Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Devotional - How does the "living" you are making measure up?‏ (Elder Robbins - 2010)

Are we a Scrooge or a George Bailey?
Here is a BYU Idaho devotional from Oct 2010 by Elder Lynn G. Robbins (same one from the April 2011 conference who gave a great talk on "To Be" & "To Do").

http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2010_10_12_Robbins.htm

He brings up some great points about how we are to not only make a living, but more importantly, "make a good and honest living". 

He presents a "grading system" on how to tell if the things we are doing to make a living, and the ways we go about making a living are in-line with the Gospel, and makes us take a good hard look at our motivations in doing so.




Your mid-term tests and final exams are indicators of your progress in preparing for a profession, but they pale in comparison and importance to the celestial tests the Lord will be monitoring as He observes your daily behavior in your dealings with your fellowmen.  What you do to make a living, or how many dollars you earn, aren’t nearly as important to the Lord as whether you:
  • Are building His kingdom including strong and valiant families.
  • Are honest in your dealings with your fellowmen and using your God-given talents in their service; 
  • and if you are filling your life with good works, that positively impact your community and world.
         
In Charles Dicken’s classic story, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes an amazing transformation, from a ruthless money lender, to a caring and charitable businessman and philanthropist.  As his motives evolve in the story, transforming him from a cruel and stingy miser to a compassionate member of his community, we witness a marvelous impact on him and others that touches us profoundly.

The motives that drive people are the hinges upon which major outcomes swing.
In making a living, the Lord identified two opposite motivators – God and mammon.   We know that money itself is not evil; in fact, it represents “the sweat of our face” – a commandment of the Lord.  Mammon goes beyond money to “the love of money” and is referred to as “the root of all evil” we read in 1 Tim. 6:10.  
He goes on to define several "Grades" (A-F), and assigns the different combinations of the "Love of God" vs "Love of Money" for each, as well as illustrates the ultimate end result for each grade.  He also goes into such topics as how to determine what constitutes "filthy lucre" in today's economy. 

Here are some of the characteristics of an "A-level" company / employer:
A love of God can only exist at the A-level, since the person who loves God would always put Him first, not being able to serve two masters.  At the B-level, the primary motivation is money, but there is still a love of fellowmen and a genuine desire to provide good products and services to customers.  This could even be an A-level person or company who has been sidetracked by the world.  It is difficult for a company which goes public to remain at the A-level.  The pressure on the board of directors and corporate officers to increase the value of the stock is so great that many lose sight of the A-level vision that helped them achieve their success in the first place.  Concern for the stockholder and the bottom line will almost always force an “A” company to the B-level and sometimes lower. "

It's a great read and way to do a little self-check to make sure that what we do to "make a living" and how we do it is helping our family and building Lord's kingdom, instead of taking away from it.

No comments: