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REFLECTION
Golden Rule Applies
by Judy Webb
“If any of your people…sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free. And when you release them,…Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Give to them as the LORD your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you.” (Deuteronomy 15:12-15)
I have been studying this text for a number of days now. It is hard to come up with a suitable application for this Word of God in today’s world, but I know that everything in the Bible is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Recognizing that we don’t have servants or slaves who have indentured themselves to us, I believe there is another lesson for us within this text. Many of us are employers or we work with volunteers, or we hire babysitters or yard workers or handymen. In every instance of connecting with others, we are called to be fair and just and loving, as God has been to us.
Depending on where we are in life, there could be a few differing thoughts on this topic, but we are always called to fairness. If a worker we have hired is feeling it is time to move on, we must let them go and encourage them on their way.
While they are in our employ we are to supply them liberally so they can care for themselves and their families. Fair wages are always part of God’s plan, as stated in verses 14 and 15, “Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. The Lord your God has redeemed you.”
PRAYER PRACTICE
Dear Jesus, when I consider all this, I am struck by just how different our world would be today if we practiced this simple way of doing business. If we conducted ourselves in this charitable fashion we could change the world.
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