Topic: THE SCALES OF BUSINESS – Right From The Heart Daily Devotional by Bryant Wright Ministry  31 August   2023

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THE SCALES OF BUSINESS

August 31, 2023

“The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but He delights in accurate weights.” Proverbs 11:1

“God doesn’t want your spiritual life. He wants your life.” -John Ortberg

These words challenge me to my core.  

You see, I’m comfortable handing over the religious, spiritual part of me to God. I just don’t like the idea of handing over all of me.  

How about you?

Here’s the unvarnished truth – genuine followers of Christ must realize that every area of life, even the ‘non-spiritual’ aspects, belongs to Him.  

Take business, for example. 

Also Read: Open Heaven 31 August  2023– THE GOD OF RESTORATION 

The way we do business matters to God. There is no such thing as a division between sacred and secular. It’s all sacred to Him. Therefore, our character and conduct in the workplace is of utmost importance. 

Why else would Solomon even bother bringing up what the Lord thinks about “dishonest scales” and weights? 

After all, scales and weights exist in the marketplace. They have zero relevance to our relationship with God, right?

Wrong. 

Solomon’s wise words remind us that the Lord is fully aware of what goes on behind the scenes. He sees everything. So, if we think we’re hiding an unethical business practice from His eyes, we are sorely mistaken.

Archaeologists have discovered that ancient merchants often had two sets of stones, one for buying and one for selling. During a business transaction, they’d deliberately put the set on the scale that tipped things in their favor. Pretty sneaky, huh?

But they didn’t sneak it past the Lord. He saw what they were doing and “detested” it. 

“Detests” is a word that should cause us serious pause. It gives us a sense of the Lord’s righteous indignation, showing how strongly He feels about devious deception.  

In fact, the Lord “detests” dishonesty so much that He repeats a similar message numerous times throughout the Old Testament. (See: Deuteronomy 25:13-16, Amos 8:5, Micah 6:11, Proverbs 20:10,23). So, my friends, we can’t pretend like this is not a big deal. No, any kind of lying, cheating, or fraud is a big deal. The Lord tells us as much over and over and over again.  

I think He wants us to pay extra attention to what He’s saying, right?

Not only does Solomon tell us what the Lord “detests,” but He also tells us that He “delights” in scales that are accurate. In other words, when the Father sees His children acting with honesty and integrity in the business world, He smiles from ear to ear. It brings great joy to His heart.  

Ultimately, God alone is the essence, the absolute standard of all that is fair, honest, and just. And His people are called to reflect His character. In a corporate world often filled with corruption, we are to be a breath of fresh air. We are “ambassadors of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20), shining His light in a dark world, demonstrating that we belong to another Kingdom. 

There shouldn’t be a hint of impropriety in our offices. No conniving. No bending the rules. No circumventing regulations.

Basically, the people of God should be the most upright, trustworthy people on the planet.

I recognize that this may not always be easy or convenient, but it’s what the Lord expects of us. 

May today be the day when we stop compartmentalizing our faith.

May we surrender all our lives, yes, even our ‘business lives,’ over to Him.  

Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH

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