Then and Now
When I left my last employer in Europe, I made sure to
leave a welcome pack for my successor. It was a summary of tips, lessons learnt
and hyper links to manuals and documents required to get started on the job. If
my predecessor had done the same for me, I would have gratefully averted the
headless chicken chaos that characterised my first day working as a foreigner
in a new country.
Fast forward to my devotion time today, I was reading
about a lady called Dorcas, also known as Tabitha. She is known to most bible
readers for her resurrection miracle through Peter in the book of Acts, but
what really stood out to me as a lesson for today's professionals, business
people, and students was her work legacy before that miracle.
A Woman on a Mission
At Joppa there was a certain disciple
named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was
full of good works and charitable deeds which she did (Acts 9:36).
Tabitha was no doubt a hard worker. She was
diligent, had purpose, and was very clear about her mission in the marketplace.
But it happened in those days that she became
sick and died...Then Peter arose and... all the widows stood by him weeping,
showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them
(Acts 9:37-39).
By the time of her death, she had already left such a lasting
impact on all those who knew her that when Peter arrived at her home, they were
crying and showing him the "works of her hands".
In other words, Tabitha's work was of such excellent
quality, and she was so productive and useful to her community, that while
people mourned, they couldn't help but show off the products she had made for
them.
Let’s turn the focus to you: when you left your last
employer or finished with your most recent client, could you confidently
imagine them proudly showing off your work to others? Whether the answer is yes
or no, it's a matter of quality.
The Marketplace Challenge
As kingdom people, we have an opportunity every single
day to do our work excellently and to be generous to others. But we must ask
ourselves the hard questions:
- What does the way you do your job speak about
you? If your work was put on display today like
Tabitha’s dresses, would it stand the test of scrutiny?
- Does your work represent the Kingdom? Can
people see the excellence of God in the way you handle a project or an
assignment?
- Would you be proud of it yourself? Are
you putting your signature on things that reflect your true potential as
well as your values?
- Or are you in it just for the money? Is
that job or business just a pay check, or is it a mission?
Recently during a teaching series at church, we were
challenged:
Can the people who know you smell any scent of
Christianity around you? If you were accused of being a Christian, would there
be enough evidence to convict you?
For Tabitha, the answer was obvious. She was evidently
a believer, very generous, and diligent in her work. People missed her because
she had built a good name through her handiwork.
Our Mission Field
Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up;
and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it
became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord (Acts
9:41-42).
By being good ambassadors in the market place, we
attract others to the Kingdom of God. We need to take the jobs, businesses and
places where the Lord has positioned us as our mission field. Let us be
hardworking, generous to those around us and fully dedicated to the task at hand.
Friends, the Tabitha test is here. Let your good work
speak louder than your words and titles. Your legacy is being written now.
Don't be remembered (or forgotten) for mediocrity.
