The Christian Working Woman

Have you read the book of Hosea lately? God gave me a second chance after I went my own way for far too many years, and now he allows me the joy of serving in this ministry. Hosea is a picture of second chances. God told him to marry an unfaithful wife and to keep giving her opportunities to return. Through that story, God showed how he would continue giving Israel chances to receive their Messiah. If you want to see second chances in action, read Hosea. Think of Abraham. More than once, his faith failed, and he lied about Sarah to protect himself. Yet God reaffirmed his covenant with him. Jacob deceived his father and stole Esau’s blessing. Yet God redeemed Jacob, and the covenant continued through him. David committed adultery and arranged a murder. Yet through his line came Jesus Christ. God gave him a second chance. And the list goes on—right up to us. Every one of us has failed in some way. If we didn’t have a God of second chances, we would all be lost. Maybe you’ve asked forgiveness for the same sin again and wonder if he will forgive you one more time. He will. He knows our frame; he remembers we are dust. That doesn’t mean there are no consequences. Sin has aftermath. But God removes our guilt and allows us to begin again with a clean slate. We should never take sin lightly, but it is a comfort to know our God does not give up on us. Trust him today for the second chance you need.

One of my favorite people in the Bible is Peter. Do you know why? Because despite messing up—several key times in his life—he made a wonderful comeback. And God used him mightily. Peter reminds me that we serve the God of second chances. Maybe you need a second chance, but you might be thinking it’s too late. Maybe you’ve made one mistake too many. Maybe you feel like God is fed up with you and has quietly put you on the shelf. Well, think of Peter. Peter was always making big promises. “I’ll follow You anywhere.” “I’ll never forsake You.” “I’ll never deny You.” “I’ll even die for You.” But look at his failures. Jesus actually rebuked him and said, Get behind me, Satan (Matthew 16:23), when Peter gave him completely wrong advice. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter started talking about building memorials—and God interrupted from heaven, basically saying, “Peter, be quiet and listen to my Son.” He stepped out of the boat to walk on water—and sank. He slept when he should have been praying—even on the night of Jesus’ betrayal. And worst of all, he denied his Lord three times. When Jesus was on trial, Peter should have stood up and been counted. Instead, he caved. He turned away. He fled. Why would Jesus choose Peter? Because Jesus doesn’t look for perfection. He looks for hearts he can restore. That brash, impulsive, big-talking fisherman became one of the greatest spokesmen for Christ and the early church. After the resurrection, Jesus didn’t discard Peter—he restored him. He recommissioned him. He gave him another chance. Maybe you’ve been talking the talk but not walking the walk. Maybe you feel like you blew your testimony at work, at home, or with your friends. Listen carefully: You cannot mess up so badly that God cannot salvage you. Don’t underestimate the power of the God of second chances. Remember Peter. And ask God to do for you what he did for him. He’s the same God. He hasn’t changed. And he loves you just as much as he loved Peter. Get up. Turn back. And go for it.

Have you ever felt like you’ve made a mess of your life? If you’re carrying regret, I hope you’ll lean in—because this is for you. Do you remember Rahab? She’s often referred to as “Rahab the harlot.” But that’s not how God finished her story. He rescued her out of that life and gave her faith and a future. We aren’t told too many details of her early life, but we know she lived a life of sin for many years. But through a series of events, she bargained for her life with the two spies from the people of God, hid them in her home in exchange for protection for her family, and survived the slaughter and destruction of her country. Yes, she had a sinful past. Yes, she made choices she couldn’t undo. But when she trusted the God of Israel, everything changed. She was spared. She married into God’s people. She became part of the lineage of Jesus. Her name is even listed in Hebrews 11 among the heroes of faith. What a redemption! Maybe you have a past that still whispers shame. Maybe the enemy keeps replaying old failures in your mind. But if you’ve asked God to forgive you, that sin is covered. He remembers it no more. The enemy will try to hinder and handicap you because of your past. He hopes to keep you mired in guilt and rotten memories. If you’ve asked God to forgive you, your past is behind you. Let God take the guilt of your past, put it under his precious blood, and set you free to see what he can do with you. It’s never too late, and nothing is too hard for the Lord. Your past does not get the final word. God does. And he is still the God of second chances.

For many years now God has given me the unbelievable opportunity to encourage you to believe that God’s Word is relevant to every need of your life. Quite frankly, no one is more surprised than I am to discover God could or would allow me this privilege of starting this ministry. I really blew it big time. After being raised in a wonderful Christian home and accepting Jesus into my life at an early age, after a Christian education and good churches all my life, after much Bible teaching and knowledge, I chose to put God on the back seat of my life and do my own thing, as we say. And for ten long years I walked away from my commitment to the Lord and lived a life that brought no glory to God and damaged my testimony for Jesus. It should remind you we serve the God of second chances. Sometimes I think maybe one major reason God has chosen to bless me with this ministry is to demonstrate his graciousness and second-chance nature. I am living proof that even though I strayed from the narrow road, he has miraculously salvaged me. I want to encourage you to know you serve the God of second chances. The Bible gives many stories of people who, like me, needed a second chance and God gave it to them. We’ll take a look at these people who blew it badly. I believe it will teach us anew never to underestimate the power of the God we serve, never underestimate what he is able to do with any mess we make, and never to give up on anyone else. No one is beyond the power of God’s grace. What is difficult for our minds to grasp is God chooses to use the lowly and weak things of this world, and when we are weak, then we are strong. Our world system teaches us survival of the fittest—only the strongest and the best make it to the top, only the most qualified can truly succeed. But God’s system is just the opposite. When we give up on ourselves and admit we’ve blown it, we are then in a position to allow God to move in and do something wonderful with our lives.

We will always struggle to keep God as the center of our worship and satisfaction. Just like the verse in Come Thou Fount says, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love,” I definitely feel that pull. Even as a redeemed child of God, I struggle with my sin nature and will continue to fail and need to repent. While you and I will not be perfect in this life, we can make progress. That’s what I’d like to focus on today. How can you and I as Christians seeking to love God with all our hearts, souls, and strength avoid common traps that lead to idolatry? While there are many great ways to do this, I’d like to share three practical tips to fight idolatry that have been extremely helpful in my own walk with the Lord. The first is to develop the habit of spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are practices we do because they aid us in our relationship with God. The two most powerful spiritual disciplines are prayer and Bible reading. I can’t even begin to describe how important these practices have been in my life. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2). Surely the pattern of this world includes idolatry. Don’t you constantly hear messages that call you to put our hope in something other than God? But when I come to his Word on a regular basis, my mind is renewed. I see that thing, whatever it is, I have been placing my trust in is empty and will fail every time. I read about God’s character—how he is steadfast, and sustains his people, how his love never fails, and he is powerful. As I pray and confess my need for him and praise him for his character, my mind is renewed and I am less likely to fall into the trap of looking to worthless things to satisfy me. What would it look like for you to prioritize prayer and Bible reading as a regular part of life to orient your mind and affections toward the Lord? The next tip for fighting against idolatry is similar and takes the practice of Bible reading a step further. I have found it very helpful to spend time meditating on God’s character. Now the word meditate in our current setting can often mean emptying or clearing your mind and just being present in the here and now. However, Biblical meditation is very different. It is not clearing the mind but actively setting the mind on truth and choosing to focus on that truth and mull it over—to steep in it and consider it from all angles. Remember, even though you and I know idolatry proves fruitless, the pull and want of certain things is extremely powerful, sometimes ridiculously powerful. If you are struggling with a disordered love, something you feel you have to have or hold so dear that it has taken God’s place in your heart, if that’s you, I would commend you to meditate on God’s attributes. As you read your Bible, take time to stop and ask yourself, what is this teaching me about God? What does this show me of his character? And then stop and ponder it. Maybe keep a notebook where you list what you learn about God from scripture. Pray about it. Talk with God about his character. Praise him, thank him, draw near to him. When was the last time you sat and marveled at who God is? It is so difficult to do in a world that is constantly rushing to the next thing! Meditation takes discipline and practice, and I need to cultivate that in my life more as well because it is so worthwhile. A passage that might be helpful to start meditating on is Isaiah 46. That passage provides a wonderful contrast between false gods that vie for our hearts and the one true God. Listen to how verses 1-2 describe idols. Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity (Isaiah 46:1-2). The idols of the world are a burden for the weary. The text paints a picture of someone stooping low because they are so weighed down by their idols. Idols burden the worshippers have no power to unburden but instead lead to captivity. However, the one true God could not be more different. Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared (Isaiah 46:3-5)? Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me (Isaiah 46:9). In contrast to idols, the God of the Bible is described as someone who upholds his people, who carries them in love; he bears their burde

Presented by Jenn Miller What do you do when you find idolatry in your heart? I think one of the dangers of spending time analyzing a certain sin is it can sometimes leave us with a lot of understanding and conviction of the sin without help to know how to change. I hope you will see the great mercy and grace available through Jesus to all who are caught in idolatry. God cares greatly about the hearts of his people because he knows that what is best for us is to worship him—that is what we were created to do. He is worthy of your praise and jealous for your worship. God reveals areas in your heart that have idolized something above him not to condemn you but to give you the opportunity to repent. Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23)! If you see idolatry in your heart, know it doesn’t change God’s great love for you. His compassion toward you is still as real today as ever. His mercy and faithfulness are great. So come to God in prayer and confess whatever it is you have looked to for security, comfort, hope, or satisfaction instead of him. Ask the Lord to give you eyes to see his beauty and worth and to draw your heart to love him above all else. God blesses the poor in spirit—those who recognize their need for him and depend on him to rescue them in sin. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, forgiveness is available to all who confess their sin and trust in Jesus as their savior. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Won’t you come today and lay down your idols for something so much greater? For Jesus Christ himself. If you recognize idols in your heart, know that through Jesus, you are not condemned but invited to repent.

Presented by Jenn Miller Is it really that big of a deal if I have little idols in my heart? Since we are naturally sinful and are prone wander, why does God care so much about idolatry? These questions are good to think through. Even though idolatry is common in the human heart, the Bible says it is extremely dangerous. In Exodus 20, God commanded his people to have no other god before him. Before giving this command, he described his relationship with the people. He was their God and they were his people. He rescued them and called them into special relationship. Therefore, he cared for them and was rightly jealous when their hearts wandered from him. God cares about you today as well. If you have turned from your sin and trusted in Jesus as your savior, God has chosen you to be his child, and he cares about your relationship with him. He has designed you so you are most satisfied and whole when you worship him alone. Any other worship robs you of true joy and will eventually leave you empty, hollow, and lost. Psalm 115 describes idols as having mouths but unable to speak, having eyes but not seeing, having ears but not hearing. They are incapable of action or service to the worshipper. But then verse 8 says something striking. Those who make them will become like them, and so will all who trust in them (Psalm 115:8). As my heart runs after substitutes for God himself, I actually become less. Idols rob us. This is because idols are the tools of Satan to lure our hearts. Remember Jesus’ words in John 10 where he warns us that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. This is the work of idols. But Jesus has come so we might have life to the full. If you recognize idols in your heart, know that through Jesus, you are not condemned but invited to repent.

