Wait patiently!
"Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes" (Psalms 37:7).
How should we do business as a Christian? As a Christian, how should we work in our work places? We may work either man-centered or God-centered. The Bible Psalms 37 tells us two phenomena may occur in man-centered businessmen or office workers:
First, they envy those who fret and do wrong.
Look at Psalms 37:1 – “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong.” The reason why they envy those who fret and do wrong is because the evil men or those who do wrong succeed in their ways (v. 7). The righteous are susceptible to commit sin of complaining, fretting and of jealousy because the wicked men carry out wicked schemes (v. 7). In a competitive society, we can defeat the comparative consciousness and complain to God about the prosperity of the wicked while looking at people rather than looking at God in the agony of the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked.
Second, they anger toward God. Complaints and envy of the wicked's prosperity eventually leads to anger toward God.
Look at Psalms 37:8 – “Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.” Anger toward God leads only to evildoing (v. 8). Complaints, fret and enviousness toward evildoers are easy to develop into anger toward God without being cut off from anger toward them. If we look deeply at the anger of Christian businessmen and office workers, I doubt how much we can say that their anger isn’t toward God.
Then, what kind of life do the God-centered businessmen or office workers live? We can think in two ways:
(1) The God-centered Christian businessmen or office workers wait patiently in anticipation of God.
Look at Psalms 37:7, 9 – “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. … For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.” Knowing that the end of the wicked's prosperity is destruction (Ps. 74), they wait patiently for the Lord. They can endure and wait patiently because they believe that the Lord will defeat the wicked schemes, and their momentarily "prosperity". They delight themselves in the Lord rather than rejoicing the "prosperity" of the world (v. 4), commit their ways to God (v. 5), and do righteousness and justice (v. 6).
(2) The God-centered Christian businessmen or office workers faithfully do good.
Look at Psalms 37:3 – “Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” The Bible says that the God-centered Christian businessmen or office workers who trust in God in difficult circumstances do good faithfully. Since they cultivate faithfulness (v. 3) are sure that God will fulfill the desire of their hearts (v. 4), they don’t stop doing good in any situation.
Are we living God-centered life as Christian businessmen or workers? Or are we living in a way that doesn’t trust in God at all, but complains, fret, envy, and anger and doesn’t commit our ways to Him? He who delight himself in the Lord, trusts in Him, and commits his way to the Lord waits patiently for Him and faithfully does good. I hope and pray that we may be able to wait patiently for Him.
In the Lord,
James Kim
(After visiting the church saint's business and leading the worship service)