Godonomics

The Gift of Work

At the heart of Godonomics is the value and God-given joy of work. Work and labor are gifts from God. He has given us talents to develop and opportunities to utilize them. God expects us to see work as a gift from Him. God wants His people working to provide for themselves and others rather than depending on others to provide for them. In fact, as soon as God made mankind, He gave them work to do.

Genesis 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

This theme of seeing work as both important and a Biblical command is critical to Godonomics, capitalism, and any successful business or family. Scriptures teach that all of life is spiritual. Work can be as holy as prayer or communion. All of life can be an act of service to God. This was a radically different lens when it was introduced compared to the Greek philosophers of the first century who taught Dualism. Dualism, or Gnosticism, is the belief that there are “spiritual activities” like prayer and church attendance and “nonspiritual” activities like work, recreation, and career.

The Bible teaches that every moment of every day is to be infused with the potential of pleasing God. There is no distinction between spiritual and non-spiritual. Since our work is a way to please God, every day is ripe with the potential for meaning and purpose. Whether you like your job or not… Whether you like your boss or not… The Bible says we can see work through a totally different lens. When we work, we are ultimately working for God. When we use every moment as a spiritual act of worship, we are looking forward to the reward of our labor. There is both an earthly reward (my paycheck and profits) as well as the heavenly reward of hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant.” God will reward us eternally for working diligently and wisely today.

For a free session of Godonomics, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DFO7mCdkx0

Why is unemployment so high? Why hasn’t it gotten better? Why haven’t the national credit card of TARP, Stimulus funds, bail-outs, and buy-outs made the situation any better?   It’s not Obama’s fault nor Bush’s fault.  Or another way to say it might be: It’s both Obama’s fault and Bush’s fault.   Behind the political name-calling and finger-pointing is a destructive philosophy.  This philosophy is a way of thinking about economics that is completely upside-down and counter to the Bible.

God offers clear, simple, easy to understand, advice on running an economy. A way to bless everyone with opportunities for liberty, prosperity, and generosity.  God offers a way to run a nation that offers justice for all. He offers wisdom on  how to spend, how to budget, and how to create jobs.   Paul warns us in Colossians not to fall for worldly philosophies and empty conceit.  Though he is specifically addressing a false teaching about Christ, his greater application is discernment to all thinking that is contrary to God’s word.

Col 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 

What is this philosophy? It’s the ridiculous belief that you can build an economy by borrowing, inflating, and taxing. It’s the silly notion that any can build an economy on consumption, rather than production.   Proverbs 31 lays out the principles so clearly. It shows us how to provide jobs for those who need it.  You allow small business people like the Proverbs 31 woman to produce, profit, invest, save, and give.  Small businesses create 99.7 % of new jobs in this country.  Here are a few facts about small business:

“Small” firms:

• Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
• Employ just over half of all private sector employees.
• Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
• Have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years.
• Create more than half of the non-farm private gross domestic product (GDP).
• Hire 40 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, computer programmers).
• Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
• Made up 97.3 percent of all identified exporters and produced 30.2 percent of the known export value in FY 2007.
• Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms; these patents are twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited.

What is the opposite of Godonomics? Taxing and diverting the small business person’s wealth to inefficient third party purchases, inflating a currency that punishes the saver, and borrowing from other countries to support their production rather than our own.

For a free session of Godonomics, visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DFO7mCdkx0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ESSDbcRaM

I had an opportunity to speak with Glenn Beck recently about the Biblical case for free market capitalism.  Here is a clip.

I was reading the book of Ruth again this week and struck by God’s powerful record of Godly business men.  The book of Ruth should be called the Book of Naomi.   It tells the story of a mother who endures terrible tragedy.  Her business fails due to famine. She is forced to move cross country with her husband. In the span of a few years, she loses her husband and both of her sons. She is so terrified, so angry, so hardened by life’s relentless attacks that she changes her name to “bitter.” She returns to her hometown and asks everyone to call her bitter as a constant reminder that God is out to get her.