Presented by Jenn Miller We’ve been examining how easily idolatry can slip into our hearts. We looked at how idols keep us from loving the Lord completely—with all our heart, soul, and strength. It can be easier to spot an idol of the heart when it is clearly a sinful behavior or desire. But sometimes we even twist God’s good gifts into idols. Numbers 21 is an example of this. It describes a time when the Israelites were in the wilderness and were being bit by venomous snakes. God graciously gives Moses the provision of a rod with a serpent for the people to look at and be healed. But then years later, in 2 Kings 18:4, we find the Israelites burning incense and worshiping the rod with the serpent around it. Do you see what is happening? The people received God’s good gift, but then they worshipped the gift instead of the giver. Isn’t that so easy to fall into? Augustine taught about “disordered loves”—things that are not bad in and of themselves, but their place in our hearts has become disordered. Anything you desire more than God himself is a disordered love. The good gifts of a spouse, job, beautiful home, health, children, honorable reputation, wealth, or earthly comforts can take too great a priority in our hearts if you and I are not careful. We should receive all of God’s gifts with gratitude and joy, but we must hold them loosely and always prize God himself over and above anything else. I pray God will help us properly love all his good gifts in the right order.

Presented by Jenn Miller Idolatry is when we turn to anything besides God for our fulfilment, security, hope, or comfort. John Calvin once gave a great image of the human heart. He called it an idol making factory. Just picture that. In other words, idolatry comes so naturally to us because of our sin nature. And we are blind to idols of our heart. How can you and I identify areas of idolatry so we can turn away from them? Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). Anything that prevents my heart from loving God completely is an idol. I have found the following questions helpful when seeking to identify idols in my life. First, is there anything you love so much, if you were to lose it, life would just be over for you or you don’t think you could go on? If your answer is yes, that thing has probably become an idol for you. Is there something you want so much you are willing to sin to get it? Or do you respond sinfully when you don’t get something you want? Those are marks of idolatry. These questions can be hard to ask, but they are helpful in revealing things that have crept into my heart to take the Lord’s rightful place. When you love God with all your heart, soul, and strength, you can face any loss because your hope is found only in the Lord. You long to please him above anything else. Sinful behaviors or desires can be idols, but even good things can become idols.

Presented by Jenn Miller We are examining idolatry. Often when I hear that word, I can think of an image or a statue that is worshipped. That definitely falls into the category of idolatry, and most of the examples of idolatry in the Bible are from that category. However, idolatry in our Western contemporary setting can look different. I think it is helpful to look at the 10 commandments to better understand this. In Exodus 20, the Israelites have been delivered from slavery in Egypt and now are entering a covenant as the special and loved people of God. But they didn’t know what this looked like, so God gave his people his law. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2-3). Interestingly, before God gives any commands to his people, he reminds them of his love, provision, and the relationship he has with them. And because of that relationship, the very first command he gives is for them to have no other gods. The second command is to have no graven images, but first and foremost God requires his people keep him as their only God. I think this is helpful for you and me as we think about idolatry. Idolatry is when you turn to anything besides God for your fulfilment, security, hope, or comfort. We look to other things as a “god substitute.” If you are like me, it is so easy to fall into this. I can trust God in most areas but then realize I am actually putting my hope in my financial stability for security, or a person for fulfillment, or a standard of living for comfort. Are there any god substitutes in your life today?

It’s not a stretch to say lots of people have allowed their smartphones to become addictions, and often far too much time is spent looking at, scrolling through, texting, and otherwise being occupied with those smartphones. When was the last time you left home without your phone? Our phones have become an absolute necessity, a near-constant attachment in our lives. Anywhere you go—in line for coffee, sitting in a waiting room, stopped at a red light, walking on the street—near everyone is looking down at their phones. But can you really call that an idol? After all, these smartphones are handy, and they can be great time-savers. But at some point this helpful tool can and often does have us at its mercy. We don’t control it; it controls us. And for Christ-followers we need to understand the enemy of our soul will use anything he can to cause us to pay attention to and spend time with anything other than the Lord. For Christians, idolatry is anything that causes such a strong attachment in our lives—such as a strong habit—that without realizing it, we become addicted. In the case of phones, it’s not that we’re addicted to it but to the attention it demands of us—the attention that we choose to give it. Our smartphones demand so much of our attention, we may allow it to become not just a useful tool, but a demanding and controlling habit of devotion, and that can start to interfere with our devotion to Jesus Christ. I read once that people do not drift toward holiness. Our sinful natures, combined with the sneaky attacks from our enemy, can easily push us away from the Lord, and without intending to, we find ourselves devoted to something or someone more than to our Lord. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? The warning of scripture is that unless we seek the Lord regularly—daily—for help, then we are opening ourselves to idolatries of the heart and mind. When you think about it, what we pay attention to determines what we think about, and that begins to take over the focus of our lives. Something as small as a smartphone can cause us to think more and give more attention to anything other than things of God. These aren’t necessarily bad things, but distractions that take up our time and thoughts. If you pay little attention to the important relationships of your life they will suffer. Being attentive to a person—listening, caring, conversing with them—is how we build strong relationships. As we spend more and more time on our phones, doesn’t this interfere with our relationships and create barriers and hindrances to healthy relationships? And the same is true with our relationship with God. If we don’t spend time with him and give attention to his Word, to prayer, to fellowship, that can lead to a decline in our devotion to God and to obedience to his Word. We love what we give attention to. I doubt there has ever been any one single development that has grabbed humans worldwide like the smartphone has. I mean, how many apps do you have on your phone? And what is their purpose? To seize your time and attention. To cause you to want something you don’t have. To allow wrong worldviews and wrong information to fill up your mind. Who could ever have predicted the impact smartphones are having on people everywhere. I read an article that said, “If an idol is anything that takes our attention and love away from the one true God, then the mass-produced, internet-connected devices in our hands are among the most insidious idols history has known.”[1] As believers, should we just get rid of our smartphones? Is that the answer to its control over us. Well, let’s see what Jesus said, and yes, he had something to say about smartphones. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (Matthew 5:29 – 30). Did Jesus mean to literally gouge out our eye or cut off our hand? No, but he uses very strong words here to show we should take whatever drastic action might be necessary for us to break the sins that bind us, the things that are taking our attention away from the Lord and causing us to stumble. If our phones have become a stumbling block in our lives spiritually, we need to do whatever is necessary to take down that idol. In Exodus 34:14, we read: Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Of course, this is not jealousy the way we tend to think of it today. God simply demands exclusive love and devotion from us as his children. When we worship anything else, when anything becomes more important than God, it is an idol in our lives. This is spiritual adultery. God’s jealousy is holy, different from our petty human jealousy,

Has your dream or your project run into some rough patches lately? I can promise you pursuing your vision and your passion will always have times of setback and discouragement, and you will want to give up. When we experience this, we must resist this urge: Resist the urge to quit just because it’s getting wicked hard to do something. I don’t care how motivated you are or how passionately you are pursing something, there will come a day when you will want to quit. In the forty plus years I’ve been broadcasting this program, I’ve had those urges to run away. I think that’s what David was feeling when he wrote, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” It’s that common urge to just walk away. It’s hard; it’s not fun anymore; we’re running into opposition; people are criticizing us; others are not doing what they promised to do. These things start piling up and we get the urge to quit because it’s really hard. I remember a meeting in which we discussed a new project we had started and the criticism that came as a result, and it was especially hard on the one person who had planned and led the project. She had been treated unfairly and harshly by her fellow-believers. It’s hard to believe, but it happens! And after all her hard work, this was really discouraging. But I reminded her that we were breaking new ground and following God’s leading. I encouraged her not to even think of giving up now, and she didn’t! She did the hard stuff. God was in it, and we had to stick it out through the hard times. The Apostle Paul had to resist this urge to quit in hard times probably more than anyone else ever has. And he wrote to the Galatians. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). Let’s covenant with God that we will resist the urge to quit just because it’s not easy!

Do you live by a to-do list, as I do? Isn’t it true that everyone is busy these days? When was the last time someone said, “I don’t have enough to do!”? It’s far more likely to hear people talk about how much they have to do and how far behind they are. Given our very busy lives, here’s an urge we need to resist: Resist the urge to do shoddy, careless work just to get it done! It feels good to check off those duties on your list and sigh that sigh of relief because you got something done! I love it when I can look back on my day and say, “Way to go, Mary; you got lots of stuff done today.” But sometimes I find I so want to get things off my list I can resort to doing a half-way job just to get it done. A simple motto I often repeat to myself is “Do it right and do it now.” Doing something right the first time eliminates mistakes and having to go back and re-do it later. In the long run it is a time saver to do it right from the get-go. And of course, doing it now eliminates that horrible habit of procrastination. I think this urge to get things done is especially strong when we face something we don’t really want to do—one of those jobs we’d gladly give up if we could. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). This should be a hallmark in the life of every Christ-follower—that we do our work with all our might. Do you have that kind of reputation where you work? You may not be the fastest or the smartest person on the job, but you can always be the hardest worker, the one who truly strives to do the job well, even the parts of the job which are not much fun! Shoddy work done without attention to details is one of those urges we all need to resist—no matter how busy we are or how much we may not want to get a job done.

Are you a competitive person? I have to confess I am very competitive; I’m a very poor loser. You probably wouldn’t want to play Monopoly or Scrabble with me. Now, being competitive can have its positive effects. It causes you to really work hard to win. But it also has very negative effects. I’m examining urges we need to resist, and here is another one: Resist the urge to try to be better than everyone else—to always win. We can’t all be good at doing everything, no matter how hard we try. And when we compare ourselves to others out of jealousy or competitiveness, it is a clear indication that something is wrong with our motivation. If I want to do something good or great just to prove I can do it better than anyone else, then it’s obvious I need to confess the sin of envy and pride and ask God to purify my heart. This has always been a difficult lesson for me to learn, and I must admit it is one I must continually re-learn. There are tons of people who can do things much better than I do them. That’s just a fact of life. Now that doesn’t excuse me for being sloppy or not doing the most with what I have. But it also doesn’t mean what I do is worthless simply because it’s not as good as what someone else does. I’ve been privileged and gifted by God to teach and admonish people. That’s my gift, and I love it. But it has taken me far too long to get to the place where I can hear other speakers and teachers whose skills and gifts are superior to mine and simply learn from them and thank God for their gifts. God doesn’t compare you with anyone else. However, he does fully expect you to take what he has given you and improve it. That’s what the parable of the talents is all about. It doesn’t matter what you start with; it matters what you do with what you’ve been given. Paul wrote to young Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.” That’s a prayer I often pray—that I will be a good steward of my gifts and opportunities, but the good news is, I don’t have to be better than anyone else. Take it from me—that is an urge to resist.

