We rush to please our bosses - but what about our King?
- Leonie Fourie
- Feb 26
- 4 min read
I vividly recall the days when I was “called upstairs” for a chat with my then-boss. If a building has an upstairs, that’s usually where the most senior leaders of a company have their offices.
There were many times I didn’t feel like obeying the instruction - sometimes because I was afraid and didn’t know what to expect, and other times because it wasn’t a convenient time for me, or I simply wanted to avoid the conversation altogether. But when the boss calls you to their office, we obey because it’s usually for a conversation related to something that needs to be done, feedback that needs to be given or received, a decision that needs to be made, a reprimand or praise, or important information that needs to be shared. If you’re lucky, as I was, you might even be offered a lovely cup of filter coffee, which my boss used to make.
We obey, nevertheless. No matter our mood, schedule, priorities, or how stretched we feel - we obey. We return their calls, show up at their offices when summoned, answer their emails, and carry out their instructions without hesitation. We go the extra mile, work late, put in the hours, and do whatever it takes to get the job done. We avert crises before they arise, invest our time, energy, and even our peace of mind to keep the business safe and running smoothly.
But when it comes to Jesus, we seem to have another way of responding, and we often act as if His call is optional, and also His promises not required. We treat it as a suggestion, something to consider when it suits us - if at all.
Yet, He is the One who paid the ultimate price so that you could be free. The One who offers you everlasting life with Him, a perfect life with no pain, no loss, no lack. He is the Holy One who created you out of love, who yearns to have a relationship with you. The One who sees you as perfect, not because of anything you’ve done, but because His blood has settled every debt. You owe nothing. It is done.
The Bible is filled with beautiful treasures, but they are only discovered by those who draw near to Him. It’s simple, really - if you don’t read a book, you won’t know what’s written in it. Just like with your boss’s call or email - if you don’t take the call, you won’t know what they wanted to say. If you don’t open the email, its message remains unknown.
This is how He is calling you, right now:
“and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” John 6:37
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38
“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’” John 6:35
I’ve walked through seasons of life feeling desperate - desperate for answers, for solutions, for rest for my soul. I longed for acceptance and love and, in my search, tried many things, hoping to find peace.
Some of those things brought temporary relief, but they also created distance between me and God. Many of my attempts to fill the void fell short, leaving me even more empty. None of them offered the true, lasting promise of an eternal life with Jesus.
Then, one day, I read these words - the very words of God:
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity.” Jeremiah 29:12-14
Like the Israelites, I was in captivity - not a physical prison, but a prison of the soul. My life felt like a trap, and I kept trying to escape in ways that could never truly satisfy my deepest need - the need for God.
It was only in seeking Him with all my heart that I found freedom. There is an insatiable longing in your heart for God, even though you may not realise it. This is clear from Ecclesiastes 3:11- “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their (our) hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
The truth is, nothing on this earth can satisfy the longing of your heart. God created that longing within you, hoping you would turn to Him.
The only living God is saying this about you:
“The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
There truly is no greater love!
He is calling you - will you answer?
(All scripture above taken from NKJ; emphasis added).
