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When George Bailey's ship finally came in, it was his ethical convictions that kept him from climbing aboard.
In Frank Capra's 1946 classic, It's a Wonderful Life, Bailey has the chance to make his dreams come true when his longtime nemesis, Henry F. Potter - the richest and meanest man in the county - offers him a job. The scene is one of the movie's most memorable: Potter calls Bailey into his office, offers him a huge cigar and dangles a lucrative carrot in front of him. Bailey could live in the nicest house in town, buy his wife fine clothes and travel to New York and Europe. But there's a catch: If Bailey accepts the position, Potter finally gets to shut down Bailey Bros. Building and Loan - an institution that has been serving the working people of Bedford Falls for decades.
Bailey is tempted - he even asks for 24 hours to think about it. But as he shakes Potter's hand in preparation to leave, he has a change of heart. "Wait a minute here," he says. "I don't need 24 hours. I don't need to talk to anybody - I know right now. The answer is no, no, no."
Despite his longing to see the world, Bailey turns Potter down. When he arrives at this ethical intersection in his life, he is able to draw from a warehouse of convictions he has been storing since childhood. Because of those convictions, he cannot allow his friends and neighbors to be mistreated.
Webster defines ethics as "a set of moral principles and values." For the follower of Christ in today's business environment, however, the definition goes deeper. It begins with Biblical convictions - the foundation upon which ethical decisions are made. Housed within a solid warehouse of ethical convictions are the tools to make correct decisions at the rubber-meets-the-road times of life.
Ethics is a hot topic in today's business world. On the heels of several business scandals of the 1990s, many companies established corporate codes of conduct. The Ethics Officer Association (www.eoa.org), a national organization dedicated to promoting ethical business practices, has grown from 12 members to about 560 since it was founded in 1992. And universities around the country are increasing their emphasis on ethics programs in an effort to help students develop ethical convictions before they enter the business world.
Yet, there remains a perception among some that business ethics is somehow separate from private morality, that our actions at work are not governed by the same principles that guide the rest of our lives. In Beyond Integrity (Zondervan, 1996), Scott B. Rae and Kenman L. Wong point out that "many business people live with two conflicting sets of rules: one for business and one for their individual lives. In fact, when many alleged wrongdoings in the corporate world are brought to light, a common defense on the part of the perpetrators is explaining that they were simply playing by the unspoken rules of the game, rules that all interested parties were aware of and to which they readily and freely adhered."
Ethical dilemmas - and failings - are not a recent invention, of course. They were around in the 1940s when George Bailey made his choice, and they were equally as dominant in Biblical times. One of the most compelling models of a person
who based all facets of life on Biblical convictions is Daniel, who successfully navigated a lengthy administrative career in a highly competitive pagan environment without compromising his commitment to God.
Daniel was born during the reign of Josiah, the last God-fearing king of Judah. From an early age, his mentors and leaders helped him develop convictions that guided him throughout his professional life. "It is justifiable to infer that the godly Josiah and the revival of true religion that had attended his reign made an indelible impression on the lad," writes J. Oswald Sanders in Bible Men of Faith (Moody, 1965). "Since he was of princely or noble stock, he would be close to the throne and therefore, peculiarly susceptible to the king's influence."
Once established, Daniel's convictions were tested in ways he never could have imagined. He was still a boy when King Nebuchadnezzar, the violent ruler of Babylon, invaded Jerusalem. It was the king's custom to bring the brightest young men from the countries he conquered to Babylon - not to torture them but to train them to be statesmen. He did just that when he besieged Jerusalem: "Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility - young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace." (Daniel 1:3-4)
The young men taken from Judah in 604 B.C. included Daniel and three of his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, better known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Under Ashpenaz's watchful eye, these boys learned the language and literature of the Babylonians. After three years of training - having been fully assimilated into the Babylonian culture - they entered the king's service. Unfortunately, their indoctrination also included a dietary element - they "were assigned a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table" (Daniel 1:5) - food that had been consecrated by a heathen religious rite. This may not sound like a big deal today, but for Daniel, it was a major ethical crisis.
It would have been easy for Daniel to make one little compromise - surely God would understand if he ate the king's food; after all, his life was at stake. But Daniel "resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine" (Daniel 1:8). He didn't stand with his hands on his hips and defiantly refuse to do what he was told, however. He came up with an alternative plan. Imagine the scene: Daniel gets the chief official off in a corner and respectfully asks him for a favor. "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink," he asks. "Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." (Daniel 1:12-13)
Although reluctant, the official agreed to try Daniel's plan. The Hebrew boys passed the test with flying colors: "At the end of the ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food." (Daniel 1:15)
Daniel's response when faced with this moral crisis provided the basis for a lifetime of quiet integrity. A man of profound learning and wisdom, Daniel quickly rose through the ranks of Nebuchadnezzar's regime and went on to serve in leadership capacities for several other pagan kings. He walked closely with God; in fact, as Sanders points out, he was "one of the most blameless of those whose biographies are preserved in Scripture."
Followers of Christ in the modern business world may never have to decide whether to eat meat offered to idols. Nonetheless, Daniel's life lessons about ethics and convictions are just as relevant today as they were 2,600 years ago.
1. THE TESTS OF BATTLE
The biggest test of a person's convictions comes when he is detached from a comfortable Christ-centered subculture. Given his background, Daniel probably lived a sheltered life back in Judah. He was surrounded by adults - parents, teachers, spiritual leaders - who encouraged him to seek God with his whole heart and soul. So it probably wasn't until he was jerked from his safe world and immersed in the pagan culture of the Babylonians that his ethical makeup was put to the test for the first time.
Daniel easily could have blended in with his surroundings and gone along with everything he was asked to do. But he had developed a warehouse of godly convictions, so he was able to make the right choices when he came to the ethical intersections of his life.
Such tests are commonplace for the typical business professional. It's easy to talk about Biblical convictions at home or in the shelter of a small group, but it's not until we're faced with a sticky ethical dilemma at work that we find out how strong those convictions really are.
2. THE COMPANY WE KEEP
At times, Daniel appeared to be somewhat of a lone ranger when it came to taking the ethical high ground. But he surrounded himself with godly friends whose support made it much easier for him to stay true to his convictions. Knowing his friends were behind him must have given Daniel courage when he was faced with describing and interpreting one of Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dreams.
The despotic king not only wanted his wise men to tell him what his bad dream meant, he also wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. When the astrologers balked at this impossible request, Nebuchadnezzar was so furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men in Babylon - including Daniel and his friends. When Daniel learned about this order, he asked the king for additional time to interpret the dream.
"Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." (Daniel 2:17-18)
That night, God revealed the mystery to Daniel and he was able to provide the king with a full report of his dream and its meaning. The application is simple. We need to surround ourselves with people who share our commitment to Biblical convictions and who are at least equally determined to live them out in practical ways. We need to find friends who pull us up to higher ethical levels, not ones who drag us down.
3. THE POLITICS OF ETHICS
A display of firm godly convictions doesn't have to be obnoxious. Daniel was extremely graceful and winsome whenever he interacted with others at an ethical crossroads. When the commander of the king's guard came to find him after the other wise men failed to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream, "Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact." (Daniel 2:14). He was even gracious when he told Nebuchadnezzar that he would lose his throne and become like a wild animal. Of all people, Daniel knew that his evil boss deserved everything he was about to get, but he was still respectful when he broke the news to him: "My lord," he said, "if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!" (Daniel 4:19b) And when he discussed his diet with the chief official, he wasn't demanding or disrespectful. Instead of informing the chief court official that he and his friends were going on a hunger strike, Daniel engaged his supervisor in a dialogue. He didn't just take a stand; he also offered an explanation for that stand.
People often ask what they should do if they work for a corrupt boss or one they can't respect for some other reason. They have two options: They can leave, or they can stay in that environment and demonstrate a life of personal conviction with discretion, grace and a winsome spirit. That's what Daniel did. He had no reason to respect Nebuchadnezzar and the kings who followed him. In fact, he had every reason to despise them. After all, these were the very rulers who conquered the Jewish people, burned the temple, tore down the walls of Jerusalem and stole the temple treasures.
Daniel's response to his bosses flowed from his faith in God. He served the equivalent of today's Saddam Hussein faithfully because he believed that God valued every person - no matter how rotten.
4. ETHICAL INSTRUMENT LOCK
Ethical values must be applied consistently to all areas of life. Humility and consistency are the keys to this principle. Without these attributes, self-righteousness is the only possible result. There always will be people who confront us and disagree with our standards. But we bring some of that on ourselves when we are inconsistent. If, for example, we insist that all of our colleagues live up to our standard of sexual purity, yet we are often lazy and unproductive at work, we open ourselves up to criticism.
The tendency of airline pilots to favor certain instruments over others is known as instrument lock. For example, they may rely heavily on the altitude gauge and check the airspeed gauge only occasionally. That obviously is not the safest way to fly because a pilot can be at 20,000 feet and still stall and crash. Fighting against instrument lock means that a pilot scans all of the gauges all of the time; he doesn't just check a few gauges that he's come to favor. We sometimes tend to focus on our own ethical pet peeves - sexual purity, honesty, treatment of others, etc. - while ignoring other ethical issues that may be more of a struggle for us. Avoiding ethical instrument lock means constantly scanning the environment - through the lens of Biblical convictions - to make sure we're consistently applying ethical standards to all areas of our lives.
5. EXCELLENCE IN ADVERSITY
Ethical dilemmas or controversies often are viewed as obstacles to professional effectiveness. But the way Daniel handled those ethical challenges was part of what made him such a valued administrator. It wasn't just the fact that he treated others with grace, although he certainly did that. It also was the fact that he made correct choices and demonstrated integrity at each and every ethical intersection. Under King Darius, for instance, "Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom." (Daniel 6:3)
The Hebrew word for "exceptional qualities" means "unique or extraordinary spirit." It had nothing to do with how strong or fast Daniel was physically. Instead, it had to do with his internal strength, his integrity, and yes, his ethical convictions. Daniel was really good at what he did, but beyond that, his heart was pure. His jealous colleagues tried to find fault with him, but "They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent." (Daniel 6:4b)
6. FAITH UNDER FIRE
It takes faith to hold to Biblical convictions regardless of the consequences. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced the ultimate consequence when they decided not to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image - they were thrown into a furnace so hot that it killed the very soldiers who pushed them in. And Daniel's decision to continue praying to his God despite the royal decree that made such prayers illegal got him thrown into a den of very hungry lions. Had God not intervened, Daniel and his friends obviously wouldn't have survived.
We may not face lions or fiery furnaces when we hold to our convictions, but we could face other negative consequences. Co-workers might mock and ridicule us. We might miss out on promotions because we won't go along with the crowd. We might even lose our jobs because we stand up for what's right.
But we shouldn't naturally expect the worst to happen because we live an ethical life. Look at what happened to Daniel under King Darius. The king was concerned that his 120 satraps (we could call them middle managers) were stealing from him so, in an effort to cut his losses, he appointed three administrators, one of whom was Daniel, to oversee them. Why was Daniel chosen? Because the king needed an honest administrator, and Daniel had proved to be exactly that. His ethical lifestyle had not gone unnoticed. In fact, on more than one occasion, Daniel's past consistency was the basis for a present promotion.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not dance into the furnace fully expecting to walk out unscathed, nor did Daniel snuggle up to the lions with the thought that he would be having breakfast with Darius the next morning. These men had seen others die cruel deaths at the hand of the kings, and they knew their decisions could put them in the grave, too. But their devout faith in God allowed them to face death without fear.
In today's marketplace, it's not uncommon for followers of Christ to fear the consequences of sticking to their ethical convictions. But if doing the right thing causes us to lose our jobs or our place in line, God has promised to take care of us. The big question on the test of life is not whether we have convictions or whether we know what's right and wrong. The question is whether we have an all-consuming love for Jesus Christ that prompts us to live - day in and day out - according to the standards He has set for us in His Word. That's what faith is all about.
7. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Ethical behavior is not a last-minute decision. The principle is the same whether the issue is embezzling money from an employer, having an affair with a co-worker, paying sub-par wages or cheating on corporate income taxes. If personal convictions aren't established before we get to an ethical intersection, it's naive if not downright absurd to think we're going to make the ethical choice.
Daniel didn't wait until the king's official set a plate of forbidden food in front of him to decide whether he was going to defile himself with it. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didn't wait until they were called into a meeting and told they had to bow to the golden statue to decide that they were going to serve God, no matter what. These men may not have predicted the exact situation that they found themselves in, but they had established a set of godly convictions upon which they based their actions. They had resolved in their hearts that they would not defile themselves. When they came to those ethical intersections, their warehouse of convictions held strong.
People who live out Biblical ethics don't fill their warehouse of convictions by tossing around experiential and existential knowledge about this issue or that problem in a small group meeting. True ethical convictions are not rooted in preferences or opinions; they're founded on Biblical standards. To maintain an ethical edge, we must shore up our understanding of Scripture to find out what God says about such things as right and wrong, honesty, fairness and treating people well.
It all comes back to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Believers don't have to float around in a moral vacuum, fearfully wondering if the dam might break the next time the ethical waters begin to rise. The instructions for living an ethical life are clear: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) If we fulfill these requirements, we can respond with the Psalmist: "Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin." (Psalm 17:3)
Stephen Graves and Thomas Addington are founding editors of The Life@Work Journal and co-founders of Cornerstone Group, a firm that specializes in organizational change. Graves has a master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Addington has a master's degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a doctorate in communication from Penn State University. To learn more about The Life@Work Co.®, click here.