Word@Work Eph59 - Ephesians 5:7
Published: Wed, 12/17/08
Word@Work from BeaconLight
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
Ephesians 5:7 Therefore do not be partners with them. (NIV)
The credit crunch of 2008 will long be remembered. Her Majesty The Queen, on a visit to the London School of Economics, asked a professor, "Why did nobody see it coming?" His response was sadly fascinating, "At every stage, somebody was relying on somebody else; and everybody thought they were doing the right thing". That just shows how partnerships can go horribly wrong. In business, as in every other part of life, you can only work with people you trust. But, on what grounds is that trust established? A good history of satisfactory trading, personable people who create a good impression or the least worst of the available options ... none of these can guarantee the integrity of a future partnership.
Wrong strategic alliances were the downfall of Israel in the Old Testament. They were also the banana skin for the early church believers. Paul's warning to resist the lure of pragmatic business alliances is repeated in 2 Cor 6:14-18 where partnership is presented as the yoking of two oxen: if they are pulling in different directions, not only will the plough go off course but the animals will suffer extreme chaffing under the ropes that bind them to the yoke. This unequal yoke can be as painful and disruptive in a marriage as it is in business.
Now, Jesus did not want us to be taken out of the world, but to be protected from the Evil One (John 17:15). So we need to be very careful who we commit ourselves to. It is personal character, rather than academic brilliance or slick trading skills, which give the clue. In this chapter, the Christian is warned away from those whose lifestyle is immoral, impure, greedy, obscene, foolish or coarse. Such people are already under God's wrath, and so, to trust yourself to them is like standing under a tree in a thunderstorm. So when choosing people is your responsibility - choose by God's standards.
Prayer: Father God. Thank you for this practical advice to managers and team leaders, and all of us who choose who we will do business with. Help us to be wise according to your Word. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and Spanish
The credit crunch of 2008 will long be remembered. Her Majesty The Queen, on a visit to the London School of Economics, asked a professor, "Why did nobody see it coming?" His response was sadly fascinating, "At every stage, somebody was relying on somebody else; and everybody thought they were doing the right thing". That just shows how partnerships can go horribly wrong. In business, as in every other part of life, you can only work with people you trust. But, on what grounds is that trust established? A good history of satisfactory trading, personable people who create a good impression or the least worst of the available options ... none of these can guarantee the integrity of a future partnership.
Wrong strategic alliances were the downfall of Israel in the Old Testament. They were also the banana skin for the early church believers. Paul's warning to resist the lure of pragmatic business alliances is repeated in 2 Cor 6:14-18 where partnership is presented as the yoking of two oxen: if they are pulling in different directions, not only will the plough go off course but the animals will suffer extreme chaffing under the ropes that bind them to the yoke. This unequal yoke can be as painful and disruptive in a marriage as it is in business.
Now, Jesus did not want us to be taken out of the world, but to be protected from the Evil One (John 17:15). So we need to be very careful who we commit ourselves to. It is personal character, rather than academic brilliance or slick trading skills, which give the clue. In this chapter, the Christian is warned away from those whose lifestyle is immoral, impure, greedy, obscene, foolish or coarse. Such people are already under God's wrath, and so, to trust yourself to them is like standing under a tree in a thunderstorm. So when choosing people is your responsibility - choose by God's standards.
Prayer: Father God. Thank you for this practical advice to managers and team leaders, and all of us who choose who we will do business with. Help us to be wise according to your Word. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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