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PROGRAM D-6865
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. That’s what Jesus told the Pharisees when they asked him about paying taxes to Rome. And although we have no literal Caesars in our lives these days, we do have people and organizations that parallel this principle. We’ve been talking about what, as believers, we do owe our employers and what we do not owe them.
A last thing I would mention is that we do not owe our employers all of our energy and time. If we must constantly give our employer twelve hours a day and weekends, we’re probably giving to Caesar what belongs to God. While it’s true we owe them an honest day’s work, if we give far more than that in order to get ahead, so that there’s no time left for our families, our friends, our church or ourselves, then we’re getting into dangerous spiritual territory.
This one is tough to deal with because we may feel guilty that we’re not at the job night and day like others are. Well, again, it may be a costly decision, for it’s true that some employers expect every drop of your time and energy in order to keep your job or get promotions. But don’t be fooled by this world’s false standards of excellence. We owe God time and a balanced lifestyle. And if you put him first, he’ll honor that commitment.
Let me quickly repeat the three things we’ve covered this week that we do owe our employers, and the three things we do not owe them. First, we owe them hard work, protection of their assets and honesty, and loyalty. But we do not owe them any compromise of our integrity, participation in any activity that is not honorable, nor do we owe them every ounce of our time and energy.
Remember that someday we will all stand before God and give an account for everything we’ve done. Do you ever think about that? What will you say if you’ve failed to give your employer what is rightfully theirs? What will you say if you have given your employer what really belongs to God and have compromised your standards and principles? When we get an eternal viewpoint and see things the way God sees them, it sure makes a difference.
Ask God to show you where you need to apply this principle in your life. In 1 Timothy 4 we read that we are to be examples in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. It’s not always easy to do, but you’ll be glad when you stand before God that you have given to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.