God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.
Psalm 53 reveals a stark, negative estimate of human behavior and human nature. According to this psalm, “there is no one who does good, no, not one.” There are times when we experience this reality in our work, sometimes even in ourselves at work. We are reminded of how much we need a Savior in every part of life, including our daily work.
Prayer
Gracious God, I thank you for the times when I sense genuine goodness at work: people with good hearts, actions that are kind, company goals that serve others, and not just the bottom line. Those are special times, Lord, for which I am grateful.
But now is not one of them, not at all. I am so disappointed by what I have seen, by the deceit of my colleagues, by leadership decisions that deny justice. To be honest, I’m unhappy with my own behavior, my reactions, and my inactions. I have not helped my workplace to be any better. This is one of those times, Lord when my thoughts and feelings echo what I read in the psalm: “They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.”
As disappointed as I am in my colleagues and, indeed, myself, I am reminded, Lord, that we are broken and warped people because of sin. Even apparent goodness is marred by self-interest. We are not the people you created us to be. We need help, your help. We need your restoring power, not just in our private lives, not just at church or home, but everywhere, including the places in which we work.
Look upon us in mercy, O God. Help us to hate the sin that binds us. Help us to turn from the evil we do. Restore in us hearts that seek you, humble hearts, repentant hearts.
All praise be to you, God of immeasurable grace. Amen.
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