Happy new year, everybody! It’s nice to be back. I hope you all are enjoying Christmastime (if you follow your old Christmas carols, you know there are twelve days of Christmas, so it’s still Christmas even if you have already scuffed your new kicks).

In past years, I’ve shared with you a focus word — a theme word that I hold as an intention for the new year. In 2016, for example, I had the word Desire. Last year, it was Breakthrough. This year the word that keeps coming back to me, in and out of prayer, is the word Restoration. Let me unpack what this word is saying to me and why it is my focus word for 2019.

Worldview

If you’ve been reading here awhile, you know I’m big on worldview — specifically a biblical worldview. You can read more about that here . But in the cheat code version, a world view addresses four main issues and questions. They are:

• Creation – Where did we come from?
• Fall — What is our fundamental problem?
• Redemption — What’s the cure for our problem?
• Restoration — In light of the cure, how should we live?

From the outset, the word restoration is powerful to me because if its broad scope and purposefulness in setting things right. I am concerned with personal restoration in some measurable ways, as well as with the abstract “out there”, as I hope to illustrate. Here are the areas I think of when I consider Restoration for 2019:

Health

This is primarily an intention for friends and family members who have been struggling with chronic conditions as well as the ravages of time. In 2019, I’d like to see them restored to health through better choices, doing what they can. And I pray God’s grace and healing for what they can’t do on their own.

Fitness

By now, it’s a cliche that everybody wants to get back in shape in the new year. I confess that last year, I let myself drift from maintenance mode to something below that. I feel it. i see it. I know what to do and I’m going to change it. One of my best Christmas gifts — in true “Advent Conspiracy” spirit — was several sessions with a personal trainer to kickstart my motivation. Just what I needed.

Career/Finances

Last year turned out well. In the arena of work and finances, I experienced something of the breakthrough I was hoping for. We were, at last, able to tackle some pesky debt. Restoration for me in this area will mean making better use of the money God entrusts to me, sticking to a workable budget, and seeing to some things that I should have taken care of a long time ago.

We all do the best we can with what we have, but eventually, the house has to be painted, the refrigerator or the water heater dies, you have to replace the garage door, or the car will need new tires. I’m thankful to be in a position where these events — when they come — won’t be a crisis.

Meanwhile, I’m thankful for the success I’ve enjoyed in my current role, and the contributions I’ve made to the company. At the same time I’m feeling restless in this new year. Restoration in this regard would mean a new challenge — an opportunity to make my mark and create value in a new space. It could be I’m projecting this onto my career from a different facet of my life, but I have learned not to ignore this when it comes.

Society/Politics

I have published several posts based on Roy H. Williams’ and Michael Drew’s book, Pendulum, and my reading of the news suggests the authors’ predictions are, unfortunately, true. Restoration in this sense will be to seek the welfare of the city and the area where I live.

I believe what Jesus said about our being salt and light in this world. If you’ve been reading these posts over the years, you’ll have noticed that I tend not to discuss partisan politics much (policy, yes). That’s intentional. I have very strong opinions, and I even like to argue, but I think the times are such that we need to emphasize what we hold in common, rather than picking at the scab of where we differ.

I want to see alienated friends and family members restored to each other, and I am going to continue to stay out of the social media mud. If we can avoid the kind of trouble keyboard warriors like to conjure up, good. If, on the other hand, things get as bad as the book predicts, I want to prepare myself and my household to come out on the other side intact and to be part of the — you guessed it — restoration.

Manners and morals

The famous British abolitionist William Wilberforce set about to end the cruel and immoral slave trade, but also to work for, as he put it, “the reformation of morals.” Restoration in our day will take the form of engaging in public questions with an eye toward solving problems. For my part, I intend to do this with the best thinking I can muster and in as kind a manner as I can. I intend never to be a doormat, but I don’t want to treat people of goodwill like one, either.

Those who want to pick a fight or wish us harm will be in our prayers. After that, we’ll deal appropriately.

Wanting to be part of the solution

When we look back at that worldview section, it’s hard to miss that God’s purpose in sending Jesus to be our redeemer was ultimately to restore and renew not just his favorites, but the entire cosmos. It is dented, dinged-up, and rusty, but God says He plans to renew it all. Trust me — you want to be part of it.

So like Wilberforce, let’s use the resources, the strengths, the gifts, and the contacts we have to make this battered world a much better place.

How will we know when we get there?

Quite simply, we won’t. But just because we can’t in our own strength construct a Heaven on earth that is not a reason we should not strive to make this earth as much like Heaven as it can possibly be. Think about what this would look like in terms of justice, education, opportunity, and economic and social mobility.

I assure you, I didn’t get hit in the head and become a Utopian Socialist. I am still a believer in capitalism as the greatest engine of prosperity for the greatest number of people — but we can do better. Part of this resides in the object of our service. If we love and serve God and love our neighbor — seeking the best for him — we aren’t going to pile up wealth so we can hoard it. Instead, we will seek to put it to work to accomplish the work of restoration. Where we have been successful, we will create opportunities for others to succeed. We will connect people with needs to the people who have the means to address those needs. And we will live in community as beggars who found bread and are busy telling other beggars where they can find it, too.

I look forward to what this year will bring — especially since I see the amount of work it will take.

So how about you? What is your word for 2019? What does it mean to you? (If you don’t have one yet, it’s not too late.)

The title of today’s post is a quotation attributed to American president Theodore Roosevelt.  The truth of this statement is so blinding, I am partly tempted to let it stand on its own.  If I did that, though, you might think I was being lazy.  So here goes.

Equal time for comparison

I am a believer in competition.  A good-natured rivalry can motivate you to elevate your performance in nearly any arena, and can help you stave off complacency.  This is why fitness trainers and management consultants alike recommend keeping records and charting your progress toward your goals.  Engaging a friend or two to pursue the same goal builds in even more accountability, and makes it more difficult to punt your workout.  All of this is beneficial, as it brings out the best in each of us.

The dark side

Where this goes sideways is when we begin looking at what people around us have while disparaging our own resources or circumstances.  We don’t feel that we are getting the reward we deserve while others — seen by us as less worthy — are getting far more than they deserve.  Sound familiar?

Why do we compare?

I think this unhealthy wish to measure ourselves against others is first a byproduct of living in a fallen world.  We are all fallible and deep down we know it.  We long for justice in the face of wrongdoing — just as long as we can escape our due punishment.  At the same time, we fear being exposed, so we seek to lessen the sting by identifying all those over whom we can claim superiority.

For most of us, this isn’t conscious behavior. If it were, I think it would be less common. Instead it exists from preschool play yards to corporate boardrooms. It seems to be latent animal behavior, akin to the pecking order among chickens, or establishing of dominance in a dog pack.  If you’re tempted to think that because we see this in the animal kingdom, that it’s a feature of our world, and not a bug, note that this observation doesn’t negate the fallenness of our world.  Besides, dogs drink from the toilet.

Even so, little boys compare to see whose is biggest, migrating to boasts about whose dad could beat whose, eventually escalating to the acquisition of temporary status symbols — car, career, condo, concubine — lather, rinse, repeat.  Social media just amplifies the effect. As Chuck Palahniuk wrote in Fight Club, “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”

It seems to me that a man who has his question answered, who has his purpose figured out and is about his mission is less susceptible to seeking comfort by comparing himself to others.

It’s nobody’s business 

When I was thirteen, I wanted to buy a road bike.  Braswell’s Cycle Shop had a chestnut metallic Schwinn Varsity ten-speed.  It was beautiful, and cost far more than I had.  My grandfather owned an industrial supply company in our town, so I went to see him.  When I told him I wanted to buy a bicycle but I didn’t have the money, he asked me if I’d be willing to work for the company.

I agreed on the spot. Next, I went down the street to get a Social Security number and a work permit and showed up the next morning at 8:00. As an inventory clerk it was my job to count roller chain, sprockets, roofing sealant, and drill bits that were so fine I wonder if I could even see them now. This was my introduction to the 40-hour work week.

When payday came, my grandfather took me aside and, as he handed my check to me, he told me that what he paid me was between him and me — it was nobody else’s business. Likewise what he paid others in the company was between him and them — and that was none of my business. A few people asked what I was making, and I never told them.  And I have followed my grandfather’s advice ever since.

I enjoyed riding that bike — and wearing the clothes I was able to buy with money I had earned — and was untroubled by what others were getting.  I had my job and I had agreed to the rate of pay when I hired on.  So that was that.

But why is comparison a thief?

The simplest answer is that when you’re focused on something other than what is yours, you fail to appreciate it.  It’s like dancing with a pretty girl while looking over her shoulder for someone prettier.  I’ve seen men blow up their families because they failed to appreciate the treasure that was theirs.  This is that old “grass is greener on the other side of the fence.” Most of these men simply exchanged one set of problems for another set — most often at a higher cost.

Ultimately comparison robs us of contentment when we feel powerless to change our situation.  This is a close cousin to worry and its ugly sister, despair.  These are all forms of pride — the master sin.  Pride alleges that we know better than God what we need, rather than trusting Him for what we need in its time.  So how do we fix this?

Be thankful for what you got

Gratitude is the best place to begin.  Start by giving thanks for the most basic of your blessings and expand from there like ripples in a pond.  Thank God for your life, your health, your home, your relationships — even if they are far from ideal.  Don’t just halfheartedly lob your thanks in God’s general direction — make time to consciously sit in His presence and offer what the Bible calls a “sacrifice of praise.”  If it costs you nothing, it isn’t a sacrifice.

Choose hope

Recognize that with God’s help, all things are possible.  Hang your hat on that and don’t let your circumstances tell you otherwise.  Persevere and look to God to work the current suck into a great story of redemption.

Eyes on your own work

Marketers make their living exploiting the ones who’ve fallen into what Dr. David Chadwick calls “the snare to compare.” Unless you’re in the market for a new car and you have the money to buy one, you’re better off avoiding the ads and the lots.  Similarly, if you’re married, you’re far better off investing your attention to your wife than to other women — real or imagined.

As Romans 14:4 says, “A man stands or falls before his own master.” That’s the only measurement that counts.

So how about you? In what ways has comparison robbed you of joy? Add your comments below.

In a recent post, I explained why I’m skeptical of cryptocurrencies — even though I am optimistic about the potential for blockchain technology and its offshoots to create genuine value. This time, I’d like to provide a brief overview of the Bible’s teaching about money.

My pastor likes to explain that Jesus spoke more about money than he did about Heaven and Hell combined. If God came down in the flesh and told you how to regard money properly, you’d listen, right? Well He did. So in the spirit of news you can use, here are ten scriptural principles to help you view money the way God does:

• Money follows faithfulness – In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus wraps up the Sermon on the Mount by reminding his followers that God is a good Father who knows how to take care of His creation. He instructs us not to live and die by what we own, what we eat, or what we wear, instead He tells us to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness. Then, He says, all the things we need will follow (Matthew 6:33).
• Put God first – The Old Testament prophet Malachi chastised the people of God for keeping the finest of their produce for themselves while bringing God their leftovers. The principle and practice of the tithe — giving the first tenth of one’s increase to God — has always been an acid test of one’s faith and devotion. Malachi delivered God’s challenge to his people to test Him by bringing the full tenth and see whether He would, in return, bless them beyond their faithfulness. This challenge remains for us as well. Jesus commended the tithe in the New Testament, even as He corrected the Pharisees for their hard hearts.
• God is God — money is… not – Jesus taught that only God was worthy of our worship. Although we can use money in powerful ways, it has no power of its own. People can and do get confused about this, though. Jesus taught that a man can’t serve two masters, because He’ll end up loving one and hating the other. If money is the rival master, the one who loves it can end up hating God (Luke 16:13).
• It’s not wrong to be smart about money – Jesus told the parable of shrewd manager — a story about a soon-to-be-fired employee who offered to settle his friends’ debts at a discount. In doing this, he delivered a benefit to his soon-to-be-former boss, but he also earned the favor of his friends, and the admiration of Jesus. Look what Jesus said about this man’s  actions:
  The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:8-9 (NIV)
  
• Money is morally neutral – Money is neither good nor bad in itself. It’s simply a tool — an efficient means of exchange that one can use to accomplish good or evil ends. Ah, but what about that “money is the root of all evil” thing? Isn’t that in the Bible? No, it isn’t. What the Apostle Paul wrote is this: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” – 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)
• Invest in the Kingdom of God – When he teaches on stewardship and giving, my pastor likes to quote the old saying, “You can’t take it with you.” But he adds, “You can send it ahead.” Jesus said we shouldn’t be as concerned about amassing a fortune here on earth. Instead He instructed us to “lay up treasures in Heaven.” He wouldn’t tell us to if were impossible.
  Here’s a thought on how that works: The Bible teaches that faith, hope, and love are the things that endure beyond the grave. Each of these has a relational element since each one must have an object. If so, it follows that we can use our worldly wealth to share faith, hope, and love with those who need them so desperately. In the passage from Luke above, Jesus essentially told His followers to use the resources of this world to take the maximum number of friends to Heaven with us.
• You’re meant to be generous, you know — I often quote King Solomon here. In Proverbs 16:19, the wise king says this: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Elsewhere, in chapter 3, he says, “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’—when you have it with you.” And in 2 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul wrote, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)
• Debt is OK only if you’re into being a slave — I realize some financial advisers will talk to you about what they call “good debt.” I’m here to tell you there is only debt and you should avoid it. Consider that Americans owe $830 Billion in credit card debt, and nearly $1.5 Trillion in student loan debt, and then consider that nobody can force you to take out a loan. But once you agree to their terms, your creditors can force you to pay — and at rates that can cripple you. When someone else is telling you what you must do with your own money, you aren’t free. Quoting King Solomon again: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7 (NIV). I’ve been there and done that, and I plan to live within my means from now on. If you’re among the millions who owe billions and trillions, check out Dave Ramsey. He’s helped lots of people change their habits and become debt-free.
  
• Prosperity and poverty aren’t measures of your status before God – Righteous people fall on hard times. Wicked people sometimes prosper. You’ll drive yourself mad trying to ferret out what you must have done wrong every time the stock market goes down. That’s a little like saying God is displeased when the tide goes out or the moon wanes. Jesus said, “For (God) makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” – Matthew 5:45b (ESV) And we haven’t discussed the Old Testament stories of Joseph and Job, or all the hardships the Apostle Paul endured for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus. Try imprisoned, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, slandered, and snake-bit as a sample — and then tell me he lacked faith or faithfulness to unleash God’s fountain of prosperity.
• It all belongs to God – God, as creator of the cosmos, is its sovereign ruler. As Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” That includes your wallet, dude — and mine. If I have money, assets, talents, or connections, I am to hold them as a steward, and use them profitably to honor and glorify God.

I like what the Methodists used to teach about money: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. That’s your takeaway from my post. A last thought from Luke 16. Jesus says,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” Luke 16: 10-11 (NIV).

So how about you? In what ways do you need to adjust your thinking about money? How can you use the resources you have to expand God’s kingdom? Add your comments below.

“Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and render unto God that which is God’s.” – Jesus

Call me cynical, but I am hearing and seeing more instances of employers behaving in a high-handed and indifferent way toward their employees. This is not an indication that human nature has descended to a new level of depravity. People — bosses included — are just as broken as ever. Instead, it is an indication that the law of supply and demand is alive and well.

This is what they give you in exchange for your labor. Make sure it’s a fair exchange.

If job postings were plentiful and workers were scarce, employers would compete with higher pay, more flexible hours and more generous benefits to attract and keep qualified people — that is, people who produce. When employers receive dozens of résumés for every available position, it is a buyer’s market and the pay and benefits on offer are less generous. Unfortunately, this also affects the people already employed, as they not only face diminished bonuses or no salary increases, but new demands or duties for no further consideration.

A word in defense of the boss

As I have explained elsewhere, companies don’t simply have more money to put toward salary increases or improved benefits. Those funds have to come from somewhere. A well-managed company will have a budget which assigns a destination or a job for every dollar at their disposal. Raises normally follow measurable increases in productive output, not edicts from Washington, or kindly impulses. In other words, just because you want or need more money, your employer won’t give it to you. If you want it, earn it.

Often, the shortened prospects for a bonus or the reality of a pay freeze is nothing but an accurate representation of a company’s financial health or the condition of the market it serves. The best companies will share this information with you and will spell out the need for everyone to share in the cost-cutting and belt-tightening. Overcoming these challenges with your colleagues often draws you together and makes you more effective in more prosperous times.

So what do you owe your employer?

An astute question! Your employer is paying you for your knowledge, experience, ability, and productive output. It’s wise to think of this more as a rental. You secure your place on the payroll because you solve problems with minimal cost and minimal drama. The company is not paying you to be a human doorstop or a warm body.

This is sometimes harder to see in the front-line ranks, but your company wants to see you excel in your current role. When you put forth the effort to exceed expectations in your current role, you open your boss’s eyes to your additional capacity. Even if you don’t find your next post within the company, that kind of initiative rarely goes to waste.

Bring your brain to work

Of course you can’t leave your brain at home while you’re at work, but you owe your employer your full attention to the job he’s hired you to do. Engaging your mind means you speak up regarding ways to make the job more efficient, more productive and or safer. And you do all of this with a cheerful and helpful demeanor. It’s a decision.

Find a way to say yes

Nobody (but the weakest bosses) likes a yes-man — the craven bootlicker who tells the top brass what he thinks they want to hear. At the same time, nobody likes to work with the guy who is always negative. My counsel to you is to consider every request your boss makes and — thoughtfully — find a way to say yes. You may not be able to stay late on Wednesday, but can you come in early on Thursday and accomplish the same outcome?

No is still a powerful word

When you are finding ways to say yes, and to follow the company’s policies regarding dress, attendance, cell phone use — even if you disagree with them — there are also times when it is important to say no. These occasions should be rare, but they do exist.

You should refuse to follow any order that is illegal, unethical, immoral, or that poses an avoidable risk to your or an associate’s life or safety. Your company may have a way for you to report such requests confidentially, but not all do. Note that refusing on these bases is the right thing to do, but there are consequences for doing the right thing. The fear of those consequences is one reason doing the right thing is so noteworthy.

To be continued

In an upcoming post, I’ll tell you a famous story about a young man and the limits of submission.

So how about you? How are you navigating the waters of your career? Add your comments below.

“Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.” – Proverbs 28:8 (NIV)

In a recent post, I explained why I’m skeptical of cryptocurrencies — even though I am optimistic about the potential for blockchain technology and its offshoots to create genuine value. This time, I’d like to provide a brief overview of the Bible’s teaching about money.

My pastor likes to explain that Jesus spoke more about money than he did about Heaven and Hell combined. If God came down in the flesh and told you how to regard money properly, you’d listen, right? Well He did. So in the spirit of news you can use, here are nine scriptural principles to help you view money the way God does:

Time for a higher perspective on money

• Money follows faithfulness – I the gospel of Matthew, Jesus wraps up the Sermon on the Mount by reminding his followers that God is a good Father who knows how to take care of His creation. He instructs us not to live and die by what we own, what we eat, or what we wear, instead He tells us to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness. Then, He says, all the things we need will follow (Matthew 6:33).
• Put God first – The Old Testament prophet Malachi chastised the people of God for keeping the finest of their produce for themselves while bringing God their leftovers. The principle and practice of the tithe — giving the first tenth of one’s increase to God — has always been an acid test of one’s faith and devotion. Malachi delivered God’s challenge to his people to test Him by bringing the full tenth and see whether He would, in return, bless them beyond their faithfulness. This challenge remains for us as well. Jesus commended the tithe in the New Testament, even as He corrected the Pharisees for their hard hearts.
• God is God — money is… not – Jesus taught that only God was worthy of our worship. Although we can use money in powerful ways, it has no power of its own. People can and do get confused about this, though. Jesus taught that a man can’t serve two masters, because He’ll end up loving one and hating the other. If money is the rival master, the one who loves it can end up hating God (Luke 16:13).
• It’s not wrong to be smart about money – Jesus told the parable of shrewd manager — a story about a soon-to-be-fired employee who offered to settle his friends’ debts at a discount. In doing this, he delivered a benefit to his soon-to-be-former boss, but he also earned the favor of his friends, and the admiration of Jesus. Look what Jesus said about this man’s  actions:
  The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:8-9 (NIV)
  
• Money is morally neutral – Money is neither good nor bad in itself. It’s simply a tool — an efficient means of exchange that one can use to accomplish good or evil ends. Ah, but what about that “money is the root of all evil” thing? Isn’t that in the Bible? No, it isn’t. What the Apostle Paul wrote is this: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” – 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)
• Invest in the Kingdom of God – When he teaches on stewardship and giving, my pastor likes to quote the old saying, “You can’t take it with you.” But he adds, “You can send it ahead.” Jesus said we shouldn’t be as concerned about amassing a fortune here on earth. Instead He instructed us to “lay up treasures in Heaven.” He wouldn’t tell us to if were impossible.
  Here’s a thought on how that works: The Bible teaches that faith, hope, and love are the things that endure beyond the grave. Each of these has a relational element since each one must have an object. If so, it follows that we can use our worldly wealth to share faith, hope, and love with those who need them so desperately. In the passage from Luke above, Jesus essentially told His followers to use the resources of this world to take the maximum number of friends to Heaven with us.
• You’re meant to be generous, you know — I often quote King Solomon here. In Proverbs 16:19, the wise king says this: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Elsewhere, in chapter 3, he says, “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’—when you have it with you.” And in 2 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul wrote, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)
• Prosperity and poverty aren’t measures of your status before God – Righteous people fall on hard times. Wicked people sometimes prosper. You’ll drive yourself mad trying to ferret out what you must have done wrong every time the stock market goes down. That’s a little like saying God is displeased when the tide goes out or the moon wanes. Jesus said, “For (God) makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” – Matthew 5:45b (ESV) And we haven’t discussed the Old Testament stories of Joseph and Job, or all the hardships the Apostle Paul endured for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus. Try imprisoned, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, slandered, and snake-bit as a sample — and then tell me he lacked faith or faithfulness to unleash God’s fountain of prosperity.
• It all belongs to God – God, as creator of the cosmos, is its sovereign ruler. As Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” That includes your wallet, dude — and mine. If I have money, assets, talents, or connections, I am to hold them as a steward, and use them profitably to honor and glorify God.

I like what the Methodists used to teach about money: earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. That’s your takeaway from my post. A last thought from Luke 16. Jesus says,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” Luke 16: 10-11 (NIV).

So how about you? In what ways do you need to adjust your thinking about money? How can you use the resources you have to expand God’s kingdom? Add your comments below.

“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” – Proverbs 13:11 (ESV)

Cryptocurrency is everywhere in the news these days. There are multiple ads on mainstream radio stations promotion this or that guru who will teach you how to make a fortune by investing as little as $100 (after you pay him $50, naturally).

What’s right with cryptocurrency?

There are aspects of cryptocurrency that are appealing. First, the underlying technology — blockchain — seems to have real promise as a method for ensuring better security for individuals and businesses, alike. Artists and musicians can potentially use the indelible ledger characteristics to prevent fraud and ensure they get paid for their own work. Medical records and other sensitive information can remain confidential, due to the fragmented distribution of encrypted database entries.

The small-l libertarian in me likes the individual liberty aspects of a completely anonymous electronic money that is not traceable by any government. You don’t have to be engaged in illegal activities to want your business to remain your business.

