Colossians 4:1 “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”

Slavery was accepted in those days, but the value of personal relationships is the same in every age. What is fair may be a standard, what is right is an individual matter. It is up-close and personal.

Principle: Godly employers value employees and demonstrate it with fair pay and right, personal treatment.

What Wayne Alderson did with Pittron Steel several years ago validates this principle. The company was losing money, the workers were ready to go on strike and the company was facing bankruptcy. Alderson attended a Christian men’s conference and conceived “Operation Turnaround” for the company, based on Biblical principles.

He began to personally associate with foundry workers. He gave the president of the union an office on the plant premises. He stood at the gate at the end of the day to greet workers, thanking them for their work and shaking their hands. He shared the company’s gasoline reserves with the workers during the gas shortage days.  He was Christ-like.

Productivity rose 64%. Sales rose 400%. Profits rose 30%. Employment rose 300%. Grievances declined from 12 a week to one per year. Absenteeism declined. Product quality exceeded anything in the company’s history.

In less than two years Pittron Steel went from a hopeless situation to profitable and the envy of the steel industry. While fully understanding that a company must make a profit to survive, Alderson demonstrated that his responsibility was to God and his fellow man, not solely to the bottom line.

It is Christ-like to personally value your employees.

Discussion:

1. What are the key words you see Paul using to direct the management style of Christian supervisors with their employees?

2. How is that different than the norm?

3. If Paul’s counsel became the norm for Christian supervisors, what would that do for the public image of the Christian faith among the working class?