Can you think back on some things you’ve done with very good intentions, which turned out to be somewhat disastrous? Here’s one of those common urges: Resist the urge to wait for everything to be perfect before you take action. I have examined resisting the urge to launch into something based solely on your emotions. This is the flip side of that urge—and that is the idea that we can’t possibly make a move or get anything going until all our ducks are in a row and we have every resource we need to make it happen. Whether it’s on your job or in your personal life, seldom will everything fall perfectly in place as you pursue something new or challenging. Sometimes we set up preconditions for moving forward that are either unrealistic or simply an excuse for staying put! I can tell you no matter how much homework you do, no matter how careful your planning process is—and it should be—things will not go exactly according to plan. And most often you have to get going before you have everything you think you need. I remember a few years ago when I was in the midst of guiding a project that needed careful planning. We did tons of planning, including a detailed strategic plan, lots of counsel with wise people, educating ourselves in many ways. But I can tell you God made it clear that we make our plans, but it is him that guides our path. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). God has ways of showing us his way is perfect, not ours. And we can move forward in whatever we believe he would have us do with confidence that our best plans will no doubt undergo lots of changes along the way. This is how our faith is increased; how we learn to truly trust God, and of course, when we trust him, he is pleased with us. Resist the urge to sit on the sidelines and wait for every “T” to be crossed and every “I” dotted.

Let’s examine the five urges we need to resist. An urge, as you know, is a strong desire or impulse. And all-too-often we are victims of our strong desires or impulses—our urges—which take us down the wrong path and cause trouble. We all have them, so I simply want to point out some urges we need to be aware of and by God’s grace, resist. Resist the urge to let your emotions and enthusiasm launch you into unwise action. I admit too often this has been my modus operandi. I get a bright idea, an emotional urge, and I think it must be the right thing to do because I feel so strongly about it. And then, without proper thought or consideration or prayer, I plunge headlong into a project that is either unwise or poorly planned. Certainly, we want to be people of action; we don’t want to be handicapped by fear of making the wrong move. Walking by faith will take us outside our comfort zones and lead us to attempt things that can only be done with God’s help. Following Jesus is never risk-free. But at the same time, the Bible tells us God does things decently and in order, and we need to be cautious not to move too quickly based mainly on how we feel. Someone has said feelings have zero IQ, meaning they may be strong but they’re not necessarily smart. Here is one thing I’ve learned that has helped to curb my tendency to launch into something prematurely, and it’s pretty simple: Just sleep on it. It may look like the greatest idea you’ve ever had today, but a good night’s sleep could totally change your perspective. That may mean literally wait until tomorrow, or it may mean keep sleeping on it until you have clearer thoughts and plans. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed (Proverbs 15:22). If your plan is of God, it will stand the test of time. Seek counsel from the right people, and of course, mainly seek God’s counsel. You can save yourself a lot of trouble and avoid wasted time if you resist the urge to launch into something based solely on your emotions.

Fran works as a project manager for a marketing company, and she is responsible for securing new clients and then managing their projects to completion. We find Fran finishing a conversation with one of her clients. “Yes, Marge, I will do my very best to have that ready by tomorrow. Uh-huh, yes, I understand. Okay, Marge, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Fran hangs up the phone and begins talking to herself, forgetting for a moment that Jesus, of course, hears everything she says or thinks. “I don’t believe that woman. She is going to drive me nuts! Nothing we do is good enough for her. She makes last minute changes and then expects me to work miracles. And she is so rude. I really can’t stand her!” Quietly she can sense the Spirit of God whispering to her: “Did you ever think that I love her as much as I love you?” The thought startles her. “Well, yeah sure I knew that,” she thinks out loud. “You love everybody, Lord. But she’s a really nasty, demanding person. I’m sorry; I just don’t like her.” As these thoughts continue, her mind goes back to a recent sermon she heard. Her pastor said there were people Jesus didn’t like, but he loved everybody. He said you don’t have to like everybody, but our commandment is to show God’s love to everybody. “I thought you have to like someone, then you can love them,” Fran says to herself, “but I guess that’s not the way it is with God. The problem is, I just don’t know how to do it. There’s just no way I can love Marge. She’s obnoxious!” “Do you want to love her?” again that quiet voice of Jesus catches her up short. “Do I really want to love her? Tell you the truth—not really,” Fran admits. “I guess that’s my problem, isn’t it, Lord? But how can I even want to love someone like her?” Fran exclaims. As she sits and thinks about that, Jesus says to her, “You can want to love her simply because you want to please me. I can help you love her. Why don’t you begin by praying for Marge every day?” “Pray for Marge every day?” Fran repeats. “Really—will that make a difference?” Jesus says, “It will make a difference in you, and that’s what is important.” Fran determines to pray for Marge as Jesus has challenged her. Now she begins to do the work she promised Marge tomorrow, working diligently to get it perfect, because Marge is very demanding. The next morning Fran is driving to work and praying for a lot of people, as she often does, and Marge comes to mind. “I’d like to pray that lightning will strike her,” Fran says with a grin, knowing she halfway means it. But she attempts to pray for her, “Dear Lord, please help Marge to see how obnoxious she is and change the way she treats me.” Her prayer bounces off the car ceiling; she knows it’s the wrong prayer. “Pray that Marge will change?” Jesus says to her. “That’s not exactly how you should pray for her, Fran.” “But Lord, she should change. Her behavior is awful,” Fran defends herself. Her spirit is uneasy. Somehow, she has to get beyond this selfish kind of praying, even though Marge is difficult. She can’t change Marge; she can only change herself. “Well, what should I pray?” Fran finally asks. And then she thinks of something she heard on the radio—praying she could see Marge the way God sees her. Praying for a new frame for Marge, a new way to see her, by putting her in a different frame. “Put her in a different frame,” Fran thinks. “I guess I can do that, but she really is obnoxious.” As she drives along, she thinks about that further. “I guess I’ve had her in the obnoxious frame too long. Maybe I should pray for a new frame for Marge—a new way to look at her.” Even though she feels a little foolish and not totally sincere, in obedience Fran starts her prayer again: “Dear Lord, please help me to see Marge the way you do. And please give me a new frame to put her in. There’s got to be something good about her, Lord. Please show me what that is.” As she arrives at work, she is under a great deal of pressure to get this job completed for Marge, as she promised yesterday. There’s no time for lunch, so she stops at the vending machine for some crackers to munch on at her desk. When she returns there is a voice mail message from Marge, demanding an immediate call back. “Even her telephone messages are intimidating,” Fran says, and she dreads having to call her back. But she starts to make the call. “Pray first,” Jesus quietly says to Fran. She puts down the phone and prays briefly, “Please give me a kind heart toward Marge. Please, Lord, help me to see her as you do, and please give me a new frame to put her in!” With that short prayer, she returns the call. An abrupt telephone greeting tells Fran she’s reached her. “Hi, Marge, sorry I missed your call but everything’s

Presented by Julie Busteed I’ve been reflecting on some of Jesus’ sayings—his proverbs—and I’ve noticed how often they return to the posture of the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8). That raises an important question: what does it mean to have a pure heart? We often assume a pure heart means doing everything right—appearing polished and put together on the outside. But that kind of purity is rooted in our own striving, and it doesn’t work. It doesn’t last. It isn’t sustainable. Scripture tells us the truth about our condition: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Have you ever surprised yourself with your own reaction—something you said, thought, or felt—and wondered, where did that come from? It wasn’t how you wanted to respond, yet it was real. The human heart is complex, deceptive, and difficult to understand. But when our hearts are turned toward purity, this posture gives the Holy Spirit room to work in us and through us. What difference does a pure heart make in the workplace? It shows up in genuine joy when a coworker receives a promotion or praise. It looks like helping others even when it doesn’t advance your own position. It means refusing to gossip, choosing authenticity, and living with integrity when no one is watching. The right heart begins with humility. Scripture often speaks of a broken or crushed heart as a picture of humility. This kind of brokenness is essential, because a hard or stony heart will not submit to God’s will. We pray with the psalmist, create in me a clean heart, O God (Psalm 51:10). Jesus promises it is the pure in heart who will see God. And when we invite Christ to dwell in our hearts, everything changes. This is why Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is such a powerful one to pray: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16–19). Oh, that you and I would know this love—love that surpasses everything else—and be filled with it. Press on. Don’t be discouraged. The work God is doing in the heart is often slow and unseen, but it is never wasted.

Presented by Julie Busteed Does this sound familiar? “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” While cleanliness is certainly a good thing, this well-known saying isn’t actually in the Bible. But Jesus does speak very clearly about what true cleanliness really is. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them (Matthew 15:11). To defile means to make unclean or impure. In the Old Testament, there were many dietary laws about what was permissible to eat. By the time of the New Testament, the Pharisees had added even more regulations, creating an elaborate and often burdensome system of external rules. In this passage, the Pharisees question Jesus because his disciples are not ceremonially washing their hands before eating. But as he so often does, Jesus goes straight to the heart of the issue. It’s not about external rituals. It’s about the condition of the heart. What you eat does not make you spiritually unclean. What flows out of your mouth—your words—reveal what is already inside. Words flow from the heart. Jesus explains it this way: Out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them (Matthew 15:19–20). That’s sobering. There are many proverbs in Scripture warning us about the power of the tongue. James tells us we must learn to tame it, comparing it to the small rudder of a ship—tiny, yet able to steer the entire vessel. In the same way, our words set the direction of our lives. But the tongue is only the messenger. The source is the heart. Ask yourself: What are you feeding your heart? What are you allowing into your mind and soul? Because whatever fills the heart will eventually overflow into your words and actions. True cleanliness begins on the inside. And that’s where Jesus longs to do his transforming work.

Presented by Julie Busteed We’ve been looking at some of the proverbs Jesus said. Here’s another proverb from his Sermon on the Mount. Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Matthew 7:1–2). Those words make me pause every time. I find it easy to assume I’m not a judgmental person. But when I slow down and examine my thoughts—the quiet commentary running through my mind, the subtle remarks I may make—I realize I’m not as innocent as I’d like to think. And that’s when confession and repentance become necessary. Jesus isn’t telling us to abandon discernment. We are called to think wisely and evaluate situations carefully. There’s a difference between discernment and judgment. Discernment seeks truth. Judgment often seeks to elevate self. You and I are not to judge others to build ourselves up. Every one of us has areas to grow. Every one of us has blind spots. Jesus continues with a vivid picture: Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:3–5). It’s such a striking image—a tiny speck versus a massive plank. And yet, how often do I focus on the speck? For me, it’s usually the small, internal judgments—the quiet criticisms that serve no real purpose. They don’t help the other person. They don’t help me. In fact, they only create unnecessary stress and tension in my own heart. Why am I so concerned about someone else’s issue, especially when I may struggle with something similar? Perhaps that’s exactly why I notice it so quickly. Sometimes what irritates us most in others reveals something God wants to address in us. Jesus’ words invite humility. Before I point out someone else’s flaw, I need to allow the Lord to search my own heart. Remove the plank. Do the work of repentance. Ask him to soften my spirit. Pray as King David prayed: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139: 23-24).

