Here's to a New Year

Old Ideas for a New Year!
Here are ten New Testament Scriptures to help you in setting workplace goals, organizing your management strategies and writing up your New Year's work/life resolutions.

1. When the boss isn't looking: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)
2. About that temper tantrum or water cooler gossip: If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (James 1:26)
3. Management training that works: Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:13-18)
4. On looking the other way: Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. (James 4:17)
5. On not paying enough--or not paying at all--and even (sometimes) "let's see how cheaply we can hire them" : Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. (James 5:4)
6. On anger and intimidation as management styles; on filling out performance evaluations; on talking about the boss behind his/her back: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)
7. On doing it because everyone else is; or because it's legal: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8)
8. On wages, working conditions and management styles: Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. (Colossians 4:1)
9. On career planning and assessment: Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (I Thessalonians 4:11-12)
10. How much is enough? But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 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. (I Timothy 6:6-10)
    

Let this be the year people mark you as the go-to person for competence, integrity and compassion; but even more urgently, let this be the year they mark you as the person they seek out first when their little girl needs prayer, or they need hope or help.