iWork4Him PowerThought

Under pressure, we either run to God, or away from God. James Barnett, President of Dayspring shared that thought with us one day. So how about you? How are you handling pressure and stress today? .... Are you taking it to the Lord in prayer? .... For His direction? .... For His response on how YOU should respond? .... Do you need the words? .... The courage? .... The perseverance? .... The wisdom? .... The direction? .... Rick Warren said: God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls and coal into diamonds using time and pressure. He's working on you, too.

There's a burden we all share as working Christians: The Poor. We, the body of Christ, are the answer. It takes 5-7 YEARS to move a person from a poverty mentality to self-sufficiency. It takes our hands and feet. It takes a life on life commitment. Poverty will NOT be solved by throwing money at it. But you CAN fund the hands and feet who are called to work with the poor day to day. With your paycheck. Your company's revenue stream. With the funds God has entrusted to you. Proverbs 19:17 says If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you! How will you and your workplace help the poor in your community today? So how about you?

Jon Evans, President & CEO, eCom Systems out of Sarasota, Florida said in an interview the other day: When we come to Christ, we get all of Him, but does He get all of us? That's the real question. .... What a soul-shaking question. Did Christ get ALL of YOU in your conversion? Are you holding some part of your life, like your work, away from Him? Keeping it from His influence? From His authority? From His transformation, to be conformed in His image? Jeremiah 23:24 Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?" says the Lord. So how about you? So we're asking you today: What part of your life, your self, your work are YOU holding back, or hiding from God?

As we start our work week, let's remind ourselves of our calling to our work and God's plan for our work. Declare this now as you head to work today, walk to your office, or sit down to do your devotions. … "My workplace is my mission field, a place of full-time ministry… My workplace ministry manual is my Bible. …My calling to my workplace is not a second-class calling…. I dedicate my workplace as a mission field for God, and because of Jesus in my life, I am committed to celebrating the work that God gave me….AMEN"

Many of us think we should be shoring up our weaknesses. Thinking what we're bad at has to be fixed. The better approach is to know our strengths, what we're best at, and leverage those. And to remember the SOURCE of our strength. Do you know your strengths? The strengths of your team members? "There is something within the human spirit that wants to resist the thought of weakness. Many times this is nothing more than our human pride at work. Just as weakness carries a great potential for strength, pride carries an equally great potential for defeat." So says Dr. Charles Stanley. .... Are you wasting time trying to "fix" yourself or team members? Or are you leveraging and developing everyone's strengths, for God's glory?

UNAPOLOGETIC. It's being without apology. An executive of a Colorado company told us the other day: We are unapologetic that we run our company based on Christian principles. WOW. And that got me thinking…am I running my organization unapologetically? And if I'm wondering, maybe you should be wondering too. Unapologetically Christian – it means to live and work transparently, showing others that CHRIST is the source of our life and work. That we stand 24/7 for Christ and these values in our lives and work. How about you? Are YOU unapologetically Christian? Are YOU unapologetically Christian in your work? We challenge you today, to dig deeper to be able to say "I am unapologetically Christian."

Bill Johnson, an HR director of a Colorado car dealership told us recently: "I hate the phrase: 'Leave your problems at the door when you come to work.' That's not reality. They CANNOT leave those things at the door." Isn't this what we have been told and have believed all our working lives? That work is NO PLACE to be transparent, or show weakness? .... A Christ-LED workplace is the opposite. Where the employees CAN be transparent and show their brokenness. Where they are loved on and helped with their personal problems. THIS is Christ's way. .... How about YOUR WORKPLACE? If it doesn't foster transparency, what will YOU DO AS A LEADER to change it?

I wonder how many times a day we offer our opinion. Ten times? Twenty times? Thirty times? I was thinking about this after hearing a friend tell me how she handles her teenagers when they ask her a question. She says: "I'm not going to tell you my opinion. Here is what the bible says about it." WOW. So how does that apply to us and our work? At work, you don't have to "CITE CHAPTER AND VERSE", but you can share wisdom from the bible, in workplace appropriate language. .... I'm taking on this challenge today, that every time someone asks me a question or my opinion, I am going to shift to sharing what God has to say about it, not me. .... What a great way to honor God. When you are asked YOUR OPINION at work today, will YOU commit to answer with biblical wisdom?