And I won’t deny that some people have likely made a fortune (on “paper” anyway) speculating on cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Even so, I am skeptical. Here are my reasons:

Work that benefits others is noble

Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing, baby!

A year or so ago, I read a book in which the author made the point that worthy work benefits someone in addition to the one doing it. Firefighters, nurses, assembly line workers, sales reps, and engineers — to name a few examples — do work that feeds their families, but also delivers good to others. By comparison, day traders and currency speculators move money around in hopes they get to keep some. Cryptocurrencies may turn out to be a convenient way of buying and selling goods securely, but the current activity is nearly 100% exchanging money in hopes of getting rich. This is not noble or worthy work — it’s rather like playing roulette.

Ever heard of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”?

How about “Jack and the Beanstalk”? If you don’t recall either, note that in the former story, a couple of con men talked a king into humiliating himself by walking around naked in front of his subjects. Their strategy was to convince him that their virtual clothing was so rare and so fine that only people with refined taste could appreciate its beauty. In the latter story, the protagonist traded the family cow for a handful of magic beans — exchanging true value for a speculative promise of treasure. While it’s true that things turned out well for Jack in the end, I want to remind you that his story is a fairy tale.

Do you not think it’s a little strange that people selling cryptocurrencies want you to give up real money for virtual money? They will trade ones and zeros — and promises — for those wrinkled bills in your bank account. Seems legit.

The motivation seems all wrong

I once heard author and radio host Dave Ramsey advise a caller against buying gold. His counsel to the caller was that he should avoid buying or investing in anything motivated by fear or greed. Let’s be clear: profit is moral and generating a return on one’s talents is a biblical virtue, so what did Dave Ramsey mean? He meant that one should evaluate investment decisions as rationally as possible. Greed and fear engage the emotions at the expense of the mind. Math doesn’t have feelings. When you’re investing, math is your friend.

Besides, by the time everybody is talking about a

Cryptocurrencies are the Hotel California of investing

Let’s say you take some of your hard-earned cash out of the bank and buy Bitcoin or Ethereum. And let’s say your timing is perfect and you have become a millionaire. You now have a problem. The problem is not that you’re rich. The problem is that very few establishments accept payment in Bitcoin or Ethereum tokens, and many of the sellers of cryptocurrencies limit the amount of cash you can take out of your account. If you became a millionaire by speculating in cryptocurrencies and you wanted to buy your parents a million-dollar house for cash, it would take you almost three years to withdraw your purchase price. And that’s if the currency value doesn’t crash.

As the song says, “You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave…”

You might prefer cash

Electronic anything can be hacked. The blockchain logic makes this much less likely, but it is still theoretically possible.  But even if your cryptocurrency isn’t stolen, your electronic keys could be corrupted or held by a ransomware attack. A thief doesn’t have to attack the entire database — just your e-wallet. On top of this, people in favor of individual liberty might be reluctant to sign on to an electronic currency of any kind. When all your money is on a computer — all binary code — it’s much easier for your government to access your assets — for taxation or simple convenience. Think negative interest rates in Greece and Cyprus, for example.

Full faith and credit

US dollars are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. They used to be backed by gold, then silver, then multiples of the tangible assets, then the verbal commitment of the US government to back their unit of currency. This is called “fiat money.”

The supposed benefit of cryptocurrency is that it is intended to be more stable than any one government. So, for example, if you’re holding Venezuelan Bolívars and Venezuela defaults, you aren’t wiped out. The comparative stability of the European Union and the US, respectively, make Euros and dollars attractive to investors and businesses around the world for this very reason. (The US dollar is still considered the world’s reserve currency despite challenges from the Euro and the Chinese RMB.)

Cryptos are supra-national, but they are not tied to anything other than the assertion of the members of the club that they have value. If your argument is against fiat currency, you have a logical inconsistency if you endorse cryptos as the antidote.

A store of value?

Ah, the old store of value! Goldbugs argue that in turbulent times, precious metals, like gold, are preferable to government-issued money. Gold’s relative rarity is what makes it valuable. After all, there are few industrial uses for it, and apart from its occasional use as a garnish for conspicuous consumers, you can’t eat it. Gold is valuable due to a consensus — that is, enough people agree that it’s valuable, so it is. At least it has physical substance. Miners physically dig it out of the ground. The mining of Bitcoin and its cousins is essentially a puzzle that requires massive computer power to solve.

I’d add that a true store of value wouldn’t bounce around quite so much.

Perpetual motion snake oil

Basically this is the old desire to get something for nothing.

Perpetual motion machines are physical impossibilities because our universe is subject to physical laws. It takes energy to generate energy. This cost is referred to as energy loss. Energy loss is a part of every technology for generating energy.

Take nuclear power, for example. It’s true that the reactor vessel contains fissile material, and that the process of nuclear fission releases radioactive energy. But the power company doesn’t send radioactivity through the power lines. Instead, the intense heat of nuclear fission is used to heat water to its boiling point and to use the resulting steam to power a turbine, and the turbine drives the generator that produces the electricity that flows through the power lines. At every point in the process, energy escapes without being harnessed — from friction, from electrical resistance, from imperfect insulation.

While the energy losses associated with nuclear power generation are better than, say, coal-powered generators, these losses exist all the same. I’m skeptical of cryptos because money is subject to rules as well. And just as energy loss dooms perpetual motion machines to failure, I think the sum of negative attributes around cryptocurrencies dooms them — for now — for anything more than a hobby. If you can afford to speculate, I won’t tell you not to, but I would prefer to use the money I earn to invest in companies or buy products that put my neighbors to work.

Tell us how you really feel

Proponents of cryptocurrencies argue that their creators have democratized and distributed control of money to “the people” away from banks and governments. To the extent this is true, it is worth asking how anonymous and unaccountable creators of cryptocurrency are more to be trusted than governments who must answer to voters or bankers who are subject to laws. You can swim in piranha infested waters, but the fish are not obligated to give you a pass.

