iWork4Him PowerThought

It's the week of Thanksgiving, and we all have so much to be thankful for. Yet when many of us think about our time with family later this week, we struggle to be thankful. Many of you have indeed suffered at the hands of family. I am sorry for that. However, for most of you, you have been blessed with a family that loves you, but still get under your skin and irritate you. How do we shift our attitude to be thankful for our family? We remember that God is our Father, and you are surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ who love you. Those at work may not be so blessed, so show them some love this week and invite them to be part of your family Thanksgiving celebration. When you focus on being thankful, it impacts the attitudes of all those around you.

It's the week of Thanksgiving, and we all have so much to be thankful for. Yet, some days, I struggle to be thankful. Work can be overwhelming, and deadlines are looming. Some days I am just outright un-thankful. When we lack a thankful attitude, it impacts our spirit and the spirits of others around us. We don't realize the impact we have on others. 1st Thessalonians 5 18 says, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Without Jesus, I know this would be impossible for me, but we know that all things are possible with Jesus. So, this week spend your time focusing on being thankful, see how it affects your attitude, and see how it impacts the attitudes of those around you.

Let's start today with some biblical encouragement about work. Ephesians 2 10 says, "For we are His masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them." Imagine with me for a moment that your focus as a Jesus-follower is to deeply integrate your faith into the work you deliver. Continue imagining. You're not contributing…you cannot contribute anything to God's plan that He hasn't prepared ahead of time for you. But you're participating in full, in the plan by WALKING through His plan. So, ask yourself these 3 questions: What does maximum involvement in God's plan look like for me at work? How do I see God using me at work? How can I express myself as His masterpiece? When you start every day with these three questions as your focus, God will do amazing things through you.

When I began working, I fell into a trap. I searched for meaning in the kind of work I was doing. Jeremiah 9:23 tells us "…the world defines greatness by wealth, wisdom, and power." That's where I thought my focus should be…to find significance at work. And you know what? I was continually let down and discouraged until I realized Jeremiah 9:24 said this, "…the one who boasts should boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth for I delight in these things." Is your personal value and significance linked to the kind of work you do? NO. You have value because He declares you valuable…valuable enough for Christ to die for you. How can you show your value in your work today?

Do you think your work and your faith are separate considerations? There's always a divine reason God has us at work. When we understand that, we have the right focus. In John 4, the disciples challenged Jesus for talking to the woman at the well after they got back from town buying food. Jesus says: "Don't you say, 'There are still four months, then comes the harvest: I say open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest.'" The disciples dutifully went to town but overlooked sharing their faith. This woman was saved with one kind encounter, and she wanted to share it with everyone! There's nothing wrong with having your head down at your job, doing great work. But our faith does not end on Sunday. It continues every day, sometimes with the slightest kind gestures and conversations with those around us. Now that's faith and work.

What's God want from us at work? Some think WHAT we produce at work is PRIORITY ONE. No matter your job, consider this from 2 Peter 3:10, "But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be totally destroyed." So, if our work-product will one day burn up, where should my focus be at work? Ask the Lord this each day: "Why do you have me here?" Does someone at work need me to listen without judgment? Does a co-worker having a hard day need a lending hand? If you focus on the people in your workplace and not just your work, both your work-product and workplace will improve.

Have you ever said, "I go to work just to earn a living"? Most of us will work more than 100,000 hours in a lifetime. That's more than a third of your life! Sadly, stats show that at least 7 in 10 people don't like their job. And, three in seven HATES it. If our Christianity is going to be relevant, it must address how our work week will be used for the glory of God. We also need to understand God's truth about Work. If you believe you go to work just to earn a living, consider this verse about your job: Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." This is just one of God's truths about why we go to work. I pray it re-shapes your thinking and appreciation for the work God has given you. Watch God provide for your needs today.