When I become better at who I am, in other words who God created me to be, I can contribute to the team more. That's a quote from Scott Ramsey, a team member of one of the most God-honoring companies we have had the pleasure of being partnered with. And it's at the core of their success as a business. When each team member seeks to know themselves, to honor God with their unique gifts and talents, their work rises to a higher level. .... And then the team rises to a higher level. .... And the service to clients rises to a higher level. .... And the company is risen to a higher level. .... And God is glorified in every moment of the company's daily existence. .... We invite you today, to pray and ask God "How can I become better at who I am at work today?"

Part-time Christianity. Is there such a thing? .... Os Hillman, founder of Marketplace Leaders, says "There are no part-time Christians." There SHOULDN'T be, but there sure ARE. Many believers today are changing their description of themselves to "Christ-follower", vs. Christian. .... WHY is that? Because perhaps the term Christian has gotten so watered down that it fails to have much meaning these days. It includes CEO Christians (Christmas and Easter Only church-goers), Sunday Christians (believers who go to church, then forget who they are as soon as they step out the door), legalistic Christians who often offend others, and all the other Christians of varying levels of commitment. How about YOU? Which label best describes YOU these days? .... Full-Time Christian or Part-Time Christian – Throw off the label today and become a Christ Follower.

A Prayer for a God-Honoring Work Life: Father, I come before you thankful that you have made work a part of life and given us the opportunity to glorify you in our work. Establish the work of our hands by helping us to be loving, kind, patient, focused, and insightful. Keep us from distraction and conflict, replace our egos with love. May the Holy Spirit lead us in our work and help us to be joyful, creative, and worshipful–constantly reminding us of your love and that our workplace is our mission field. Lead us to put others first, in a way that would maximize your glory and allow us to bear the most fruit for your kingdom today. Amen.

What mountain are YOU climbing? .... This thought is inspired by writer Stephanie Winslow who uses the visual of our faith journey as climbing a mountain. As a Christian, we should be climbing the mountain of faith towards Christ, who is at the top. HE is our goal. .... If you are climbing another mountain, perhaps of achievement or business success, we invite you right now, today, to get OFF that mountain, and reset your feet on the mountain of faith. .... Success comes when we make the ascent to knowing and being more like Christ. .... "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!" (Dr. Seuss)

Silence. .... .... It can be used STRATEGICALLY to make a point, .... to be used to EMPHASIZE something .... or, to communicate something effectively without words. Silence, when used in response to someone else's need, can communicate something that we DO NOT INTEND, .... that we do not care, .... Or, that we are judging the other person. .... How are YOU being silent in your workplace? .... What is YOUR silence communicating in response to what is happening around you? .... We invite you today, to be actively aware of your silence with others at work this week.

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.

We all have a calling, have you heard this before? Some of us get called to the pulpit and some to the foreign mission field but most of us get called to our cubicles, construction sites, care facilities or whatever your job site may be. Your Workplace, It's your mission field and in that mission field, you and me, we may be the only Jesus our co-workers, employees and bosses may ever meet. That Job that you hold and 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. So, as you contemplate the value of your work today, realize this…You don't need to quit your job in order to go into fulltime ministry. You are already in fulltime ministry, right there where you work.

Love, Dignity, Respect. .... Three simple words. Love, Dignity, Respect. What do they have to do with your workplace? .... If someone were to visit your workplace, would they see these in action? .... What about you? .... Are you giving love, dignity and respect to all the people you encounter in your workplace? Or do you reserve it for only those you believe are worthy of it? .... We challenge you this week to show love dignity and respect to each person you run into in your workplace this week. Smile, say hello, look them in the eye, and learn their name. This is where workplace transformation starts.

What if the only business book we had was the bible? How would we do business differently? .... And what if we only had Jesus's words to do business by? .... Every workplace leader we've spoken to (and the number is now in the thousands) basically summarizes their leadership philosophy as this: "My number one job as owner and president of the company is to take care of my people first. To love and care for them." .... Regardless of your management level in your work, what if you started here? What if you worked from this philosophy every day? The fruit of that way of work is clear. The fruit results are abundant. More than we could ever ask or imagine. Won't you try this philosophy out this week?

