“Workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eats its fruit. In the same way, workers who protect their employer’s interest will be rewarded.”

Aligned interest is a big deal these days in business. Shareholders demand aligned interest between their investments into the company and the rewards that management receives. The same is being driven from the top to the bottom in organizations as senior management looks for ways to align the interest of the front-line employee with their interest. There are all kinds of incentive and alignment systems and tools, but nothing is better than everyone believing, deeply, that they are all working toward a common goal and if this goal is achieved then they know that they will receive commensurate rewards for that achievement. Call it what you want, profit-sharing, bonus pools, etc., but whatever it is, pure alignment goes a long way. I was speaking with a senior executive about how this level of alignment can also reinforce accountability, which only assists in ensuring that goals will be achieved. He told me, “it’s one of the hardest achievements in any business.” He is right.

As workers, who are also working to bring glory to God in all that we do, let us also ensure that we are doing our part to earn the rewards. As Solomon says in Proverbs, the prelude to the rewards is our tending the fig tree, and doing it well. Let’s be sure that we are doing our part so that the rewards we receive are well-earned and deserved. When we work hard and pull our part, our interests become aligned with our employers who expect such. Let’s be sure that we are always aligned in that way and that we protect those interests.

Reference: Proverbs 27:18 (New Living Testament)