We are told in God’s Word to be, “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger” (James 1:19). However, if we are honest with ourselves, our natural tendency, when conversation with a person turns into conflict, is to go in the opposite direction. We naturally want to speak up, state our position, and defend ourselves in order to win the argument and be right, or just walk away with a smug self-righteous silence. Our Lord’s example showed us something different… He was willing to endure hardship in order to make things right between us, something that we did not have any interest in doing. Now if He wanted to…He could have just told us how right and holy He was and how wrong and sinful we were…but He did more than that. Our faith in God at the workplace will not shine by how well we can judge people’s wrong, but by how well we are willing to be patient, forgiving and seek to help them. (PMC) Consider: “Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13)
(This thought was written by Paul M. Curtas, General Director of FCAP.)
If you would like to receive by email the Thought for the Work Week, click here.
“Our work becomes worship as we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God in the details of our work everyday.” (PMC).