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. There is brokenness in us, in our world, work, and community. There is healing in Jesus. Today as you have zoom calls, meetings, sales calls, service calls, or power lunches, look for the broken around you through God's eyes. See people the way He sees them… as Image bearers. In following Jesus, we are to be like Him. He brought healing wherever he went. Sometimes it was physical, and sometimes it was emotional. Either way, He was a healer, and he wants you to heal too. You first, then others. By loving God and loving people, God will heal wounds through us. You are in your workplace on purpose because there is healing to be done. Remember, Jesus is a healer, and since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. Today is Veterans Day, a day we celebrate the service of men and women who serve and have served our country. These families had to seek healing after the wars. Over the centuries, wars have been fought, and millions of people have died. How do you bring about healing when your neighbor caused the death of your son? Today the United States have allies that were once sworn enemies. Japan and Germany tried to rule the world, yet today, they are peaceful nations. If our world can heal, your family can too. Wars often erupt in our families. Words are spoken, atrocities are done, relationships are severed. Can God heal it? Yes, he can. Sometimes war breaks out at work too. God can heal there also. Remember, Jesus is a healer, and since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. Frederick Buechner said, "Pay attention to the things that bring a tear to your eye or a lump in your throat because they are signs that the Holy is drawing near." What injustice in your community brings you to tears? Homelessness, poverty, joblessness, sexual exploitation? What can you do about it? God provided you with a job and an income. What is that income for? For providing for your family and for bringing healing to your community. God asks that you Consider 10% of your income for ministering to the needs of the lost and broken. Sometimes those lost and broken are right next to you at work. Remember, Jesus is a healer, and since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. Frederick Buechner once said, "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." I believe the greatest need is the healing of the lost and broken. Likely you have noticed brokenness in your workplace that needs to be healed. What are you doing about it? Praying about it? Seeking to understand it? Trying to find the person who is causing the brokenness? In our workplaces, we often find broken people bring their brokenness to work with them, and it multiplies. It's one reason you as a Jesus-follower are there. That brokenness needs healing, and you know the best healer in the world. Remember, since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. You may be saying to yourself, but how do I bring healing to my workplace when I am so broken myself? As a Jesus-follower, you serve the ultimate healer. For the woman at the well, he didn't just give her water; he gave her healing from the inside out. She was a broken woman who had been married five times. No matter what is broken inside of you, Jesus can handle it. In Luke 4:18, Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. Remember, Jesus is a healer, and since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

When we face uncertainly in life, there is one thing to remember, none of what is happening is a surprise to God… It's been a long week. It's always a long week. Each week draws attention to the reality of the broken world we live in. Here's a thought. Nothing that happened this week changed your position in eternity. You can be the solid, dependable one for those around you. Pray for healing the divide that the enemy is working so hard to create in our country and our workplaces. Get your strength From the Rock. The Cornerstone. It's time for Jesus followers to recognize our role in bringing hope and healing to a society that is reeling. Remember, you are here on this planet to reassure everyone you meet, Christ-follower, and pre-believer that no matter what, God is on the throne.

When we face uncertainly in life, there is one thing to remember, none of what is happening is a surprise to God. Someone around you is Hurting, Frustrated, Angry and Worried. What is your role as a Jesus follower in the workplace? Your role is to not get caught up in political rhetoric or petty grievances. Your role is to start up and get caught up in bringing the healing of Jesus to the hurting and hopeless around you at work. There is no question, our nation needs healing, and we who follow Jesus are the ones responsible for bringing that healing. IT is the role of the believer to introduce those lost and hopeless to the only healing available that lasts. No politician will ever do that. Just remember that no matter what happens, God is on the throne.

When we face uncertainty in life, there is one thing to remember, none of what is happening is a surprise to God. As a Jesus-follower, working and living around people who don't know Jesus, what is your role today? Be a purveyor of peace. You don't have the luxury to respond to anyone in anger. Don't get uptight worrying about the effect of the latest news cycle and problems around this world. Don't use your social media to fuel arguments over things that have zero eternal significance. Use your time and your conversations to draw people to Jesus and remember, your role is to be Jesus to those around you, ministering to their hurts and uplifting their hope by reminding them that no matter what, God is on the throne and Jesus is there to save them and bring them life.

When we face uncertainty in life, there is one thing to remember, none of what is happening is a surprise to God. One thing this world needs is a people group that is not ruffled by the winds of change, a people of peace in the storms of uncertainty. The Body of Christ is just that group of people. In the early church, they were so NOT rattled that eventually the entire Roman empire was transformed by faith in Jesus. So, it's not a matter of who wins and who loses, in the greater scheme of things, your role at work hasn't changed. You are to minister unto the least of these. You are to remind those around you that Jesus brings you peace and that no matter what happens, God is on the throne.

When we face uncertainty in life, there is one thing to remember, none of what is happening is a surprise to God. People are so polarized, going left, going right, or just sitting out. As a Christ Follower living out your faith at work, what is your role in this? Your role is to represent our Heavenly Father by bringing peace and truth. Your role is to remind whoever you run into that you are not uptight about tomorrow because God is in control. Your role is to remind those around you that no matter what happens, God is on the throne. So today, when you enter your workplace, whether that is in person or online, try to see the people around you with God's eyes and God's heart and love them no matter what.

I'm not sure why Christians celebrate Halloween, but for some reason, we love to be scared. Do you know what's really scary? People who need to know Jesus, who are surrounded by people who know Jesus, and nobody's talking about Jesus. That is really scary. Jesus gave up everything for you and me. Why? So that He could give up everything for everyone you work with too. If we don't tell the people we work with the reason for the hope we have in Jesus, they may remain lost forever. No one needs to preach at your coworkers, you just need to love them and bring prayer, hope and Truth with you wherever you go. This will open up conversations about Jesus and give you a chance to eliminate the scary in someone else's life.

I'm not sure why Christians celebrate Halloween, but for some reason, we love to be scared. Do you know what's really scary? Christians who turn off their faith at work. For some reason, when we go to work, many of us switch off our faith. Did Jesus only die for your Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights? No, he died for all of you, especially your work life. When we bring Jesus to work with us, everyone around us will benefit from Him living in us, whether they believe in Him or not. Flip your faith back on and throw away the switch. The people you work with are counting on it. Romans 12:2 reminds us to let God transform you by changing the way you think…about work. Don't be scary leave your light on at work.

I'm not sure why Christians celebrate Halloween, but for some reason, we love to be scared. Do you know what's really scary? Work without purpose. I often thought about quitting my job to go into full-time ministry because I fought the purposelessness of my job. For those pre-believers in your workplace, it is the opposite. They find all their purpose in their work. It is all that matters to them. They have nothing else to pin their identity on. It is important for all of us to realize that God gave us work as a gift. Not to define us but to bring flourishing in our lives and to bring flourishing in the lives of those we work around. Today, see purpose in your work based on the people you have influence over every day. Don't be scary see purpose.

I'm not sure why Christians celebrate Halloween, but for some reason, we love to be scared. Do you know what's really scary? Living life without loving relationships. As a Christ-follower, you have your church friends and small group as places where you get dependable, loving relationships. For those you work around, that may not be true. In Christ, we have loving relationships based on the commonality of forgiveness and the Truth. When you don't have Christ, you are always trying to prove yourself and earn favor. You are worried there is something you can do to lose a friend. Today at work, start talking to the unlovable, the shy, the hurting, and the lonely. When you minister unto the least of these, Jesus says you are ministering to Him. Don't be scary be loving.

I'm not sure why Christians celebrate Halloween, but for some reason, we love to be scared. Do you know what's really scary? Life without meaning. Imagine living a life without purpose, without hope, without access to the Truth. As a Jesus follower, you don't live that life anymore, but the people you work with do. So many of the people you work with live the Halloween reality every day. They don't know what's around the corner, and darkness is trying to claim them. You are the light of the world—a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. You bring life. You bring hope. You bring light to the darkness. Eliminate the scariness of life today for someone you work with by bringing hope, light, and life into your conversations.

