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If you’re an employee, you’ve probably had some good bosses and some who weren’t.  And if you are the boss or an employer, you know how difficult that can be. Fortunately, there’s a book that’ll help you become the best boss you can be. So, let’s take a peek at what the Bible says to employers. First, employers are to serve their employees. In Matthew 20:26, Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.” Far too often, employers concentrate on producing a profit at the expense of their staff. However, the Bible tells employers to balance making a profit with treating staff fairly and with genuine dignity. “[Employers, grant your employees] justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1).A godly employer also is to pay a fair wage. Malachi 3:5 doesn’t mince words: “God will judge those who oppress the wage earner in his wages.”  Ouch! I’ve seen this firsthand. A friend owned a thriving business, but he became greedy and started paying unfair wages. The last time I talked to him, his company was almost bankrupt.Another responsibility is to be a good communicator. Make sure employees know what’s expected on the job. Regularly evaluate their performance and…

“The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others,the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become.”Hudson Taylor Talking with folks, there is usually one of several topics that come up: the economy, the stock market, the unemployment rate or the national debt. If I were to describe the feelings and emotions of the people I have talked to, the words “joy” and “happiness” probably would not be used. As a follower of Jesus, I know through John 10:10 that Jesus comes to give life and life to the fullest, and that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. When my joy and happiness are regulated by the economy, the stock market, the national debt, etc., then I am letting the thief “win.” We should always be aware of what is going on in our world and country, but that awareness shouldn’t dictate how we feel throughout our daily lives. Our relationship with Jesus should dictate that. There are many ways to spiritually combat “the things that steal, kill and destroy;” being in Christian community and being in God’s word on a regular basis are two examples. As I came across Hudson Taylor’s quote one morning…

Have you noticed how easy it is to become discontent? Every day, we as Christians face an internal battle between being satisfied with the Giver and becoming a slave to sin.  We are bombarded by messages designed to make us feel dissatisfied with what we already have, then offered a product, service or solution they say will satisfy our desires. The problem is, none of these things truly satisfy us.  When we naively think we can find contentment in the created things we are not designed to, our heart soon becomes restless again. And we go in search of the next big thing that the world says will make us content… but the problem is that it doesn’t.  Sometimes, it’s easier to spot a lack of contentment in others’ lives than it is in our own.  Take a man named Joe, for example… Many of his friends are selling their houses to buy larger ones, and he is feeling pressured to do the same, even though this would mean going into greater debt. Another example, a woman named Kerry… Her childhood dream has always been to host dinner parties, but her house is too small. She would need to build…

We’re almost one month into the new year, and by now you’ve had time to hang the new wall calendar, begin your new one-year study Bible and reconsider most of your New Year’s resolutions. Let’s start by taking a look at what the Bible says about saving and giving. In Proverbs 21:20, wise King Solomon wrote, “The wise man saves for the future; the foolish man spends whatever he gets.”  Saving is simply not spending everything today, so you’ll have something to spend in the future. It’s legitimate to save and invest for things like taking care of your family, providing for retirement and investing for your children’s education. But we need to balance saving and investing with being generous, because if we just focus on piling up our investments, that’s where our heart is going to be drawn. Luke 12:34 says, “For where your treasure is there is your heart also.” The Bible consistently encourages us to keep our heart focused on loving and serving the Lord. So it is incredibly important to balance saving with giving. I’m going to suggest something pretty radical. I believe we should be giving as much as we contribute to our savings and investments each…