Death By Jobs

This week the president is scheduled to give a (supposedly) important speech on his jobs plan. He is being looked to for wisdom and help in turning around the high unemployment in the nation. Now, I have to say, I am not expecting much given the lack of wisdom shown so far. Also, the government he represents is almost assuredly the cause of many of the unemployment problems he proposes to fix. So, unless repentance is to be the main course, do not look for a buffet of food for thought.

This whole jobs disaster has gotten me thinking though. Actually, some things relating to this have been churning around in my brain for a long while, I just never wrote them down. For instance, have you ever noticed how whenever our government agencies talk about education that they unfailingly reference the goal of getting a ‘job’. And, it is not just the discussion about education, but the whole work discussion in general is mostly directed toward getting a ‘job’. Rarely is anything ever spoken about having a career, developing business experience, making it on your own, or any talk along those lines. There seems to be an assumption by bureaucrats that the best start in life is to get a job. Then, once that pattern is established we are to line up for unemployment whenever the pursuit of a job stumbles in rocky places. So, jobs and unemployment are the generally approved path through life from what I gather from the government ads.

Yet, this whole pattern of job—unemployment check—job is never found nor recommended anywhere in Scripture. Rather, we find a different philosophy. The Biblical philosophy for work and provision for our families circles around the gaining of wisdom, knowledge, and good work habits, and personal righteousness. Oh sure, a few of the heroes of the Bible had jobs. Daniel worked for the ruler of Babylon and Matthew was a tax collector (but was asked by Jesus to quit and become a disciple). However, nowhere in Israel, under Biblical law, do we find this pattern of job—unemployment check—job. This construct then, of depending on jobs and the accompanying unemployment checks is clearly unscriptural and hence unholy. There is a more righteous and wiser path for us to take as a society and as individuals.

The normal wisdom, the usual advice in Scripture concerning financial provision leans always toward the work and character of the man. I say this with an eye toward Proverbs as there is much written there on this very topic. For instance, Proverbs 21:20 informs us that ‘there is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise’ and Proverbs 24:4 reads, ’and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all pleasant and precious riches’. These ideas are a wonderful beginning point. They say nothing about getting a job but they do reveal the God ordained path toward physical wealth. We are commanded often by God to acquire knowledge and acquire wisdom. These are the product of good teaching and disciplined practice from an early age. They are excellent goals for every young person. Parents should in fact work toward these ends as they educate their children. Knowledge and wisdom are not optional on the list of things to get done with our kids. We are told to get wisdom and knowledge but are never commanded to get a job.

Proverbs repeatedly tells us to get good work habits, ‘In all labor there is profit’ and to be righteous, ‘Much wealth is in the house of the righteous’. One of the Proverbs that has helped me the most as a lifetime self-employed man is Proverb 24:27, ‘Prepare your work outside, and make it ready for yourself in the field; afterwards, then build your house’. The concept is simple. First a man should prepare and invest in his business. Then, when finances are more secure, build the house he normally needs. For years I have believed this Scripture. We have often purchased tools of the trade, advertising, etc. when we would rather have had better furniture. We have not gotten rich but we are infinitely better off than those who believed the central government that everyone deserves a house and pushed their way into one before their income could support it. Even a dirt cheap loan will not save you from a life of under preparing for your life’s work.

So, the Biblical pattern is not to get a job, or that ‘employers’ exist to give people jobs, or that the government has a duty to create jobs. They are not to think it their duty to either provide jobs or unemployment checks. Their duty, if any is to get out of the way and let God provide and for men to be righteous. They could help us a lot right now if they would dramatically reduce government regulations so that honest men could work without fear of being crushed by the unrestrained Leviathan that crushes everything. If the government would stop inflating the money and enforce an honest banking system we would see dramatic rises in the number of people working. If they would reduce taxes, citizens across the land would be able to invest more in their businesses and futures. Hope could be returned to this land but not by some donkey-brained (nugatory—ha, look it up) government jobs program and heavier than ever regulations. I do not expect to get much encouragement from next Thursday night’s speech. I am confident however, that we the people will be better off when we leave behind the current fad philosophies that cling to government provision as the way to financial security. We ought rather to obey God’s revealed principles and then trust as fully as faith allows to the One who invented this whole world in the first place.

For Christian Culture,

Don Schanzenbach