Personal Testimony:
In the early 1980s, I was faced with a real-life decision. I was a normal Christian/Catholic; although I knew Christ, it was just "head knowledge." I believed that as long as someone believed in Jesus and used the Bible as the word of God, it didn’t matter which church they followed. How terribly wrong and misled I was. My girlfriend, who was a member of the TJC (The Truth and Jesus Christ Church), insisted that I should follow her church. I wondered why we couldn’t simply keep our own churches and have a mixed marriage, but she insisted that I must follow her. I thought to myself, "What's the big deal? After all, it’s still a Christian religion." In college, I had an Anglo-Melanau Muslim girlfriend who said the same thing, but I knew about Islam then and was a "die-hard Roman Catholic," so we decided to break off.
I ended up marrying my TJC girlfriend in 1975, under the influence of a marine spirit—another story for another time. After returning from the UK, I found myself working as a Financial Controller at SLDB. There was a backlog of three years’ worth of work, but the chairman was a Kadazan, and most of the Board of Directors were Kadazan and involved in KCA, now KDCA. With the cooperation of the dedicated staff, we managed to clear the backlog in a year's time. I focused on the financial viability of every oil palm plantation under SLDB, compiled a budget, and, again with the help of the senior management—especially the Deputy General Manager, who was Scottish—we made good progress. The chairman was satisfied with our work.
I was offered an opportunity to pursue an MBA/PhD at the Jesuit University in Belgium, the University of Leuven. I requested approval from the chairman, but he suggested that I postpone my studies for six months until he could find a replacement to take over. I agreed. Then something unpredictable happened. He suffered a stroke and was replaced by a crooked and corrupt USNO politician. He bullied the senior management staff and reintroduced his "10 political friends" who had been dismissed years earlier for criminal negligence and abuse of power. He wanted to recruit them back to the board and pay their arrears. I reasoned with him and advised that it was financially unsound and illegal. However, he was adamant. He told me, “I am the executive chairman, and whatever is wrong, you will answer for it. I am the law here.” Since my signature was mandatory on all cheques for the Board, I had no choice but to sign.
After signing the cheques for the arrears of salary, he leaned in and said in a low voice, “You and I can become multi-millionaires. As long as I am chairman, I will cover for you.” I told him I would think about it.
At that moment, I heard a voice—it must have been an angel of the Lord—saying, “If you agree to partner with him, you can’t be a follower of Jesus Christ.” I had always been drawn to the life of Jesus Christ and desired to be like Him.
I then asked my personal assistant and secretary for the personal files of the 10 rehired individuals, compiled a confidential file, and photocopied all the transactions where I had argued against the payment of the arrears. I filed these documents and kept photocopies for my personal records.
End of Part 1.
Here is a prayer inspired by your testimony:
A Prayer of Guidance and Strength
Heavenly Father,
I come before You with a heart of gratitude and reverence. Thank You for Your constant love and faithfulness, for guiding me through the ups and downs of life. I acknowledge that without You, I am nothing. I thank You for the wisdom and discernment You've granted me in moments of decision, like the one I faced in the past.
Lord, I confess the times when I have been misled, when I thought I knew the way but was blind to the truth. I ask for Your forgiveness for those moments of ignorance and for any choices made that were not aligned with Your will. I thank You that, despite my failures, You have been faithful in guiding me back to Your path.
Father, in the past, I was swayed by worldly temptations and the influence of others, but I thank You for Your voice that spoke clearly to my heart when I needed it most. You are my refuge and my strength, and I am committed to following You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Help me to always seek Your guidance and to live in accordance with Your will.
Lord, I pray for strength to stand firm in my convictions, especially in times when the world or those around me may pressure me to compromise. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can walk in the footsteps of Jesus, upholding truth, integrity, and righteousness. May Your will always be the guiding force in my decisions, no matter how challenging or tempting the circumstances.
Thank You for the lessons learned through trials, for the opportunities to grow in faith and obedience. I surrender my plans, my desires, and my will to You. Lead me, Lord, in Your righteousness, and may my life be a reflection of Your grace and truth.
I also pray for those who are still facing temptations or challenges, that they may hear Your voice and respond with courage. May they experience Your love and wisdom in their own decisions. And may Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Citations:
1. Biblical References:
Proverbs 11:3 – "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity."
Matthew 6:24 – "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
1 Corinthians 10:13 – "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear."
2. Books on Business Ethics:
Hill, A. (2008). Just Business: Christian Ethics for the Marketplace. IVP Academic.
Keller, T. (2012). Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work. Dutton.
3. Studies on Corruption and Integrity in Business:
Transparency International. (2023). Corruption Perceptions Index 2023. Retrieved from transparency.org
Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2016). Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk About How to Do It Right. Wiley.
4. Spiritual Discernment and Decision-Making:
Johnson, B. (2015). The Power That Changes the World: Creating Eternal Impact in the Here and Now. Chosen Books.
Tozer, A. W. (2009). The Pursuit of God. Moody Publishers.
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