As workers, we trade in a very competitive world. This competition is not just in the sense of two organizations doing everything possible to gain the attention of a customer, but more of what as Christians employees we have to contend with.
We are being tempted everyday or face trials that make us prone to making compromises. We are often trapped between upholding what the Bible teaches against what makes the business more profitable.
We must be conscious that the ultimate aim of Satan is to control the marketplaces of the world, for in doing this, he can easily control the people of the world. We should not look at what is contained in Rev 13:16-17 as something that will happen sometime in the future as it is currently the case in the world. Though the scripture refers to what will be at some point, we are already witnessing the significance of what it means by “so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark”.
The major competition in doing business nowadays is between light and darkness, righteousness and unrighteousness, truth and deceit and it is in the light of this we are presented with the options of taking the mark or not.
Many have fallen for the traps of Satan now so that they can buy and sell, they already have the ‘mark’.
This is very simple, as long as you cannot uphold God’s standard in the marketplace, you have already received the mark that allows you to trade in the world as the children of the world would do.
As Christian employees, we are often torn in between this competition as we are either responsible for making the decision to receive ‘the mark’ or execute the decision that has already been made.
The truth of who we are should never be lost on us because;
- We are the light of the world and darkness must not cover the light
- We must count it joy when we fall into divers trial and temptation. Simply put, rejoice when you lose your job because you refuse to compromise your Godly standard
- We are not ignorant of the goal of Satan
- We are also not ignorant of his devices
- Judgement day is coming and we will all give account.
We are being faced with the option of receiving the mark everyday at work and If we think it is easy to uphold the truth at all times as expected of us in the marketplace, we will be deceiving ourselves. Even God relates such experience to passing through the waters and walking through fire. We only have a promise that He will not leave us.
The first step to being able to do this is to purpose in our heart like Daniel that we are ready to bear the consequences. This is the same decision people will have to make when the time for the mark of the beast comes- to stay true to their faith and starve, be tortured, not being able to buy and sell.
Now that we know that the ultimate aim of Satan in the marketplace/workplace is to control who is able to buy and sell under its own terms, why don’t we chose to stand out in the playing field by superimposing the Kingdom’s principle as found in Matthew 6:33?
God bless you.
Akindele Afolabi.
Christian Employee Series.