Death @ Work

Devotions/Partners

Image by Johana Peña / Pixabay . Used with Permission.

John 11:25-26 (KJV): “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

COMMENTARY: I must confess that, on the surface, this may be one of the most morbid devotions I’ve ever written. But hang in there. There’s hope and encouragement by the time you reach the end.

Can you think back and remember anyone you worked with who has since died? Over the decades, I can think of quite a few, including former bosses, clients, employees and suppliers. For example, when I worked in Chicago, I watched our CEO deteriorate from being a dynamic business leader (and a huge mentor to me) to a frail man on death’s door through the ravages of lung cancer. He died at age 60. I will never forget his funeral, and how we as a staff had to keep the organization running smoothly for several months as the Board of Directors searched for and hired a new CEO.

The harsh reality is that no environment (home, church, community or work) is insulated from “death.” Death has been part of living in this broken world since the original fall of Adam and Eve. It’s ugly. It’s terrifying. As the Scriptures say, death has a nasty sting. And unless the Lord returns beforehand, you and 100% of the people around you will die.

APPLICATION: Remember the JOY you experienced when your faith in Jesus Christ came alive! Remember that in Christ you HAVE eternal life in heaven! Remember that Jesus died on the Cross so that your workplace acquaintances can also experience the joy of salvation by God’s amazing grace. Many of these acquaintances may not step into a church building, but you are in their current work lives to be an Ambassador for Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you “divine moments” when you can plant and water seeds of faith through your Christ-like words and actions.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Psalm 150: 4-6 (KJV), read Psalm 150 from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.