Where Soul Meets Body...
I discovered some interesting things as I read about King Solomon this morning. In my pursuit to be a business man (and a fashionably concious one, at that), I have thought about what it means to be a follower of Christ and a hard-hitting business man. Are these thought contradictory? Can one honor Christ while sometimes using men as means to and end in the business world?
So, take Solomon for an example. He is granted wisdom greater than all other men and the riches and pleasures as per the kingly way. God tells Him that these riches are granted to Him while keeping in mind that he must follow God's decrees and honor Him and King David (Solomon's father) did.
Fast forward a little bit: Solomon is building the temple that God told David would be built by one of his sons. Solomon had 200,000 laborers and foremen working on this project that required them to haul large stones and full timbers for quite some distance in order to complete the project.
What happened when this man, who is glorifying God and following His decrees, when he was told that the workers were tired and the task too burdensome? Using the logic of my spiritual instinct, I would say that Solomon should give the men a break and care for their burdens first and foremost. Using my business savvy, Solomon should tell those foremen, "Tough shit! This work has to get done and I'm not paying them to whine. If they don't like the work, they need to find a new job!" (I apologize to my human resources professor for being a bit ridiculous, but for sake of my point, I must)
Fast of the matter is that Solomon would have to say this at some time. There exists a place where we honor God but where we have to push men to set aside their own opinions and work for the purpose of the task at hand. There is a way to honor God while not attaching ourselves to the most compassionate of options.
So, moral of the story is - don't worry about being a jerk cuz God's okay with that! Psyche! What I'm saying is that, as I discover more of who I am in Christ and develop my leadership and managerial principles, I want to find that place where I honor God and lead to the best of my ability. I do not want to be an ineffective leader because I do not understand the role of compassion in the hands of leaders and managers.
Solomon is going to be one of my guiding lights as I discover these principles - but I promise I'll skim over the part about the prostitutes.
So, take Solomon for an example. He is granted wisdom greater than all other men and the riches and pleasures as per the kingly way. God tells Him that these riches are granted to Him while keeping in mind that he must follow God's decrees and honor Him and King David (Solomon's father) did.
Fast forward a little bit: Solomon is building the temple that God told David would be built by one of his sons. Solomon had 200,000 laborers and foremen working on this project that required them to haul large stones and full timbers for quite some distance in order to complete the project.
What happened when this man, who is glorifying God and following His decrees, when he was told that the workers were tired and the task too burdensome? Using the logic of my spiritual instinct, I would say that Solomon should give the men a break and care for their burdens first and foremost. Using my business savvy, Solomon should tell those foremen, "Tough shit! This work has to get done and I'm not paying them to whine. If they don't like the work, they need to find a new job!" (I apologize to my human resources professor for being a bit ridiculous, but for sake of my point, I must)
Fast of the matter is that Solomon would have to say this at some time. There exists a place where we honor God but where we have to push men to set aside their own opinions and work for the purpose of the task at hand. There is a way to honor God while not attaching ourselves to the most compassionate of options.
So, moral of the story is - don't worry about being a jerk cuz God's okay with that! Psyche! What I'm saying is that, as I discover more of who I am in Christ and develop my leadership and managerial principles, I want to find that place where I honor God and lead to the best of my ability. I do not want to be an ineffective leader because I do not understand the role of compassion in the hands of leaders and managers.
Solomon is going to be one of my guiding lights as I discover these principles - but I promise I'll skim over the part about the prostitutes.
posted by Carolyn at 12:06 PM
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