Ironic, I think not....

So this morning I was praying about my situation at work.  Typically I pray and then read the Bible.  This morning was no different.  Both the old and New Testament directly related to my situation at work.  In 2 Samuel 9 David has the opportunity to show kindness to anyone left in Saul's household.  There is only one person and he is crippled, Mephibosheth.  Not only does David ask him to live in the palace with him the rest of his life but he also gives back the land that belonged to Saul and his family.  He even included the servants from the house of Ziba, Saul's servants.  They were to care for the land.

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What this says to me is that even when someone persecutes you it is still time to do the right thing.  For David, a man who had been almost killed by Saul several times, he understood that when he made a promise to Jonathon he was going to keep that promise.  A man true to his word.  I can learn a lot from that.

The next chapter talks about David sending some amabassadors to the Ammonites to show sympathy for the King Nahash.  When the ambassadors arrived some advisors of the new king were afraid of what was going on.  They created a story saying the ambassadors were really spies sent to scope out the best way to overtake the city.  I can understand David's frustration a little bit.  His intentions were pure and what would be expected.  The advisors to the new king could not believe there wasn't alterior motives.  Why would they think any different?  They would not send an ambassador to the people of Isreal without a hidden agenda.

I relate to this because there are times I do things because I feel like the Holy Spirit is prompting me to do them.  As a result, I think people often times think I have a hidden agenda.  Honestly my agenda is to get along with others and to point them towards Christ.  That is hard to do when those people just don't understand.

Fast forward to the New Testament reading, again along the same lines.  The idea that these ladies I work with really don't know any better.  Luke 13:48 talks specifically about people who don't know any better.  They will be judged less harshly because they don't know the good news.  They don't know that they are doing wrong.  They don't have the same moral code I do.  I wish I didn't care but I do.  The pain comes into play when I forget that they really don't know any better.  My job is to continue to be myself.  Eventually that will speak louder than words.  In the mean time, I can continue to pray for strength to get me through this season at work.  I can continue to pray that the Holy Spirit would fill the aisles at work and would comfort those who are hurting.  I can pray that these people would see Jesus some how.  Those are my prayers.  All three of those only require one thing from me, obedience to stay true to the course.