As you woke up today, did you find yourself celebrating the end of the work week? We have all been trained to celebrate weekends and to dread our work. But is that the way God feels? I grew up thinking that work was a result of original sin. That the reason work was evil was that it came from evil. But that was a lie. God created work long before Adam and Eve sinned. God gave us work to be fulfilled and for us to flourish. Now work did get more difficult after Adam and Eve Sinned, but God still wants to walk alongside us in our work. Want proof? Read the biblical history on Abraham and his corporate empire or Joseph and Daniel on their government jobs. God wants to join us in our work, and that is worth celebrating. God has a purpose for your work too. So TGIF today, that's okay but prepare yourself for TGIM come Monday.

During your commute today, whether its walking down the hallway or driving down the highway, what will you think about? Will you be caught up in the stress of the day or will you be preparing your heart for what God is going to do today, alongside you in your work? God set the workplace standard before evil entered our world. He gave Adam a job to name all the animals. An almost impossible task, except that God brought all the animals to him. You see, God doesn't expect us to get the job done without helping us. What if today, on your "way" to work, you spend that time asking God to reveal His purpose in your work and your placement in your workplace. Neither are by accident. How we spend our first moments of the day makes a huge impact on the rest of the day, especially our work. Spend your "commute" wisely today.

When Jim & I were 13 we committed our lives to full-time Christian Ministry. So naturally I thought I would be a pastor's wife or a missionary. I thought I was going to be a youth pastor. When we got married, I naturally thought that ministry was in our future. Martha was right about that. But we were both wrong about the location of our ministry. We kept thinking we were headed for church ministry. But Jim and I are both good at business and we ran an insurance agency. We didn't know our ministry was right there in front of us. We treated people well. But we never saw it as a ministry. In fact, no one ever spoke into our lives that we could have a ministry in our workplace. But we were in ministry and our workplace ministry calling perfectly matched our God given gifts, talents, and abilities. So, are you committed to full-time Christian Ministry? You'll find it at your workplace today!

Do you ever feel like quitting your job? Even though it's a good job and it pays well. We mean quit your perfectly good job so you can go into full time ministry. Have you ever had that thought? If you are like us, you feel the need for significance in your work and you feel like a job in a Church or a Christian non-profit is the only way to go. We are here to help stop the madness. The job that you hold, the work that you do and the people that you work with, none of that is by chance. The people that you work with need to meet Jesus and you may be their only chance. Try this thought on for size. Your workplace is your mission field. Pay attention today at work and see if you meet any people who need to meet Jesus – and don't quit your job.

When you woke up today did you find yourself celebrating the first day of the work week or did you find yourself dreading it? It seems that most of us suffer from TGIF syndrome instead of adopting the TGIM revolution. We need to start Thanking God its Monday. You see, God designed our work to have purpose and fulfillment. He also designed it so that He could work alongside us, bringing us His wisdom along the way. What is it going to take for you to switch from dreading Monday to celebrating it? If you are like me, it is going to take a Romans 12:2 Paradigm Shift. We have to stop copying the Behavior and Customs of this world and allow ourselves to be transformed and allow God to change the way we think. Every Day your work matters to God. Let's start celebrating Mondays.

In 2006 I started a new job commuting 90 miles each way to work. I made a commitment to not turn on the radio on my way into work. I wanted to dedicate that time to pray for my family, my bosses and their families, my co-workers, and my employees. I learned to be quiet and I learned to make notes when I heard things from the Lord in my prayer time. I like to say that it Changed my life. Over the 4 years of this commute, I watched one of my Bosses come to be a Jesus follower and one rededicate his life to Christ. I was able to pray many times with my employees and I was able to demonstrate through service and friendship that my life was changed by Jesus. iWork4Him was launched through this prayer time and the iWork4Him Nation Covenant was birthed out of the process God took me through.

Do you want to see your workplace as a place to live out your faith? Your work is a place where you finally get that chance to be involved in fulltime ministry. Then do these things. 1st Start praying for those you work around, by name every day. 2nd look for ways to serve those same people over and above what your job requires you to do. 3rd look for ways to build a friendship with those you work with, outside of work, where real relationships can develop. 4th Look for ways to pray with people when you see them having a rough day. And 5th, all along be a person of excellence, in your work. Do these things and you will see your workplace transformed by God right before your eyes. We call this the iWork4Him Nation Covenant.

