Borrowed Truths

Nate

Picture of Borrowed Truths

Nate

Nate didn’t know who the older gentleman was who walked into the office right after he had taken the seat that was pointed at by his boss, “That’s all right young lady, he’s expecting me.” “Mr. Jordan, you’re early, Nate, would you excuse us please, we can finish this up later.” “No, no, please continue, my flights have been rescheduled to a later time, finish what you’re doing, I’ll just sit over here and wait.”

This was the third time in as many months that Nate had taken the pointed to seat in his employer’s office, and he was fairly sure it was going to be his last, it was expected, and he felt only a small prick of nervousness. “Does he have the authority to do that honey, I thought that was against the law?” “No, it’s not against the law sweetheart, it’s a privately owned company, so they can basically set any rules that they want.” The first time Nate sat in the chair he had thought the same thing, but after only a few hours of research both online and in the company manual he had found out differently. The young man had actually been the one who had approached him and initiated the conversation, it was an innocent enough topic, financial difficulties, nothing out of the ordinary, his concern for his young expectant wife and the upcoming financial burden that would be placed upon them was not only a conversational topic that Nate had spoken to others about, but one he and his wife had faced many years ago. “You know Jim, the Bible has a lot to say about money, how we’re supposed to be good stewards of it, (Matt. 25:21) not to hoard it, (Prov. 3:27-28) and how the love of it can lead to a lot of difficulty in our lives. (1 Tim. 6:10) It was a normal part of Nate’s speech, always sprinkled with the Truths of Scripture, always ready to lend a hand in just about any way he could, continuously searching and listening for ways to Glorify Christ to others.

“I know you’re new here Nate, one of the reasons we hired you was because of your extensive knowledge in the areas that this company pursues, but those types of conversations concerning religious matters are strictly forbidden within the company, they can lead to quarrels and disfunction within it, and I need everyone performing at their best at all times. I’m sure you understand and won’t let it happen again.” Nate had stepped out of the office the first time in a kind of shock, he did not know why the young man would have complained to his boss about such a simple thing as how the Scriptures spoke of money and its proper uses, and the more he thought about it as the day went by, the more his frustration grew. With the frustration of course came a mild sense of anger, and the faces of the young man and his boss became the focus of these thoughts, but before he had even returned to his work area, he had asked the Lord to forgive him of them, (1 John 1:9) and began to focus instead on whether or not he had actually broken any laws, either those of man or within the company. He finally found it just before he left for the day, a simple line that stated, “Conversations of a religious nature are to be carried out only by likeminded individuals,” right before no showing of affection within the building and right after no personal usage of company computers.

“What are you looking at, never seen two guys in love before?” “Oh quit that Stevie, I think he’s kind of cute.” Nate was polite but very firm in his convictions, he knew sin when he saw it, but he also knew that free will is a gift from God, so it wasn’t until one of these two men said, “You’re not one of those religious nuts are you?” That was when Nate began to speak in love to them, but he also spoke with firm convictions of the truths of the Scriptures, and it was not more than an hour after that before he was back in the chair again. It turned out that not only were religious ideologies prohibited in the workplace, but also personal opinions, whether they were Scripture based or not. “Nate, you won’t find that one in the handbook, but if I were to let all my employees voice their opinion about every little thing that they disagreed with, it would be nothing but turmoil around here. Look, they’re not hurting you or anybody else, and I understand that you brought more Bible stuff into the talk you gave them, a subject I thought we had put behind us the first time you were in here just last month. You’re good at what you do Nate, but don’t forget that I can find someone to replace you if I have to.”

“So, what do you think I should do guys?” Pastor Stan was the first one to speak up at the Wednesday night men’s Bible study, a group of about ten men that Nate trusted implicitly, good God-fearing men who loved the Lord. “You know that we are to obey all the laws of man unless they go against the will of God Nate, (Heb. 13:17) but with that being said we are also to confront evil, (Titus 2:15) and be of help to all those who ask, (Matt. 5:42) and I believe that in both of these incidences you have performed as the Lord would have had you to.” “Your convictions are admirable Nate, it doesn’t sound like this boss of yours is going to stand for much more though, are you prepared to stand your ground for the Lord if it comes down to that?” “Whatever he asks of me Hank, you all know that.” These were men of God, they knew where their confidence came from, where they stood and why, they also knew when to speak up and when not to, they were men of the faith of action, and so it was when Nate found himself in the pointed to chair just five weeks later he was not surprised.

“All right Nate, let’s get this over with, I don’t want to keep Mr. Jordan waiting, I already know what you’re going to say, but give me your side of the story anyway.” The older gentleman who had followed Nate into the office put the magazine down that he had been looking at just a few minutes into the account that Nate was giving to his soon to be former employer, the part where Nate confronted the man in the hallway who was belittling another co-worker, when he told him of how he had stepped between the two and informed the man that the way he was treating the young lady was inappropriate, a smile came on the face of the one who had followed Nate into the office of the chair, and when his boss heard him speak of the account of how he had tried to help the man to understand his need for Christ in his life, that He alone was the answer the man was looking for, that He is the answer that every man is looking for, Nate completely expected the response from his employer, but not that from Mr. Jordan. In so many words Nate heard “You’re fired,” and then a loud laughter and applause from the older man. “Nate, it’s Nate, right?” “I’ve been looking for someone like you for a very long time, a man of firm convictions, someone who will stand their ground in the face of adversity. How would you like to come to work for me?”

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