Presented by Julie Busteed Do you tend to worry about things in the future that have not even happened yet? I know it’s easy for me to fall into that mindset. But Jesus clearly tells us not to go there! Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). This is the final verse in a section where Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our lives—not about what we will eat or what we will wear. And what does worrying accomplish? It doesn’t add anything to our lives. In fact, anxiety is harmful. Left unchecked, it creates stress that affects us physically, mentally and emotionally. Now, I’m not talking about the nervousness you might feel before a job interview or a presentation—though we certainly can pray for peace in those moments. I’m talking about chronic anxiety, the kind that takes a toll on your body and mind. Jesus points us to the lilies of the field: And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? (Matthew 6:28-30 NLT) Why do you and I have so little faith! We serve a great and awesome God, and we can bring any and everything to him in prayer. The Apostle Peter encourages us to cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (I Peter 5:7). Worrying is not only useless but is also evidence of a lack of faith in God. When you feel that anxious thought creep into your thinking, replace it right away with truth from Scripture or with a worship song. Replace it with God’s truth. Know that he cares for you and knows your needs; you are worth more to him than anything else.

Presented by Julie Busteed Proverbs aren’t found only in the Old Testament—and obviously not just in the book of Proverbs. They’re also found in the New Testament. Jesus frequently used parables and proverbs as teaching tools. I want to look at some of the proverbs Jesus taught. A proverb is a short, concise saying that expresses a general truth or piece of wise advice. Many of Jesus’ proverbs appear in his most well-known message, the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5–7. Jesus says: For where your treasure is there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). I think you and I generally understand what Jesus is referring to here. What you and I value most is where our thoughts and actions are most prominent and how we spend our time and energy. But let’s take a closer look at what he means by “your heart.” Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). Heart refers to the center of one’s life. It’s from this place a person does all thinking, feeling, and choosing. It’s that essential to our life. So, yes, above all else we are to guard it. Guard what we hear, watch, say, and do. What is influencing you most right now? If it’s not God’s Word, then something else has taken center stage in your life. When Jesus says, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, he’s asking us to consider: What do you truly value? What occupies your time and your thoughts? Who or what are you serving? Your treasure might not be money or material things. It could be a relationship, a career, status, security, health, comfort, politics, food, or even our physical fitness. None of these things are wrong in themselves. The problem comes when these things are overvalued—when they are treasured above a relationship with God. That’s where you and I can get into trouble. If your heart treasures God’s Word and your relationship with him—if you make time with him a priority—your heart will follow. Sometimes you may not feel like putting in the effort. And sometimes it may not seem immediately fruitful. But don’t rely solely on your feelings. When you discipline yourself to spend consistent, quality time with Jesus Christ, your heart will begin to treasure that time. Your affection will grow. And your joy will increase—because his joy will be in you.

You may be familiar with this verse from James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” God wants us to be wise, and the good news is, he will grant wisdom to us as we recognize our need for it and go to the source of all wisdom, our God. We also know from Scripture the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We want the wisdom that God imparts, not the world’s fake substitute. So, this is the pre-requisite: Do you fear the Lord? Do you know and respect the one true God through a personal relationship with his Son, Jesus? That’s where God’s eternal wisdom begins. Assuming you do, here are the questions you need to ask yourself often. I believe these questions will help you avoid lots of trouble, keep you from shooting yourself in the foot, as we say, and greatly increase your effectiveness, regardless of where you are or what you’re doing. Question #1: Do you think before you speak? How many times have you said something—jumped quickly to give your opinion or your advice or add your two cents—and as soon as you said it, you wished the ground would just swallow you whole? Proverbs 29:20 puts it so well: “Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.” I’ve often said, “I may not be good but I’m fast,” as though it is a good thing to be fast. Well, maybe it is sometimes, but to speak in haste is almost always a bad idea. Note there can be a difference between doing something with haste and doing something in haste. There are times when we do need to act with haste, quickly, for good reasons. David prays in Psalm 70:1, “Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me.” We often pray for God to act quickly, right? And then later in Psalm 119:60, the Psalmist says, “I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.” That’s the kind of haste we all need. There’s no question we should hasten to obey the Lord with no delay. But speaking in haste is speaking without giving it proper thought; speaking without thinking of how it could be perceived by someone else. It is speaking foolishly. The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18). When you choose your words carefully, thoughtfully, not in haste, you can do so much good. Proverbs 18:21 says: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” So, if you want to be wise, ask yourself, “Do I speak words of life or death? Do I think before I speak?” Question #2: Did you sleep on it? The simple old adage, Sleep on it, can save you lots of trouble. A wise person takes time for decisions, big and small ones, because the choices and decisions we make on a daily basis set the direction of our lives. Think about decisions that you regret. I can easily bring some recent ones to my own mind, and when I look back on decisions that didn’t turn out so good, it was always because I simply didn’t “sleep on it,” didn’t pray enough about it, didn’t always seek good counsel. Again, from Proverbs 15:22, we read: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Wise people seek counsel from those they trust. Wise people are able to live with delayed gratification, resisting the impulse to go for the immediate reward, the instant answer. How often do you tell yourself just to sleep on it, talk to somebody you trust, pray lots? I love this verse from Jeremiah 6:16a: “This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” When you’re at a decision point, especially a fairly significant one, stand at that crossroad, ask for God’s path, the good way. That’s how you make wise decisions that bring soul rest for you. Question #3: Have you heard both sides? No doubt you’ve watched some courtroom drama, whether real or in a movie, where the defendant seems totally guilty until the defense gets the chance to present the other side. And what seemed so right before now seems totally wrong. Proverbs 18:17 talks about that: “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.” When someone is telling you their side of some story, before you take sides, before you get into gear to take some action, before you affirm that person, find out the other side. Do your own cross-examination and make sure you have the whole truth and nothing but the truth! There’s a story in 2 Samuel chapter nine about King David who was on the run because of his son Absalom’s rebellion. A man named Ziba approached him; he was the servant of Mephibosheth, who was a crippled man who truly loved King David. But Ziba told David that Mephibosheth stayed behind in Jerusalem to reclaim his grandfather Saul’s kingdom—in other words, to take David’s place—which was a lie. But David believed him and gave Zi

I’ve been sharing five lessons for living, which are found in Proverbs 3. Here is the fifth lesson for living, from verses 9 and 10: Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine (Proverbs 3:9-10). Now this one is close to home, because it talks about money, and if anything is close to our hearts, it’s our money—right? But please believe me when I tell you your avenue to financial security begins with your willingness to make this lesson a part of your life. And what is that lesson? It is to give God the first part of your money. You may be thinking, But I’m not wealthy and I barely have enough now to make ends meet. I understand that feeling, but this lesson has nothing to do with whether you have lots of money or not. It simply says to give God the first part. Honor God by giving money to him, and then pay your bills. If you wait to give God the left-overs after you’ve paid your bills and used your money for your own desires, you’ll discover you just never seem to have much left-over. The enemy of your soul will see to that! It takes a step of faith to begin this practice of honoring God first with your money, but this is truly the first step to financial stability for a Christ-follower. How much should you give? Think of what you think you can afford and then double it. That’s a good starting place. Give God more than you think you can. It’s the one place God invites us to test him. In Malachi he says, test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it (Malachi 3:10). God is not promising us financial wealth, but he is promising financial stability and security if we will honor him first with our money. Start where you are—and the sooner the better—and see if this lesson for living is not one of the best principles you’ve put in place in your life. As my dad said to me so often, “Honey, you can’t out give God,” and I promise that is true.

There are lots of people giving all kinds of advice for being healthy and strong. But what is the most important thing you can do to achieve good health? I am exploring lessons for living from Proverbs 3:7-8: Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones (Proverbs 3:7-8). This lesson for living gives us three important steps for healthy bodies: Don’t be wise in your own eyes—in other words, be a truly humble person, not a know-it all. Be teachable and willing to learn from others. Fear the Lord. That means have a holy fear and reverence for God, and fear doing things that displease him or bring shame to his name. Can you remember as a child having a fear of being punished by your parents or your teachers? That fear of the consequences of your wrong behavior probably kept you from a lot of unhappy experiences, right? It’s not the kind of fear that makes you afraid of the other person, but the kind of fear that makes you want to please them and make them proud of you. That’s the kind of fear we need when it comes to obeying the Lord and living by his principles. Then, the third thing is to shun evil. The Bible teaches us there is always a way of escape from any temptation we encounter. We just have to look for the escape route. Shunning evil means not taking that first step in the wrong direction. Not entertaining that first impure thought which could lead to an impure action. If you want health for your body and strong bones, be humble, fear the Lord, and shun evil. That doesn’t mean you’ll never be sick. Remember, proverbs are not promises but principles. But if you practice these three things, you are far more likely to have good health and just plain feel good! Proverbs offers such practical help and advice, and you are wise and smart when you pay attention.

If someone offered you advice that was guaranteed to help you, to give you a better life, to win you favor with people, would you be willing to take their advice? That’s exactly what we find in Proverbs in the Bible. It is full of very practical and powerful advice, if you and I just know and live by its principles. I’m pointing out five lessons for living from Proverbs 3, and the third one is found in verses 5 and 6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). This is one of the more familiar passages from Proverbs and it gives us such an important lesson for living our lives. Three things you need to do: Trust in the Lord with all your heart Lean not on your own understanding In all your ways submit to the Lord This is a lesson I must learn again and again because I am prone to trust in myself or someone else instead of trusting in the Lord. Trusting in the Lord means you simply believe his Word is true, his promises never fail, and his plans for you are the best. You trust in good times and bad; you trust when things are going well and when you can’t understand what’s happening or why. You trust with all your heart. And to have this kind of trust, you have to know God well through his Word and prayer and fellowship with other believers. Then you must learn to be skeptical about your own wisdom—your own understanding. Often, we are influenced by the world’s way or by other people, and what looks like a good idea can be a disaster. God’s ways are frequently not our ways, and so don’t put your trust in your own abilities, your own experience. Then submit to the Lord in every decision you make. Seek first his way. Who do you go to first when you need help or advice? Seek first the Lord and submit to his ways. When you do, your way will be clear and straight and will not take you down the wrong road. I encourage you to put this passage in your heart and recite it often. It is one of the most important lessons for living that you will ever know.

I’m pointing out five principles for living from Proverbs 3 and the incredible benefits that are ours when we apply these principles to our lives. Remember proverbs are not promises, but they are principles—principles that hold true almost all the time. Let’s consider the second principle from verses 3 and 4 of Proverbs 3. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man (Proverbs 3:3-4). Solomon uses a word picture here to help us understand how to implement these truths. He says to bind love and faithfulness around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. I picture wearing love and faithfulness like a necklace or a scarf, bound around my neck so I don’t forget how important it is to be loving and faithful. Love and faithfulness are two truly beautiful characteristics. When you are a loving person, you show compassion and mercy to people around you—even people who aren’t living the way they should, even people who don’t do their work like they should. The Bible teaches us love never fails—love never fails to change a situation, improve a relationship, soften a heart. When you show God’s love to others in practical ways—by being patient and kind and forgiving—you have bound it around your neck and it’s beautiful. Faithfulness seems to be lacking a lot these days, have you noticed? It seems often people just don’t live up to what they promised or follow-through on commitments they’ve made. We read in 1 Corinthians that it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). Ask yourself if you wear faithfulness around your neck? Are you a person who can be counted on—at work, at church, in your family? With love and faithfulness written on your heart, you will win favor with people, and you will have a good name—a good reputation with God and people. That’s a powerful good reason to take this lesson for living from Proverbs very seriously, don’t you think?