I can't stand getting up any earlier than 6am. Who are these people who love to get up at 4:30am and work out? I find myself resenting them. I have never had the motivation to do anything before 6am, but I do try to make the most of the time from 6am to 7am. This is my quiet time, the time I use to center myself on God by praying for others, studying my bible, and writing in my prayer journal. The days I start with God, are the best days of the week. The days I sleep in and rush into my home office, never go as well. God wants our first hour of the day to remind us of His love for us and to remind us that He wants to be present in our work. 1 Corinthians 14:33 says "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace". If you find your morning anything but peaceful, include God in your routine. Just not before 6am.

Do you sit all day long like I do? I find that somedays, the only exercise I get is walking to the mailbox or the kitchen. I sit in front of this computer and I work. I have come to realize that my body craves exercise. IT craves moving around and getting outside, and when I give my body this activity, my mind seems to settle in, and my work seems to flow easier. My soul needs exercise too. When I exercise my soul through prayer, bible reading and journaling, that exercise prepares me for my workday. God designed our bodies for exercise, Physical movement for our joints, muscles and ligaments and spiritual movement of our heart's minds soul and strength. Proverbs 31:17 says, "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks." Are you working out your body or your mind? Take time in your morning prep for some spiritual exercise too.

What is the first thing you do in the morning when you get up? Do you look at your phone and check emails before you get out of bed? I find that my best mornings start when I ignore my phone and pop open my bible and my journal instead. Since we really don't know what is ahead in our work today, its important that we spend time with the One who knows what is ahead. When my mind is racing, thinking of my full calendar and the emails I need to return, I find that I push my Father aside. I say I will get back to Him when I have gotten my day in order, but I never do. Psalm 127: 1 says "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain." I think that House is you. Start building your days with Him as your foundation and see the difference it makes as you walk together with God in your work.

Did you wake up tired today or press that snooze bar? Did you find yourself scrambling to get ready for that first zoom call of the day? Life and work can be exhausting. What is the best way to prepare your heart for what God has in store for you today at work? I don't think rushing around and running late is helping prepare your heart. For me, it's the still, quiet time, that feeds my soul and prepares me for the unknown ahead in my day. My best days start with quiet time, reading my bible, a devotional and writing in my prayer journal. Mark 1:35 says … "Jesus got up long before daylight, left the house while it was dark, and made his way to a secluded place to give himself to prayer." Jesus made prayer a priority and so should we. Tomorrow, lets get up a few minutes earlier and spend our first moments with Him and feel the difference it makes as we prepare for work.

1 week of PowerThoughts: Topic Preparing your Head, Heart, Mind, Soul and Mouth for Work Preparing to go to work these days looks and feels different. What does that look like for you? Is it showering and getting dressed or throwing on a robe? Maybe, for you, it's having that first shot of caffeine or perhaps its eating that healthy meal or drinking a vitamin filled smoothie. Maybe it involves getting your kids ready or helping your live-in parent get their day started. Whatever your routine, it's that routine that prepares you for your work. As you prep for your day, where does God fit in? You may look good on the outside, and be well fed, but is your soul well fed and prepared. Psalm 5:3 says "Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart." If you missed God in your prep this morning, stop right now and invite Him into your day because He loves you and wants you to be prepared for your work.

What do you do when you're faced with a problem at work? If you're like me, you probably go about trying to find a solution, usually starting with Google! We met and interviewed a remarkable woman named Susan. She went to God first, not google. She asked HIM for the answer to the problem. And kept praying in earnest expectation until He answered. She said to us "God has the answer to every problem, if we'd just ask Him." So, how about you? Are you depending on yourself, Google or asking others first? Or are you praying to the one who has ALL the answers? We invite you, the very next time you're faced with a work challenge, to stop, pray and ask God to give you the answer.

