Family question (Gospel, evolve, Bible, convert)

[stuckinbalad]

OK, here's my story: Father in law has been in a business where he is a salesman for a nationwide product which is required by law for people to have. He isemployed by this company and he moved in the compnay to another location which caused a large shift in his business to move from the required by law product to a "like" product not required by law but offered by the company. Since then, he has made quite a bit of money fomr the company selling this second item. However, within the last year or so, due to increasing costs, the company decided to not sell the second product anymore. This has cost my FIL revenue.

Here's the problem, my FIL has a non-compete contract with the company to sell this product and any other "like" products (including the one discontinued by the company), meaning while he is still employed by this company he can not sell any other similar products to what the company sells as an outside business. However, I just found out through my wife that he has set up a second "under the table" business to sell this product without the consent from him company and he knows it is wrong. He is a "believer" but has had many personal issues before, and I feel this might be another trip down memory lane with the dead end being a large family and personal crisis. He told my wife about this business he set up, but his other daughters don't know about it, and admittedly he is in rough, but not impossible, financial times.

Question, would you do anything about this (i.e. confront him, ask him why he is dealing with business unethically, etc) or would you let it go as it isn't part of your life and is no concern to you.

A second part of this is that my in-laws are the guardians of my kids should anything happen to my wife and I (God forbid)...and I am having a real hard time imagining my kids being raised by this man right now, while my wife is still himming and hawing about all this going saying it isn't our life. Would that influence any of the above for you?

Sorry for the long post, but this is getting under my skin a little, just curious what other people would say in the same situation.

[freedom]

If you don't have a relationship with your FIL that allows open conversation, and you are in judgement not love, then i would suggest letting the chips fall where they may.

If you have the ability to communicate with love and truly wanting to watch over your family then you'll be lead to speak the right words of exhortation and encouragement to do good.

If this is just a piling on of other issues you have with him, then it is not coming from a position of love but of condemnation.

godspeed,

freedom

[PG77]

As far as the non-compete contract, I used to work for a company who had all the employees sign one of those. However, one of the employees went to an attorney about it and was told that if this was how she made her living that the non-compete contract cannot take away your livelihood. Just what I was told, not the gospel. Worth some checking into.

I cannot say either way on your other concern. I think that is a personal decision you have to make.

[stuckinbalad]

Yeah this is definitely coming from a position of love in the sense that we have all seen him get involved in shady dealing which then spiral down into a very bad situation, whereby he "cleans up" and becomes "right again with the Lord" only to do it again years down the road. It seems like a recurrent situation, and although I would love to confront him on the issue I don't think my wife or the rest of the family would like this brought up at all....

His livelihood is definitely not dependant on the extra business through which he is violating the non-compete clause. It is simply to make extra cash.

It is sad because he used to be such a different man, and now he is almost all about the big buck, it is a shame. I am sure anyone around would say I am not the same person I was when I joined the family 13 years ago, but I don't think anyone can make the argument I have become a money-greedy person.

The thing I am really scared about is this devolving from a shady business venture to him doing some outright illegal scheme. He has been lucky with the law in his previous downward spirals (due to knowing the right people) but I don't think he would be so lucky now.

Any other opinions?

[PG77]

Well, I would not say or do anything even if you think it would evolve into something illegal because you really don't know for sure. If it does, he will reap what he sows. However, I think, based on what you have just told us, that I would be looking for someone else to provide for my children if something, God forbid, should happen to you or your wife.

[Asthedeer]

If he truely is a follower of Christ, then we are to come to our brothers or sisters out of love and help them to come out of error.

Jam 5:19¶Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Jam 5:20Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.



I would not leave guardianship to someone who is not living for Christ.

Hope all goes well, and remember God made you the head of your home