Alan Hardy’s Blog

“And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” 1 Cor 4:7

One of the precepts on which modern economics is built is the idea of self-interest. This 18th century notion suggested that men should be able to freely pursue personal advantage and that this would create an environment that was better for all.

This arose at a time when beliefs about service to others was still a strong steering influence, directing the fruits of this liberation of self-interest in responsible ways.

The ideals of service I refer to were those developed in the Reformation. It was then that the understanding emerged that God distributes gifts to men according to His wisdom and that he intends that these gifts be used for the benefit of others. God is the author of society, the arts and sciences, and of economies, however tainted these may be in a world affected by sin.
If we know that God is our father then we are free to look out for the interests of others because we are confident that God is looking after us.

How is the idea of service regarded today? Our Christian heritage is fading - few would argue with that. In the face of this the past few decades have seen a re-awakening in commerce to the idea of service. However, in what might seem peculiar to our forebears, business adopts this orientation as a means for profit. They say with one voice “the customer is number one” and “look after number one”.

Men are variously endowed with advantage. Whether this advantage is based on the opportunities provided by our environment or by our personal talents the Bible deals us a great leveller - it has all been given by God. How much scope do we have, really, to be so puffed up?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 28th, 2006 at 5:12 pm and is filed under History & Culture, Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.