Issue 086
If you follow politics and the tabloids, even from a distance, you’ll not have failed to notice that there is nothing quite as tasty as hypocrisy. A government stands for family values and the tabloids expose family breakdown; a government stands for ethical purity and the tabloids go for corruption; a politician advocates financial stability and the tabloids expose a tax fiddle. Hardly surprising, we all feel, given the high profile of politicians.
But we would be wrong to think that our working lives are immune from invisible hands. There is a spiritual tabloid press and it is far more dangerous than the usual suspects.
Before we become paranoid, seeing a demon in every memo, a spirit in every fax, and an enemy in our e-mail, let me state that in the whole tricky subject of spiritual conflict God is the controlling person. Nothing happens without his permission. But Job’s experience will remind us that there is no guarantee of an easy ride.
The point is this: whatever really resides at the heart of your being is going to determine the battlefield at work. Sooner or later you will be tested in the very area where you have made your stand. Spiritual history is littered with examples of this and some failed whilst others succeeded – but we’re all attacked one way or another. I’ll show you what I mean:
Abraham’s job is to father a nation and so he finds himself tested in the area of fatherhood to the point of raising a knife to his son.
Samson – a red-blooded male, is tested in the physical realm and fails before succeeding again.
David, a man after God’s own heart, is found to have murder and adultery in his own heart.
Elijah, who stands for courage, is gripped with fear of Jezebel.
Esther, who can always rely on her looks, has to stand and be tested before the gaze of a king.
Peter, the rock, finds himself tested for reliability and fails initially.
So where have you made your stand? Valuing staff? You can be sure that’s where the battle will be. Balancing home and work? -that’s where you will be tested. Ethical behaviour? – you will be tempted to compromise. Financial honesty? – this will be your struggle.
Why is it that we get tested where we speak the loudest? Is it some grotesque game that the Almighty plays out with the devil? Perhaps we are victims of endless jokes by spiritual pranksters? Or maybe the celestial tabloids are just after a story.
In the end the reason may be mundane and obvious. Testing and battle removes impurity and leaves gold. It’s one of the best ways to clear out the rubbish from our souls. The wise worker will watch for this. Fail or pass, we will be wiser after the event.
1Peter 1:6-9
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
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Work well
Geoff Shattock
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