Seems like there is an unlimited number of worldly solutions to every business problem we encounter. There are formulas, theories, the current "theory of work", or leadership or "how to make your customer rabid fans of your business." But the more I hear from Christ-following business folks, the more convinced I am that there is only ONE answer to every workplace situation. .... Jesus Christ. .... He IS our answer, our business partner, our priest, our prophet and our King. Going to Him with whatever we are facing in our work, IS the answer. Stop searching for the world's answers. .... He's waiting for you to come and seek His counsel in your work. Won't you seek HIS counsel in YOUR work today?

Dan Anderson from Kingdom Way Ministries has a powerful saying. Kingdom Way Ministries wants to turn Sunday's inspiration Into Monday's perspiration! .... What a great motto to write down, stick in your bible and pull out on Sunday morning during church while you listen to the sermon. What if you listened with ears that asked "How does what the pastor is preaching relate to my work? .... The people I work with? .... My relationship with my boss? .... My co-workers? .... What is ONE THING I CAN DO, starting Monday morning, that will put into practice, what I learned during church on Sunday? Start today turning Sunday's inspiration into Monday's perspiration.

Heard this from a workplace chaplain, whose job it is to listen to and love on female employees in a construction tool company. "I tell people: Love God, love others, enjoy the rest." What a powerfully simple clear summary of our faith and how to live it. Matthew 22 says Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' As a working Christian, what would happen if YOU lived this motto in your workplace today? We challenge you to try it and find out.

What's to be done when we as Christians at work, get in a disagreement with a co-worker? How do WE deal with it? .... We can use this 6-step apology by Ford Taylor from Transformational Leadership: ONE, Acknowledge the offense: "I did _____." TWO, Admit, "I was wrong." THREE, Use the words, "I am sorry; I apologize." FOUR, Ask, "Will you (when you can) forgive me?" FIVE, Say, "I give you permission to hold me accountable." SIX, "Is there anything else I need to apologize for?" We want to challenge you to memorize these six steps, and to USE them in YOUR workplace today

Here's a word definition quiz. Let's see if you can identify what word it defines: cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength. .... –. It's REST. Rest is the other SIDE of work. God did it. He even modeled it for us. So why does it constantly get a backseat or no seat on our bus? We need to make it a priority. Your work will flourish, your home life will flourish and you will have more capacity to do his work in YOUR work. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation!

There is a movement afoot in the workplaces and marketplaces across the globe. It's the faith and work movement. And it is especially true right now with women in business. All across the US and the world, women of faith are gathering in community to support each other and achieve the mission and vision God has placed on their hearts. .... There ARE Christian Women's organizations available today in your area. If you truly want community, you CAN have it now. .... …. professional women of faith to talk to, to pray with and do life and business together. If you are alone, we encourage you to pray for a community to be a part of and then make the effort to join one. It's biblical! Proverbs 15:22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success

As we start our work week, let's remind ourselves of our calling to our work and God's plan for our work. Declare this now as you head to work today, walk to your office, or sit down to do your devotions. … "My workplace is my mission field, a place of full-time ministry… My workplace ministry manual is my Bible. …My calling to my workplace is not a second-class calling…. I dedicate my workplace as a mission field for God, and because of Jesus in my life, I am committed to celebrating the work that God gave me….AMEN"

Evangelism. We're ALL called to do it, but most of us feel ill equipped to… .... But we ARE called to do it, as it says in 1 Peter 3:15: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. So we need to find a way that works for US. A member of Ambassadors for Business out of Minnesota told us He keeps a mug on his desk that says "Eternity is a long time". Invariably, most people who see it ask a question that often leads into a conversation of faith, and he gets an opportunity to share HIS relationship with Christ. .... It can be just that easy. ..... What will you keep on YOUR desk that could be an eternal conversation starter?

How's your level of anxiety? On a scale of 1-10? .... If it's higher than a 3, consider another way of living. Jesus came so that we would have life and have it more abundantly. Kathy Branzell, of Love2020 and the President of the National Day of Prayer says "I just wake up and thank the Lord for the day, and ask Him "what do You have for me today?" That's it. Wow, that sounds pretty stress free. .... What does stress-free look like in the Christ-follower's work world? It looks like Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. .... How will you live a more stress-free work life in Christ today?

There is a naughty "S" word in the Christian world. And it has SEVEN LETTERS not 4. It's the word "success". The biblical definition of success is the OPPOSITE of the world's definition. .... And as a Christ-follower, our definition of success is spelled "Faith and Obedience". The bible verse Matthew 25:21 does not say "well done, my good and successful servant." It SAYS: 'Well done, my good and FAITHFUL servant." The Lord is not interested in our earthly successes OR our list of accomplishments. Success is an earthly word. What if today, we replaced it in our hearts with "faith and obedience for His glory"? Will YOU replace success in YOUR heart, with faith and obedience in YOUR work today?

Talking with author and Professor Craig McAndrews the other day, I was struck by how many people's story of how they met Christ has happened through the workplace. Many more than I would have even imagined. .... We often say, "you may be the ONLY CHRIST your co-workers will ever meet." And the amount of people we meet that is proving that to be true increases every week. .... Did you know iWork4Him's big vision is to transform the workplace of every Christian in America into a mission field? All 50 million of US. .... Join us. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

On the shore of the sea of Galilee, Jesus sees Peter, who at the time is a fisherman and invites him to shift his "work" from being a fisherman of fish, to a fisher of "men". If you are a Christ follower, you too, are being called to shift from being a lawyer, an engineer, a customer service rep. to being a fisher of "people". .... Right where God has placed you, in YOUR workplace. .... And Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him. .... How will YOU begin to shift today from being a professional _"BLANK"___________ to being a professional fisher of people?

Do you want God to unlock His purpose for you in your work? As you execute the first 4 steps of the iWork4Him Nation Covenant: Praying for, serving, befriending, and praying with others, remember your work behavior is important. The final step of the iWork4Him Nation Covenant is to be someone of excellence in your work. Be the best and brightest example of a worker in your workplace position. Excellence makes your behavior believable and your faith real. Excellence gives you a platform for sharing your faith. As a Jesus Follower, everything about us should be changing, and everyone around you should be benefiting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus yet, or not. Colossians 3:23 says, "23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

Does God care for the people you work with? Of course, He does. In step 4 of the iWork4Him Nation Covenant, look for opportunities to pray with others. When you continually work alongside the same people, you know their typical manners and facial expressions. When you notice someone having an off day, ask them, "How are you doing?" when they say, "I'm Fine," keep asking, "No really, how are you doing? I noticed you looked a little down today" then wait and be QUIET. When they have shared what is on their heart, ask, "Can I pray with you about that, right now?" I have never had someone say "No" when I followed these steps. Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." When you pray, you are opening the door for them to meet your savior.

Do you want to see your workplace as a mission field? In step 3 of the iWork4Him Nation Covenant, we encourage you to befriend your co-workers or employees outside of the office. Why? Our work relationships are work focused and can be shallow. When you build friendships on your own turf, outside of work, real relationships develop. When you let someone into your world, it breaks down walls. Breaking down walls builds trust. Eventually, they will trust you when you share your Jesus story, the work He has done in your life. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble" ….Be a real friend to someone today

Do you want to see your workplace transformed and have God unlock His purpose for you in your work? Step two of the iWork4Him Nation Covenant helps transform your workplace mindset into a mission-focused workplace ministry mindset. Start looking for ways to serve your co-workers, bosses, and/or employees outside your job requirements. Why? Anyone can do a job that meets expectations, but how many people help others meet or exceed expectations? When you go out of the way to help others at work with a stressful project or a mundane responsibility, you open up a door of ministry opportunity. Galatians 5:13-14 says for you have been called to live in freedom… use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Do you want to see your workplace transformed and have God unlock His purpose for you in your work? I thought so. Step one of the iWork4Him Nation Covenant is the most powerful step you can take at work to transform your workplace and your heart. Prayer - Start praying for those you work alongside every day. Pray for your co-workers, bosses, and employees by name. You can even pray for their spouses and kids. After you have done this for a few months, have a conversation like this "Hey, I have been praying for you, is there anything I can pray about specifically?" 1 Timothy 2:1 says, "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them". Start Praying today and watch the transformation begin.

There is a revolution at hand. It's the faith and work revolution. The Lord is moving powerfully through the marketplace to bring people to Him. Are you a part of it? .... How about your pastor? Your church? How can you bring your pastor into the faith and work movement? .... Ask them to come and pray with you in your work, in your workplace, vs. at church or in a restaurant. Invite them into YOUR daily ministry. Review your work week with them and ask for prayer and blessings on it. You'll open up a whole new world to them by introducing THEM to your daily workplace ministry. What day next week will YOU invite YOUR PASTOR into YOUR WORKPLACE?

One of the best questions I've heard in a long time that's making me really stop and think about my personal and professional leadership is: Am I a leader worth following? .... That type of introspective question is foundational to the health of not only a leader, but a Christian, and then doubly as "a Christian leader". That question forces us to look objectively at WHO we are being as we lead. It is often said the WHO is more important than the HOW. That's leadership Jesus-style. WHO Jesus is, is our leadership model, not a "HOW TO" book. .... If you lead a team in your workplace, we challenge you to share this question with your team and management, and have them answer it.

We all have a calling, have you heard this before? Some of us get called to the pulpit and some to the foreign mission field but most of us get called to our cubicles, construction sites, care facilities or whatever your job site may be. Your Workplace, It's your mission field and in that mission field, you and me, we may be the only Jesus our co-workers, employees and bosses may ever meet. That Job that you hold and 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. So, as you contemplate the value of your work today, realize this…You don't need to quit your job in order to go into fulltime ministry. You are already in fulltime ministry, right there where you work.

The power of two or more. Isn't it amazing how working alone to change something, like culture, seems daunting, and then we partner with another person, and soon the work is moving forward? James Davidson Hunter said in his book To Change The World," Whether it be for good or bad, cultures change when small groups of leaders work together for common causes to influence the culture from the top down." Where around you does culture need changing? Are YOU willing to be involved in a group of leaders focused on changing culture, in your work, in your profession, in your community? If not, WHY NOT? .... We encourage you to get involved in a small group to change culture. It's our responsibility, it's biblical and it's the Kingdom work we are all called to do.

What's keeping you from living completely in the spirit at work today? It all starts in the heart. Here are two roadblocks that keep our heart from being set in the spirit. One, our pride, which puts our priorities ahead of God. Versus what is required of us: humbleness. Submitting our will to Christ. The second roadblock is Fear. FEAR has been described as False Evidence Appearing Real. Scripture tells us there is only ONE person to fear and that is God. Deuteronomy 13:4 Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. Won't you commit to work from living completely in the spirit today, and to cast aside all fear and pride?

In the workplace, we often think that the leaders are the ones that have a management title. But is that really true? I have worked with and for many people with a title, who were not leaders. Leaders are people that positively influence and impact the people around them. And a Christian Leader is one who exhorts, empowers and impacts other's lives, as a Christ follower should, to glorify God. If you impact people around you, YOU are a leader. What will you do today, to own the title "leader" and lead in a way that glorifies your father in Heaven? Psalm 78:72 encourages us He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands.

It's lonely at the top. That's the old adage. But does it have to be? God built us to be in community. That doesn't stop when we're put in a position of authority (meaning we have the power to influence the thoughts, opinions, and behaviors of others). The world says when we are in "authority" we have "arrived" to a place where we have no need of additional voices, learning or growth. If anything, that position makes it even MORE important that the leader is in community with people who can hold them accountable, speak into their lives, and to encourage and edify them. And listening and receiving feedback is a part of being in community. John Maxwell once said that every day, he goes up to a team member and asks them "How can I be a better leader for you today?" .... Who will YOU ask that question of in your workplace today?

Heard a great quote about leadership recently: That the first step in being a good leader is being a good follower. I don't know about you, but being a follower is NOT one of my top strengths. That sounds like, in order to be a good leader, we must be willing to be led. That in order to be a good leader, we must be willing, and actually have people speaking into our lives and leadership. Not what most of us think about when we think about our own leadership and how to develop it. Do YOU have someone in your life, that you allow to speak into it? Are YOU willing to be a Proverbs 9:9 person? Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. Won't you pray today, that you would be willing, to have another person speak into your life and leadership?

