I want to emphasize that the purpose of these stories is to help us remember that Jesus is with us all day every day on the job, and he wants to give us comfort, help, guidance, and strength. We must learn to practice his presence. Fran has some conversations with Jesus, which are obviously imaginary but based on Scripture. After all, that’s how Jesus speaks to us—through his Word and his Spirit. So, with that, let’s begin our story.
“Fran, you got time for lunch today?” Louise asks as she pokes her head around Fran’s door. Louise and Fran have become good friends, and it’s great to have a fellow believer on the job to talk to. They meet for lunch once a week to pray for the company and for the people they work with. It has been a wonderful time of fellowship, and they’ve seen lots of answers to prayer.
But this is not their prayer day, so Fran asks, “Something wrong?”
“Well, kinda,” Louise replies. “I just need some advice, but I know how busy you are so…”
“No, let’s do it,” Fran answers. And with that they head to the cafeteria. Sitting down in a quiet corner, Fran says to Louise, “You look worried. I have a feeling something is bothering you.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Louise agrees.
After asking God’s blessing on the food, Louise says, “Fran, you know how Marilyn made such a point in the staff meeting last week about our expense accounts and what’s allowed and what isn’t, especially as it relates to meals.”
“Yeah,” Fran replies. “She told me that some people have really taken advantage of that policy.”
“Well,” Louise says, lowering her voice, “I’m supposed to approve all expense accounts for those in my group before they go to Marilyn, and she made it clear we’re supposed to make certain all the charges are in compliance with company policy. That’s what I’m upset about. Jerry is—well—he’s lying about his expenses, charging meals to the company that are not business related, and today we had some words about it.” Jerry is the senior account manager in Louise’s group.
“What kind of words?” Fran asks.
“He turned in his expenses with receipts for meals that were not with clients,” Louise explains. “So, I gave them back to him with a note about the meals policy, and he calls me in his office, shuts the door and says, ‘Since when are you telling me what meals I can charge and what I can’t?'”
Louise lowers her voice further. “I told him these were the new instructions I had received from Marilyn and that it was my responsibility to make sure all charges were accurate. Then he said, ‘Well, I’ve been working for this company for twelve years, and I won’t have someone checking my expense accounts.’”
Louise looks at Fran and shakes her head. “What did you say?” Fran asks.
“I said something like ‘Jerry, I’m just following instructions. Marilyn told us to be responsible for these expenses and make sure they’re right. What do you want me to tell her?'”
Louise takes a deep breath. “He threw the report at me and said, ‘You just note those meals are client meals.’  Then he gave me names of two clients to put on the report, but I knew it wasn’t true. So, I said, ‘Gee, Jerry, I think you must be mistaken.’  And I reminded him they weren’t client meals. He stared at me with a look that could kill, and said, ‘You’re supposed to do as I direct you to do, so just do it, Louise. Don’t make a big deal out of it.'”
“Oh, great,” Fran says to Louise, “he really put you in a tough spot. What happened then?”
“Fran, I’m ashamed to tell you, but I didn’t have the guts to stand up to him. He is so intimidating,” Louise replies. “So, I just took the report and walked out.”
Louise is obviously very upset with herself. “Fran, I didn’t do the right thing. You know, I just kept thinking about how much I need this job, and I know Jerry. He is politically connected, and I would never win in a fight against him.” Louise puts her fork down and pushes back from the table, very agitated.
“Louise, you were caught totally off guard, and that’s understandable. Besides, you haven’t turned the report in yet, have you?” Fran asks.
“No, it’s still on my desk, but it’s due tomorrow,” Louise says. “Now, what am I going to do?”
“Well, what are your options?” Fran asks.
“My options are to put some clients’ names in there, like he said. Nobody will ever know the difference and be done with it. Or to go back and tell Jerry that I can’t approve the report when I know they are not client meals,” Louise explains.
“Let’s consider those options,” Fran says, as she finishes her salad. “If you do what Jerry wants you to, you will be lying, right?”
“I don’t know,” Louise replies. “Is it really lying when I’m simply following directions? I tried to do it by the book, but Jerry is forcing me to lie. Therefore, can I really be held accountable?”
“Would you be doing something which you know to be inaccurate and wrong?” Fran asks.
“Yes,” Louise answers, “but only because I’ve been told to. Besides, Fran, it’s only $87, which is not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal, Louise? Not a big deal to Jesus if we do something which we know is wrong?” Fran asks.
“I know, I know,” Louise says, putting her head in her hands. “I’m just trying to find a way out, but you’re right, Fran. If I approve that report, I’m just as guilty as Jerry.”
