September 12, 2024 8:00 pm
The factories of Victorian England were dark places. Fatalities were high, and workers often lived in poverty. “How can the working man cultivate ideals,” George Cadbury asked, “when his home is a slum?” And so he built a new kind of factory for his expanding chocolate business, one that benefited his workers.
The result was Bourneville, a village of more than three hundred homes with sports fields, playgrounds, schools, and churches for Cadbury’s workers and their families. They were paid good wages and offered medical care, all because of Cadbury’s faith in Christ.
Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This prayer can help us imagine, as Cadbury did, what our workplaces would be like under God’s rule, where our “daily bread” is earned and our “debtors” forgiven (vv. 11–12). As employees, it means working with “all your heart . . . for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). As employers, it means giving staff what’s “right and fair” (4:1). Whatever our role, whether paid or voluntary, it means tending to the well-being of those we serve with.
Like George Cadbury, let’s imagine how things could be different if God were in charge of our neighborhoods and workplaces. Because when He is, people flourish.
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Welcome to Our Daily Bread. I'm Sheridan Voisey and I've called our reading today Kingdom-Shaped Workplace. The factories of Victorian England were dark places. Fatalities were high and workers often lived in poverty. How can the working man cultivate ideals, George Cadbury asked, when his home is a slum? And so he built a new kind of factory for his expanding chocolate business, one that benefited his workers.
The result was Bournville, a village of more than 300 homes with sports fields, playgrounds, schools and churches for Cadbury's workers and their families. They were paid good wages and offered medical care, all because of Cadbury's faith in Christ. Jesus teaches us to pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. This prayer can help us imagine, as Cadbury did, what our workplaces would be like under God's rule, where Our Daily Bread is earned and our debt is forgiven. As employees, it means working with all your heart for the Lord. As employers, it means giving staff what's right and fair.
Whatever our role, whether paid or voluntary, it means tending to the well-being of those we serve with. Like George Cadbury, let's imagine how things could be different if God were in charge of our neighbourhoods and workplaces. Because when He is, people flourish. Today's scripture reading is from Matthew chapter 6, verses 9 to 13. This, then, is how you should pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today Our Daily Bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Let's pray together. Loving God, would you touch our imaginations today to visualise what our workplace or neighbourhood would look like under your rule. God, would you give us a fresh vision, and then, Lord, would you empower us to bring change wherever we can, to make our offices, classrooms and every space we live and visit, just like that, a little taste of heaven here on earth. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Sheridan Voisey and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-09-12 20:43:55 / 2024-09-12 20:45:26 / 2
