THREE DAILY CHALLENGES

THREE DAILY CHALLENGES!

Phil 2:13-15

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

           The Christian is faced with at least three daily challenges that make it hard to shine especially in business! We need to be reminded that the business man who is neatly dressed and scrubbed clean may be hiding a corrupt mind and heart! Although he may seem friendly, his true friend is “the bottom line.” It is important that we remind ourselves that three daily challenges will greet us as we begin our day.

           First, the world holds to the notion that reason is always superior to faith! Even “church people” will compartmentalize these two so that they do not intermingle. They are thought to reside in two separate realms. Reason is reason and faith is faith. Because reason is based upon science and observable facts, it is preferred over faith. God never intended the two to be separated.

Rom 1:28

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

           Second, remember that business practices are “amoral” or value free. Whatever cheating or scheming necessary to “get the job done” is considered normal business practices. The religious idealist becomes very vulnerable if he applies the same rules to business that he finds at church! It is not necessary to abandon morality and decency but always remember that these do not necessarily exist in the business world.

Rom 1:29-31

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

           Third, it is important to know that we live in a world that does not respect rules! The world sees itself as morally emancipated, self-sufficient and free to do as they please. They smile at the Ten Commandments and obey them only when it is convenient or beneficial. The result of these three godless values has left the world friendless and fearful.

Judg 17:6

6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Ps 53:5

5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was:

           The answer for us, of course, is not to join the world in its scheming paranoia but to be alert to the evil around us.

Rom 8:2-4

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Dear Lord, fulfill your righteous law in me today – but let me be wary of the evil world around me. AMEN

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