Sustainable Work ...

Monday, Feb 27, 2012. Sustainability is one of the big topics of our time. How do we live in a sustainable way? How do we use ressources in a sustainable way? The topic is much larger than just environmental. How do we set up a sustainable business model? How do you set up your life in a sustainable way?

What does sustainable mean? …

We have to think a little bit about what we mean with sustainable. When it comes to agriculture, it means that we use fields and ressources in a way which does not destroy the ressources we are using. Sustainable agriculture can continue to grow crops, for decades and centuries. It does not destroy fields, forests neither by harvesting too much nor by poisening the environment.

A sustainable business model is one where a whole society can continue to carry out business in a particular way. House prices which are growing stronger than the inflation rate, are not a sustainable business model, since the system needs to break down after some years. So strongly growing things cannot be maintained in the long run, in no area of business. Growth, however, can always happen for new products over an initial period. Sustainable business will find a way such that services can be provided both in strongly growing fields as in well-established areas!

Our life is short anyway. So should we talk about sustainability? Does that make sense at all? Or would it be better to forget to think about all this and just earn as much as you can where you can? Does sustainability pay? It seems that at least in some parts of our society those who try to exploit things, companies, people, succeed better than those who are looking for sustainable solutions. So parts of the system is destroying itself, and others suffer. We need to find ways to penalize this type of behaviour, to encourage a social development which is sustainable in the long run!

The Jesus solution …

I believe that Jesus points us to solutions which are sustainable. The advice which the New Testament gives us how to live and how to act, will lead to very nice and sustainable social structures.

Jesus tells us to make sure that everyone is taken care of. Every human being is highly valued. Everyone should have the opportunity to earn his living. Everyone should work. Everyone should be modest, should help others, should be full of love and consideration, of forgiveness and kindness. All this leads to highly sustainable relationships and structures.

The New Testament is highly political. It asks us to search for a way of living which is sustainable and helps every human. It asks us to be full of justice and truth. It even asks us to pay taxes in an honest way. All that leads to societies which flourish and which are based on reliability and truth, with people who are based on a sincere relationship to the Lord. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts