Valuing People

When sending one of the domestic workers to collect something for me this morning, I started by greeting him, ‘Good morning.’ He reminded me he had greeted me earlier but did not answer him. I recalled hearing him greet me but somehow, did not respond because I was pre-occupied with something (important). In any case, he was just one of my employees and even if I did not respond to his greeting, it did not matter.

On second thoughts, I thought of how I felt when President Levy Mwanawasa coldly and casually greeted me at Costain Chilala’s farm in 2005; he had greeted others on the queue with passion but coldly to me; was I inconsequential? Imagine meeting one of your great clients at some place and does not return a greeting or responds without even looking at you. Your day is messed up as you wonder what may have happened, ‘Could it be one of those professional blackmailers, who survive by mutilating other people’s reputations, had said something to him about me?’

In life, small things, as small as a greeting, matter! Imagine how Daniel felt when the King came to enquire about his welfare at the time he was in the den of lions, ‘When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"

Brethren, God is no respecter of persons. Everyone of us, including that street boy, wants to feel valued. Do not ignore anyone because you never know what tomorrow brings. Always have God in mind when you go out in the marketplace, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,’ Col 3:23.