Enter the scene, Boaz.   Boaz is a business owner. Boaz is a capitalist.  Boaz owns lots of land.   He is rich.  He lives his life to do kingdom work. What is kingdom work?  Well, first he runs a successful business making enough profit to provide jobs for many in his town.  Secondly, he cuts his margins and expenses to enable generosity.  He leaves the corners of his fields for the poor to glean. They still must work to pick up the food, but no one will go hungry.    Boaz doesn’t sit up in some ivory tower away from his employees, but instead sleeps in the barn with them to protect the produce from animals.   Boaz is a blessing not just by giving to the poor, but by providing jobs for the poor and middle class in his community.  He is not to be demonized, but celebrated.

Ruth and Naomi are starving. Boaz allows Ruth to glean her fields. Boaz has heard about Ruth’s love for God and care for her bitter mother-in-law.  Boaz asks his men to drop “extra” food as the glean for Ruth and her mother.   Ruth comes home with a basket full.  Naomi is surprised.  She praises God for the first time… in a long time. She notes that God may not have forsaken them.  Boaz’s business and generosity is the tool God uses to bring Naomi back to faith in the Great God Jehovah. The story is littered with Biblical principles of capitalism:  Work Ethic, Property Rights, Incentive, Profit, Savings, Fair Wages, and a Generous Spirit.

We need to celebrate capitalism today. We need to distinguish capitalism from corruptionism in our culture. We need a thousand more Boaz’s in America to take down the unemployment rate.  We need to educate our children to grow up to produce, profit, save, invest, and give.   We need our children to intuitively see business as good and a blessing to our nation, instead of “evil” greedy trolls ~as they are portrayed in movies and TV shows.  The Bible challenges the “progressive” movement to think deeper than bumper stickers. It challenges them to examine if they are being used as “useful idiots” for a coercive corrupt government clock and dagger.  The Bible also challenges the unthinking banner waving republican who presumes business is always good.   It challenges us as business leaders to pay fairly using the golden rule as our standard.   It challenges us to put ourselves in the shoes of our employees.  It challenges us not to use the government to steal from someone to enhance our endeavors over someone else.   The Bible is not Red or Blue.  It does not support Democrats or Republicans. God is not on “one side” or the other.  God is on God’s side.  We need to side with Him rather than trying to get Him to side with us.    Capitalism (properly defined and implemented) is the most moral, wise, and generous system of elevated poverty in human history.  We need more, not less, of it.  Jesus worked and sold goods in his dad’s carpenter shop.  His family celebrated when they made a profit so they could buy food and give to others.   All records seem to indicate that Jesus’ family was very very poor.  The sacrifice they offered at Jesus’ dedication was the cheapest sacrifice offering, further evidence to their financial struggles.   The Bible doesn’t promise financial prosperity to all, but it does see prosperity as a critical stewardship.  Jesus made money as a blue collar carpenter and didn’t promote hiring Rome to steal from the three kings to give to the shepherds.   Jesus is no more a Marxist than he would be a murderer. Jesus is no more a socialist than he would be a bank robber.

For a free session of Godonomics, visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DFO7mCdkx0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06k-Rpb6irY

I’ve pastored churches that had “red-state” leanings as well as “blue-state” leanings.  I’ve had the opportunity to meet folks like Mike Huckabee and Jimmy Carter.    I had breakfast with Mike Huckabee this year after the two of us were both speaking at a pastor’s conference.   I was speaking on Godonomics:  God’s teaching regarding economic principles. I was sharing a clear message directly out of Proverbs 31 which outlines the Biblical support for an “others-focused” free market capitalism.  The talk I gave was similar to this link.

