I live in a country called South Africa where there is a strong culture of entitlements. Almost every year, workers are going on strike for pay rise and better job conditions. I am not against fairness in the workplace. As a matter of fact , I am a strong advocate of justice for all.
When watching the strikes and violent marches, what fascinates me, is the amount of demands made by the workers unions to employers across all sectors. Those unions demand in average 12 % wage increase, more health care, lesser hours...and so on...Employers at time, struggle to respond to those demands and consequently fights erupt and turn into violent assaults.
Across the world, workers constantly make new demands, populations are making their grievances known to their governments. You might be one of them and it's okay.
So we look at ALL our needs from personal to professional and we make our salary increase request based on those needs.
' We demand that the job provide better hours so that we may have time to rest and the energy to spend quality time with family.
We demand for more money, so that all our needs may be met,
We demand for equality and discrimination free environment,
We demand for schooling finance from our employer,
We demand for a better healthcare program from the same employer,
We demand for housing from the same employer and so on and so on....'
But you forgot one thing:' your employer or your government is made of humans and they can NOT provide to all your needs.'
You can NOT require from men things they can not accomplish. This is why your job is not meant to provide to all your needs and it can NOT.
In my years of experience at management level, I have seen all sort of demands from employees, and for a moment, I was really convinced that they were confusing me with God. There is only an amount of things that your government or employer can do.
We forget to look at God and we turn our occupation as the sole provider of everything, so we press hard on our bosses, and make the impossible demands, even when we are already having a decent salary compared to jobless people who have nothing.
The Bible never said that your job will provide everything but It says:
'And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ' (Philippians 4:19 )
'The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. ' (Proverbs 10:3)
'What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. '(James 4:1-2 )
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10)
On the day you signed your work contract, it was surely not agreed that your employer would supply all your needs. What was agreed, was a fair wage for the work you would contribute towards your workplace.
I am not against workers strikes but your employer is NOT God.
On the day, you will turn to God, you will suddenly realize how unlimited God is. You will suddenly realize the amounts of alternatives He can provide besides your job. No man can provide everything. No governments can realize all their promises, but what is impossible to men, is possible to God.
We take courage at spending 5 hours a day striking, but do we at least spend 45 minutes praying to God? Turn your demands towards the Creator of the Universe.
Him and Him alone can supply to all your needs.
Him alone is God.
When watching the strikes and violent marches, what fascinates me, is the amount of demands made by the workers unions to employers across all sectors. Those unions demand in average 12 % wage increase, more health care, lesser hours...and so on...Employers at time, struggle to respond to those demands and consequently fights erupt and turn into violent assaults.
Across the world, workers constantly make new demands, populations are making their grievances known to their governments. You might be one of them and it's okay.
So we look at ALL our needs from personal to professional and we make our salary increase request based on those needs.
' We demand that the job provide better hours so that we may have time to rest and the energy to spend quality time with family.
We demand for more money, so that all our needs may be met,
We demand for equality and discrimination free environment,
We demand for schooling finance from our employer,
We demand for a better healthcare program from the same employer,
We demand for housing from the same employer and so on and so on....'
But you forgot one thing:' your employer or your government is made of humans and they can NOT provide to all your needs.'
You can NOT require from men things they can not accomplish. This is why your job is not meant to provide to all your needs and it can NOT.
In my years of experience at management level, I have seen all sort of demands from employees, and for a moment, I was really convinced that they were confusing me with God. There is only an amount of things that your government or employer can do.
We forget to look at God and we turn our occupation as the sole provider of everything, so we press hard on our bosses, and make the impossible demands, even when we are already having a decent salary compared to jobless people who have nothing.
The Bible never said that your job will provide everything but It says:
'And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ' (Philippians 4:19 )
'The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. ' (Proverbs 10:3)
'What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. '(James 4:1-2 )
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10)
On the day you signed your work contract, it was surely not agreed that your employer would supply all your needs. What was agreed, was a fair wage for the work you would contribute towards your workplace.
I am not against workers strikes but your employer is NOT God.
On the day, you will turn to God, you will suddenly realize how unlimited God is. You will suddenly realize the amounts of alternatives He can provide besides your job. No man can provide everything. No governments can realize all their promises, but what is impossible to men, is possible to God.
We take courage at spending 5 hours a day striking, but do we at least spend 45 minutes praying to God? Turn your demands towards the Creator of the Universe.
Him and Him alone can supply to all your needs.
Him alone is God.
Follow me on twitter @ Maurice Kande