I want to share five lessons for living from Proverbs chapter three. This chapter gives us five important principles that will benefit you greatly if you intentionally apply them to your life, and each principle has a corresponding benefit. Today let’s look at the first one, which we find in verses 1 and 2: My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity (Proverbs 3:1-2). First, Solomon says: “do not forget.” Are you prone to forget what you should remember? Learning happens because of repetition—that’s how our brains work. So, if you want to remember what you should remember—specifically, remember God’s principles—then you need to repeat them, reread them, memorize them, reinforce them in your mind frequently. That’s why reading your Bible systematically and daily will create pathways in your brain to help you to remember God’s truth. This principle for living goes on to say “keep my commands in your heart.” Again, we see the importance of repetition—keeping God’s principles stored in your heart. That’s why memorizing Scripture is so important to your spiritual progress. For example, I memorized Ephesians 4:29 years ago, which says: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. I recognized I needed control of my tongue, and after memorizing that verse, the Holy Spirit would bring it to my mind very often and stop me from saying something I shouldn’t say or didn’t need to be said. Because I keep that command in my heart, it helps to control my words. The benefits of keeping God’s Word in your heart are long life, peace, and prosperity. Keeping in mind proverbs are principles, not promises, by living in obedience to God’s Word and his principles, your life is going to be much fuller and far more peaceful, and your soul will prosper. That’s a pretty good deal, if you ask me.

One of the characteristics of a godly, truly humble person is to be continually teachable. I’ve often said I admired this trait in my mother more than any other. She died some years ago, at the age of 94, but up to the end, she was seeking to learn and grow. One day I was visiting her, just shortly before she died, and we were listening to a Christian program on the radio. The speaker was talking about not complaining and being joyful. My mom looked at me and said, “Mary, do I complain?” I said what was totally true, “Mom, you never complain.” She said, “I don’t want to complain: God has been so good to me.” At this point in her life some dementia had set in, and she wasn’t able to take care of herself any longer. Most of the people around her complained all the time, but not my mom. I’m so grateful she role-modeled for me what it means to be teachable, truly humble, and ever willing to learn, grow, and change. How blessed I was to have a mom like her. All of us can have that same attitude if we just pay attention and learn our lessons along the way. Last time I gave you five life lessons, and now I share five more. Life Lesson No. 6: Make every day a special occasion: burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the new shoes. How many things do you have tucked away, saving them for a special occasion? I was doing some cleaning recently and found some beautiful soap someone had given me, probably two or three years ago. I had put it away for a “special occasion,” and now it was so old and hard, it isn’t really useful, so I had to throw it away. I think my mother taught me to “save things for special occasions.” She was raised during the depression, and when she got something nice, she tended to squirrel it away rather than use and enjoy it. You’ve heard people say, “Life’s short: eat dessert first.” Life is short, and while we need to be frugal and saving, we also need to celebrate life and enjoy the good things God has given us. We need to make our everyday lives special and teach this to our children as well. My good friend, Fran, was really good at this. She used the “good stuff” for any excuse, and she could make a very ordinary occasion seem special just by setting a nice table or somehow creating a special atmosphere. I remember learning this lesson from her, as she taught a monthly Bible class at our church. I watched her go to so much extra trouble to make the room look nice, get cute decorations, and she simply said, “This is how I show love to the women who come.” I’ve never forgotten that, and I’ve tried to follow in her steps. The little extras show love, and they’re worth the effort. Paul wrote to Timothy: Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17). Make today special. Do something a little unusual—on your job, in your home, at church—that just says, “Today is special, and so are you.” The effort it takes reaps wonderful rewards. Life Lesson No. 7: Believe it or not, you’re not indispensable. Life will go on without you. Now we all know in our heads that nobody is indispensable, but too often we behave as though everything depends on us and if we don’t keep running and doing and going, everything will stop! I remember some years ago when I was directing the handbell choir at our church. Actually, I had started the choir, and it was my baby. I loved it, and the church seemed to really love hearing the handbells. Then after I began this ministry my life became so busy I realized I had to give up the choir. I thought, “Oh dear, the handbell choir will be no more because they won’t have me as their leader.” Wrong! The handbell choir is much bigger now, much better, and they have a director who is far more experienced and talented at handbells than I am! I was not indispensable. And indeed, by stepping aside, I gave someone else an opportunity to use their gifts in the church. Many times, we are stressed out, doing things God never intended for us to do, because somewhere along the way we’ve deceived ourselves into believing we have to do it, nobody else will do it, and it has to be done! Or we put time constraints and deadlines on ourselves that are totally unnecessary. I learned this life lesson years ago from my daughter, when she was a teenager, and we were redecorating her room. We had chosen some new wallpaper, and I had decided it had to go up now, today, this day. I was working and fretting and worrying, trying to meet my own artificial and unnecessary deadline. Finally, she looked me and said, quite simply, “Mom, we don’t have to finish today.” Duh! So, I stopped and relaxed. We finished later, and the world kept revolving! Am

Fran and her friend Louise are facing a decision about some training that is being required by their company concerning new policies on protecting those in the LGBTQ community in the company against discrimination. A long discussion between them has revealed Louise believes they must take a stand and refuse to go to this training, even risking their jobs, if necessary, because a line must be drawn here. Fran thinks this would be perceived as unkind and un-Christlike, and wonders if it is really necessary. They have decided to postpone any decision until they have prayed about it—together and individually. And so, after a time of prayer on this Friday evening, they are once more united in their love for each other and their desire to always seek to do what is right, whether it is popular or not, and even if it is costly, like, in this case, potentially losing their jobs. “Well, Louise,” Fran says, “do you still think you should refuse to go to this training?” “Fran, I think I do but I also think it’s time we sought some advice from a pastor or someone who can help us think this through.” On this they agree, and Fran suggests one of their pastors who is a really clear thinker on issues like this. And so, the decision is delayed. You may be thinking I’ve taken the easy way out in this episode—to leave this matter hanging without taking one side or the other. But honestly, I believe in this day of political correctness, we will face such decisions more and more as Christ-followers. The real take away from this episode is not to make hasty decisions when those decisions are not totally clear but instead, pray and seek advice. On the other hand, if and when we face very black and white situations which are clearly right or wrong, we have to be prepared to take the unpopular and costly stand. And another important take away is that as Christians, we always need to be willing to listen to each other and pray with each other, even when we disagree, or especially when we disagree. Jesus said the world will know we are his followers if we love one another. That should always be a high priority.

Fran’s company is requiring employees to attend a training on company policies about LGBTQ employees to make certain they are not discriminated against. Fran and her friend Louise, fellow believers, have differing views as to whether they should refuse to attend this training and take a strong stand for their beliefs, or whether that would be regarded as unkind and un-Christlike. I’m not suggesting I have the answer to these many issues we face in our post-Christian America, but here are some thoughts to consider. First remember what Jesus said from Mark 8:38. If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels (Mark 8:38). Jesus did not promise popularity for us when we become his disciples. In fact, he promised the opposite. He called his generation—his culture—an adulterous and sinful one, so what we face is not unique. It’s always been true that the world is not a friend to Jesus. The Bible’s teaching on contested issues today, such as abortion, sexuality, or any of our beliefs, is admittedly not always popular. It wasn’t popular in New Testament times either, and the early church repeatedly had to decide if they would “follow Jesus, no turning back” or not. So, if being popular is our goal, we will be swept up into a politically correct world and are likely to compromise in order to be accepted and liked. Jesus showed no inclination to be politically correct in his day, did he? He was at odds against the religious leaders of his people and said so in direct and very confrontational words. They did not like him, that’s for sure. On the other hand, he showed such incredible grace and love to the worst in their society and was never reluctant to associate with them, eat with them, talk to them, heal them. Someone has said we must not allow our counter-cultural posture to become anti-cultural. That’s the challenge we face. As Christians, we are to be compelled by the love of Christ to extend kindness and friendship to those who disagree with us. Jesus prayed for us that we would be in this world but not of this world. And as Fran and Louise face this hypothetical decision about the new policies of their company, they need to find that balance and know how Jesus is leading them in this moment.

I doubt if many would disagree we are in the midst of major cultural shifts. And as Christ-followers, we must decide how we navigate these changes. How and when do we draw the line between showing love and compassion for people who have anti-biblical beliefs and lifestyles, and when it’s time to take a stand for what the Bible teaches? That’s the dilemma Fran is facing now as her company is requiring attendance at a training session on how to accept and appreciate LGBTQ people on the job. Louise, her good friend who is also a believer, thinks it’s time now to take a stand and refuse to attend this training as it goes against her faith. The two of them are having a somewhat heated discussion about how to respond. In fact, Louise has decided not to attend the training and thinks Fran and every believer in the company should do the same. “Louise,” Fran says, “have you considered that a decision to refuse to attend the training might be an over-reaction, and that it could backfire on us and make us seem unreasonable and unkind?” “Fran,” Louise says, “you’re my good friend, but I think you may have been swept up into this politically correct culture without realizing it. You know, this offensive against our Christian beliefs comes on little by little, and we’re just sitting back and doing nothing. Could it be that you’re too concerned about what people will think about you and not concerned enough about how our rights are being taken away.” Fran responds, “Well, I agree that we need to be courageous and stand for what we believe, but I’m just not making the connection between that and this training the company is planning to do. You see this as part of this slippery slope, I guess, and I don’t,” Fran says. “Here’s what I think,” Louise says. “This training will require us to deny some of our beliefs, and I’m not willing to do that. That’s how I see it,” Louise says with a final note in her voice. Fran says. “Maybe we could pray about this and ask for guidance; maybe take a couple of days before we decide—what do you think?” After a long pause in the conversation, Louise says, “Well, it’s always right to pray, and the training is a month away, so we have time before we have to respond. Okay, when can we pray?” They decide to get together Friday evening for prayer, and with that they say good night.

Fran’s company is requiring all employees to attend a training session on LGBTQ employees, what their rights are and how they are to be treated. Fran’s good friend, Louise, seems to be very concerned about being required to attend this training, as she thinks it requires her as a Christ-follower to accept beliefs she does not agree with. Fran doesn’t feel as strongly as Louise does because as Frans sees it, this training is just about treating LGBTQ people with respect and not discriminating against them—which Fran feels is right. They do it anyway. But Louise feels Fran doesn’t see the whole picture. “Fran,” she says, “we have to stand for what we believe and not be intimidated by this culture. Every day you hear about new attacks on our Christian beliefs. They let boys—you know, transgender girls who were boys—compete in women’s sports, and that’s not fair.” “Well, I understand what you’re saying, but that’s not really what this training is about, is it?” Fran tries to stay calm. “Like I said, Fran, this is just step one. If we don’t take a stand, who knows what will be next?” And with that, Louise leaves Fran’s office. Whew, Fran thinks, Louise is really upset. I’ll call her tonight and talk more. So, that evening after the kids are in bed, Fran calls Louise to continue their conversation. “Louise, I didn’t mean to upset you today. Maybe I’m missing something here, but I just don’t see the danger in this training.” “Fran, I talked with my friend at church tonight, and she agrees that if we don’t take a stand now and let the company know our opposition to this kind of training, it will just keep going. So, I’ve decided to tell Ben I’m choosing not to go to this training because it is against my beliefs. I know they could fire me for it—who knows? But I think I must do it to stand true for Jesus.” Whoa, Fran thinks to herself. Louise is taking this much more seriously than I am. Is she right? She says, “Louise, can you tell me how you came to that decision? Maybe I’m missing something here.” “You are, Fran—like many other Christians, I think. Our culture is quickly becoming anti-Christian, and if we just sit back and do nothing, before you know it, we’ll be told to approve of abortion, same-sex marriage, all the things that are against our Christian beliefs,” Louise tells Fran. It seems Fran and Louise have different takes on this particular training and their responsibility as Christ-followers. What do you think? Should Fran go along with Louise and refuse to go to this training?

I begin another episode of Fran and Jesus on the Job, my fictional story of a single mom who is learning to let Jesus guide her and use her as an ambassador for him in her working world. As she is working at her desk, her friend, Louise, a fellow believer, walks into her office and shuts the door behind her. “What is it, Louise?” Fran asks. “What’s happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “Fran, have you read this latest memo from the home office? Listen to this,” Louise reads from her phone: In order to make certain our company provides adequate protection for all of our employees and is compliant with Federal and State guidelines, everyone is required to attend a training session addressing these concerns. These are two-hour sessions, which will be conducted by an outside organization, will focus on our individual responsibility to affirm and respect everyone in our company. Please select the day you can attend and sign up below. “I have not seen that,” Fran replies. “What do you think it’s all about, Louise?” “Oh, I know what it’s all about. I talked to Sandra in HR–you’ve met her.” “Yes, I know her—she is a fellow believer. I like her a lot,” Fran replies. “Well, she told me this training is to tell us how we are to treat LGBTQ people. She said they are making new policies on how we address them, especially transgender people, and stuff like that,” Louise says with anxiety in her voice. “I don’t see a big problem with that, Louise. Do you?” Fran says. “Well, yeah, I do. They’re trying to make us accept what is against our belief—our doctrine. This is the politically correct culture gone amuck, Fran. This is just step one; what will be next?” Louise is truly upset about it. Fran gives it some thought. “Louise, we already treat them like we treat anyone else, right? So, they’re not going to make us do anything we don’t do already. That’s the way I see it. If they just want us to never discriminate and always treat them with respect, I can agree with that. That’s what I think Jesus would do.” “You just don’t get it, do you, Fran?” Louise asks with some frustration. Well, is Louise right? Does Fran just not get it? This should be an interesting discussion.

What has life taught you? I’ve known people who went through life and never ever seemed to learn life lessons. They just made the same mistakes over and over and never seemed to gain any wisdom. 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 (James 1:5). Recognizing you lack the wisdom you need is step one, praying for wisdom is step two, and learning from your experiences, mistakes, journey, and from other people is step three in becoming a wise person. Here are some life lessons I’d like to pass along to you. Life Lesson No. 1: When you don’t know what to do, just take the next small step. Life is full of turning points, small and large; times when you must make a decision but you’re not sure about it. I’m not talking about black and white decisions, things that are clearly right or wrong. But other decisions like: Should I look for a new job? Should I offer to give this person some money? Is it time to sell my house? Of course, prayer is our first order of business when we’re faced with decisions, and it’s always helpful to seek advice from trusted advisors. But I’ve often found if I take the next small step and then see where that leads, I can usually tell whether it is the right thing or not. And sometimes I discover there really is no next small step; I would have to push and shove and maneuver to get to that next step. That’s always a red flag for me that says, “Slow down; make sure this is a good step to take.” When I first believed God was leading me to begin this radio ministry, many years ago now, after praying about it for a few months, I remember thinking, “You’ve prayed about this for a long time now. Isn’t it time for you to do something?” So, I made the first small step—a phone call that opened a door and began the process of beginning The Christian Working Woman program in August of 1984. As the Chinese proverb reminds us, every long journey begins with the first step. I think many people park-out at the starting line, thinking about what they might do, wanting to do something, but because of fear or double-mindedness, they never move. James says a double-minded person is unstable in all her ways (James 1:8). Double mindedness is that state of mind where you go back and forth and back and forth, but you never move forward! Reminds me of one of the Tater Family members. Dick Tater is the Father, but the one I’m thinking about is Hessie Tator. Hessie always intends to do something, but she hesitates and never takes the first step. You really don’t want to be a Hessie Tater, so, don’t be afraid to take that first step and see where it leads. Life Lesson No. 2: If you will live in today, rather than yesterday or tomorrow, you can make it! Jesus said, Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:30). Most of our stress and depression comes because we live either in the past, with regrets and anger, or we live in fear of the future. God gives us the strength to cope with today, but we keep adding on the past and the future and wonder why we can’t make it! Yesterday is gone. You can’t change it; you can’t make it better. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:18-19). If you continually dwell on the past, you will miss the new thing God wants to do for you. Yesterday is over; let it go. Tomorrow never comes. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday! Fear of the future absolutely will stop you from the good things God has for you. Pray daily that you will live in today, and then you’ll have the strength to make it through. It’s a matter of changing your attitude and thought patterns. When we are worrying it’s usually because our thoughts are out of control. I’ve written a book about that, called Think About What You Think About, because long ago I began to realize I had to learn to bring my thoughts under control. And I still have to consciously and intentionally monitor my thoughts and recognize when they’re going where they shouldn’t go—and then stop them! Change them! When you’re living in yesterday or tomorrow, you’re often allowing your thoughts to go where they shouldn’t go. Life Lesson No. 3: Pay off your credit cards every month. Financial troubles affect every area of our lives, and most people’s financial troubles begin with that plastic credit card. The credit card companies make it easier and easier for us to get a card and then they do everything to encourage us to use it, and then just pay the minimum each month. That is a recipe for financial disaster. No doubt some of you are in financial trouble now because you’ve got so much credit card debt. What do you do? First, stop using your credit card. If you’re in credit card trouble, make yourself pay cash for what you buy, and you’ll be amazed at how much more frugal you will be. We get so used to pulling out that credit card; it

The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him (Proverbs 18:17). We’re looking at Proverbs for business this week. This proverb is very good advice for us on our jobs. What it teaches us is to withhold judgment and opinions until we’ve heard both sides to any story. We shouldn’t be gullible, and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. This is a particularly difficult area for me, because I am very impulsive and very much an overreactor. And every time I do that, I regret it. I am by God’s grace focusing prayer and attention in my life on learning to wait until I hear both sides of any story, to make sure I’ve got my facts straight, to remember there may be something here I just don’t know yet. I remember coming into the office on a very busy day to find a message that irritated me at once. With only partial information, I thought this other person was doing something way out of line, and I overreacted. I went to the phone and started dialing the number to get things straightened out. Thankfully, she was not in, and I didn’t get to speak with her at that time. When she did return my call and explained the situation, I realized the message had not been complete, and if I had talked with her earlier, I would have overreacted and probably hurt her feelings. God protected me that time and reminded me how much I need to learn not to overreact. Wise Solomon warned us the first person to present their case can sound very convincing because we haven’t heard the other side of the story. We need to listen to people but not be too quick to agree or disagree with them until we’ve sorted out the facts and know what we’re dealing with. This is good advice for managers and employees alike. I want to encourage you to go to the Proverbs daily for guidance. There are 31 chapters, so you can read the one that corresponds to the day of the month. I’ve been doing that for several years, and many times God has used the Proverbs to give me clear guidance, especially on job-related issues.

I’m looking at Proverbs for business, because the book of Proverbs is wonderfully applicable to the situations we face in our working worlds. …you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this…to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself…Allow no sleep to your eyes…Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler (Proverbs 6:2-5). How many times have you wanted to crawl under a table because you said something you wished you hadn’t? Perhaps they were words spoken in anger or haste, or words of gossip, or judgmental words. Unkind, untruthful, harsh, unnecessary words that inflicted harm of some kind. What do you do? You can’t unsay them; you can’t delete them; you can’t erase them. Those words hang there in your memory and the memory of others. What can you do? Solomon says to go and humble yourself to the person your words harmed; go, confess to them, and do it immediately. Apologize and do all you can to free yourself from the damage of those words. Now, I know that’s not easy to do. But it’s a lot easier than not doing it! Once in a hotel on a business trip, I accused a hotel employee of neglecting to follow my instructions. I was certain I had given those instructions. Nicely, but directly, I said, “I’m sure it’s your fault; please correct it.” A few minutes later I came to realize I was the one who was wrong, not him. It was embarrassing; I wanted to run away. But I forced myself to go to the phone, call the young man and apologize to him. Even a simple apology like that wasn’t easy, but once I did it, I felt so free. And I could tell it made a big difference to him. He kept saying, “That’s so nice of you to call. Thank you.” It wasn’t nice of me; it was the right thing to do. If you’ve offended someone with words, don’t procrastinate. Go right now, today and apologize. That’s good advice from Proverbs.

Proverbs is a very practical book, one which we can easily apply to our everyday lives in the working world. I’m looking at Proverbs for business to see how some specific proverbs apply to our jobs. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning (Proverbs 9:9). One of the most important characteristics every Christian should have, in my opinion, is teachableness. A person who is teachable is a very wise and truly humble person who recognizes they don’t know it all, and there’s always something new to learn. As a manager, I can tell you it is a joy to have an employee who has a teachable spirit, who is willing to learn and looking for ways to improve. A manager will endure mistakes and learning cycles, a manager will hang in there with you much longer if he or she sees an attitude of teachableness—wanting to learn. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to work with a person who knows it all and has no desire to learn anything new. How about you? Are you teachable? How do you respond when you’re given helpful hints or suggestions? Do you resent them? Sometimes we can learn from younger people, people in the business shorter times than us, people below us in rank. But if you feel threatened when someone tries to teach you something, you’re likely to stagnate right where you are. It is very smart and mature to accept teaching, to listen to new ideas and suggestions. Managers need this quality as much—perhaps more—than anyone else. Many times, we managers fail to listen to our employees, who have very good ideas that could help us if we were more teachable. The day you get beyond being teachable, you’re in trouble, because that’s the day you’ll stop growing. And you don’t just stand still; you go backwards. How about it? Do you need to ask God to make you a teachable person? No matter how good and smart you are already, you can be wiser still, Proverbs says, and you can add to your learning and wisdom by allowing others to instruct you.

We’re looking at Proverbs for business. Let’s read a few verses from Proverbs 6: Go to the ant, you sluggard: consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provision in summer and gathers its food at harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8). In the margin of my Bible by this verse I have written “self-motivated.” The ant is a self-motivated creature. Without anyone standing over all those ants and telling them what to do, they perform their jobs diligently and are prepared for what lies ahead. Self-motivation is a key factor in our business world today. It is sometimes rare to find people who have it. Too many people are just trying to get by with as little as possible. They don’t look beyond their noses to see what else could be done. They take no initiative and are not willing to go any extra miles. A Christian in the workplace should be like the ant: self-motivated, willing to dig in and get the work done without prompting or constant supervision. Does your manager trust you? Can she or he be assured you will do your job diligently whether anyone’s watching? Certainly, a Christian should produce that kind of reputation. Our witness in the world can never be effective if our lives aren’t different. If we have the “It’s not my job” attitude that is prevalent today, if we drag our feet and do only what we’re told to do, if we gripe and complain about doing anything above and beyond our job description, how will our coworkers and management know Christ makes a difference in our lives? They won’t, and our verbal witness, if there is one, will fall on deaf ears. Christians have a power far beyond self to help motivate us. We have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us to give us the strength we need to be self-motivated. And we should have an outstanding testimony on our jobs that we do our work, we do it whether anyone’s watching or not, we do it to the best of our ability, and we’re willing to go the extra mile. Go to the ant and consider its ways. We can learn wisdom and self-motivation from them.

I believe the book of Proverbs is the best management and employee relations book ever written. Let’s explore five different proverbs and how they relate to our jobs. I encourage you to make Proverbs a daily reading habit. There are 31 chapters, so it’s easy to read the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month. I’ve been doing that for several years and find the practical advice has been most beneficial in my life. Today let’s look at Proverbs 22:10. Drive out the mocker and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended (Proverbs 22:10). Another translation reads drive out the scoffer and contention will go out. Even strife and dishonor will cease. Have you ever worked with a person who was a mocker and a scoffer? That’s the person who makes fun of others, who ridicules people and organizations, who is arrogant and causes problems seemingly on purpose. When there’s a mocker in the group, the work environment can be pretty miserable. This proverb says by getting rid of a mocker, you get rid of strife. For those of you who are in management positions, it’s good to remember there are times when the best thing you can do is to get rid of an employee. Now, I hope that doesn’t sound cruel, but a person who is intent on offending others—and some people are—can have very detrimental effects on an organization. Of course, as Christians, we still must care about people regardless of how unlovable they are. And though we can never change people, the Holy Spirit can, so we shouldn’t give up praying for them. But that doesn’t mean we allow them to ruin the working environment for everyone else. Remember, the workplace is not a rehab center or a counseling office. We want to help people when possible, but you don’t hire people to reform or change them; you hire them to do a job. Solomon said, in his wisdom, you’re better off to drive out the mocker and the scoffer, for by so doing, the strife and dishonor will stop, people will be able to work productively together, and everyone will benefit, including the person who is the troublemaker. Allowing him or her to continue to get by with that inappropriate behavior doesn’t help that individual. My experience in business tells me many managers need to bite some bullets for the good of the organization and drive out the mockers and scoffers who are disrupting the workplace. It’s some good advice found in Proverbs.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen The Oxford language dictionary defines evangelism as the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.[1] It is also defined as zealous advocacy of a cause. Merriam-webster.com defines evangelism as a winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ, and it’s also defined as militant or crusading zeal.[2] An evangelist is, therefore, someone who spreads the gospel by preaching or personal witness, winning personal commitments to Christ—and, I would add, with zeal! There are three ways to consider evangelism: proclamation, incarnational/relational, and apologetic/intellectual. Proclamation evangelism is the preaching mentioned above. It is a direct telling of the gospel to others. You probably will not be deploying this tactic at work, unless you are a preacher! Incarnational/relational evangelism is the living it out—building relationships and sharing your faith at work, with a bit of apologetic/intellectual evangelism as well. Meaning, you will need to be able to explain why you are living it out. One of the most relevant definitions of evangelism I have read is this working definition presented by the Theology of Work project that says, “Evangelism is the organic process of intentionally engaging individuals in their spiritual journey, joining the Holy Spirit, watching for where he is already at work to help these individuals take one step closer to God and a new life in Christ, becoming the unique reflection of the image of Christ as the resurrected, glorified persons God intended.”[3] This punctuates that evangelism is focused on the individual, and not some large group of people. We certainly come across many individuals during our workday! But why evangelize? Isn’t this for the well-trained and professionals? And, surely, we shouldn’t do this at work—or should we? Studies show 90% of church going people who come to Christ as adults do so because of a relationship with one or more Christians outside of the four walls of the church. With many of these adults going to work, this makes our workplace evangelism key to God’s plan for salvation! Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). Earlier in Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus tells his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. I want to remind you the disciples were not some well-studied priests of the time. And remember, Jesus was a humble carpenter before he began his ministry. God did not call the qualified, he qualified the called! Thinking about the disciples as fishermen and a tax collector and Jesus as a carpenter, helps me to feel more qualified in my calling to be an evangelist at work! Our purpose here at The Christian Working Woman is to encourage, equip, and empower Christians in the workplace to love Christ more, to live their daily lives by biblical principles, and to go to their jobs as ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Rooted in the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:20, which tells us we are Christ’s ambassadors, we are here in ministry to help you grow as workplace evangelists. Clearly the word evangelism is rooted in our faith as followers of Jesus Christ. Are you zealous about it yet? Many women I encounter don’t feel like they can share their faith at work. Whether it is feeling unqualified to share the gospel or simply fearing it will not be welcomed, there are more perceived obstacles than there are perceived open doors for Jesus at work. This is one of the reasons I like the working definition from the Theology of Work project mentioned earlier. The definition helps us frame the process of evangelism at work rather than simply telling us, “Hey, go proclaim Christ at work!” Evangelism is an organic process, specifically meaning it happens naturally. We don’t need to get all worked up and plan it all out. Consider the examples we have in the Bible. First Jesus. Notice how he shared his good news with others. His evangelism was incarnational and relational in every way with a touch of apologetic wisdom! Even though I am sure Jesus divinely knew who he would encounter, he wasn’t on a direct quest to find them, except for the disciples. They came to him. He encountered the woman at the well when he was thirsty, and he encountered the bleeding woman as he was going to heal another’s child. Think about the healing of the demon possessed man when the evil spirits were cast into the pigs. This man was in Jesus’s path as he arrived from crossing the sea. Think about the leper needing healing. He was also in Jesus’s path. Finally, the criminal on the cross at the crucifixion. Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). Now, I

Presented by Julie Busteed Much of life is spent working—both in a job and in the ordinary daily tasks that keep life going. Scripture makes it clear that rest matters, yet the question remains: is rest truly practiced? Is there space to unplug, sit still, and be present? The fourth commandment speaks directly to both work and rest: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God… (Exodus 20:8–10). God did not only command rest; He modeled it. Genesis tells us, by the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy (Genesis 2:2–3). What a gift this is. God gives meaningful work and purpose, and he also knows the human need for rest. That is why the Sabbath was given, blessed, and made holy. Is this model followed? In a culture that values constant activity, it is easy to stay busy—at work, at home, and even in good and meaningful pursuits. Worth can quietly become tied to how full the schedule is. Yet the truth remains: rest is necessary. Not only physical rest but mental and emotional rest as well—time for the mind and spirit to be renewed. Too often, the command to rest on the Sabbath is brushed aside. Stillness can feel uncomfortable. Being alone with one’s thoughts may feel unfamiliar, or even unproductive. Rest can seem boring in a world that never slows down. But Sabbath does not mean doing nothing; it means resting from ordinary labor and setting the day apart for God. For many, Sunday serves as a Sabbath. Others who work on Sundays may need to choose a different day of the week to set aside. Even while Israel wandered in the desert, God established a rhythm of rest. Manna was gathered on the sixth day so that the seventh day could be devoted to rest and worship. Jesus declared himself Lord of the Sabbath. When the Pharisees accused him of working on the Sabbath, he explained that meeting basic needs and doing good—healing, helping, restoring—were never violations of God’s intent. As Jesus said, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). May this rhythm of work and rest become a lived practice—one that brings freedom, restores the soul, and honors the gracious gift God has given.

Presented by Julie Busteed Work can be either overvalued or undervalued. When it is overvalued, it can quietly become an idol—an identity. So how do you keep that in check? What if you genuinely enjoy your job and want to succeed? You have goals—maybe to advance, earn a certain position, or work at a prestigious place. Is that wrong? Is work becoming too important? Has it begun to define your whole life? I believe it comes down to the posture of our hearts. King Solomon, a man who had more success and resources than most could imagine, reflects on this in Ecclesiastes. He writes: I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11). This sounds like striving and ambition to me. He was successful and achieved many things. But in the end King Solomon reflects and feels empty. He denied himself nothing yet nothing fulfilled him. He also writes in Psalms 127:1 that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Ambition and striving are not inherently something to be avoided. But if you are not putting your relationship with God at the center, relying on him, trusting in him, daily walking with him, then it’s all in vain. The question is not whether we should work hard or pursue excellence or go after that next promotion, but who we are working for and why. When our work is surrendered to God, it becomes more than striving. It becomes stewardship. We can hold ambition with open hands, trusting that our worth is not found in what we achieve, but in whose we are. As we commit our work to the Lord, he gives it meaning, direction, and lasting purpose—far beyond what we could accomplish on our own. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3). I pray you think of your work—whatever it is—as unto the Lord, to be a good steward so others will see his light in your life.

Presented by Julie Busteed What does Scripture teach us about the meaning and purpose of our work? Let’s look at some examples of how work can be an opportunity to use our God-given abilities to serve others. The story of Ruth the Moabite comes to mind when thinking about an example of working to serve others. This short, four-chapter book of the Bible is packed with so much to reflect on, but today I want to focus on how Ruth’s work blessed others, specifically her mother-in-law Naomi. A fly over recap: Naomi was not only a widow, but she also lost both of her sons. There was no one to provide for her and she was living in a foreign land. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, was also a widow who loved Naomi deeply and followed Naomi back to her homeland in Bethlehem. They arrived back in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Arriving empty handed and no way to feed themselves, Ruth said to Naomi, let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor (Ruth 2:2). God provided a way for the poor to feed themselves. He said, when you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:9-10). Naomi was certainly poor, and Ruth was a foreigner. God’s law made provision for this situation. But someone had to go out in the field and put in some effort to gather the leftover grain. There was work involved. This was physical work. Ruth may not have been accustomed to it, but it didn’t keep her from attempting to provide for Naomi and herself. I imagine it was not creative work, and commentaries indicate it could have been dangerous even for her. But God provided for and protected her in this as well, since she “happened” to end up working in Boaz’s field, a relative of Naomi’s husband. And as the narrative goes, he became the kinsman redeemer, providing more than Naomi and Ruth could have imagined. All this to say, Ruth, through the unglamourous work of gleaning barley in the fields, not only provided temporary nourishment for Naomi, but also was the catalyst for providing a kinsman redeemer—someone to rescue them from poverty. In the end, Boaz married Ruth and had a son who carried on the name of Naomi’s husband. Best of all, their son was the grandfather of King David and ultimately in the lineage of Christ as we read in Matthew chapter 1. I just love how God uses us where we are. No matter what work we are doing, however humble or elevated our jobs might be if we are working for him and doing our best, he can and will use us.

