Building up, tearing down – The apostles gave Joseph of Cyprus the name of Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement, because of his propensity to build up his fellow workers (see Acts 4:36). He enhanced life and elevated people’s worth by encouraging their good while simultaneously covering their sin and deficiencies with love. Barnabas, as you remember, did not abandon John Mark when Paul refused to let him go on the second missionary journey (see Acts 15:36-41). Love covers a multitude of transgressions and problems (see Ps. 32:1; Prov. 10:12; James 5:20; 1 Pet. 4:8). Love encourages the best, even in the face of inadequacies. Personal insecurities, bitterness, jealousy, and an unforgiving spirit frequently generate gossip, sow seeds of distrust, find fault in others, and impugn the reputation of others. God hates all these things. Justice cries for the spirit of Barnabas and repudiates the spirit that tears others down. We are to build up our peers in an honest, constructive manner.

Crediting others – Plagiarism is not confined to the academic world or the profession of writing. Taking personal credit for good ideas or results for which others deserve recognition is rampant in the world of business, too. For exam­ple, a group leader can easily report to a superior and imply (if not overtly claim) that the positive results coming from the group ought to be credited to the leader rather than group members who actually made the specific contributions. The biblical standard calls us to look out for the interests of others, not just our own (see Rom. 15:1-2; 1 Cor. 10:24; Phil. 2:4). Stealing credit is just that-stealing! Justice demands that credit be accurately awarded as surely as it requires the careful placement of blame.

Helping – Bearing one another’s burdens fulfills a vital aspect of the law of love (see Gal. 6:2), that of helping our peers (and others) who may be over­whelmed with their work at a time when we are free to assist them. Being of help (bearing their burdens) can run the gamut from stuffing envelopes to performing computer tasks at our work station that can be reintegrated into their work at a later point. Righteousness expressed in this form does two things: It lightens the load while reducing the pressure, and it expresses an interest in and concern for the individual being helped. This is doing justice in the marketplace.

From Richard C. Chewning (ed.), Biblical Principles and Business: The Practice (NavPress, Colorado Springs, 1990).  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.  Content distributed by WorkLife.org > Used for non-profit teaching purposes only.