Over breakfast. Mike and I talked about the high responsibility and joy of of pastoring. He told me of his days pastoring and his heart for people. He mentioned his days in the church.  He was one of the few pastors who made himself constantly available to the local funeral homes.  He told me that he enjoyed the chance to offer comfort to families and share the hope of Jesus Christ.  As we chatted over breakfast, I was struck by his pastoral qualities. He hugged the doorman, the waitress, and several folks trolling in the hotel lobby.   As we talked, it was clear to me that he was not running for President.  His schedule for the next 18 months was packed full of stuff that didn’t allow for the chaos of a national tour.

As a Christian, he was committed to praying about the opportunity.  It was obvious he had not completely ruled it out.    HOWEVER….  If I were a betting man (and I have beaten my kids many a time in “cookie” poker), I would have given Huckabee’s chances of running at less than 5%.    It was obvious he was enjoying life as well as his new job.

The Bible’s teaching about Christians being involved in politics is very clear.  We are citizens of this world as well as citizens in Heaven. We are compelled and commanded to share His kingdom on earth in all arenas.  Before you get too nervous, let me remind you that freedom and liberty of expression is one of the core teachings of the Bible: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Our Liberty Bell has a verse inscribed on it to this affect: “Proclaim Liberty to All the Inhabitants of the Land.”   That’s not to say that God is a Republican or Democrat.  The Bible gives principles that speak to politics while transcending any particular political party.  His word challenges both red and blue.  I was once asked in an interview if God is a Democrat or Republican, here is what I said:

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Several years ago, I spent the afternoon with Jimmy Carter, but  I didn’t get to have a face to face unfortunately.  Jimmy Carter had partnered with Habitat for Humanity when I pastored in Lagrange GA.  I saw Biblical capitalism, Godonomics, at work right before my eyes. Millard Fuller, a strong Christian and founder of Habitat, had come to town with Jimmy Carter to build homes for the poor and needy.  Two of those homes were being built for families in our church.     I watched as companies who had produced and profited were now investing and giving their resources to give a “hand up” to families I knew well.  Two single moms were out there in tears watching the generosity of companies offering supplies to build them a home.  Millard gave one of the most compelling messages I’ve ever heard about the linking of business, capitalism, and radical generosity.  I watched the business model at work. Each family must help build their own home -instilling the incentive and hard work Biblical ethic into the project.   Communities and churches sent volunteers to help come along side and build the homes.

Jesus said, “Whatever you’ve done unto the least of these, you’ve done unto me.”     The Bible gives clear instructions to weave into a nation’s economic and political system. He tells us to reward hard work and punish laziness: “If you do not work, you do not eat.”   The Bible teaches us that property rights, incentive, and freedom (three lynch pins of free market capitalism) are fundamental to any economy model.  Despite the clear overlap of Biblical wisdom and politics,  C.S. Lewis reminds us that.

Christianity has not, and does not profess to have, a detailed political program for applying ‘Do as you would be done by’ to a particular society at a particular moment. It could not have. It is meant for all men at all times and the particular program which suited one place or time would not suit another. And, anyhow, that is not how Christianity works.

Christians can disagree on politics, but must take seriously the commands that challenge their preconceived ideas.   The Bible gives clear warnings about a large government (1 Samuel 8 “Show them the behavior of a king) and teaches us that centralized power of any government (red or blue) will maximize the sinful tendencies of mankind.    The very idea of checks and balances is rooted in a Biblical worldview -warning a nation not to give any single sinful person too much power.

Jimmy Carter got famous in the 1970′s admitting he was a Christian, but still lusted after women. He was critiqued for it.   There is A LOT that Jimmy and I disagree on, but we came together to help the poor and the needy 9 years ago.  We saw the powerful engine of capitalism fixing the problem of poverty. We saw Christian leaders inspire companies to revitalize the nation -one neighborhood at a time.

Mike Huckabee may or may not be talked into still running for President.   His announcement may be final, or part of a strategy to be “drafted” into running .   I don’t know.  I do know that we need more Christians shaking off the apathy and stepping into the arena of politics to practice His Kingdom “on earth as it is in Heaven.”

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