|
|
|
CHRISTIAN LIVING |
|
Every Christian is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification (see Romans 15:2).
(Romans 15:2)
|
|
|
|
Last Update 01/17/08
|
|
 It is an exciting time in Jim's life. He has his dream job: working for a Christian boss in a Christian company. Jim has been with the company for two years and loves his job. Jake, who is Jim's boss, also attends the same church as Jim and they have a good working relationship there. They even collaborate to team-teach a Sunday school class.
Last Monday morning, Jake called Jim into his office. "Jim, you have been promoted to Assistant-Editor of the Gospel Literature for Christian Living's Publishing Division. In addition, you are invited to participate in the development of a new Five-Year Plan for our company." Jim's excitement and joy soar beyond all previous levels. Now, he is closely working with his friend in their company as well as in their church.
Jim walks energetically toward the boardroom. He is no longer just an employee, who carries out the ideas and plans of upper management. Finally, he is able to contribute his own ideas for the company's future. He is eager to share his ideas with everyone and looks forward to discussing many possibilities for the company's growth. When the meeting begins, Jake introduces Jim to the other board members and asks Jim to talk about himself. Jim's eyes twinkle as he shares some personal information and makes a presentation of his ideas.
When Jim finishes, Jake's demeanor suddenly changes. Jake says nothing about what Jim has presented, but begins criticizing him. In a frenzy of wrath and anger, Jake accuses him of stabbing him in the back, putting his job in jeopardy, embarrassing him in front of the board members, plotting against him and his own plans, and violating company policies and procedures. Jake continues his attack by stating that Jim is no longer trustworthy and tells him, "If you want to work here, you will have to support me and my programs!"
|
|
Jim is confused and shocked. He does not understand what has happened. He has experienced the full weight of one type of an external force that comes against all Christians at one time or another in their lives - other people - specifically, other Christians. |
|
External forces are outside your personal world - your mind. Trying to "make sense" of them can be confusing and/or overwhelming. Trying to "make sense" of them may result in developing false beliefs. However, it is possible to use your divine nature, in communication with the divine presence, to see the external world and these external forces from God's point of view. You can "make sense" of these forces, and come to the truth about them. In other words, overlapping your personal world with God's real world enables you to act on the external world from God's point of view. |
|
Most of the most difficult problems we deal with in life come from other people. Some of those other people are Christians and they hurt us in the workplace, in the home, and at church. What is important when we are hurt? Who hurts us? How we are hurt? How it will effect our lives? None of the above. What is important is how we respond to the person or persons who abuse us. |
|
ABUSE |
|
Webster defines abuse as: to treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way; to speak insultingly, harshly, and unjustly to or about; revile; malign. Webster's definition is targeted toward the mental attitude of anger, the behaviors associated with anger, and the cause of anger. |
|
A legal definition of abuse comes from: ARS §8-801(2) "Abuse" means the infliction or allowing of physical injury, impairment of bodily function or disfigurement or the infliction of or allowing another person to cause serious emotional damage as evidenced by severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal or untoward aggressive behavior and which emotional damage is diagnosed by a medical doctor or psychologist pursuant to section 8-223 and which is caused by the acts or omissions of an individual having care, custody and control of a child. Abuse shall include inflicting or allowing sexual abuse pursuant to section 13-1404, sexual conduct with a minor pursuant to section 13-1405, sexual assault pursuant to section 13-1406, molestation of a child pursuant to section 13-1410. |
|
The Abusive Thinking-pattern. In the New Testament, the Greek word (blas fam eh' o) and it has been translated abuse, to speak against God, blaspheme; speak against, slander, insult. It is a feeling thinking-pattern. It is a combination of thoughts that can reflect wrath, anger, retribution, punishment, revenge, intimidation, coercion, control, tearing-down, and many other elements of emotional abuse. The abuse thinking-pattern is not something that occurs in the external world, it occurs in the personal world. It is the by-product of how the mind is used. We have to choose how we will respond to abusive people: by using the abuse thinking-pattern or the edification thinking-pattern. |
|
