The Secret

‘Are you going through some stress?’ might have been the most ironic sentence I've heard at work this past Friday when I mentioned my pounding headache. That department’s unwillingness to cooperate or communicate efficiently was leaving me with conflicting high-stakes priorities and causing me stress… So I laughed and they laughed, but nothing about it was funny.

The past few weeks have been emotionally taxing, to the point of overdraft. I’ll admit that I contemplated skipping this week’s blog post. ‘No one would notice’, I thought, attempting to justify my weariness. 

Here’s a secret I'll share with you because by now we are like sisters: while this blog is my baby, I am no writer outside of Him. For this particular post, I needed both spiritual revelation and clarity in writing- and basic writing conventions. 

Honestly, I felt drenched and unwilling. 

So I opened my drawer, pulled out my bible, and turned haphazardly to the book of Philippians. The smell of conviction practically flared up my nostrils. Still, my brain couldn’t process anything deeply, so I skipped through. It became more than a WOW moment swallowed by a straining day.

Then, that following Wednesday, the word preached came from the book of Philippians. And right before I sat down at my computer to even entertain the thought of a post, I glanced at my bible app. Guess where the scripture of the day came from? Philippians. 

So, allow me to encourage you, as I encourage myself in the Lord today.

I’d love to quote a verse from the book of Philippians, but I’m afraid that I’d end up quoting the whole chapter(s). There’s something about Paul’s epistles that triggers a response from within me. In Chapter 1, he said (and I paraphrase): “Everyone around me knew that I am a prisoner for Christ.”

Ouch.

I wondered: what would my colleagues identify me by? My Christ-like attributes? I’m not sure. 

What about you? 

If you are anything like me, you must have wondered whether Paul, being a mere mortal, has ever reacted to the going getting tough, asking: “How much longer, Lord?” Or, utter regrets like “Why did I do to deserve this?”

While I can’t say for sure if he ever had those thoughts, one thing I know is this: his entourage saw something that made them certain that Paul was a prisoner for Christ. The guards who arrested Paul knew he was a follower of Christ. His crime was that he was preaching about Jesus. But what they have witnessed from Paul’s imprisonment made them sure of his allegiance.

Those around us notice our true identity when the adversities of life do not shatter our testimony. How we carry ourselves whilst in chains highlights the Christ within us.

That begs the question: What is your default response when triggered?

When all hell breaks loose, do the same lips that once witnessed to coworkers, now spew self-deprecating thoughts, anger, or anxiety? When things don’t add up, do we run into the arms of the entertainment industry, or the happy hour instead of our anchor-who is Christ Jesus?  

Just because people around you do not poke fun when you refuse to indulge in activities that are no longer aligned with your character, does not mean that they are not watching your every move. I do not find pleasure in drunkenness because I serve Christ but will snap at work when provoked can send a conflicting message.

This revelation doesn’t sit well with me either, but that doesn’t make it any less true. I have vented too often for those past few weeks, and I’d even say that I felt (still do) justified in my feelings. The degree of unprofessionalism I've encountered in the work field has been aggravating, to say the least.

But perhaps the question isn’t: how did their actions make me feel? But rather, how did I use that situation to shine the light on Jesus? 

Pray for me as I pray for you… because there is a conspiracy against our peace, but we serve a God who overcomes.

I leave you with this scripture: “ I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13)

Give yourself some grace soldier and gear up for tomorrow.

Your biggest supporter always

Chris