Read
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
Proverbs 4:26-27
Reflect
Each year, a group called the Ethics and Compliance Initiative publishes the “State of Ethics and Compliance in the Workplace,” and the findings are a pretty good snapshot of our culture. Recent reports include the following trends:
- There has been a spike in employees saying they have felt pressure to compromise their standards. This year, that number is 28 percent. The more alarming trend is that 51 percent of top managers and 63 percent of middle managers felt the pressure to compromise their standards.
- Almost half of all employees say they’ve witnessed various types of misconduct in the workplace. About 25 percent of employees said they knew that their management had lied to them.
- While 72 percent of employees say that they have reported the misconduct they’ve seen, 46 percent of employees who report misconduct say they’ve experienced retaliation after their report, including 80 percent of managers.
While these stats aren’t exactly encouraging, you don’t have to look far to see why trends like this are happening.
- Less than 1/4 of Americans say they attend church every week, while 31 percent of Americans say they never go to church.
- About 11 percent of Americans say they read the Bible daily, while about 30 percent say they never read the Bible.
One of the foundations of ethics is Christianity, but when people have no clue about what the Lord has to say about how people should treat each other, it’s no wonder that our standards are weakening year by year. It’s the Bible that tells us to:
- Treat other people like we would want to be treated. (Matthew 7:12)
- Love our neighbors as ourselves. (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31)
- Not oppress widows, orphans and people unlike ourselves. (Jeremiah 7:6)
- Honor our parents, don’t murder, don’t cheat on our spouse, don’t steal, don’t lie and don’t jealously desire what other people have (which often leads to stealing, lying and killing). (Exodus 20:2-17)
People who walk closely with Jesus Christ tend to manifest godly ethics. The two things just go hand-in-hand. The further we get away from and His purposes, the less ethical we will tend to be. As we approach the celebration of our country’s independence, we may ask ourselves, “Will America ever again assume the position of leadership in the world?” The answer to that question is the same answer to whether we, individually, will be a positive example to those around us.
“…if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)
Reflection copyright © 2024 Doug DeBolt and Charles Fulton
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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