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15 But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and
called me through his grace, was pleased
Apostle Paul’s conversion on the Damascus road and
his transformation came in a flash. When Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of
Christ’s followers, heard the voice of Christ, his eyes were instantly
opened to the truth that Jesus is the living God, and he became an ardent
disciple.
It appears he has not seen Christ in person, though he is very
much aware of his teachings. He was an observant and conservative Jew and
that is why he went out of his way and persecuted Christians. But when he
heard His voice, he believed in Him and came to know that Christ is the
way, the life and truth.
We are in a similar situation. We have not seen Jesus
personally. But we have heard his voice. His voice -the Word - came through
our parents, Sunday school teachers, priests, evangelists, elders and the
like, and above all from reading the bible.
We have been hearing the Word for so many years according to our
age, at least from our Sunday school days. Yet, many of us have not budged
a bit from our old lifestyle and mindset, like the seeds that fell on the
rock. We have closed our eyes and locked our ears to the Word. However we
will be asked on the judgment day what had been our response to the Word
all these years. It is high time to reflect on the missed
opportunities and change course.
The them for the day is “Identifying risen Lord in the work
place.” If any kind knowledge we receive dies in us or dies with us, it is
good for nothing. The purpose of knowledge is to apply for the benefit of
our as well as others’ lives. The Word is the best knowledge we can have,
because it helps us to lead a better life in this world and an everlasting
life with God in heaven.
It is a pity if the Word dies in us or with us, benefiting none.
So resurrect the Word in us and transform our lives the way God
wants. Once we begin to enjoy the peace and happiness the Word brings, the
Word will automatically flow from us to others. Christ came to the
world to redeem humankind and he seeks the salvation of all. Towards that
end we became partners of Christ.
If the Word of the Lord is stirring in us, workplace ministry is
a good place to start, since we are in everyday contact with people around
us. In this age of “politically-correct” principles and secular
ideology, the spreading of the Word at workplace faces many obstacles, but
nothing insurmountable, as Apostle Paul had shown in his ministry.
We are either Christians or non-Christians. There is no midway.
The way we live as Christians is as important as the way we spread the
Gospel. In the workplace, one way of sharing the Gospel is to live like a
Christian, and talk like a Christian, and thus without us uttering a word,
co-workers and others will experience the love of Christ through us. Then
most probably we will get the opportunity to talk about the Lord.
Workplace by extension is, not only the place of work where you
are paid wages, but also areas of voluntary work, schools and campuses, and
families. If all Christians diligently work for His kingdom, the salvation
of whole humankind is not far off.
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