“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). It means we are responsible for what we have.
Our blessings in the form of wealth, talent, knowledge, skill, and other such things should benefit others. Does that include employing our brethren or church mate?
Yes, you should definitely hire your churchmates as employees. We Christians are called to serve or help one another. If your churchmate could use a job, this person is qualified, and you need an extra hand; there is no reason why you should go look for someone else. Your churchmate and your pastor will thank you for it. And God will bless you more.
Reasons why you should
1. God told us to take care of our disadvantaged brethren.
Leviticus 25:35: “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.” The early New Testament churches were known for their care of the poor, widows, and orphans.
They shared what they have with one another. Some would even sell their possessions and then share the proceeds with their brethren. Why? Because Jesus told them so and obeying Jesus is how we show love for our Savior.
2. Helping others lifts up our spirits.
Isaiah 58:10: “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” Studies have shown that when we help others, our brains release chemicals that stimulate happiness. God designed us for service. And when we fulfill that purpose, we feel satisfaction and pleasure.
Just be careful that you are helping others out of your heart. Wrong motives could leave us feeling used and dissatisfied.
3. God blesses those who share their blessings.
Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Whatever we have comes from God to use to bless others. Then surely, God will give us more when those gifts are shared with fellow Christians so that more people will be blessed. Ultimately, God is glorified. We are just channels of his blessings.
4. We serve God by helping others.
Matthew 25:44-45: “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”
God is Spirit. We cannot see nor touch him. But we can serve him by clothing, feeding, and sheltering those he sends to us. The care we provide to our fellow men somehow extends to God.
5. Frees us from the love of material things.
Mark 10:21: “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’”
Jesus wanted this rich young man to be freed from the one thing that chains him – his treasures. By letting go of worldly wealth, the man would not need to worry about where to hide his money, getting robbed, or second-guessing people around him.
He would be freed to do important things like serving others.
6. We collect heavenly treasures.
Luke 12:33-34: “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Earthly wealth is an illusion. They rot, get lost, or are stolen. We are not taking them to heaven. Why not invest them in something that will give us returns to last for eternity?
Helping people earns us heavenly treasures. I don’t think it will be gold which is worthless in heaven (Rev.21:21). This is our God we are talking about. You can be sure that your treasure will much better than gold and will be of unimaginable value.
7. Fruit of our salvation.
1 John 4:19-20: “We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”
Salvation is a gift of love from our God. Salvation’s fruit is also love. Love is not a state of being. Love is an act of doing. We just can’t help but care for others. It is how we express love.
8. We obey Jesus when we help our brethren.
Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Jesus often reach out to help people who were on the fringes of society. The poor, sick, prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers, and such.
Helping out a churchmate in need is surely not beyond us. Nothing should be when it comes to caring for people. We should follow the example of Jesus. Most of the teachings of the New Testament are about building up, helping, and loving others, especially those of the Church.
9. Keeps us away from selfishness.
Proverbs 3:27: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act.” From the fall of man in the garden of Eden, we have always been selfish beings. We are too focused inwardly.
Jesus wants to bring our attention to those around us. Keeping us aware that we are surrounded by people with needs. The busier we are with caring for others the more we forget about our own insecurities, worries, and sinful tendencies.
10. Accumulate the debt of love.
Proverbs 21:13: “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.” God did not promise us sunshine each day of our lives.
If Job could be tested, then we better get ready for some testing ourselves. When that day comes, we need people around us who care for us.
So while we still have the chance and the resources, let’s sow love all around us. Help those in need back on their feet. One day, they may be the helping hand that we need.
11. Evidence of our faith.
James 2:14-17: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
Don’t hold that which you cannot keep. Give that which you cannot lose. We show our faith in God that He will provide for us when we help others even in times of want.
The widow that Elijah visited did not have much to give but the last meal she was supposed to share with her son. Yet, she offered it to the man of God. Her faith was rewarded when her jars of oil and flour did not run empty until after the famine.
Some people try to accumulate too much wealth that it looks like they don’t have any need for God in their lives. That’s why God told the Israelites to only store manna for the day’s needs. Because tomorrow God will provide. Does our faith tell us that?
Reasons you should not
The only reason why you should not hire your churchmate is the same reason you should not hire anyone else — When the person is not qualified for the job.
1. Not having the skills.
2. Not having the right attitude.
Final thoughts
Christain business owners are blessed with a position of influence. We should use that influence to help our brethren any which way we can.
Let’s go back to where we started in Luke 12:42-48 to the parable of the wise and faithful manager. If the master finds the manager doing what was expected of him, like helping the other servants, he will be put in charge of so much more.
However, if the manager does the opposite and starts abusing the other servants, getting drunk, and partying. That servant will be “cut to pieces”.
We are just stewards of God’s resources. Our business is not ours and God is our boss. Remember what happened to the servant who squandered what was entrusted to him?
