Workplace Wisdom from a Peculiar Psalm

Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
both low and high,
rich and poor together!
My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

Psalms are usually praises, laments or declarations to God. But not Psalm 49. This psalm is directed to people, and it takes the likeness of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. I am so impressed by how this Psalm speaks to our generation.

Corruption is cheap, Life is Priceless

Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.

Sometimes we get afraid of the rich and powerful. Perhaps we might have experienced the fear of a bosses’ dishonest and self-preserving schemes. I read about leeching consultants and corporate espionage in Consulting Demons by Lewis Pinault. I saw seniors get backstabbed and sacrificed like pawns in the workplace. Shouldn’t we be wary and angry?

Perhaps we loath the anecdotal wolf of Wall Street who cheats to gain wealth and saunters flamboyantly with ill-gotten gains. But such people stole the cheap stuff. And they sacrificed the priceless things. They cannot buy their way out of death or bribe God for a ticket to heaven. Why should we be fearful of the wicked? They can try to cheat us of the cheap things in life, but we have the best treasure that moth and rust cannot destroy and that thieves cannot break in to steal!

We have the Presence of God, the provision of God, the healing of God, the life of God, the wisdom of God, the joy of God, the anointing of God, the favour of God, and we get to live forever to enjoy God. We can’t force ourselves to internalise this reality or be excited about these things. Only a real relationship with God will open our eyes and make us excited.

Strife is Futile, Obedience is Fruitful

For he sees that even the wise die;
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
Their graves are their homes forever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they called lands by their own names.
Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.

People spend their whole lives striving for riches, but they don’t get to fully enjoy them anyway. They leave it for the next generation who don’t appreciate hard work, but feel entitled and squander their inheritance like the prodigal son.

There are many buildings, roads and memorials named after rich and famous people. They might ravel in our adoration for a few years, but that is short-lived. Buildings get demolished, history is forgotten, and we all die.

There is an alternative to this depressing life. We can live to enjoy God and walk in His purposes rather than running around chasing vanity like wealth and pomp. We will get treasures in heaven and a crown of life that lasts forever!

Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. Acts 13:36

Rather than getting praises from people (who are flippant, forgetful and who are mere mortals despite their best efforts), why not live in the approval of God? Eons after King David died, God still adores His beloved son this way:

“I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22

I want to be remembered like that! I want God to say of me that I chased after His heart, danced like Happy Feet around Him, and that I am blissful to do whatever He asks me to! I wish for all of us to be less stiff, and more childlike, passionate and spontaneous with God. We only live once anyway, so let’s take ourselves less seriously 😀

The Fool is Doomed, the Lover is Ransomed

This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me.

The trappings of riches and fame are so pernicious. Everyone adores, affirms and emulates the rich and famous, even if they do silly things and chase silly dreams. Very invested supporters form a defensive dome barring any challenge or correction, creating an echo chamber that reinforces brazen folly!

It is easy to find communities that talk passionately about frivolous endeavours. However, finding communities that love Christ over the ephemeral things is an isolating experience.

Even in church, it is easier to talk about movies and what to eat after service than about God. It is hard to smoke Christianese to masquerade spiritual deadness when shot spiritual questions point blank. The resulting awkward silence can be discouraging, but once you find a fervent community, these conversations flow ceaselessly.

“What is God saying to you recently?”
“What has God done with you this week?”
“What is God restoring or correcting in you?”
“What is your kingdom assignment right now?”
“What are some of your favourite moments with God?”

Closing Thoughts

I am so impressed with this Psalm because it is so real to me. I idolise successful entrepreneurs, and I read rosy startup stories to dream up my own. But what is God’s purpose for me and my generation? I’ll go with that, instead of my idea of success in the marketplace. I hope you feel the same way too!

Jesus is a really passionate, controversial and fearless Person. Most people cannot keep up with Him. He isn’t even running fast; in fact He is probably walking 3km/h. However He is continuously creating discomfort with His followers, exposing their hearts, giving bold assignments and contradicting the culture. Even 3km/h is too fast for anyone who wants to straddle both Christ and the world. That is why we have so many churches but so few disciples.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple… Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Luke 14:26-27, 34-35

I choose Christ. I follow Christ. Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back.

Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

By Samuel Tan, the FaithX guy 😀