Business Matters: A Francis Kong DevotionalSample

TWO THINGS THAT ARE CONSTANT "The only certainty we have in this world is that the world will continue to be uncertain." Just look at the super brands that dominated the industry in the past few years. Many of them are disintegrating. Corporate restructuring and the tyranny of the quarterly reports from large corporations have put so much stress to the warriors of the corporate world. It has been said that the 21st century currency will no longer involve money, it will be time. Time turns out to be the ever-precious commodity that seems to be coming in short supply these days. And in the midst of this turmoil, we yearn for stability, a sense that as the winds of change intensify to enormous scale, there is something firm and steadfast on which we can depend on. Slowly but surely, I am convinced that as the world may constantly change, there will always be two things that will remain the same. One is change and the other one of course is Christ. The Bible tells us, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and forever." It does not say ׂexcept in the business world." Understanding this Truth and learning to live it, brings to us stability and provides us with security. However, there is this nagging question: How can faith in Christ be made relevant in a world where business people like me need to battle with all kinds of "lines?" like, deadlines, headlines, break-even-lines and profit lines? How can we integrate faith with work in the field of business and search for that sense of security and stability, which may competently equip us to deal with the challenges of an even more uncertain future? Let me tell you a story. One day a businessman was lying down on his deathbed. Death was sure and the businessman somehow knew this. The family was crying and so they asked for a priest to administer the last rites. The priest was preparing the man for his long day's journey into night. Whispering firmly, the priest said, "Denounce the devil! Let him know how little you think of his evil!" The dying businessman said nothing. The priest repeated his order. Still the dying man said nothing. The priest asked, "Why do you refuse to denounce the devil and his evil?" The dying man said, "I'm a businessman and I've been trained carefully. Until I know where I'm heading, I don't think I want to aggravate anybody." This is a very typical thinking process that goes on in the minds of business people; very pragmatic, very sensible and very practical. But do we know that having an intimate personal experience with Christ brings forth wisdom and power to live a life of victory? Don't we know that The Bible offers wisdom that is so practical and sensible? This could all start on having a deep personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. This may sound silly to a world that does not know Him but let us not forget that God's wisdom is constantly in operation. Challenge: Do you find this to be true? If so, how does it fit with your life story?