This seems to be my month for hearing about new things having to do with numbers. Last time, it was the 8-1-1 day celebrated on August 11th! Who even thinks of these things? But another interesting phenomenon has crossed my path this week. I happened to be listening to a news broadcast and the topic happened to be an initiative referred to as “The 996 Schedule.”
If you have heard of this idea, well, then you are ahead of me! Basically, it had to do with the Chinese government wanting its children to be as educated as possible as early in their lives as possible. So… there are advocates who are suggesting that kids should go to school from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. 6 days a week… get it? A 996 Schedule…
We all know that China wants to excel in education and they are dead set on leading the world in areas of technology. For years, they have excelled in areas of electronics and many companies across the world depend on China’s huge production capabilities. So, in all reality, it may be a great idea to address the educational needs of their children but I have to wonder what the cost to the kids will be… Seventy two hours a week in school? This sounds a little obsessive, doesn’t it?
The more that I have studied this proposed change in the school system, the more I discovered that it came out of the corporate work movement. In China, there is a 44 hour per week work rule but many companies have adopted the 996 work schedule to meet the demands for their products and services. Employees, who want to make more money, are, for the most part, silent on the overwork that they are experiencing in their jobs.
According to the press, Jack Ma, a Chinese tech tycoon, famously called it a “blessing” for anyone to be a part of the 996 work culture. By the way, Mr. Ma is the founder of Alibaba, an online retail giant. It seems that the companies get larger, but increased profits don’t necessarily get distributed to the employees.
Finally, the workforce is pushing back. The public is getting outraged. At one e-commerce company, two employees died in one week – one died on the way home from overwork after incredibly long hours and the other employee committed suicide. Clearly, there is strong backlash and the government can no longer ignore the ramifications of abusing the employees to the point of exhaustion and diminished health.
There are many other reasons that there is so much confusion about the work schedule. China is experiencing its slowest population growth in decades and there is already worry about the future labor force. Another factor is the change in generational priorities. While parents and grandparents were hard workers and considered it a badge of honor to work virtually without ceasing, the younger generations don’t feel the same way. They are more concerned with life balance and a reasonable school/work week is much more popular with them.
There is, however, one area in our lives where we should certainly consider a 996 schedule. That is in our commitment to praise the Lord. Thanking God for the day is the first thing we should do in the morning and his name should be on our lips as we fall asleep at night. Most of us already praise God in church on Sundays, the Sabbath day for most of us, so the 996 schedule gives us a great opportunity to practice our worship skills the rest of the week!
Our verse for tonight reminds us that our focus should be on God all the days of our lives. The psalmist reminds us of this in Psalm 27:4-8. He tells us, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
My encouragement this evening is that God is the best thing that has ever happened to each of us. We are the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth. And we can’t do this unless we focus on Jesus constantly. My prayer is that God will sustain us in good times and in the rough times as well. After all, He focuses on each of us all day every day, and we should do the same for Him. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…