[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":73},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fjohn-the-job-coach":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fjohn-the-job-coach-surround":62},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":11,"columnName":45,"date":46,"description":17,"extension":47,"image":48,"meta":49,"minRead":50,"navigation":51,"path":52,"postType":53,"publication":54,"publicationUrl":48,"seo":55,"stem":56,"topics":57,"__hash__":61},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fjohn-the-job-coach.md","John, the Job Coach",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10],"Luke","John",{"type":12,"value":13,"toc":41},"minimark",[14,18,21,24,27,35,38],[15,16,17],"p",{},"Can you imagine having John the Baptist as a job coach or a financial advisor? His \"office\" was the Jordan River where he preached repentance, baptized sinners, and challenged the status quo. His main purpose was to prepare the way for the Messiah, but John's life and preaching included valuable counsel that can help us in our daily work.",[15,19,20],{},"For one thing, John modeled simplicity. He didn't insist on dining in fancy restaurants; he was satisfied to eat locusts and wild honey. He didn't wear a finely-tailored suit; his idea of dressing for success was a camel's hair cloak and a leather belt. Of course, there's nothing wrong with dressing and eating well. (Would you hire a guy who shows up for a job interview wearing a camel's hair suit?) But John serves as a reminder that integrity is more important than image, character more significant than clothes. Simplicity in dress and modesty in manners always wear well in the workplace.",[15,22,23],{},"John advocated unselfishness. \"The man with two tunics should share with him who has none,\" he told the crowd, \"and the one who has food should do the same\" (Luke 3:11). In the workplace it's tempting to engage in turf wars—to jockey for position and personal advantage. Rare and valuable is the worker who sincerely cares for others and generously shares with those in need.",[15,25,26],{},"John insisted on honesty. When tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked, \"Teacher, what should we do?\" John answered, \"Don't collect any more than you are required to\" (3:12, 13). Tax collecting was a nasty occupation in the first century. Dishonest publicans padded their pocketbooks by overcharging defenseless taxpayers. Even honest tax collectors had to endure the scorn of those who hated filling the coffers of Rome with their hard-earned wages. Yet, Jesus' band of disciples included tax collectors like Matthew and Zacchaeus. In a tough business environment where corruption is common and cheating is considered par for the course, a Christ-follower who does honest work will stand out.",[15,28,29,30,34],{},"John urged contentment. When some soldiers asked him, \"And what should we do?\" he replied, \"Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely—be content with your pay\" (3:14). Roman soldiers in Jesus' day were paid not only with money but also with a salt ration to make their food taste better. (The Latin ",[31,32,33],"em",{},"salarium"," is where we get our word \"salary,\" and it's where we get the saying that a worker is \"worth his salt.\") To pad their earnings, unscrupulous soldiers would shake down innocent citizens and threaten them with arrest unless they paid a bribe. Such actions are out of character for one whose heart is right with God. \"Be content with your pay,\" John urged. It's permissible to ask for a raise, but not to bully, cheat, lie, or conspire in order to increase earnings. Greed and discontentment poison a worker's heart and take the joy out of any job.",[15,36,37],{},"Most importantly, John was a messenger of hope. Even though it was his job to speak harsh words about repentance and coming judgment, \"John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them\" (3:18).",[15,39,40],{},"John the Baptist provides an interesting role model for us today as we consider the challenges of the workplace. Do others see simplicity, unselfishness, honesty, contentment, and hope in us? If so, then we are in a position to do as John did and point them to \"the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!\" (John 1:29).",{"title":42,"searchDepth":43,"depth":43,"links":44},"",2,[],"First Look","2009-09-06","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fjohn-the-job-coach","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":17},"articles\u002Fjohn-the-job-coach",[58,59,60],"Biblical Theology","Spiritual Formation","Discipleship","4JNX1EV2OJEDaoG-RyKtLKsJGDiX6fiw0yvJru1hfKw",[63,68],{"title":64,"path":65,"stem":66,"description":67,"children":-1},"Job's Questions and Jesus' Answers","\u002Farticles\u002Fjob-s-questions-and-jesus-answers","articles\u002Fjob-s-questions-and-jesus-answers","Comedian Steven Wright asks some thought-provoking questions:",{"title":69,"path":70,"stem":71,"description":72,"children":-1},"Joshua's Service Manual","\u002Farticles\u002Fjoshua-s-service-manual","articles\u002Fjoshua-s-service-manual","Who wants to serve others these days? If you go to a restaurant or a store, you expect others to serve you. Or you just want to take care of yourself and be left alone. Remember when gas stations were called \"service stations,\" and a worker would actually pump your gas, check your oil, and wash your windshield? Today, most of us go to the self-service pump. It's quick, easy, and requires no interaction with another person. That's fine for buying gas, but there's something very wrong with a self-service life.",1790466159353]