What happens when people constantly demand more pay,
and what does the Bible say about greed and grumbling?
Summary
The article deals with strikes and continuous wage demands through the following key points:
1. Economic and social consequences: Continuous strikes and sympathy strikes paralyze the economy, cause losses of hundreds of millions of euros, and increase unemployment.
2. Rebellion against governing authorities: Parliament and the government are the highest lawmaking body. Striking against government authority is a serious offense and in conflict with the Bible's teaching on governing authorities.
3. Greed and grumbling as sins: Behind constant additional demands is an inability to be content with the present and a desire to get more and more. The Bible shows that grumbling and greed provoke God's wrath.
4. Biblical solution: People should be content with their wages and respect legitimate governing authorities instead of constantly demanding more.
5. The other side of the coin: Rich employers are also guilty of sinning by making people work for starvation wages or through slave labor.
6. Spiritual blindness: Injustice and greed stem from people's spiritual blindness and forgetting God's judgment.
I sent the article
below to a few magazines. It is a topical issue, as strikes
and support strikes seem to be happening all the time. I
included a few Bible verses in the article that seem
appropriate to the topic:
Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages
In recent days and weeks,
there have been strikes by trade unions that have disrupted
normal life and paralyzed the economy. The cost of the
strikes has been estimated at hundreds of millions of euros.
However, those who advocate strikes should understand that
the parliament and the government are the highest law-making
body, not the trade unions. Those who advocate strikes are
in rebellion / rebellion against the highest and official
government authority, which can be considered a serious
offense. Here the words of the great book through John the
Baptist come to mind: "Do violence to no man, neither
accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages."
(Luke 3:14). Similarly, Paul taught: "Put them in mind
to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey
magistrates, to be ready to every good work" (Titus
3:1). Continuous strikes, support strikes and other demands
are not in line with these teachings. Jari Iivanainen
The previous article was not a
special one, but I think the topic is important. When more
is constantly demanded, companies cannot succeed. The result
is an increase in unemployment and a decrease in tax
revenues. Continuous strikes and support strikes paralyze
the economy and their cost can be hundreds of millions of
euros. People consider work to be a curse, from which they
must receive the highest possible salary in the shortest
possible time. That is why more and more is demanded; from
politicians, employers and others. They do not want to
change themselves and be content with what already exists,
but always have to get more.
What does the Bible say about the subject?
And
what is the Bible's teaching
on the subject? Continuous wage demands and greed are not
God's will, especially if people can live well on their
current salary. Grumbling and greed are great sins before
God. We can see this from how He became angry during the
wilderness journey with people who constantly grumbled. The
situation has not changed at all. The following Bible
verses, among others, speak about this topic:
-
(Luke 3:12-14) Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said to him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said to them, Exact no more than that
which is appointed you. 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him,
saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man,
neither accuse any falsely; and be
content with your wages.
- (Prov 30:15) The horse leach has two
daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that
are never satisfied, yes, four things say not, It is enough:
- (Col 3:5,6) Mortify therefore
your members which are on the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness,
which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake
the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience:
- (1 Cor 10:9-12)
Neither let us tempt Christ, as
some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur you, as
some of them also murmured,
and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened
to them for ensamples: and they are written for our
admonition, on whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Why let him that thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall.
- (Jude 1:16)These are
murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts;
and their mouth speaks great swelling words, having men's
persons in admiration because of advantage.
The other side of the coin
I wrote
above about wage demands, but there is also another side to
the matter, namely rich employers who do not pay people
enough to live on. This is especially true in so-called
third countries, where work is done for a pittance, but the
already rich employers make big profits from the products.
There may also be human trafficking (an issue that resulted
in the death penalty in the Old Testament, Exodus 21:16) and
slave labor. What causes these things? They are a result
of people being spiritually blind and hardened. They do not
believe in God's judgment and that they are responsible for
their actions, and that is why they do this. However, the
following Bible verses warn about this issue and what is the
consequence of greed:
- (James
5:1-4) Go to now, you
rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come on
you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and
your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver is
corroded; and the rust of them shall be a witness against
you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. You have
heaped treasure together for the last days. 4
Behold, the hire of the
laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you
kept back by fraud, cries: and the cries of them which have
reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
- (Malachi 3:5) And I will come near to you to judgment;
and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and
against the adulterers, and against false swearers,
and against those that
oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the
fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right,
and fear not me, said the LORD of hosts.
- (Deut 24:14) You
shall not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy,
whether he be of your brothers, or of your strangers
that are in your land within your gates:
- (1 Tim
6:9,10) But they that
will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many
foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction
and perdition. 10 For the love of money
is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after,
they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What harm do continuous strikes and wave of strikes cause to society?
Continuous strikes and sympathy strikes paralyze the economy, and their cost has been estimated at hundreds of millions of euros. When demands become unreasonable, companies can no longer succeed and lose their competitiveness. This inevitably leads to increased unemployment and a decrease in state tax revenues, making ordinary life harder for everyone.
How do trade union strikes relate to societal decision-making and governing authorities?
Parliament and the government are the highest lawmaking body in the country, not trade unions. Political and continuous strikes rebel against official government authority, which can be considered a serious offense. This conflicts with the Bible's teaching, which instructs us to be subject and obedient to governments and governing authorities.
What does the Bible teach about one's wages and contentment?
The Bible clearly instructs us to be content with our wages and not to demand more than what is appointed. For example, John the Baptist taught soldiers and tax collectors not to extort or blackmail, and to be content with their pay. Constant demands for more and an inability to be thankful for one's current situation fight against these biblical principles.
How does God view human greed and grumbling?
Continuous wage demands, greed, and grumbling are great sins before God, especially when people can already make a living with their wages. Already during the wilderness journey, God became angry with people who constantly grumbled and demanded more. The Bible warns that greed is idolatry, because of which the wrath of God comes upon people.
How does the Bible view wrongdoing committed by rich employers?
There are always two sides to the coin, and the Bible also severely warns employers who do not pay a sufficient wage. Starvation wages in third-world countries, forced labor, and human trafficking are serious offenses against God. In the Book of James and through the prophet Malachi, the Lord declares that He will hold judgment against those who oppress the wage earner in their payment.
What ultimately causes human greed and abuses in working life?
These things are a result of people living in spiritual blindness and having hardened their hearts. They no longer believe in God's judgment, nor do they understand that they are ultimately accountable to the Creator for all their deeds. The love of money is the root of all evil, plunging people into ruin and destruction.
