Devotions/Partners

Matthew 18:28-29 (KJV): “But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.”

COMMENTARY: In this parable, Jesus teaches the disciples a lesson in flexibility and forgiveness. It’s hypocrisy to plead for mercy and patience with those to whom we owe, and then turn around and be harsh with those who owe us. Patience is a necessary fruit of the Spirit. If you want to be a mature disciple of Christ, you must exercise patience.

APPLICATION: As a Christian business owner, I am very aware of the importance of cash flow. Sometimes, we’ll have a client who simply and honestly cannot pay his or her bill on-time due to unforeseen issues. When clients are late in paying us, and we feel the resulting cash flow crunch, we must pray for divine wisdom, discernment and patience. It is easy to get frustrated, have a tantrum, and be harsh. But all we have to do is think back to the times when we struggled with our cash flow and suppliers were patient with us. How quickly we forget.

In today’s harsh business world, being patient with collections may seem foolish. However, if we want God to be patient with us, we must be patient with others. If you’re not, God will see your double standard and you may suffer even more for your impatience!

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Matthew 18:28-29 (KJV)，read Conflict Resolution (Matthew 18:15-35) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.