I was intrigued when I first learned about blockchain, and I may invest in companies or technologies that make use of it in the future. But I am not going to buy another currency — especially one with the many downsides I’ve listed here (and we haven’t even talked about the extraordinary electricity consumption required for mining Bitcoin).

Next time, let’s talk about a biblical view of money and how that fits into a biblical worldview. I’ll be here.

So how about you? What am I missing on cryptocurrencies? What is your strategy for building wealth in an ethical way? Add your comments below.

“When we are out of sympathy with the young then I think our work in this world is over.” – George McDonald

Recently, I ran into a former colleague and her high school aged son. As we caught up, I asked the young man about his plans following high school. He replied: “College, of course!” He’s an intelligent fellow with intelligent parents so I’m not surprised. What was pleasantly surprising was that he’s seriously thinking about taking a path we’ve discussed here before — taking his first two years at the local technical college before transferring as a junior to a state university. Since he’s thinking about a career in healthcare, this is a sound plan.

The changing nature of work

As the end of 2015 approached, I read many articles predicting the future technologies that will affect our lives this year and beyond. Some are amusing. Some are alarming. Some seem beneficial, and some are hard to categorize. The fact is that due to technology, economics, politics, and demographics the kind of work we do and how we do that work will change. The question is, what can a man do today to be prepared for the likely changes?

Working hard or hardly working?
Photo by Joseph Booth

Seek education

One of the ways you can avoid poverty is to stay in school. According to 2012 data (the most recent I could find), high school graduates earn a median income (that is, the middle of the range of incomes) of just over $29,000 per year. Add a two-year Associates Degree, and the median income increases to nearly $38,000/year. The median income for a bachelor’s degree is over $50,000/year. Not only does having a degree lead to higher earnings, unemployment among those with a bachelor’s degree remained low throughout the worst of the great recession.

Now for the disclaimer: A degree is not like a lucky charm. You have to work to earn it, and once you have the job, you have to deliver a consistent return to your employer that is greater than your pay. To do this, not all degrees are created equal.

STEM the tide of unemployment

Degrees in the STEM fields — that is, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics — will put you in demand. The US lags behind in educational attainment in science and math, and this is creating problems for companies that will hire you if you have what it takes. If you’re suited to it, I recommend pursuing a two or four-year degree in a STEM-related discipline. Hint: These majors don’t usually end in the word “studies.”

As you consider your formal education, think first about the career you want as it fits within your life’s purpose. Then investigate the educational prerequisites for that career, and evaluate how your interests and your giftedness line up with these fields of study. Then pursue a degree with the best fit. You’ll fare better this way than if you pursue a course of study based on the starting salaries of holders of a given degree. Yes, getting paid is important. And earning enough to recoup the cost of your education is also important, but life is about more than what you earn.

But also seek wisdom

While STEM degrees are needed in our increasingly technologically saturated marketplace, and the STEM departments in most institutes of higher learning are blessedly free of the corruption of political correctness, you must also make time to cultivate the architecture of your soul. No doubt there is wonder in the periodic table, and grandeur in the laws of physics, but you owe it to yourself to read the great works of western civilization under the leadership of a wise and honest instructor.

So I strongly recommend that you also study literature, language, history, philosophy, and the arts. Read Aristotle, Homer, and the Bible. In doing this you will, to paraphrase novelist Tom Robbins, furnish your mind like a comfortable living room instead of like an office cubicle. This will also make it possible for you to think more broadly and insightfully about the work you do and to understand the times in which you live — a valuable thing when technologies rise and fall within a short span (remember Blockbuster video?) leaving the less flexible stranded as they struggle to adjust.

Professor Gelernter explains it

Yale computer science professor David Gelernter wrote an essay recently for the Wall Street Journal titled “Machines That Can Think and Feel” in which he explained why artificial intelligence was not close to replicating human consciousness. The reason was not that computer scientists lack the skill or desire to do so, it was simply because they are currently focusing solely on the logical and computational functions that our brains can perform, while ignoring the emotional component entirely. His critique of this approach is that it is like “trying to get to California (so to speak) without ever leaving I-95.”

I would add that an emphasis on STEM disciplines that excludes the arts and humanities, faith and values would seem to be an attempt to make men more like their robotic counterparts — the same error, only in the oncoming lane. And as C.S. Lewis said, “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”

Avoid turk work

Note the lower-case “T” indicating I’m not referring to a nationality. Turk work is anything that can ultimately be replaced by automation. These are often pay-by-the-piece tasks that pay very little for each repetition. If you want to see an example of this, click here to see Amazon’s Mechanical Turk job board. Similarly disappointing (in my opinion) experiences are available through gig economy staples such as fiverr.com or taskrabbit.com. As I’ve written before, we should all be looking for work that exists at the apex of our purpose, passion, and potential.

For the time being, driving for one of the ride-sharing companies, such as Uber or Lyft, may provide some income, but once self-driving taxis take off, that work will also go the way of the video store. Over the road truck drivers are similarly vulnerable, by the way, as are the sign twirlers outside the tax preparation offices.

But by all means work

I know several men in my age bracket who are changing or have changed jobs. The decisions aren’t always easy, as at least one friend is having to uproot his family to start over in a new city and state. However, this move is wise as it will provide a better income and a more humane work environment. Another young man I know has taken on seasonal work as a laborer while he pursues an additional certification. I’m betting on him to come out of this ordeal stronger. If you have the choice between working and not working, work. You’ll gain credibility if your next boss sees you have a bias toward action.

Rise above the gig economy like a boss

Changes in health care and tax law have dried up full-time employment opportunities for a lot of you. Some of you are having to stitch together two or more 20-hour-a-week part-time jobs to pay the bills. The hard part is these jobs under 30 hours don’t come with health insurance. If you’re in this situation, working as a contractor, you may want to consider forming your own personal services company. One young man I know did this and was able to increase his income significantly, as his client pays the contract rate he charges. You can file an LLC in many states for as little as a couple hundred dollars. If you’re stuck in gigland, you might want to consider it.

