Acquainted with Grief @ Work
Devotions / Partners
Isaiah 53:3 (KJV): “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Hebrews 12:2 (KJV): “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
COMMENTARY: Palm Sunday, March 28 marks the start of the 22nd annual Joy At Work Week sponsored by Northeast Christians At Work. Since our first event in 2000, our mantra has been “Your Glow Should Show Who You Know.”
As a Christ-follower, if you really believe what you say you believe–that through God’s amazing grace through faith in Jesus, your sins are forgiven, you’ve received the free gift of eternal life in heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit–then you should be the most joyful employer or employee at your workplace. A consistently grumpy Christian at work is a contradiction of terms.
APPLICATION: Lest you think that being joyful at work is some kind of whimsical, naïve, idealistic fairy tale pipedream, being joyful at work doesn’t exclude you from being acquainted with grief. It doesn’t give you a free pass from sorrow, pain, distress, frustration and discouragement. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be despised, persecuted or rejected. It doesn’t mean that you won’t experience suffering. But throughout the journey, you will still have joy inside as you abide with the Lord and look forward to spending eternity with Him.
If Jesus was acquainted with grief and suffering and we are His disciples, then WE will also be acquainted with grief and suffering. Don’t let grief in your workplace rob you of the joy the Holy Spirit can and wants to give you. As His joy shines through you, it will be a vibrant testimony to the co-workers, customers, and suppliers with whom you work.
Joyfully yours,
For Further Exploration
For further exploration about 2 Peter 1:5-8 (KJV)， read Depending on God (James 1:5–18) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.
