Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a
reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24
The Bible is very clear that the purpose for our work life is to reflect Christ
in and through our lives. It is an attitude that says our work is to have an
overriding "ministry" objective to it. Our work is our worship to God. These two
words even originate from the same Hebrew word, avodah.
Robert Laidlaw was born in Scotland in 1885 but grew up in New Zealand. Born to
Christian parents, he committed his life fully to the Lord when he was 17.
Laidlaw began working in a hardware merchant company as a traveling sales
representative when he was 19. Later he had the idea for a mail-order catalogue
business that sold everything imaginable including underwear, groceries,
cosmetics, and farm equipment, all at bargain-basement prices. His concept
proved successful and his business later merged with the Farmer's Union Trading
Company. He became general manager and held that position for 50 years.
But this is not the most significant thing that can be said about Robert
Laidlaw. He understood that his work life was a tool to affect others for Jesus
Christ. He began giving ten percent of his income early in his business life.
Later, however, he entered this into his journal: "September 1919, age
twenty-five. I have decided to change my earlier graduated scale, and start now
giving half (fifty percent) of all my earnings." This he continued for the next
60 years. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody
Press, 1992), 351.]
The result of that commitment was countless numbers affected for Jesus Christ
through the resources he gave to mission groups and other worthy Christian
causes. He was personally involved in ministry. He wrote a small book that gave
a thoughtful answer to basic questions about life and faith. It was titled The
Reason. Many hundreds of thousands came to faith in Christ because of this
46-page booklet. He publicly spoke to many of his faith in Christ and became
very involved in the Soldier's and Airmen's Association when World War II broke
out. Robert Laidlaw understood what it meant to view business with an overriding
ministry objective.
Does the Lord have complete control of your life? If so, you will be able to see
your business life as an extension of His life in you. Let the Lord live in and
through your business life today.
Excerpted with permission from the book TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman,
copyright 2000, Destiny Image Publishers, Reprinted by permission. For free
daily email subscription to TGIF Today God Is First marketplace meditations,
visit www.marketplaceleaders.org
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