If
I had a nickel for every time I thought everyone had it easier than
me... well... I could've retired much sooner and with more goodies.
We'll return again to a trusted history book with the strangest
circumstances of employees that could even be dreamed up.
This
Bible-time soldier was putting his life and his heart on the line
every day, following his field maneuvers leader, Joab. But little did
he know that, at the same time, his wife at home was forced into an
affair that made his otherwise very faithful wife, very pregnant.
This
soldier, Uriah, was given orders by his commander-in-chief (King
David) to return home immediately. The pregnancy coverup was hatched
by the king trying to get Uriah drunk, and spend bedroom time with
his wife, Bathsheba, thereby covering up the illicit actions by the
king. It didn't work. Uriah was both faithful to his wife and loyal
to his fellow warriors, by sleeping on the palace front steps.
What
terrible circumstances for a faithful, loyal soldier, to be sure. But
it gets incredibly worse for this employee; this soldier in his
nation's military. Uriah is ordered back to immediate front-line
duty, and is to deliver a sealed letter to General Joab. Uriah has no
idea he is delivering his own death warrant to Joab, as depicted in
2nd Samuel 11 verse 15.
It's
important that you read the historic details in all its context and
sense much of the ugliness of the consequences of sin and how it
festers like any cancer.
Chapters
11 and 12 provide the facts to Uriah's murder, and the death of the
newborn baby, he never saw.
The
point to understand, is that faithfulness, loyalty, even
disobedience, are not comparative judgments. We are each,
individually held accountable by God for His provisions, leadership,
and our moment by moment trusting in Him, and Him alone.
The
two words, VOCATION and AVOCATION are important here. Vocation is
his/her primary job; the one given most attention and energy to. A
person's avocation is his secondary job, which should never
jeopardize his vocation. Every Christian's vocation is to seek and
follow God's Will. So then all other employment, reporting to or
responsible for individuals is their avocation.
In
light of the preceding descriptions, under Heaven, are you ever
primarily 'unemployed'?
