The Protestant work ethic is often credited with helping to define the societies of Northern Europe and other Protestant countries where Protestantism was strong, such as in Scandinavia, northern Germany, Great Britain and the United States. In such societies it is regarded by many observers as one of the cornerstones of national prosperity. It has been said that people in countries with Protestant roots tend to be more materialistic, perfectionist, and that they focused more on work, compared to people many other countries, such as Spain and Italy, where the people had a more relaxed attitude toward work.
However, in the bible we read that "...the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10) and in Matthew's Gospel we read that one should focus not on material well-being but spiritual well-being:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also... No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. -- Matthew 6:19-24So is this outcome of economic prosperity sinful? By working and making money to demonstrate salvation are these Christians actually engaging in sin? Since Protestantism is based on the principle of Sola Scriptura and since scripture forbids worship of money then the Wikipedia article about Protestant Work Ethic confuses me.
1 comment:
Hi Norak
Prosperity, in and of itself, is not sinful. God prospers whom He will, and has done so throughout history from the Old Testament forward. So, any idea that economic prosperity is automatically sinful cannot be valid.
The idea that economic prosperity is automatically obectionable is a growing part of our secular culture, and it doesn't make much sense either. The attitude arises from resentment, envy and greed. Unfortunately, the Church is prone to absorb the secular philosophy around it, and in this case, is picking up on the idea that prosperity - whether individual or national - is wrong on its face. The underlying errors of this belief are quite interesting, but beyond the scope of this response.
You correctly quote I Tim. 6 and Matt. 6, but be careful not to reach way beyond what it is saying. Thoughtful reading of the scripture - ALL of it - suggests we are certainly not to "love" money, or "store it up" for the sake of storing it up, or "serve" it as a slave. We are not to measure our worth or our wellbeing or our security, nor are we to derive pride, from the mere accumulation of money and possessions. Nor are we to measure ourselves by the LACK of material possessions.
However, nothing in the Bible, taken as a whole and in context, suggests that the very existence of prosperity is "sinful".
Let's consider the person who, in accordance with the Biblical work ethic (note: not the "Protestant" or the "Catholic" work ethic), is called by God to his vocation (whether or not that vocation is "secular" or a "church" vocation). Let's imagine that he applies Godly character, integrity and excellence to his efforts in his vocation; he avoids idolizing his job and position and thus avoids workaholism; he avoids deriving his self-worth from his job, and he takes his relationship with Christ beyond the church house and into his vocation, relying upon God for guidance, favor, and steerage. God, in His goodness and in His wisdom, grants this man favor with other men in his business, and he grants the man influence.
Guess what? It is very possible this man may become prosperous. Consider Joseph, who became quite prosperous and even powerful through these very same Godly principles. Would we say Joseph's prosperity was "sinful"?
Furthermore, consider David, who demonstrates that the Godly principles and theology of vocations can result in God bestowing power and prosperity, despite imperfections of sin, which David certainly struggled with.
The man or woman who is Godly AND prosperous will undoubtedly also be generous and attentive to God's leading in planting his or her resources in Godly soil. In this way, he or she will avoid "storing up" earthly treasures for the sake of accumulation.
I know of a man who worked diligently for 30 years and accumulated prosperity enough to retire early and devote the rest of his life to service, made possible in part by God's blessings upon him, enabling him to serve without regard to whether he made any more money. He could have gone on accumulating more, and as I understand the situation, would have made millions had he kept on ringing the cash register. But he made a choice to walk away from further accumulation, and to increase his rate of giving and service.
This same man had tithed for decades, and had given much more to Jesus even than that. The more he had given, the more he seemed to be blessed with prosperity. In turn, he continues to honor God by his own giving of his efforts and resources.
In conclusion, we must be careful not to equate a concept such as "Protestant work ethic" with "sin". As with anything else, what starts out as a wholesome idea can be twisted and misapplied over time, until nothing resembles the original. If we stick with the Bible, and all it has to say about Godly values of work and vocation, we will not be be easily mislead.
Lastly, we must be careful not to merely take on worldly cultural attitudes around us, adopting them into our "Christian" thinking. I am afraid we do it all of the time. For example, we buy into class warfare, victim mentality, and attitudes of entitlement, usually without thinking very independently. We must think much harder and more carefully, and we must pray diligently, lest we unwittingly buy into evil disguised as something good.
All the best,
Russ
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