The other day I was just thinking of the amount of hours I spend at work. Almost 10 hours a day, meeting and interacting with the same group of people day after day. Imagine if you have been in the same working place for the past 22 years you would have spent more hours with your colleagues than your family members!
In order to endure the long hours in the office, we need to cultivate good and peaceable relationships with our bosses and colleagues. I have learnt from the last 5 years at my workplace that peaceable relationships take time to build. At times, key relationships can start off with a really sour note. However it is enough if we have godly confidence and quiet peace in our heart day after day. It will take us through every fiery trial, every injustice, every unkind word spoken and every wicked and malicious action engineered against us. How do we acquire that godly confidence and supreme peace in our hearts?
A dear brother, MH shared at our home fellowship meeting recently on the wickedness and ill-treatment he had been subjected to at his work place. The lady boss made fun of his size, his work, his performance and even the long hours he kept in the office. Even his work output (which was actually above average) was ridiculed and criticized. The boss was intent on finding fault with everything he did. The attacks were personal, malicious and delibrate. The purpose: to make him resign on his own accord. If he refuse to resign, they were bent on finding as many faults as they could to justify any termination after the probationary period.
I really want to thank the Lord for Sister A and her sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. During the life group meeting the Lord led her to share with on Ps 27:1-6. The message really ministered to all of us, especially our dear brother who had tears in his eyes.
Some insights into this Ps.
1. When going through trouble, the first thing to do is not to focus on the trouble but to FOCUS ON THE LORD. Ps 27: 1. The Psalmist focussed on who God is to him. God is his light and his salvation. God is the strength of his life.
2. When going through trouble, it is OK TO ADMIT OUR FEARS TO THE LORD. Ps 27:2 "Whom shall I fear?" "Whom shall I be afraid?" Sister A encouraged our brother to bring his problems to the Lord in prayer. In doing so, we will experience great relief from stress.
3. When going through trouble, our physical strength can be sapped. We need to CHARGE UP OUR SPIRITUAL MAN BY FAITH. At times, it can be like we are facing a warfare in our minds. Verse 2 and 3 mentions about "enemies and foes, army and war" Our enemies in the office can sometimes be like a battalion, not just one person coming against us but 2 or more and they happen to be people in authority over us in the office! At times, it can even seem like everyone is ganged up against us. However we are to constantly meditate and declare God's word such as "MY HEART SHALL NOT FEAR"... "IN THIS I SHALL BE CONFIDENT" even though no deliverance has come to us yet.
4. When going through trouble, KEEP OUR HEARTS PURE BY SEEKING THE LORD DEEPLY AND INTENSELY. The Psalmist did not seek the defeat of his enemies in his prayers. Instead he sought to soak himself fully in the Lord. Verse 4 says that he sought the house of the Lord and the beauty of the Lord. He also sought the wisdom of the Lord by enquiring in His temple. Instead of praying "Lord get me out of my situation. Send burning coals on those who persecute me! Lord destroy them for my sake", he prayed for himself more than anything else. His prayers were for greater closeness with the Lord.... "Lord keep me close to you, let me seek your face, let me hear your voice, let me dwell in your presence"
5. When we do all the above, we will BE USHERED INTO GOD'S PRESENCE. We will be lifted high above our problems. A right attitude and a right response will come naturally to us without any struggle. Our brother shared with us on how in the past, he would try to apply secular principles to deal with his problems...(he tried to apply some principles such as "thick face and a black heart" which he learned from secular management books).....believe me, he says, none of all these principles taught by the so called management gurus work for me! Only God can help!
Precious lessons from God's word! May it help us find joy in our working place, godly confidence and supreme peace.
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