Draw near to God – Day 14

Are you about to resign because you are fed up with your unjust boss or a rude colleague? Do you still see the job you are in as a gift from God or did you start taking it for granted?

Before cell phones were widely available, a pharmacist in a small town could not help hearing the conversations people had, when they were talking on the public phones just outside the entrance of the pharmacy.

One day, a young boy’s conversation went like this: “Hello, sir. I’m calling to find out whether the position of gardener is still available? Oh, you already have someone? And are you satisfied with his service? Well, thank you.” The pharmacist felt sorry for the boy and walked over to him and said: “I’m sorry you did not get the job, son.” The boy, however, smiled and replied: “No, I got the job. I just wanted to make sure that they are still happy with my service.”

This story made me think: Have you fallen into a comfort zone in your current job, or is it still important to you to do your job with integrity and excellence? When last have you made sure that your employer is satisfied with your work? Here are five business principles from God’s Word:

PRINCIPLE 1: WORK AS IF GOD IS YOUR EMPLOYER
• Ephesians 6:6: “Do not work hard only when your owner sees you. You would be doing this just to please men. Work as you would work for Christ. Do what God wants you to do with all your heart.”

PRINCIPLE 2: ASK GOD FOR WISDOM
• James 1:5: “If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.”

PRINCIPLE 3: ACT WITH INTEGRITY IN EVERY SITUATION
• Deuteronomy 25:15-16: “You must have a full and fair weight. You must have a fair way to show how big something is. Then you will live long in the land the Lord your God gives you. For the Lord hates everyone who does such things, who lies and is not fair.”

PRINCIPLE 4: DO NOT BE LAZY
• Proverbs 14:23: “Some good comes from all work. Nothing but talk leads only to being poor.”

PRINCIPLE 5: MAKE GOD PART OF YOUR PLANS
• Proverbs 16:3: “Trust your work to the Lord, and your plans will work out well.”

Let us draw close to God in the workplace, while reminding ourselves continually that He is our Employer. Let us acknowledge Him in every decision, to be sure that we are led by the Holy Spirit when making decisions. And when you find yourself in a situation where the path of corruption seems tempting, remember that God sees everything. Make decisions that reflect integrity. God bless.