Abiding in Christ's Love

Matthew 18:7 teaches us that offenses will inevitably come; they can’t be avoided. This is true even in the marketplace. Maintaining a godly response is key, though it may cause us to feel undervalued or overlooked. Acting out, loudly challenging the system, and refusing to cooperate all seem like acceptable responses, and they are for those who don’t follow Christ. Those of us who believe in Jesus are held to a higher standard.

Jesus is our best example of how to have a proper response. Jesus is often discounted as the expected Messiah. He performs miracles — healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons — and he is continually undervalued and undermined. Still, he tells us to keep the Father’s commandments and to abide in his love. This is easier for us to do because we see Jesus doing it. Even on the cross, he begs the Father to forgive those crucifying him because he recognizes they don’t know what they’ve done.

To abide means “to remain” or “to stay.” The idea of abiding is that we’re fully connected and engaged. Our workplaces want us to multitask; the world expects us to multitask, but abiding is a singular task. Instead, we’re doing one thing: remaining tethered to Jesus because we draw life and take direction from him.

Even when we think we truly abide in Jesus, there is more room for more abiding. His love shields us from feeling the full pain of being disregarded in our work relationships. We can rest in him, pray to him, and trust that he will make things right at the proper time. We keep his commandments, the greatest of which is to love God and our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36–39).

DAILY CHALLENGE

The next time you get ready for work, start your day with at least a few minutes of prayer. Pray that you especially abide in Christ’s love today while showcasing God’s special care to all clients, customers, employers, employees, coworkers, partners, and vendors. Did you notice that you are more joyful when you focus on the love of God?