By Jenniffer Mann

I am fortunate enough to work within a  company that really cares for its employees. The directors are authentic and consistent in their treatment of the workforce and because of this, inspire many to be loyal and hardworking.

As you can imagine, working within a large company means dealing with a vast array of personalities. Some are known because they are loud and effervescent, others because they are very good at what they do and make it easier for others to do their job. Inevitably, some are known for the reverse! 

Others are known because they have one stand out character trait that always draws comment, for example being consistently late, or speaking very loudly on the phone in an open plan office. Or it might be they are known for always smiling and having a positive word of encouragement. 

There is one particular person however, I was warned about before joining my current department. Feared for being fierce and unyielding and on occasion, sending colleagues away in the shadow of a stinging rebuke.

It will come as no surprise then, that I was perhaps a little apprehensive about our first encounter but as is often the case, popular opinion turned out to be ill founded. I found them to be both incredibly helpful and pleasant. 

Very recently, I needed to speak with the same person to ask them for some information and what should have been a 5 minute call turned into a 60 minute heartfelt conversation.  As we spoke, I discovered that this person had joined the company some 14 years ago. During this time, they married their partner after 12 years of being together, only to find that one month after marriage, their spouse walked out on their home to be with someone else!

As you can imagine, this left my colleague devastated. To the point where they had a breakdown and needed 5 months off work. Remarkably, during this time, the company kept them on full pay, sent them a bunch of flowers every month and called them weekly to enquire after their well-being. The subsequent debt of gratitude they now have for my employers for supporting them through what they describe as being the “hardest time of my life” is very touching to hear. All the more so when understanding that their situation was compounded by being Bi-Polar. 

I felt incredibly grateful that my colleague was able to share their story with me and left the call in deep reflection. It brought to mind how often God was wrongly judged by others in the bible and still is.

Popular opinion can blind us from getting to know God too and keep us from a life in eternity with Him! The truth is, that if you take the time to know Him, you will find Him to be compassionate and patient. “…Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  2 Peter 3:9

My employers were not judgmental of my colleagues circumstance, in fact when they returned to work, they gifted them with a promotion. God doesn’t judge your circumstance either. He loves you so much that He wants to gift you with eternal life. The Bible tells us as much in the New Testament book of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Take the time to know God for yourself and do not allow popular opinion to define your outcome. 

Let’s Pray

“Father God, Please forgive me for my poor judgement of who you are. Reveal to me your true character, not as the world sees you but as shown in your word. Please draw me into a loving and authentic relationship with you, that brings eternal life. Father, change me from the inside out and purify me, so I can love you and others with a clean heart. I ask this in the precious name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen”

Our song of the week comes from Cameron Collins and Kelly for One Sound Music.

IF THIS POST HELPED YOU, PLEASE SHARE IT USING THE LINKS BELOW SO WE CAN HELP OTHERS TOO.