Are you unemployable? The other Day we were talking with Tom and Julie. They own a commercial cleaning franchise. Tom said he is unemployable, so he has to work for himself. Julie said it was true. Some of us are just wired to work in our own business and some of us are built to support those who run their own business. Either way its probably how you were wired. So how about you? Do you celebrate the differences between yourself and the others around you? Some own businesses and some don't. Doesn't make it wrong just different. God has designed us all with our unique set of Gifts Talents and Abilities. All to be used by Him for His glory in our Work. Don't wish you were someone else, celebrate who God made you to be, just like Tom.

Have you ever thought about what you want to be known for? Stephen, an executive we interviewed, says it starts with your personal brand. And your personal brand starts with asking yourself "What do I want to be known for?" So how about you? If your co-workers were asked about you, and who you are, what would they say? We challenge you today, to take this question "What do I want to be known for?" and pen and paper and sit with it until you have an answer. And then, start intentionally beginning to LIVE IT OUT, consistently where you live, work and play. Ephesians 5:15 exhorts us "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Changing the world. We all have that secret desire, don't we? Changing the world in Kingdom terms is not measured in the BIG, the BIGGER and the BIGGEST actions in our life and work. It's the opposite. Changing the world happens, one person, one word and one action at a time. It can be as small as a smile, a kind word, or a self-less act of service. It's counter-intuitive, just like the work of Christ. So how about you? Would you like to change the world? Would you be willing to start today, changing the corner of the world where God has placed YOU? We invite you to start changing the world RIGHT NOW, with ONE smile, ONE kind word, and ONE kind action.

Life/work balance. How many of us have fallen for that myth and tried to make it happen? Only to fail over and over…a business coach we interviewed has a better concept. How about living an INTEGRATED LIFE? One that brings Christ into each aspect of our life and work, so that we are putting The Lord, not our futile "balance" efforts, first. So how about you? Are you ready to live ONE INTEGRATED LIFE, where you represent the Lord, you listen to the Lord, and let Him show you your priorities every day? Join us in this prayer: Father, today, I submit my day, my plans to you. Please show me YOUR PRIORITIES for my day. In Jesus's Name, Amen

Heard this talking with a long-time radio guy: The ability to be with people unlike you, creates strength. The more we are with people unlike us, the better we become. What a unique thought to ponder. I wonder how many of us ever considered the affect or even the benefit of mixing with a different crowd of people? Going to lunch with someone at "another level" in the company, or in another department? Going to an event you've been invited to but know NO ONE. So how about you? When's the last time you mixed it up with people or colleagues unlike you? We challenge you today, to go get uncomfortable, and be around a group of people that are unlike you.

Are you stuck in a rut or comfortably nestled in there? Have you been "doing your Christianity the same way, with the same people, in the same ministry, in the same church? In the same type of work? With the same company?" When's the last time you stopped, poked your head UP OUT OF THE daily rut and asked "Lord, am I doing your will? Am I doing ministry and my work YOUR WAY? Where do YOU want me?" So how about you? When's the last time you considered re-thinking how your walking out your faith? And who you're working or ministering with? When's the last time you got UNCOMFORTABLE, in order to follow The Lord? We invite you TODAY, to ask in prayer "Lord, where do you want me?"

Do you need to be removed? Sometimes, we start something and think we are supposed to stay in it, lead it, and serve it. And, we stay IN IT…sometimes too long. We no longer seek the Lord's counsel about IF we should still BE where He placed us. Sometimes He just wants us to START something, sometimes He wants us to "help get it off the ground", NOT stay and lead it or serve it. Sometimes, the BEST thing we can do for the work He asked us to start is to leave. So how about you? Are you staying in some work or ministry too long? When's the last time you prayed about what God would have you do next? We invite you today, to take your work to the cross and ask "Lord where do you want me? And what would you have me do?"