“And furthermore, if you do it once, you’ll have to keep doing it, right?” Fran continues. “So, the first option is neither right nor smart. I think of those verses in Proverbs 4 which warn us not to even swerve off the path. Even little compromises—or what we call little compromises—can lead to major disasters. I think this is one example of how taking the easy way out could get you in deeper and deeper.”
“But, Fran,” Louise looks at her with fear in her eyes, “if I refuse to do what Jerry told me to do, well, he’ll find a way to take it out on me. That’s the way he is.”
“But Louise,” Fran touches her arm for assurance, “when we allow the consequences to determine our actions, then we are really heading for trouble. We have to base our actions on biblical principle and then trust God for the consequences.”
“Yeah, but wow,” Louise says. “When it’s your job on the line—I don’t know, Fran. It’s tough. I’ve been laid off once, and I’m still trying to catch up financially. I’d be in a big mess if I lost this job.”
Fran says, “Look, Louise, we need to pray about this, don’t we. Let’s take a walk outside and pray.”
Louise agrees, and they head outside. Fran prays first. “Lord, we’re in a mess here. You know the situation and you know Louise is trying to do the right thing. But you also know her job could be on the line. So, what we need is some divine wisdom. Lord, please give Louise or me an idea of the best way to handle this, so she’s not a part of any deception.”
Louise then prays, “Lord, I desperately need your strength. I’m scared to death of losing my job again, and I realize I’m depending on my job for security instead of depending on you. I know you will take care of me, and you can do that with or without this job. I trust you with the consequences, and I promise to do the right thing and not to compromise my standards or ethics. I claim the promise you gave me when I was unemployed: ‘Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.’ I’m in your hands. Now, please give me wisdom.”
The quiet peace of Jesus seems to fall on Fran and Louise like a blanket as they finish praying. Louise says, “Isn’t it amazing how Jesus gives us peace when we finally turn to him!”
“Yes,” Fran replies, “it is. But sometimes we’re so silly and wait so long to turn to him, don’t we?”
“Yeah, I could have done this as soon as I walked out of Jerry’s office and had the peace of Jesus flooding my mind at once. But instead, I chose to fret about it all morning. Thanks, Fran, so much for helping me get focused again on Jesus,” Louise says, taking her hand.
“You know, Louise,” Fran replies, “this is what the Body of Christ is all about. You encourage and support me when I need it, and I do that for you when you need it. How many times have I run to you in panic mode?” Fran asks with a laugh.
“We really do need each other, don’t we?” Louise agrees. “Well, now to decide what to do.”
“I have an idea,” Fran says. “Take the expense form back to Jerry and explain that this presents a dilemma for you. Tell him you cannot in good conscience approve it since you know it is against company policy. However, what you can do is let him complete the report and take it directly to Marilyn, without your signature.”
“Hmm,” Louise says, “so what I’ll be saying to him is I won’t lie for you, but if you want to lie for yourself, I’ll give you that opportunity.”
“Yes, in a sense that’s it,” Fran answers. “But you will make it clear to him that you cannot do it, and it is his decision.”
“But Fran, I know those meals are personal. They are with his girlfriend, Gail. You know, he’s getting divorced, and I know he meets her for lunch several times a week when he’s out on sales calls, because I’ve taken messages from her many times,” Louise explains. “So, I can’t claim to be ignorant.”
“I understand,” Fran says, “but you aren’t claiming to be ignorant. You’re just refusing to put your signature of approval on the expense account.”
“Am I just dodging the issue then, Fran?” Louise asks. “I mean, as a Christian, should I not report these meals as personal since I know they are?”
“Wow, Louise,” Fran says, “this is a tough question. We need to dig into the Word and pray about it some more. Why don’t you come over to the house tonight and we’ll see what we can come up with.”
All through the afternoon, Fran’s mind keeps going back to the dilemma, and she talks with Jesus about it several times. “Lord,” she says, “are we, as Christians, supposed to report people when we know they’re wrong, or is it enough just to keep from being a part of their wrongdoing? How do we know the right thing to do?”
That inner voice of God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus which resides within her body, assures Fran that God’s principles are clearly defined in the Bible, and they will always give her general guidance. She remembers the verse in James 1:5 which says, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. The Holy Spirit reminds her since she asked for wisdom for herself and Louise, God will be true to his Word and give them wisdom.
“Thank you, Lord,” Fran says with a smile. 
Well, you’ll have to read part two to see how Fran and Louise handle this touchy situation. But I hope as you read the story you caught some important principles Fran and Louise were discussing. And I hope you’ll remember that doing it the right way—God’s way—is always best for you even when it looks like trouble.

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