How To Be Blessed At Work (4)

In order to be blessed on the job, you must practise this: honesty. It’s unwise to steal, even if you’re never caught. ‘Ill-gotten gains do not benefit.’ You may steal and get away with it, but you won’t benefit by it. ‘Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles.’ (Proverbs 13:11 NASB) You can’t do the wrong thing and finish up with the right result. Not only will you have trouble, you will bring trouble on those who love you and depend on you. ‘He who profits illicitly troubles his own house.’ (Proverbs 15:27 NASB)

Think about it: you could lose your job, damage your reputation, be humiliated, face costs and legal consequences your whole family pays for, and end up in shame, all of which will negatively affect your children. Your spouse deserves an honest partner. Your children deserve an honest role model, confident that the path you walk is safe for them to follow. Australian journalist Caroline James says that workplace theft costs Australian businesses about $1.5 billion a year and many people said they feel justified in doing so.

They rationalised it by saying: ‘Everybody’s doing it, why shouldn’t I… The boss can afford it, they won’t miss it… It’s only small stuff, it won’t make any difference… The company owes me, and I’m just taking what’s mine… I deserve it, I’ve worked hard and never been acknowledged.’ What does God have to say about this? ‘The wicked earns deceptive wages.’ (Proverbs 11:18 NASB) When you deceive your employer, the Bible says you are ‘wicked’. Of all people, employers and customers should be able to trust a follower of Christ to be honest, earn their wages, and provide quality service.