Articles
Work To Rule
Though associated with many union men as well as with some management personnel over the years, we must still confess ignorance of the jargon peculiar to the field of labor relations. But one does not remain in England very long without an introduction to the term, "Work to rule."
Our arrival in London a few months ago was delayed by several hours because Air Traffic personnel at Heathrow Airport were operating on a "work to rule" basis. For the same reason, during the month of November, we had numerous scheduled blackouts of electric current involving not only homes but street lights, traffic lights, business establishments and even hospitals. A few weeks later we had serious gasoline shortages because the drivers of the tank truck had begun a "work to rule policy."
What is this "work to rule" procedure which can so easily disrupt a nation, cut its productivity, and threaten its security? Observing the havoc wrought, our first thought was that those involved were working to gain control of their industry or, perhaps, of the country - working to rule it themselves. Hardly satisfied with this, we sought a definition from a knowledgeable Englishman.
"To work to rule," he explained, "is to work according to predefined minimum requirements for a given job. Thus, the worker will work no weekends, no overtime, no relief. He will make no effort to make up time following a breakdown or delay. He may refuse to use equipment provided to increase efficiency unless such equipment is specifically mentioned in his contract. The air controllers refused to use computers, working out the complex airport traffic problems with a pencil.
So, that's it. And we have been observing it all our lives; we just didn't know what to call it. It would seem that a majority of church members perennially "work to rule" doing only what they have to do to stay out of hell. No overtime, no taking up the slack when others are incapacitated, they are willing to do the Lord's work with pencils while the devil uses computers. Such members seldom attend Bible classes or Sunday evening services. They neither advertise nor attend meetings for "These are not required," they explain. If all members of a congregation were "work to rule" people, the church would be no more effective than an industry crippled by such action.
Spiritual "working to rule" is not new even in this century. The church in Ephesus, once a zealous church fired by love for the Lord, left their first love and settled down to "work to rule." Though they were still sound in teaching and carrying on what would appear to be the necessary functions of the church, the Lord threatened to remove their candlestick unless they repented (Revelation 2:1-7). The church in Laodicea must have thought they were at least "working to rule" or they would not have boasted, "I am rich, and have gotten riches and have need of nothing." The Lord, however, judged them to be "wretched, miserable, poor and blind and naked" and warned that their lukewarmness so sickened Him that He was about to spew them out of His mouth (Revelation 3:14-21).
Israel's king Joash, directed by Elisha to smite with his arrows on the ground, "worked to rule." He struck it three times and stopped. So, the man of God was angry at him and said, "You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Syria until you have destroyed it. But now you will strike Syria only three times" (2 Kings 13:18-19). The prophet knew his man. A "work to rule" man will never succeed in any undertaking.
Success demands that extra push, that commitment which carries a man well beyond what is required. This was what distinguished men like Paul, Barnabas and the Macedonians. Not content to be an apostle, Paul's goal was to "labor even more than all of men" (1 Corinthians 15:10). Not content to give what money he had for the relief of the poor, Barnabas "having a field, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet" (Acts 4:37). And the Macedonians, "according to their ability, and beyond their ability gave of their own accord...but first, they gave their own selves to the Lord" (2 Corinthians 8:3 & 2 Corinthians 8:5). Any church today that is accomplishing anything is doing so because of those in its membership who are willing to do more than what the rules would seem to require.
But what do the rules require? The majority of church members seem to think the rules require baptism by immersion, attending a specified number of services per week (one, two or three), and giving a specified percentage of one's income (usually "take-home-pay"). Many of us as preachers have contributed to this impression by devoting by devoting a large part our preaching, writing, visitation, and demands for discipline to these few duties. One who performs these is counted as faithful, all others unfaithful.
We question whether such teaching is "as the oracles of God." Of course, there is a passage which warns against forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. And we suspect that one who does this willfully will be lost. But the one who is convinced that this is all there is to being a Christian and who contents himself with a perfunctory performance of these duties is just as likely to be lost. This was the mistake of the rich young ruler. He wanted some definite assignment of something he might do to assure himself of eternal life. Jesus did not want his deed; Jesus wanted him.
When have we studied enough, prayed enough, given enough, believed enough, loved enough, worked enough to save the lost? What is overtime in God's service? What is the "call of duty" beyond which we have no obligation? When has a preacher done his week's work - when he has put in 40 hours? When are elders ready to give their accounting - when they have spent at least an hour each week in consultation? When has a church satisfied the Lord - when it has met its budget, increased its attendance and baptized fifty?
Neither Jesus nor his apostles ever laid down for us a set of duties which we could perform and count ourselves "caught up." He has not granted us this luxury. Instead, Jesus said, "When ye shall have done all the things that are commanded of you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do'" (Luke 17:10).
"Work to rule" indeed! Rather, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1). "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who...emptied himself...becoming obedient unto death, yea, the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5 & Philippians 2:7-8). "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
