February, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S Shall a Christian Go to Law? By R. G. Le TOURNEAU as Told to ALBERT W. LORIMER
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after, the State highway Job was com pleted, and contrary to expectations, there was a nice profit on .that, too. A Disagreement Between Christians With the: profits made on both con- I tracts, all of Robert’s obligations to creditors could have been met. B^it his human “partner” on the State highway job had a different idea. His idea was that because Robert had made a profit on the second con tract, all of the profit on -the State highway contract should go to the “partner.” That profit was $40,000, and it was to have been split $20,000 to each. . Stunned by the stark unreasonable ness of such a proposal from a Chris tian and fellow church member, Rob ert went to see his -lawyer. His lawyer told him, “Don’t worry. He hasn’t a leg to stand on.” I But Robert did worry—for a differ ent reason. It was not because he - feared he couldn’t collect in court but because the .man and he, besides be ing Christians and members of the same church, were both on the official board of that church.; Though con vinced that the man indeed hadn’t “a leg to stand on”—either ethically "or legally—Robert still had great cause for concern. What would happen to the church if two of its leading mem bers should/engage in a lawsuit? He was familiar with the Scripture which 1 forbade Christians’ going to law with Christians but thought he -knew how to work it so that the other man would have to take the initiative and be I the one to go to law. Robert felt that then he could persitade more people in the church to side with him than with his erstwhile “ partner.” Robert often says of himself at this time, “I was not exactly lamblike of disposition. I
liked to take the bull by the horns. I said, ‘Lord, that money belongs to my creditors. I’ve got to pay them.” ’ Then the Lord spoke to his heart: “How much dp you love Me? How* much do you love My people? How much do you love My church?” The Outcome Robert did what he has confessed was the hardest thing; he ever did in his life. He went to that .man and said: “Brother, we’re not going to have a lawsuit over this thing. If you insist upon having'all of the profit, you can have it. If the Lord doesn’t want you to have it, He can take it away from you. If He wants me to have my share, He can give it to me-” He thought that his saying this might cause the man to change his mind. It didn’t. He took the entire profit, and Robert let him have it. A short time after this incident, that map secured another contract. And a short time after, - Robert secured an other contract. On the contract which the- other man took, the entire $40,000 was lost, while Robert made enough on his contract to make up for the profit he had sacrificed. Not always does God r e w a r d or punish thus openly and promptly, but in jb is par ticular instance the outcome was. con spicuously evident. A favorite expres sion with Robert is: '“Don’t obey God because it pays, for then it won’t pay. But obey Him because you love Him, and then it will pay.” A Promise to God Another severe testing that came along abbut, this time, and ,the way in- which Mr. LeTourneau met it; was to have far-reaching consequences in his business.
During these Stockton days li. e., when the manufacturing was centered at Stockton, Calif.]-the business was small, employing about a dozen men. A piece of work of considerable im portance was in the shop and had to be completed on the following day. One vital part for this machine was needed which had not yet been de signed. It was not until the end of the day that Robert realized his men would have to start on the making of that important part the first thing on the following morning in order to com plete the work next day. Up to that moment, he had not. the slightest idea What the designing of the part in volved or how long it would take him to work it out There was nothing else for him to do but spend the eve ning over his drafting board with slide rule and pencil. Suddenly he realized he had an other engagement for that evening. It was the evening upon which a group of young people of the church took charge of the meeting in a certain gospel mission of the town, and he had promised his Lord to accompany them and do his part in the service of song and testimony. He said, “Lord, I can’t go to the mission; tonight. I’Ve got to figure this thing out.’’ The still small Voice he knew so well said to him, “Did you mean it when you promised to serve Me no matter what the cost?” The temptation to skip the mission service, moreover, was intensified by the reflection that he was not on the program for aiiy special part in the service and that the young people would be able to get along very well without him. The struggle was a hard one, although, as- he said later, it [ Continued on Page 75]
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"Don't- obey God because it pays, for the* it won't pay. But obey Him \ because you love Him, and then it will pay."— R. G. LeTourneau. V|fJ
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