self-respect in our work. “Whatever your conversation with the rather talkative qualities are much needed in today’s
hand finds to do, do it with all your woman. The other rabbi sat quietly and, places of work. Duplicity, hypocrisy, and
might,” is the command of Scripture when not eating, turned his attention to insincerity among colleagues are major
(Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV). The fact is that all a holy text he was studying. sources of discouragement and disillu-
work is honorable, and by working we When they rose to leave, the widow sionment in the workplace.
contribute to the common good. refused to let the rabbis pay for the meal. An inspiring example of the spiritual
Outside, the more welcoming of the two discipline of integrity was demonstrated
The Spiritual Discipline of
turned to his friend, commenting, “It during the 1996 U.S. Amateur Golf
Praise and Giving Thanks
seems to me that you are guilty of steal- Championship. The two leading com-
This discipline has been somewhat ing a meal from that woman.” His friend petitors were Tiger Woods and Steve
“formalized” through special days: looked up in astonishment. “She herself Scott. On the green of the final hole,
Administrative Professionals Day, Nation- told us that we didn’t have to pay.” The Steve, one up, was putting first. Tiger’s
al Boss Day, Labor Day, birthdays, annual first rabbi responded, “The woman didn’t ball was in Steve’s putting line, so Tiger
want us to pay money, spotted his ball a clubhead’s length and
but the payment she marked it. Steve putted and missed.
wanted was that we lis- If Tiger sank his next putt, the match
ten and talk to her. This would go into sudden death. Tiger care-
you didn’t do.” fully circled the green, viewed the shot
from every possible angle, and had lined
The Spiritual
up to putt when Steve reminded him that
Discipline
he hadn’t moved his ball back to the
of Serving
original spot. After making the correc-
In the workplace, the tion, Tiger sank the putt. Tiger won the
natural tendency to be match in sudden death, giving him an
on the receiving end— unprecedented third straight U. S. Ama-
receiving a bonus, receiv- teur Golf Championship and catapulting
ing an attractive salary, him into the pro ranks with an unheard-
receiving a promotion— of $60 million in guaranteed endorse-
must be balanced by the ment fees.
spiritual discipline of Had Steve Scott not reminded Tiger
serving. If someone in to re-spot his ball correctly and had Tiger
your workplace is suffer- then putted from where it lay, Tiger
ing, reach out with com- would have been penalized two strokes
performance reviews, and various passion. If someone in your workplace has and lost the championship. Steve would
anniversaries. However, there are many become chronically ill, offer practical aid. have won the championship but would
days in between when others need to be If someone in your workplace has been have lost something of more value—
praised and thanked for their contribu- downsized, connect them to other poten- his integrity.
tions. Praise is desirable, pleasing, warm- tial job opportunities. If a family member
ing, encouraging, energizing, empower- of a colleague has been diagnosed with a
More Spiritual Disciplines
ing, and reassuring. Humans crave it and life-threatening illness, do whatever you Finally, with a little thought and cre-
live on it like bread. can to ease the heavy load your colleague ativity, one can come up with other spiri-
will be carrying. tual disciplines to apply in the workplace.
The Spiritual Discipline
“A person should be more concerned None of them will disrupt the flow of
of Listening
with spiritual than with material matters, work, but each of them will enhance the
Too many workers, supervisors, man- but another person’s material welfare is quality of life in the workplace. By apply-
agers, and executives are guilty of not his own spiritual concern,” declared ing spiritual disciplines to the workplace,
truly listening when others speak. Listen- Rabbi Israel Salanter (1810-1883), a Jew- the environment is humanized and the
ing is a serious responsibility that must be ish leader who emphasized ethical self- soul is revitalized.
raised in the consciousness of today’s improvement.
workers. A 19th-century Jewish story tells Victor M. Parachin lives in
of two Eastern European rabbis who were
The Spiritual Discipline of
Tulsa, Oklahoma, where his
traveling together and ate a meal at an
Personal Integrity
disciplined work ethic enables
inn owned by a pious widow. While eat- The word integrity simply means him to write for a variety of
ing, one rabbi engaged in a long, detailed “honesty” and “sincerity.” Both of those publishers.
26 EVANGEL • SEP 2009
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