A Message from the Arena

It's one thing to write about Righteous Free Enterprise, and another thing to live it.

Here's a testimony you might find informative and instructive.

God is making clear to me that lying and stealing are lying and stealing no matter if your 7 or 47. Lying to make strides in business is tainting the business and He will hold us accountable for those lies just like any other lies. I see at my current employer that lying and stealing to get ahead is permissible and acceptable. Adults who know better, bless the lies and the stealing if the result is some financial gain. The trap or the deception is that because lies and stealing produce some “fruit” it is okay to do. The blanket of deception gets thrown over the actions and people move on disregarding any idea that what they did was wrong.

Working in that kind of environment is very difficult. I respond one of two ways. I am either critical and judgmental, or I engage in self pity. Neither response is particularly helpful. My associates dislike both, especially the judgmental one, and I hate the way I fell when I engage in either one. Yet, I hate being taken advantage of as well. I have not been able to influence others behavior with either response. Things are even more difficult for me when I see someone gaining financially because of either their lying or stealing, and I do not gain when I try not to engage in those behaviors. The spiritual gain seems fleeting at the moment when I am trying to make my goal. Money talks in this world. To place myself in a spiritual world during those moments is hard for me to do.

Don’t get me wrong, I am tempted to engage in deceptive practices, and at times I have. I try to see how much I can get away with without anyone complaining, and without taking any big chunks out of people. Oh what a slippery slope. And because prices are sometimes negotiable, practicing honest and fair business decisions is elusive. I can overcharge one person to compensate for undercharging another. I would hate to be the one that was overcharged. Should there be some fairness and guidelines by which to determine prices for people. Is it okay for me to take advantage of one customer because they are willing to pay the price and another is not? Boy, talk about customer beware.

How much right does a business owner have to engage in behavior that would encourage the customer to be leery of their purchasing from that business? Why do businesses promote the customer beware factor? Why aren't businesses just honest and forthright? When I have a customer, I'd like to think that they know they can trust me. Yet, I would still try to get the most for my merchandise as possible. I would rather the benefit go to me than the customer. So complicated. I wish we had stricter rules about selling. I have to go now. Thanks for reading.

Mary

Here is a principle for you: you can "rent" a person's hands and legs and back to do work, but they have to "give" you their head( mind) and their heart (passion).

Do you think this testimony proves the point?