Jeremiah 17:5 (NKJV): Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man

And makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord."

Throughout human history, the Lord has wanted His people to trust Him completely. In this passage, He promises to bless those who trust in Him. But, alas, human history is full of people who claim to know God and love Him, but who do not trust Him in practical, everyday reality. As a result, they trust in man and suffer the consequences.

Every business has a customer base of some kind. Some businesses have a small number of customers, others have thousands or millions of customers. Many businesses have key customers who represent a large percentage of revenues.

During an economic downturn, customer upheaval usually increases. You will experience some erosion in your customer base. A key question when you lose customers is, who are you trusting in? Sometimes, you can be so eager to serve and keep customers that you turn them into idols and worship them. When you lose them, you are crushed, heartbroken, discouraged, dismayed and depressed.

While Christians should excel in customer service, the reality is that customers will come and go. Through the ups and downs, you should always trust in God. He knows what He is doing. Today's discouragement can lead to spiritual growth and God's resurrection power in ways you never anticipated.

Let’s think about and discuss these questions:

1. How do you think Christians should practice the principle of "trusting in God" in the workplace?

2. How to avoid letting customers or other workplace metrics become our "idols"?

3. Have you ever experienced the power of God’s resurrection in the face of setbacks in the workplace? Please write those experiences down to encourage others who are going through trials.