Isaiah 53:3 (NKJV): He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV):   Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

As a Christ-follower, if you really believe what you say you believe--that through God’s amazing grace through faith in Jesus, your sins are forgiven, you’ve received the free gift of eternal life in heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit--then you should be the most joyful employer or employee at your workplace. A consistently grumpy Christian at work is a contradiction of terms.

Lest you think that being joyful at work is some kind of whimsical, naïve, idealistic fairy tale pipedream, being joyful at work doesn’t exclude you from being acquainted with grief. It doesn’t give you a free pass from sorrow, pain, distress, frustration and discouragement. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be despised, persecuted or rejected. It doesn’t mean that you won’t experience suffering. But throughout the journey, you will still have joy inside as you abide with the Lord and look forward to spending eternity with Him.

If Jesus was acquainted with grief and suffering and we are His disciples, then WE will also be acquainted with grief and suffering. Don’t let grief in your workplace rob you of the joy the Holy Spirit can and wants to give you. As His joy shines through you, it will be a vibrant testimony to the co-workers, customers, and suppliers with whom you work.  

Let’s think about and discuss these questions:

1. Are you a joyful employee or employer at your workplace? If not, why?

2. What is your greatest “grief” in your workplace? How could you overcome it?

3. Be joyful always while experiencing  grief and suffering, do you think these two experiences contradict each other? How could you hold onto the joy that the Holy Spirit gives you?