Speaking the Truth at Work Jeremiah 1

02.01.04 - Speaking the Truth at Work (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

Speaking the Truth at Work
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Feb. 1, 2004
St. John United Methodist Church
David Beckett, D.Min.

Jeremiah was a familiar name among the Hebrew people. There were lots of "Jeremiahs" in those days. But this Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, a priest from the town of Anathoth, about two and a half miles northeast of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah did not see himself as a priest even though he came from a priestly family. Jeremiah was a prophet, a man who heard the word of the Lord and spoke it to the people. His ministry lasted through several kings until the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. It is clear that Jeremiah felt a strong calling from God to be God’s spokesperson. But in the beginning this calling was one that caused fear to rise in Jeremiah’s heart.

This story contains several themes. It is about God knowing us better than we know ourselves. It is about God calling us to speak the truth. It is about making excuses when God has called us to say or do something. It is about trusting God to give us the words when we speak the truth. What I would like to do is focus on the workplace. How can we take our faith into our jobs? How can we speak the truth when doing so may get us into trouble?

I was shocked some time ago when one of our St. John staff members told me that one of the aspects she liked about working here was that she did not have to compromise her Christian values. Since then I have listened to many of you talk about how difficult it is to be a Christian in your place of work. Some of you work in places where Christian values are not respected, but even ridiculed.

There are many factors that go in to making our work satisfying and one of them is the values of the organization we work for. Researchers estimate that 50% of working Americans are not happy with their jobs. Some of us are doing things that are not in the area of our spiritual gifts or our talents. Whenever we do something that is outside the realm of our gifts life energy is drained from our lives.

Another reason we are not happy with our jobs has to do with the work climate. How well do we get along with our co-workers? Is there pressure to be political and say and do the "right" things? Do supervisors ever tell us to do something that is unscrupulous? Is lying condoned in your work place? What about foul language? Sexual harrassment? These are real problems that are not so easily solved.

If you ever feel overworked, over-regulated, under-leisured, under-benefited, then take heart. This notice was found in the ruins of a London office building in 1852.

1. This firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.

2. Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colors.

3. A stove is provided for the benefit of the clerical staff. Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It is recommended that each member of the clerical staff bring four pounds of coal each day during the cold weather.

4. No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission from the supervisor.

5. No talking is allowed during business hours.

6. The owners recognize the generosity of the new labor laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near Utopian conditions.

I suspect that you have a job description for your work, except if you happen to be a stay-at-home parent. Wouldn’t it be interesting if stay-at-home parents would write out their job description? Jeremiah’s job description did not contain a whole lot of detail. Basically, God told him, "You shall go wherever I shall send you, and speak whatever I command you." Jeremiah must have been sure that this job came from God. How many of us would be willing to take on a job with that little detail? Jeremiah didn’t want the job, at least at first. He tried to make excuses. "I’m not a good speaker." Okay, that didn’t work. Let’s try this one, "I’m only a boy!"

What kind of excuses do you hear in your work place? Here’s a list of the ten most used excuses in the work place.

1. I forgot.
2. No one told me to go ahead.
3. I didn't think it was that important.
4. Wait until the boss comes back and ask him.
5. I didn't know you were in a hurry for it.
6. That's the way we've always done it.
7. That's not in my department.
8. How was I to know this was different?
9. I'm waiting for an O.K.
10. That's his job--not mine.

Excuses are part of the human condition. We do not naturally take responsibility for our failures and mistakes. The Metropolitan Insurance Company received some unusual explanations for accidents from its automobile policyholders. The following are just few:

1. An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished.
2. I had been driving my car for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had the accident.
3. As I reached an intersection, a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision.
4. I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.
5. The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him.
6. The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end.
7. The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.

Jeremiah tried to offer a few excuses why he couldn’t do what God wanted him to do but it didn’t work. And it won’t work with us. The reason is that God has a mission that involves your work place. God wants the people where you work to be loving and kind and peaceful. If this mission is not being realized then God may be calling you to speak the truth. Your work place may need some plucking up. It may need some planting and building up. But it is clear that God needs a voice in the work place. And that voice may need to be yours. If so, remember this. Do not be afraid. God will give you the words to say. Not only that, but God will be with you and will deliver you. Jeremiah felt God touching his mouth. So too, will God touch us when we need love and assurance.

It is vitally important that we see our work as God’s work. Before I entered seminary to become a pastor I was a teacher in the public schools. There were people who believed that becoming a pastor was a special calling. But my calling to become a pastor was no better than my calling to be a teacher. It was only different.

I pray that when you return to work today or tomorrow that you will feel the presence of God in a fresh way. And may God grant you the boldness to be God’s hands and voice, speaking the truth in love at work.

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