Christian employers (masters) and Christian employees (slaves) are brothers and should treat each other as brothers (see 1 Timothy 6:2). Christian employers are not to threaten their Christian employees (see Ephesians 6:9). Christian employers are to treat their Christian employees as equals and with righteous behaviors (see Colossians 4:1). |
|
Christians, including employers, are not to engage in fleshly behaviors that stem from their former nature - children of wrath - (see Ephesians 2:3). These kinds of behaviors have been identified as abusive behaviors, even by the world's standards. Abusive behaviors in the workplace can be verbal, emotional, financial, social, spiritual, and/or physical. Behaviors are abusive when harm is done to Christian employees by Christian employers. It is important to note that insults and slander are to be put away because they come from the "old self" (see Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8; 1 Peter 2:1; 3:9). |
|
Christian employers can use their position of authority in the company to coerce, manipulate, and control. This type of abuse can be subtle, complex, and hard to discern, sometimes not detected until the damage has already been done - with good reason, because Christian employers are usually believers, well meaning people, with good intensions. However, abuse is sometimes more obvious when coercion, manipulation, and control are laced with anger and/or wrath. Christian workplace abuse is the same as any other abuse: verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual. Workplace abuse is merely abuse of power in the context of a Christian company. What is more devastating about Christian workplace abuse, than these other forms of abuse, is that the perpetrators are representing the God of the universe, people we go to for job development, counsel, guidance, direction, support, and love. However, what is important is how we respond to the person or persons who abuse us. See The Abuse (Tearing Down) Power and Control Wheel, in chapter 12, Responding to External Forces, on page 260, in the book Natures of Mankind Psychology. |
|
Are you feeling alone, confused, fearful, shamed, guilty, hurt, devalued, questioning your salvation, or wondering if you can live up to God's expectations? Have you left a job, or even walked away from God because of a bad employment situation? Have you been falsely accused, manipulated, coerced, and controlled, or blamed for talking about company problems? Then, you may have experienced Christian workplace abuse. |
|
Jim experienced a loss of trust and safety during the board meeting. The experience broke his heart. Now every time Jim goes back to work, he is not able to trust Jake and feel safe around him. |
|
How does Jim recover from this experience? How can he respond to his experience so he can be spiritually healthy? What does he do about Jake? |
|
Jim can respond inside his own mind (personal world) to Jake's abusive attacks and accusations, even when the attacks overload his mind. The key to handling these situations is in the preparation of his mind. Knowing what God expects and desires of him and his willingness to walk according to God's ways. |
|
EDIFICATION |
|
The word translated edification comes from the Greek word (oy ko dom ay') and it has been translated upbuilding, strengthening, encouragement; building, structure. The Greek word comes from the Greek word (oi'kos) and it means dwelling, family, house, temple and from the Greek word (do' mah) and it has been translated roof, housetop. When these two Greek words are combined into (oy ko dom ay'), the New Testament concept is building God's family. The way to build God's family is through upbuilding, strengthening, and encouragement. This describes "Christian Workplace Edification." |
|
The following verses teach us about edifying (building God's family) our Christian brothers and sisters: |
|
Every Christian is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification (see Romans 15:2). |
|
When a Christian proclaims Gods' message or shares a spiritual insight with another Christian, it is for the purpose of edification (see 1 Corinthians 14:3). |
|
God's words of grace edify (see Acts 20:32). |
|
Knowledge produces arrogance, but love edifies (see 1 Corinthians 8:1). |
|
Christians are to encourage and edify one another (see 1 Thessalonians 5:11). |
|
Christians are like living stones; they are being edified (built together) as a spiritual house and a holy priesthood for the purpose of offering spiritual sacrifices (see 1 Peter 2:5). |
|
Christians are to edify the body of Christ (see Ephesians 4:12). |
|
Christians are to pursue those things that produce peace and edification (see Romans 14:19). |
|
Christians are God's fellow workers, cultivated field, and God's family (see 1 Corinthians 3:9). |
|
The ministry of the saints is the edifying of the body of Christ (see Ephesians 4:12). |
|
Each Christian is a ligament that fits and holds the body of Christ together. When each Christian ligament functions properly, he or she causes the body of Christ to grow for the purpose of edifying itself in love (see Ephesians 4:16).
|
|
|
|
THIS WEB PAGE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION! |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