It used to be that absenteeism was a problem in the workplace. Today it's the opposite: It's called "Presentee-ism". Employees are showing up, but not mentally present and focused on their work. Their worries about children, aging parents, marriage, or finances, are limiting their ability to concentrate. Per a Forbes 2018 study, it's costing U.S. companies $150 billion a year. A company's leadership can't spend all day ministering to their employees, nor can HR. So what's the answer? One answer is to look at adding a chaplaincy to your workplace. Their only job is to confidentially listen, support and walk alongside the staff. Galatians 6:2 encourages us to Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Won't you pass this idea along to your management today?

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.

There is a great deal we do not, and will not understand about our Triune God, until we go to heaven. For now, we have the greatest partner in our work, we could ever imagine. The Holy Spirit. He is our counselor, He is our helper, the spirit of truth and wisdom. What if we invited him into our work every day? .... What if every time we walked in our workplace, we asked "Holy Spirit, What do you want me to know as I begin work today?" .... What if today, we worked as if the living God and His wisdom were inside us? (which it is) Would we think higher, grander thoughts? Would we expect the biggest and best results? Surpass our client's expectations? Our God is SO BIG, he spoke our universe into existence. So, let's invite that God into our work and workplace every morning, and expect God-size results

How hard is it for most of us to evangelize at work? How and when is it OK? We make it so much harder than it has to be, though. For years now, I have been using a tool called the pocket testament. It's a small pamphlet of the gospel of John. What I love about this tool is, it is so easy to share. You store them in your desk at work, in your car, in your pocket or purse. And then pray every day for God to show you who to give it to, and when the opportunity presents itself, you give it to them in response to a question they ask, or a need they have. God does the rest. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 tells us: For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. What are you doing today, with that trust to evangelize?

I recently interviewed an air conditioning company that employs two previous "pastors" that are now professionals in the company. Interesting shift in vocation…Someone once cleverly said of us working Christians "I am a minister, disguised as: a plumber, a professor, an executive, a teacher"….fill in the blank with your title. We are ALL in ministry. We are ALL pastors whether we want to be or not, this is part of the package when the Lord died for us. And wherever HE places us, is where we are to till the soil, and plant the seed. And then water them, which looks like: caring, listening, praying with and just simply loving on our colleagues. How faithful and obedient are YOU BEING, where YOU have been planted?

One of the things I enjoy most as I watch the next generation is how equality-minded they are. Seems like the younger generations have less gender-bias. We asked an owner of a Christian commercial cleaning company "What was the biggest adjustment you and your husband had to make when you bought the business?" She said "well my husband is the leader at home, but I am the leader in the business." What finesse it must take for each of them to walk that line at work and then switch hats when they get home. What a challenging partnership, that would fail in the flesh, but is possible only with the Holy Spirit's guidance. It's a great example of Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. How well are YOU DOING letting the Holy Spirit lead YOUR business relationships today?

Our mouth. It can be a weapon or a blessing. .... As a Christ follower, we know that our mouths speak what is in our heart. But I think sometimes as Christians we might keep our mouth shut TOO MUCH. In other words, when we hear something that doesn't line up with our faith, we think the best thing to do is keep the peace, by keeping quiet. Discernment from the Holy Spirit will enable us to know, when to keep quiet and when to speak. D.L. Moody said: I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit constantly, because I leak! When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will give us the wisdom to know what to say, and when, in a way that is winsome and engaging vs. condemning. How will YOU open your mouth for Christ in the workplace today, when you are led to?

It's a fact that love is spelled T.I.M.E. .... In today's workplace, we can get so caught up in the fast pace that we forget that as Christ followers, we're to be mindful and intentional with every task, and every person. How DO you slow down during the workday? One good way is to STOP multitasking and focus your FULL attention on each task and conversation at a time. Another great way is to use a Prayer Prompter app on your phone that can remind you to: pray, give thanks, to ask for wisdom and discernment, and to be AWARE of the needs around you. We are called to LOVE our neighbors (which are our co-workers). How well are YOU showing love to YOUR co-workers with YOUR TIME?