritual and material blessings galore, so that we can live the “good life” while on earth (which unfortunately also includes gratifying our desires, sometimes sinful ones), and at the same time assured of our eternal destiny.
But is that what the Christian life is all about? What about nurturing our relationship with our Heavenly Father, so that we grow to desire Him more than any other thing on earth? What about a lifetime of faithful service in His Kingdom, to serve and to make His Name known? What about a life of obedience and sacrifice, so that the Name of Jesus will be glorified?
My guess is that many of us are not so “hot” for the latter. Why? Because that requires hard work, discipline, sacrifice and obedience from us.
So we want the best from God…while hoping to give back to Him as little as possible -
Exploitation.
I believe God has our lousy attitude in mind when He wrote Galatians 6:7-9.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Who are we deceiving? Do we seriously think God will let us get away with our attempts to exploit Him?
Or perhaps we think that since we already know Him, He will close an eye and go easy on us? Consider 1 Corinthians 10:1-10 and think again:
I believe God has our lousy attitude in mind when He wrote Galatians 6:7-9.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Who are we deceiving? Do we seriously think God will let us get away with our attempts to exploit Him?
Or perhaps we think that since we already know Him, He will close an eye and go easy on us? Consider 1 Corinthians 10:1-10 and think again:
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
Think again.
_
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