Devotionals - Marketplace Meditations 5/7

Manipulation in the Workplace

May 7

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft..." (Gal 5:19-20).

The envelope arrived in my mailbox with the exciting announcement on the outside: "You've just won $1 million dollars!" Of course, like you, I have gotten so many of these over the years that I automatically file it in my nearby deep file - the trash can. The sensational headline is used to get you to open the envelope, only to discover they are trying to sell you magazines with an opportunity to be entered into a sweepstakes drawing that could allow you to win a million dollars.

Everyday we are exposed to witchcraft in the workplace. Yes, I said witchcraft. For most of us we think of this ancient term of witchcraft as something that witches do with no relevance to modern society. However, this is not the case.

Whenever you do something that has the appearance of giving something for nothing with the intentional goal of coercing someone to take action through deceptive practices, you have engaged in witchcraft. You see this take place in advertising, marketing, and even Christian ministries.

In order to avoid engaging in witchcraft in the workplace, ask yourself if you are attempting to persuade others to buy your product by using deceptive practices. Make sure you are conveying truth about your product and what it professes to do. Don't use gimmicky sales approaches to engage others.

Perception is not always reality. However, when it comes to promoting a product or service, you want people's perception to match the realty of your advertising. Then you will avoid the sin of witchcraft.