Financial Discipleship @ Work - Part 2Sample

Taking a Bribe

When financial pressures are high, the temptation to compromise may, and likely will, come in a very attractive and tempting package. The Bible says clearly that offering or taking bribes is wrong.
Moses said that accepting a bribe stops you from seeing clearly and leads you in the wrong direction. The wise Solomon stated that a bribe will corrupt your heart, and that taking a bribe in secret will pervert justice.
When you really need the sale, and accepting a bribe seems so simple, your faith and integrity are being tested. When confronted with bribery or extortion, you can make a stand and obey God, even at a significant personal cost.
Do you want to be able to see God’s ways clearly, to keep on track doing business God’s way, and to allow God to demonstrate His justice through you? Never, ever take or give a bribe.

There was a time in our business when 80% of the five-year contracts we held at our major customer were ending and needed re-competing. This was a large part of our total business, and if we could not win the contracts again, our business would be in serious trouble. Our customer was an institution with a strict written policy that no bribes were ever permissible. However, we knew that a major competitor was offering incentives to our customers to grant them lucrative contracts. Our customer told us and wanted us to give some incentive for him to grant us the business. This was a tough time. We prayed about it and concluded that because God owned our business, He would never let Himself get involved in bribery. We declined the offer and submitted our proposal. During the contract evaluation process, we learned that the contracts officer had been terminated due to corruption and that the customer had learned about the offer of bribes. That competitor was disqualified from the process.

Have you ever been confronted with bribery or extortion? Can you take a stand for the Lord and His standards of goodness? Remember, He is the owner. If the company has to lose business due to corruption, it is His loss, and He will deal with it in His way!

If you found these readings helpful, read the book "Financial Discipleship @Work." Available from Amazon or the Compass shop.