I try to keep my heart pure and intimate with Christ, so I can be a source of light and encouragement to the people I work with. That's the faith at work philosophy of a millennial professional we interviewed. What a beautiful philosophy of how we can really prepare and BE Christ at work. So how about you? Is your heart pure and intimate with Christ so YOU can be a source of light and encouragement to YOUR co-workers? How about today, before stepping into work, you prayed this prayer: Father, purify my heart, that may I BE Christ to everyone I work with today. Use me Father, to be a source of light and encouragement to everyone I work with. In Jesus's name.

Heard this great reminder from a manager of a Christian Retail company "The biggest challenges in my life and work have been when I have forgotten WHO God is, or WHO I AM in Christ." So how about you? Are you in the midst of a challenge at work? If so, CLING to the words of God. Remind yourself right now who you are IN HIM, not the words of what the world tells you. Here are just a few: I am a child of God, I am Jesus's friend, I am a NEW creation, I am an heir with Christ, I am chosen, holy, and blameless before God and I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

The other day we were talking with Gilbert and MaryAnn. Both had marketplace Miracles in their lives. Gilbert was invited to a bible study meeting by someone at work. He went, heard the gospel, and responded and became a Christ follower. All his co-worker did was ask him. So often that is all it takes. MaryAnn is a singer and has been a Jesus Follower for decades. She was told that she wasn't good enough for country music and that she would never have a country music hit. She kept her eyes and her music on Jesus and had a number 1 hit in the last couple of years. So how about you? Is your life defined by the impossible or improbable? IF not, find a way to let God's power shine through your life today by asking Him to do the impossible in your work.

What's the fastest way to get what you DON'T want? Tell the Lord "I will NEVER _________________" Yep, just ask any other Christ follower who's made the mistake of saying something like that. You WILL end up being exactly where YOU said you would NEVER be or DOING something you said you would never do. Our thoughts are not God's thoughts and His ways are NOT our ways. We don't have the big picture, but God does. So how about YOU? We're challenging you to remove the word NEVER from your vocabulary and to replace it with scripture, such as Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

The concept of FOLLOWING is all the rage these days. And the concept of following started with Jesus. He was the original "person to follow". So, who are YOU following? If you're following someone, you're listening to them, and they are speaking INTO YOU. And do you know who THEY are following and listening to? So how about YOU? If you're following someone other than Jesus, as a "Christian", you may want to take a harder look at who you're following, who that person is and why. How deep is their character and what is their character based on? Perhaps, you'll find they're not following the original. And therefore, neither are you. As our friend Mike Henry says: Be a follower of one.

The art of appreciation. It's a choice. Chuck Swindoll says "Gratitude is a decision of the will, and if a decision of the will, the choice resides squarely with us. Deciding to be thankful is no easy task. It takes work." Using appreciation with others, using it as a tool in you work, for most of us, takes practice. It's a mindset AND a heart-set shift. Most of us WANT and NEED appreciation, regardless of what form it comes in. So how about you? Is the art of appreciation a part of your work style? Your leadership style? We invite you to read one of any number of books, like the 5 Love Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace and start to use appreciation today!

Have you ever considered that God wants to use YOUR business influence, the position He's put you in, as a "platform" for Him? A stage on which to do your work while others watch and see HOW you work? If you lead just ONE person or have interact with groups of people inside OR outside your business, like vendors or, contractors, then you have a platform. A platform designed by GOD for you, for such a time as this. That you would work for His glory, show His characteristics of caring, courage, diligence, fairness, integrity, respect, responsibility, and trustworthiness. So how about you? When they watch you work do, they see YOU, or do they see Christ?

Have you ever met someone that lives one integrated life? They seem to flow seamlessly between their work and personal life without pause or care. What is this? It's authenticity. And its attraction is unparalleled. How is it possible? It's living a life based on Godly values. I'd hazard a guess a person like this lives their values in this order: God, Family, and Service. When we LIVE BY our values, decisions are easier, relationships are easier, and knowing where to invest our time, talent and treasure is easier. Because our values ARE our priority. And our heart lines up with our values, and those line up with our thoughts, our thoughts then direct our words and actions. How are YOU living your values at work today?