{"id":1199,"date":"2015-02-03T08:00:24","date_gmt":"2015-02-03T14:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/thehighcalling\/?p=1199"},"modified":"2015-01-26T13:03:23","modified_gmt":"2015-01-26T19:03:23","slug":"paying-well-loving-others-through-fair-wages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thehighcalling\/2015\/02\/paying-well-loving-others-through-fair-wages\/","title":{"rendered":"Paying Well: Loving Others Through Fair Wages"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"\u201cThe extra income is a Godsend,\u201d she said. I\u2019d just landed a fairly large new account, one I\u2019d need help managing, so I\u2019d asked one of my regular freelancers if she could take on more work. With two children and three new foster kids arriving at her home soon, the extra money definitely helps.<\/p>\n

At the same time, another request came in to do pro-bono work for a friend. Of course I\u00a0wanted<\/em>\u00a0to help out. I could likely get some referral business out of it, but I have mouths to feed, too.<\/p>\n

As long as I\u2019ve been an entrepreneur, I\u2019ve wrestled with how much to charge for my work\u2014and how much to give away. Still, getting paid what I\u2019m worth is important to me for practical and theological reasons. The Bible speaks a great deal on the subject of work and paying\/being paid well.<\/p>\n

Woe to the Cheapskate<\/h2>\n

One common literary form Jeremiah used in his writings is the \u201cwoe,\u201d where he delivers God\u2019s judgment on certain acts. He even addresses wicked leaders who take advantage of others:<\/p>\n

Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0and his upper rooms by injustice,
\nwho makes his neighbor serve him for nothing<\/em>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0and does not give him his wages.<\/em>\u00a0(Jer.\u00a022:13, ESV, emphasis mine)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

God is not a fan of taking advantage of other people\u00a0and reserves severe penalty for those who do.<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s Perspective on Wages<\/h2>\n

In his letter to the Romans, Paul uses an interesting example when speaking of justification by faith. In\u00a0chapter 4, he says that it\u2019s not by human effort that we obtain righteousness. Then, in verse 4 he makes the statement, \u201cNow to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even if getting paid what you\u2019re worth isn\u2019t the point of the passage, Paul was quoting a commonly-held belief of both the Jewish and Roman people. He wasn\u2019t discrediting it as it relates to work itself; he was upholding it!<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s views on the value of work echo the teachings of Jesus throughout the Gospels. We also know Paul supported himself by working as a tentmaker. This idea of working and earning a fair wage was a reality for people like Paul.<\/p>\n

Practical Thoughts on the Economy of Paying Well<\/h2>\n

As I think about this issue of paying people well for their work, I remember a statement Jesus made in John 13:35: \u201cBy this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

To show the world that I follow Christ, I need to display love in every way possible. That\u2019s why I offered to pay the freelancer I mentioned earlier twenty dollars\u00a0per\u00a0hour, instead of her asked-for rate of fifteen dollars\u00a0per\u00a0hour. Paying the higher wage allows her to earn extra income, and it feeds the economy by increasing her spending capacity.<\/p>\n

When my clients pay me well, it enables me to support my family. The more my business grows, the more I am able to turn around and pay others well\u00a0as they help me manage the workload. It\u2019s Economics 101 in action!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve studied small business success over the last few years, and the more I learn what it means to love well, the more I\u2019ve stopped looking for freebies and started paying well. The result? As I earn a fair wage for my work, I\u2019ve become an example of what a Christian entrepreneur can accomplish in the marketplace. And\u00a0as I pay others a fair wage for their work, I\u2019ve been able to bless others through God\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: This post was originally shared at TheHighCalling.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

[Image by George Redgrave<\/a>. Used with permission. Sourced via Flickr<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe extra income is a Godsend,\u201d she said. I\u2019d just landed a fairly large new account, one I\u2019d need help managing, so I\u2019d asked one of my regular freelancers if she could take on more work. With two children and three new foster kids arriving at her home soon, the extra money definitely helps. At […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1715,"featured_media":1200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[98,237,238,239],"class_list":["post-1199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-work-practices","tag-money","tag-pay","tag-pricing","tag-wages"],"yoast_head":"\nPaying Well: Loving Others Through Fair Wages<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cThe extra income is a Godsend,\u201d she said. 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