Business Matters: A Francis Kong DevotionalSample

IN CHRIST WE STAY STEADFAST J. I. Packer in his book: "A Passion for Faithfulness" has this to say: A moment of conscious triumph makes one feel that after this nothing will really matter; a moment of realized disaster makes one feel that this is the end of everything. But neither feeling is realistic, for neither event is really what it is felt to be. The circumstances of triumph will not last, and the moment of triumph will sooner or later give way to moments of disappointment, strain, frustration, and grief, while the circumstances of disaster will prove to have in them seeds of recovery and new hope. Life in this world, under God's providence is like that; it has always been, and will always be; it is so in the Bible, and it remains so as the twentieth century gives way to the twenty-first. The mature person, who is mentally and emotionally an adult is distinct from a child, knows this and does not forget it. Life is a series of triumphs and tragedies. This year you hit your targets, next year the economy collapses. This week you win the new account; next week your big account leaves you. This morning your boss shakes your hand, pats your back and says, "Great job Francis, you're on your way to the top!" This afternoon you commit a colossal error that may cost the company a fortune and you begin to hear those dreaded words popularized by Donald Trump, "You're fired!" We need to fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and the Perfecter of our faith. When things are going the way we want it, when our career goes very promising, when our business gets the biggest market, we must humble ourselves before God and acknowledge that it is all through Him that we are getting all the wealth because it is He who equipped us with the talents and the ability to achieve our dreams.. When times turn out for the worst, when sales are down and expenses go up. When crises strike, whether by man or by nature, then we need not lose hope. God is still in control. The Bible says in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Make sure your success is in the right perspective. Triumphs should make you thankful and trials should build you up, yet in all things, love God and put your trust in Him. Challenge: In your business and in your career, have you built an altar and offer everything upon the feet of the Lord Christ Jesus?