In the field of accounting, practitioners often encounter hidden rules and temptations. A Christian accountant, Sister Seven, faced similar tests but relied on God through prayer to maintain honesty and integrity in her work.
The following is a first-person narration.
As a Generation Z Christian with five years of accounting experience, I (Sister Seven) developed a strong faith from childhood when my mother took me to Sunday school. After college, I returned to my hometown and joined a youth fellowship where I have been gathering and serving part-time.
Last summer, one of my client companies appeared on the high-risk list requiring them to make up for underpaid taxes and provide various supplementary proof documents per the sales and tax administrator's requirements. However, my client refused to pay, believing they had already paid enough.
I went to the tax administrator three times and eventually led the client there who cooperated by providing materials. Nevertheless, my client failed to keep some contracts, having only duplicates in his partner's folder, and urged me to make fake contracts.
Faced with this dilemma, I prayed in my knees earnestly: "God, I do not want to create fraudulent contracts because it is an act that you despise. If I do, I will be punished. You know they are trying to coerce me into cheating. If I do not, I will be ridiculed as too timid and young, and the company will bear hundreds of thousands in taxes. Please guide me towards a righteous solution; I desire to witness your truth."
Miraculously, the client renewed the contract without resorting to fraudulent activities.
In the past two years, when the pandemic was not serious, my colleagues and I held a Christmas Eve concert. Although I invited all my colleagues, only one came with her boyfriend, who later broke up with her, leaving her sad. I prayed for her and shared how Jesus Christ could save her. The next day, I presented her with a Bible.
In 2018, the tax system implemented a real-name collection requiring all financial personnel and shareholders to be legally bound to their respective companies. Those deemed untrustworthy would be included in the tax blacklist. Consequently, old-timers discussed privately how to avoid being blacklisted.
One morning, as I sat at work, I sought to comprehend their plot while seeking guidance from God when confronted with challenges. By relying on my daily spiritual practice and fellow believers' company, I did not allow the harm that others attempted to inflict on me to erode my faith or integrity.
As the Apostle Paul urged in Philippians, "so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky." My hope is to depend more on His grace to weather any trials and tests in the days to come.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
