Corporate Justice

Some brilliant banker figured out how to create a whole lot of profit. The concept was simple, instead of posting debits as people purchased items, (in chronological order) just post the debits largest to smallest for a day. That $360 car payment would have been the only overdraft, but now the $1.50 drink purchase was overdrafted, the $6.86 lunch was overdrafted, the $10.03 in gas was overdrafted, etc...

Its just math right? You did purchase these items right? But human beings know there is more to life than math. There are also intentions. Because of greed this bank was willing to do to others what they would never have wanted done to them. (Matthew 7:12) Thankfully they got caught and are now they are having to pay back $16,000,000 in bogus fees.

Should this illustration not have us stop and think about how we live? Every human being naturally figures out ways to take care of themselves, but do we stop and consider the very real impact that taking advantage of someone has on our character? We wrongly think that what is best for me in this situation is also best for me in the long term. God has a much more insight concerning long term matters. God never looks at today simply as today, but rather sees what is going on now as a piece of the future. Even if wrongdoing brings great advantage today, what is it tied to that will utterly cripple us tomorrow? No matter how great an advantage one thinks they will gain in wronging another the outcome is always going to be worse than the advantage gained, namely broken character.

It might look like we are missing out on a great opportunity if we don't act on super large advantages that hurt others but actually then this has become a test of our character. Does God not control all of our advantages and disadvantages? Does He not also control our testing? God deliberately sets up moments where we as Christians will have an opportunity to gain too much an advantage over others to test us with. With these moments He measures and grows our character. Is the advantage worth more, or are the people worth more? So which is it, do you wish for more advantage or would you rather have a Christlike character?