Fair Days Labor

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.  (James 5:1-6 NIV)

Justice in regards to pay can be a balancing act. On the one side there are those in this world who get rich off of the unfair wages and labor of others. There are those who do not get paid fair wages for an awful lot of work. The rich get richer on the backs of the poor who get poorer. However, on the other side there are also those who would have everything given to them without a fair days labor given for those wages.

As some employers get rich while paying their employees minimum wages; others lose their businesses because they cannot keep up with the continual rising costs of having employees. The cost of unemployment taxes, workman's compensation, and other insurances can be prohibitive for many small businesses, eventually leading to not only loss of jobs for employees; but, for the employer, as well. I know more than one small business; although their employees do not get rich, the owner actually makes less than their employees while contributing more time and work. Just because someone owns a small business we ought to be careful not to consider that they are getting rich on the backs of their employees. Some suffer in order to provide their employees employment.

We live in a country where we have many freedoms that people in many other countries do not have. We are still one of the richest countries in the world. We thank God for this economic freedom; but, at the same time we must beware that this economic freedom does not become a god in itself for us. As individuals, as Christians, we must strive to pay fair wages in exchange for fair labor. As individuals, we ought to strive to provide fair labor for the fair wages we are paid. We need to try to ensure that our corroded gold and silver don't become testimonies against us.

Whether we are employers or employees; whatever we do, we do it unto the Lord; so that God is glorified. Do justice for your employee and your employer so that all may eat and none should suffer.

God's Peace - Pr. J