Current Events – God’s Lessons

Current events can be the greatest opportunities for lessons from God. Recently, Susan had found herself in a situation (which quite frankly was a recurring one) where she was expected to step in to do the job of a co-worker who went on a week’s vacation. To make it plain; Susan did that person’s work as well as her own work for the entire week.

Susan had made it a point everywhere she had been employed to learn as much as she could to be as useful as she could. She even encouraged others to do the same. A person becomes a greater asset to a company, thus giving them self a greater chance of security when a company has to downsize. This has proven valuable to Susan over the years.

She quickly realized there was a sour side to the application of this ability and her willingness to prove useful to an employer. The advantage can be taken of an individual and what had been the intent of the employee being useful, pivoted to the employer expecting this to be a normal duty. Actually it is not, unless there is a mutual and affirmed understanding there would be compensation or an increase in pay.

Setting that aside for the moment. Being in the seat of another (actually living in their shoes for a week) gave Susan a sense of the pressures that the vacationing co-worker had to endure. It wasn’t pretty. As Susan advanced through the week meeting the demands of the two positions, the character of the supervising party began to unveil before her.

Many of us have played musical chairs as children in school at one time or another. Susan was experiencing a likeness of what was once a fun loving game, to being not fun as she went from her station to the station of the absent employee trying to keep up and complete the tasks. Remember when in the musical chairs game the music gets faster, and faster right before it stops and you tried hard to be one of the ones with a seat so you could remain in the game? Frustration mounted each go round. Get the picture?

The demands Susan felt as she performed both details had her running from chair to chair; as the character of the supervisor appeared one of impatience and ungratefulness. Susan harbored several thoughts over the course of the first few days and thought, “You know, I don’t have to do this. This is not my job. I am not appreciated. I might just stop now, and what needs to be done will not get done until the co-worker returns.”

Yes! That’s a great idea. That’ll show the boss! But there was a slight problem. Susan’s recent devotions and studies in God’s Word had been grooming her to allow the Holy Spirit to transform her into the image of His Son, Jesus. Scriptures came to mind such as Matthew 5:41 “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” And what about being salt and light? Matthew 13-16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Verse 16.

All the truth of God’s Word and His ways came flooding back to Susan. She had only mentioned to the supervisor of the pressure and unfairness of his impatience, giving the circumstances was created by added responsibilities. The boss didn’t feel he was being impatient. But oddly enough the next few days went extremely smooth and the boss was kind and patient.

God’s Word guides us and it is a mirror. As often as we look into the mirror we find things that need attention and correction. The more we practice applying what we learn from the truth of God’s Word the more we are changed into Jesus’ likeness, His image.

Susan was reminded that the life of a believer and follower of Christ might be the only Bible that many reads. It is important that we get it right when others are watching. It could make the difference between life, death and a person’s eternal destiny.

God spoke into Susan’s heart telling her what she sought from her boss could be taught by example. Susan had been given the task of demonstrating patience instead of exercising her right to not continue being helpful. Remember Jesus taught, in Luke 6:31, ^“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”