Here’s how I’m doing it

For my part, I earned a degree in Spanish from a liberal arts college, took a sales job out of college and worked for a couple of years before going to graduate school in an applied science (STEM), which led to my working in the textile industry from graduation to the present. I also formed a general partnership with my wife to manage and operate the band we own. And, as you’ve no doubt noticed, I blog. The things I’m doing are the fruit of getting an education, going to work, delivering results, and continuing to learn. You can do these things and more — just stay aware that the market will continue to change and be ready to change with it.

So how about you? How are you preparing for the work environment of tomorrow? Add our comments below.

“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” – Proverbs 13:1 (ESV)

Each of us needs to work. Most of us have to work for economic reasons, but there are also social, emotional, and spiritual reasons that compel us to work. This need to work is on my mind because of the extraordinarily large Powerball jackpot (over $1.5 billion awarded on Wednesday, January 13).

If you didn’t win, are you surprised? If you didn’t play, you have a great grasp of probability. Congratulations to you all — I consider you winners because you did not have the opportunity to be ruined by acquiring wealth suddenly.

You’ll enjoy it more if you work for it.
(photo by Jay Mantri – used with permission)

The problem with Powerball

Powerball and its cousins are all forms of gambling. While I agree that one should be free to do with his money as he pleases, at its root, gambling is a form of laziness. Instead of committing to acquiring wealth through discipline, focus, and hard work, people believe that it’s possible to jump to the front of the line by buying a lucky ticket. Of course, when the odds of winning it all are 1:300,000,000, you can begin to understand the wisdom of they saying “Lotteries are a tax on those who are bad at math.”

The lure of easy wealth and the leisure that would follow its acquisition expose the roots of sloth — one of the seven deadly sins. This is not a good look for a nation that’s already substantially overweight.

Preying on the poor

Even worse than the undermining of initiative, state-sponsored games of chance rig the game against those least able to afford it. I believe in treating my fellow citizens like adults, but I also think it’s evil to place obstacles in the path of the blind. Let me give a quick example: I read recently that among households making less than $20,000/year, the average spent on lottery tickets is $550 per year. Although that’s less than 3% of annual household income, that’s $550 that doesn’t feed or clothe that family. Worse, since most lotteries in our part of the world were justified to pay for higher (i.e., college) education, that $550 goes to subsidize the educations of others’ children — likely the children of better-off families. Does the word injustice come to mind?

Lest I be accused of being a killjoy, let me say that I’d have a less strenuous objection if the government  — the ostensible administrators of justice — weren’t the owner of such an enterprise.

Advice from a billionaire if you do get rich quick

Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks whom you may also know from TV’s Shark Tank gave some advice to the Dallas Morning News for the holder(s) of the winning lottery numbers. You can read the entire article from Business Insider here, but here’s his advice:

• [The first thing you should do is] hire a tax attorney.
• Don’t take the lump sum. You don’t want to blow it all in one spot.
• If you weren’t happy yesterday, you won’t be happy tomorrow. It’s money. It’s not happiness.
• If you were happy yesterday, you are going to be a lot happier tomorrow. It’s money. Life gets easier when you don’t have to worry about the bills.
• Tell all your friends and relatives no. They will ask. Tell them no. If you are close to them, you already know who needs help and what they need. Feel free to help SOME, but talk to your accountant before you do anything and remember this, no one needs $1 million for anything. No one needs $100,000 for anything. Anyone who asks is not your friend.
• You don’t become a smart investor when you win the lottery. Don’t make investments. You can put it in the bank and live comfortably. Forever. You will sleep a lot better knowing you won’t lose money. “

Why I’ll never win the lottery

Listen, I voted against the lottery when my state put it on the ballot (see my reasons above), so I don’t play now because I don’t want to be a hypocrite. But Mark Cuban’s advice was so good, I had to share it with you.

Many, if not most, of you are just getting started in your careers. If so, you can expect over time to earn significantly more money than you’re making now. So think now about how you intend to manage your financial house. We’ve talked about budgeting before here, and you have also heard me quote Dave Ramsey saying “Give every dollar a job.” But think further.

When you get a raise, a promotion, or a bonus, refer to this list. I don’t think you’ll need a tax attorney any time soon, but getting some professional advice regarding handling your money wisely is like hiring an academic tutor or a personal trainer. You want somebody who knows this stuff to help you avoid injury.

Be faithful and intentional in your generosity. Our church teaches tithing and is on track to give 20% per year back to the community and the world in the form of outreach.

Back to work

In an upcoming post, we’ll talk about how to prepare yourself for the work of the future. For now, make plans to do your best at the job(s) you have. As King Solomon said, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” – Proverbs 22:29 (ESV). There’s no reason that can’t be you, so be your own lucky ticket.

So how about you? What poor money habits do you need to unlearn? Add your comments below.

“See my beard
ain’t it weird?
Don’t be skeered
It’s just a beard” – George Carlin

November is the month dedicated to men’s health issues, and let’s be real — men, we’ve got issues! Between prostate cancer, testicular cancer, emotional or psychological disorders, addiction, and poor fitness, it almost seems like we’re doomed. Notice I said “almost.” And “seems” — I also said it seems like we’re doomed.

A No-shave November success dreams of a cure.
photo by Jay Mantri

Well, life is fatal…

The last time I checked, the probability of death is 1, meaning that it is certain each of us will die. That doesn’t mean that life is meaningless. I argue just the opposite — each of us owes it to himself to make the most of his one-and-only life, no matter how long or short it may be.

Take care of yourself

We’ve talked about this before. It is not selfish to take care of your health. It is good stewardship to maintain your health so you can take care of the ones you love. This means, you are to, as Bob Buford puts it, “Build on the islands of health and strength.” You invest in health and strength in yourself, so you can invest your health and strength cultivating it in others.

In other posts, we’ve talked about the benefits of exercise, and about how to eat for optimal health. If I haven’t devoted an entire post to the importance of sleep, I should do that soon. In the meantime, please note that I said quality sleep is important.

