Under New Management

Friday, 2nd November 2007

There has been quite a bit of news in the past few months in the banking sector.

Standard Chartered Bank has decided to take over American Express Bank, while the Royal Bank of Scotland has acquired ABNAmro Bank.

In the corporate world, a change in management is usually received with much apprehension and uncertainty. Questions like "what if I cannot fit into the new culture?" or "What happens if I cannot get along with my new boss and colleagues?" are common responses.

Well, do you know that God's people are also under new management?

Previously, they were under the Old Covenant - the Law of Moses. Under the Law, they were judged based on their performance and their ability to fulfill all the requirements of the Law. If they did not keep the Law, they were punished accordingly.

After Jesus came and shed His blood on Calvary's cross, He has opened up a new and living way. As believers under the New Covenant of Grace, we are no longer under the Law that is based on our merits and demerits. We are now under Grace, which is based on the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

We are now under new management. And the difference here is that this change in management does not bring with it fear and anxiety. Instead, it brings about certainty and assuredness. All of God's promises are a firm yes and amen in Christ, to the glory of God through us.

And I want to affirm those promises in my own life.

Just before I started believing in grace messages, I was working in the biggest accounting firm in the world. I was putting in long hours and even going back on weekends. Yet, in my close to five years there, my increment was only about 2% annualised. There was even one year when I received a NINB letter (where NINB stands for "no increment no bonus"). I was using my own self-efforts to advance my career, and I failed miserably, just like the Jews who were operating under the Law.

Ever since I started believing in grace messages in 2005, God has been the One advancing my career. I have been in my present company for just over 2 1/2 years, and my increment is already about 15% annualised! In fact, I just got another letter from my boss informing me of yet another increment -- and this is the 3rd one in 13 months!

And the sweet irony is that I was working much harder and putting in much more hours in my previous job.

Some of you out there may be saying that I don't deserve this. And you are absolutely right! Thank you for acknowledging that this is something I don't deserve -- because that is exactly what God's grace and unmerited favour is all about -- us getting from Him what we don't deserve!

And I'm declaring again --- I am a BOTUG - believer operating totally under grace.


The year-end bonus will be paid out in Dec 2007, and I am already believing God to bless me with an even bigger bonus than the one I received last year (which incidentally was the highest I have ever received).

Do I hear somebody saying I don't deserve getting a big, fat bonus?

Thank you for saying that, because you are right yet again! I don't deserve it because that's what God's grace is all about.

I'm under the new management, and enjoying every single minute of it.

Just like Pastor Prince says, "When you are believing right, you will be living right".

All praise and glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen?