19TH NOVEMBER

WRECKED BY WORK

“And Zacchaeus (the tax collector) stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold”.” (Luke 19:8)

Thinking of the tax collector, I burst out laughing as I remembered a joke about the corrupt policeman and a dog. “A man was driving down a street in Lagos, having just finished taking a call on his mobile phone, when a policeman suddenly opened the passenger door, jumped in and closed the door.

He did not know the door was faulty. Soon, he began to demand for “something”(bribe)from the man who had broken the law by taking a call while driving. Suddenly, the officer turned and saw the Rottweiler, Jackie, at the back seat of the car, with tongue stuck out, spittle dripping and fangs barred, staring fiercely at him. He shivered with fear, as the driver told that they were coming from the hospital to visit a man the dog had bitten. As the police man tried to open the door in vain, he pleaded to be let out. His fear increased, as Jackie growled. The car owner demanded and received some money to let him out of the car. The policeman was outwitted at his own game.

Some jobs expose the workers to corruption, cheating and other vices. In our country Nigeria, the average policeman has a very bad reputation. I wish I could say that the tax officers of our time are different from the time of Jesus. Zacchaeus, the crooked tax collector was considered traitorous and corrupt, having enriched himself by exploiting his fellow Jews. The Jews hated him. His relationships were destroyed. In spite of all that, Jesus showed him love. He was converted and, at a great cost, he willingly gave out to the poor and made restitution.

Like Zacchaeus, inward change in our lives must be demonstrated by outward behaviour, irrespective of the general behaviour in our workplace. We must not allow our workplace attitude to influence us in such a way that our relationship with the Lord and men is destroyed.

ACTION: Reflect – are you truly a Christian in the church and the workplace?

PRAYER: Lord, let your light shine through me in every place.