Do I have to go to the doctor?

No, you get to go to the doctor. If your budget and insurance coverage allow for it, please allot time and dollars for an annual physical examination. We live in a remarkable age, when we have treatments and even cures for so many dread diseases — especially when your doctor can catch them early. A saying common among the old folks was, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Allow me to translate: addressing a problem early saves time and money — and where your health is concerned, it could save your life.

Those who do not remember the past…

In addition to developing a professional relationship with your doctor, take the time to learn your family’s medical history. Many risk factors for diseases are genetic. Knowing whether any of your relatives had cancer or heart disease can help you reduce your risk through lifestyle changes and more careful screening. This also applies to alcoholism, by the way.

Bonus fact: Infertility is hereditary. If your parents didn’t have kids, chances are you won’t either.

What’s with Movember and No-Shave November?

I’m so glad you read the question I planted! As I have been promoting both of these to my subscribers (and if you’re not one, you know you could become one for free), both Movember and No-Shave November are worldwide campaigns to raise awareness and funds for research into men’s health issues. If you want to participate, you grow a mustache (for Movember) or a full facial crop for No-Shave November and donate what you would otherwise spend on grooming products (razors, blades, shave cream, etc.) to the cause. By participating, you make a real virtue of something that happens naturally and you can actually save a life by NOT doing something.

How big a deal is this?

It’s a pretty big deal. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in men — the second leading cause of cancer death in men (lung cancer is first) — with nearly a quarter million new cases every year and approximately 25,000 deaths. Prostate cancer is much more common after age 65, and the CDC estimates that every man has a 1 in 7 chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Although most prostate cancers are slow-growing, the treatments can be debilitating. We need to continue research to improve detection and treatment options.

Testicular cancer affects younger men, with most cases occurring between the ages of 15 and 40. It is one of the most frightening cancers to contemplate, but it is actually one of the most easily treated and cured. Stage I diagnoses have a 99% survival rate. Your lifetime risk of getting testicular cancer is about 1 in 200. At the same time, it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men ages 15-to-35, so it pays to be vigilant.

As I mentioned above, early detection is the key. And one way you can help yourself is to learn how to perform a testicular self examination (TSE). You can (ahem) handle this in the shower once a month. It takes less than a minute.

Help a brother out

You mission, should you decide to accept it, is as follows:

• Sign up for No-shave November or Movember
• Grow a big ol’ beard or a stylin’ mustache (You may even decide to keep it year ’round.)
• Please donate — you can’t pay research scientists with awareness

So how about you? How are you going to get involved in improving men’s health — yours and others’? Add your comments below.

“Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and render unto God that which is God’s.” – Jesus

Call me cynical, but I am hearing and seeing more instances of employers behaving in a high-handed and indifferent way toward their employees. This is not an indication that human nature has descended to a new level of depravity. People — bosses included — are just as broken as ever. Instead, it is an indication that the law of supply and demand is alive and well.

This is what they give you in exchange for your labor. Make sure it’s a fair exchange.

If job postings were plentiful and workers were scarce, employers would compete with higher pay, more flexible hours and more generous benefits to attract and keep qualified people — that is, people who produce. When employers receive dozens of résumés for every available position, it is a buyer’s market and the pay and benefits on offer are less generous. Unfortunately, this also affects the people already employed, as they not only face diminished bonuses or no salary increases, but new demands or duties for no further consideration.

A word in defense of the boss

As I have explained elsewhere, companies don’t simply have more money to put toward salary increases or improved benefits. Those funds have to come from somewhere. A well-managed company will have a budget which assigns a destination or a job for every dollar at their disposal. Raises normally follow measurable increases in productive output, not edicts from Washington, or kindly impulses. In other words, just because you want or need more money, your employer won’t give it to you. If you want it, earn it.

Often, the shortened prospects for a bonus or the reality of a pay freeze is nothing but an accurate representation of a company’s financial health or the condition of the market it serves. The best companies will share this information with you and will spell out the need for everyone to share in the cost-cutting and belt-tightening. Overcoming these challenges with your colleagues often draws you together and makes you more effective in more prosperous times.

So what do you owe your employer?

An astute question! Your employer is paying you for your knowledge, experience, ability, and productive output. It’s wise to think of this more as a rental. You secure your place on the payroll because you solve problems with minimal cost and minimal drama. The company is not paying you to be a human doorstop or a warm body.

This is sometimes harder to see in the front-line ranks, but your company wants to see you excel in your current role. When you put forth the effort to exceed expectations in your current role, you open your boss’s eyes to your additional capacity. Even if you don’t find your next post within the company, that kind of initiative rarely goes to waste.

Bring your brain to work

Of course you can’t leave your brain at home while you’re at work, but you owe your employer your full attention to the job he’s hired you to do. Engaging your mind means you speak up regarding ways to make the job more efficient, more productive and or safer. And you do all of this with a cheerful and helpful demeanor. It’s a decision.

Find a way to say yes

Nobody (but the weakest bosses) likes a yes-man — the craven bootlicker who tells the top brass what he thinks they want to hear. At the same time, nobody likes to work with the guy who is always negative. My counsel to you is to consider every request your boss makes and — thoughtfully — find a way to say yes. You may not be able to stay late on Wednesday, but can you come in early on Thursday and accomplish the same outcome?

No is still a powerful word

When you are finding ways to say yes, and to follow the company’s policies regarding dress, attendance, cell phone use — even if you disagree with them — there are also times when it is important to say no. These occasions should be rare, but they do exist.

You should refuse to follow any order that is illegal, unethical, immoral, or that poses an avoidable risk to your or an associate’s life or safety. Your company may have a way for you to report such requests confidentially, but not all do. Note that refusing on these bases is the right thing to do, but there are consequences for doing the right thing. The fear of those consequences is one reason doing the right thing is so noteworthy.

To be continued

In an upcoming post, I’ll tell you a famous story about a young man and the limits of submission.

So how about you? How are you navigating the waters of your career? Add your comments below.