Do you know the story of the famous American racehorse, Seabiscuit? It’s an inspiring story, and also a fascinating glimpse at American social history during the 1930s where these horses were treated far better than the jockeys who rode them. Paid very little and given poor housing, jockeys worked in one of the most dangerous professions at the time without any kind of medical care. And I thought to myself, “What a great example of what Scripture is talking about, when it refers to unjust and unfair behavior towards those God has entrusted to our authority.”

The words of Jesus could not be clearer. We are to be fair. But it doesn’t just mean adequate pay and benefits. The employer must treat employees fairly, and that fairness extends much further than just pay and benefits. It also means not showing partiality. What does that mean? Well, look at it this way. If you’ve ever seen a situation where a parent shows favoritism to one child over another, you know how incredibly demoralizing it can be to the entire home. There’s no sense of harmony and health. It works the same way in the workplace. Think of the demoralizing effect partiality has on employees. It’s the perfect place for Jesus’ golden rule to be applied…do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

What would happen if supervisors treated employees and supervisors approached each other in this way? Morale would soar, productivity would increase, and profits would rise. Because the good owner of Seabiscuit actually treated his jockey in this way, Seabiscuit’s success is an inspiring story even today!