Business Matters: A Francis Kong DevotionalSample

IT JUST MIGHT BE THE PACKAGING

I work hard. I am loyal to my company. I follow the rules and I give my best every time all the time. I do not compromise on my values because I am not just a Christian in name; I am a follower of Christ in every aspect of the word.

But I cannot understand why I have been passed over for promotions. I have been ignored. My boss knows I am efficient, skillful and hardworking yet she prefers my colleagues not me. Not for anything else but these colleagues of mine are bozos in the work place and I cannot understand why they are succeeding? Why are the cheaters getting rich and why are these unbelievers happy all the time when all they do is violate God's commands and flirt with the devil?

Could it be that God has forgotten me too? Could it be that God has abandoned me? Is Christianity worth it?

Have you ever entertained these thoughts? Many did and many are still wondering why success goes to those who do not have God and eludes those who love Christ.

The one most important thing I have learned in life is never to trust the packaging alone. Oftentimes, a product is wrapped with the best and nicest package but the content may smell offensively like that of a spoiled food.

Many desolate people may try their best to appear "happy" yet deep inside the emptiness in their heart keeps haunting them, or some faithful followers of Christ may have been victims of unfair treatment yet they keep focused on the greatness of God which brings them true joy and happiness. But the story is not yet over.

Among the apostles, Judas is one absolute case of a successful man, and the one scrupulous failure, was Peter.

Judas was an achiever in ways that most impress those in his times. He was successful both financially and politically. He is skillfully organized in the control of money matters of the apostles and he expertly run the political administration of the group to accomplish his goal.

Peter failed in many ways. When Jesus was arrested he buckled and showed his cowardice. His faith failed him in those crucial moments. In many occasions, he was clumsy with words and he said the most awkward and unfitting words as shown in the confession on the road to Caesarea Philippi and the vision on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter was not exactly your image and packaging of the successful person we all aspired to be.

Time, of course, has reversed our judgment on the two men.

Do not lose heart. Your story is not yet over. If you stay faithful and put your trust in God, things will work in your favor and your destiny will be glorious. Do not envy the wicked. Their story is not yet over.

Judas is now a byword for betrayal, and Peter is one of the most honored names in church and world. That's how their stories end.

Challenge: Do you constantly look at the things you don't have and envy those who do have? Or do you see your future time and place? Where all the best were laid in Christ and in God's Kingdom?


How do you get recharged spiritually when you're feeling stressed?

Pause for a reality check. God is in control and I am not Him. I take a deep breath; I refocus my mind on Christ and remember what He says about resting in Him. I know I am not alone and that He will never leave me nor forsake me.

Pray and communicate with the Master! I look for a quiet place. I lift up my burdens to God and this means communications lines are open 24 hours a day and it doesn't need any high-speed broadband connections. I tell God exactly what I am going through and how I feel. And I feel immediate relief. God knows the desires of my heart and He wants me to depend on Him.


Challenge: How do you deal with your own stress and challenges?