Presented by Julie Busteed Do you realize God created and modeled work for you and me? I looked at one word used for work, which focused on the aspect of creativity. Let’s look at another Hebrew word used for work—avodah. And it carries the idea of purpose. It is also translated as service, worship, and even slavery. The common thread, it describes work done by one person for the benefit of another. In Genesis 2, this word appears twice. In verse 5, we read there was no one to work the ground. Then in verse 15, God places the man in the garden to work it and take care of it. From the beginning, work is clearly presented as a gift given to humanity by God, part of his good creation plan. Then in Genesis 3, after the fall, work itself is not introduced as a curse, but it is affected by the curse. The ground is cursed because of sin, and work becomes difficult and toilsome. Thorns and thistles now grow in the garden, and provision comes through pain and sweat. Work is not the punishment for sin; rather, sin distorts work, just as it distorts every part of creation. As a result, work now includes struggle, frustration, and hardship. There are thorns and thistles, and at times it will be demanding and exhausting. Considering this, how do you and I show up to work each day in a way that honors and reflects God? I find thinking of work as a gift from God—something he created me to do—helps maintain perspective. The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:17 to do everything with all our hearts, as working for the Lord and not for human masters. That truth reframes even the menial, boring, or difficult tasks every job includes. Those tasks matter, and you and I are called to do them with excellence—for his glory. Work is also necessary. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life… to work with your hands…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12). The Thessalonians had fallen into idleness, relying on others for support. Paul encourages them to work—not only to provide for themselves—but as a way of living out their faith. Your work matters not only to pay the bills and sustain a living for you and your family, but as a witness to others. Let’s go to work and remember who we really work for.[1] — [1] Some content used with permission by Tim Vickers and IFES Graduate Impact.

Presented by Julie Busteed When you hear the word work or think about your work, what comes to mind first? Do you think about work primarily as something that you have to do to pay the bills? Is it a source of boredom, frustration, and drudgery? Or maybe you enjoy your work, and it is a space where you can be creative and challenged and satisfied. Probably for most, it’s some combination of both. So, let’s look at how God created work and how you and I can undervalue or overvalue it. The word “work” first appears in the Bible in Genesis 2 after the creation story in Genesis 1 and before the fall in Genesis 3. Work is not a result of sin entering the world. Work is affected by it, but God’s original purpose for work was for our good. In Hebrew there are two different words which are translated into “work.” The first one is in Genesis 2:2-3. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis 2:2-3). This indicates work is something God does. So work is good. To see how God works, we go back to Genesis one and look for all the action verbs and the work characteristic that it goes with: God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). This displays his authority. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:4). God separated, which shows organization expertise. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night” (Genesis 1:5). God names things, which provides order and administration. Throughout much of the creation account God speaks things into existence indicating his creativity, authority, and communication. At the end of his work God saw that it was good. God saw all he had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31). He reviewed and evaluated all that he had done. Another important skill used in work. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). Since you and I are made in his image, we are made to do good work, to do amazing and wonderful things. It is God’s gift allowing you to express your identity through your creativity.[1] — [1] Some content used with permission by Tim Vickers and IFES Graduate Impact.

I read an article in a Christian magazine entitled “Three Marketplace Worldviews: The secular marketplace view, the non-biblical compromised Christian view, and the biblical marketplace view.” This article really caught my attention, and I want to share with you some further good information from it. A worldview is simply the way we look at things, the paradigm through which we see our world. A marketplace view is the way you look at your job, career, or business. It’s part of your worldview, but it could be very different from other parts of your worldview. Basically, your marketplace view is the way you think about the whole issue of work, careers, and your particular job. The Bible tells us as we think in our hearts, so we are, so your marketplace view has a very strong influence on why you get up and go to work each day, how you perform once you get there, and what you hope to achieve as a result. Let’s look at some further differences between these three marketplace views. How does a secular marketplace view understand the moral foundation and guidelines for business? That view says, “The ends justify the means.” A secular view rejects the Bible as truth and considers it irrelevant to business. They would consider anyone with a biblical marketplace view as a bit weird, certainly radical. You’ll find a wide variety of behavior among those who hold a secular marketplace view. Many are just out for themselves, using whatever means necessary to achieve their aims. They are into office politics, underhanded deals, deceitful sales pitches, or tweaking numbers—whatever it takes to reach their goals of more money, more success, more promotions. Others, on the other hand, will recognize there is merit in being honest and helpful. People who are not believers in Jesus Christ can still benefit greatly when they choose to live by biblical principles. I know people who would never call themselves Christians, but who also would never be dishonest in their business dealings. I read an article about a man who got a tax refund that was grossly in error. Instead of a small amount, the check was for over two million dollars. Knowing he had no right to the money, even though he had the check in his hands, he returned it because it was the right thing to do. Even a non-believer can operate out of right principles, but they still hold a secular marketplace view and are in the job to get the most they can for themselves. What is the non-biblical compromised Christian view of the moral foundation and guidelines for business? This person thinks, “God is more concerned about our church than my job or my business.” He is not sure the Bible has much to say about how to do business. After all, it was written too long ago. He may think it impossible to live by Christian principles on the job because nobody else does, and it’s a dog-eat-dog world. He or she sees his or her work as a separate from life and faith. Why do far-too-many Christians have this compromised view of their jobs—this unbiblical attitude toward work? Because they don’t know the Bible well enough. Because they don’t spend time truly searching God’s word and applying it to their lives. Because they’ve never heard a message like this, challenging them to have a biblical view of their work. Because they so easily fall into the world’s mold and are not willing to pay the price of living for Jesus on their jobs. There are many reasons. We have an enemy of our soul who is going to use every tactic possible to keep Christians from being effective witnesses for Jesus Christ, and this is certainly one weapon he uses. He deceives us into thinking incorrectly—after all, lying is his specialty—and once we think wrongly, we act wrongly. How wonderful it is to find a Christian with a Biblical marketplace view. This person understands God’s principles and precepts for business and is committed to doing business God’s way. This person truly studies and applies what the Bible teaches regarding business and money. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, a biblical marketplace view causes this person to see her job as part of her mission in this world, even if persecution and suffering may result from doing business God’s way. I have a friend whose family owns a successful business, begun by his father and now being passed on to his sons. This business is based on biblical principles, and everyone who works there knows it. There are many employees, and though it is not required for an employee to be a Christian, the owners are not hesitant to make it known that the business belongs to God and is operated to bring him glory. I’ve been there to give a brief Bible study at lunchtime, and the employees I met love to work there. It’s really a testimony to what it means to have a biblical marketplace view. I have a friend who is a very successful attorney, and he has frequently told me operating by biblical principles as an attorney has been a great benefit to him, not a handicap. My brother owned

I’ve been hoping to inspire you to ask God to give you a vision—so you rise above mediocrity and soar to the heights for which God created you. What does a vision look like? Here are five signs to help you identify your God-given vision: Sign Number 1 – It won’t go away. As you pray about it, it gets stronger, not weaker. Sign Number 2 – There is a need for it. Sign Number 3 – God will open doors for you. You will see some small and/or large miracles as God opens these doors. You will be amazed, frightened, awestruck, and excited. Sign Number 4 – Your spiritual leader(s) will encourage you. Sign Number 5 – God will give you the right people to help you. Elsy Riungu was my friend in Nairobi, Kenya. Many years ago, at our conference there I spoke on the topic of asking God for a vision. As always, Elsy took to heart what she heard. She prayed about it and then began a ministry to help save marriages. She rented a venue near her home—with money she didn’t have to spare—and started a monthly meeting for couples. She got speakers, planned the programs, advertised and invited, and for several years she continued this ministry. After she began, she wrote: “Couples ministry is running well, as we meet once a month. It is exciting to minister to mostly young couples. I have had three separate marriages, and after counselling, two of them are restored and enjoying their union. My desire this year is to reach families in the rural areas, where the need is enormous. Pray for me.” She had no money, no support system backing her up. God gave her a vision, and she was obedient to it. And she was filled with joy to be doing what God called her to do. Are you willing to ask for a vision? It begins with prayer, but at some point, you must put feet to your prayer. Start walking through open doors and just keep taking the next right step. Remember, when it comes to pursuing your vision: If you don’t go for it, it will fade, and you’ll miss the blessing. Use it or lose it. The more you pursue God’s vision for you, the more ability and gifts you will have to do it. God will stretch you and gift you like you’ve never dreamed. But this won’t happen until you take the first step.

What is your excuse for not asking God to give you a vision—a new beginning, a new passion for pursuing all he wants to do with you and through you? We’re looking at some of the common excuses that keep us from the abundant life Jesus wants to give us. Here’s one of those excuses: I’ve made too many mistakes; there is too much baggage from my past for me to do anything great for God. If God only used people with perfect track records, there would be no one to use. God takes us where we are and tells us to put our past behind us and move forward to the good things he wants to do for us. Isaiah wrote: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19). There may be other excuses you have for your lack of vision, but could it be that you don’t have a vision of what God wants to do through you because you’ve never asked for a vision? James wrote you do not have, because you do not ask God (James 4:2). Jesus told us Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8). How do we recognize God’s vision? Are you willing to ask God for a vision? You say, “I’m not sure I would know one if I saw it!” Good question—how do we know God’s vision for us? A vision from God will be born in love—love of God, love of the Lord Jesus, and love of others. A God-given vision will not depend upon your giftedness, your hard work, or your promotional abilities, though your gifts will be used and you will work hard. But the success of your vision will be a God-thing that can only be explained by his power working in you. And it will always be in harmony with God’s Word. I urge you to consider seriously whether you need to ask God to give you a vision, to help you step out by faith and realize the potential he has created in you, and the joy that comes when you walk by faith and not by sight.

Are you a visionary? Do you ask God to give you a vision of what he wants you to do and be, and then fearlessly step out on faith and do it? Many times, we fail to soar like an eagle because we’re afraid to take any risks. Here’s another excuse that can keep you mired in mediocrity. I don’t have the talent, abilities, or experience it takes to be a visionary. Maybe you’re thinking: People who take risks are gifted in some way or another. I don’t have any special gifts. I’m just an ordinary person, who can do ordinary things in an ordinary way. If this is your excuse, you are without excuse. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). How many examples do you want of how God uses ordinary people? Start with Peter, James, and John—uneducated fishermen. Consider Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba—all great-grandmothers in the lineage of Jesus Christ—and all totally unqualified for the job. The Bible and church history are replete with examples of people who were used mightily by God in small and large ways, even though they didn’t have the right credentials, the right education, or the right skills and abilities. That way, God gets the glory. I’m too old to ask for a vision. Are you thinking: If I were in my twenties, then I could do something great for the Lord. But it’s too late now. Consider Caleb, who after 40 years of wandering in the desert, is allowed to go into the Promised Land. So, now 85 years old, Caleb goes to Joshua and says, I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day (Joshua 14:11-12). If you’ve been using age or some disability as your excuse for not asking God for a vision, pray “God, give me this hill—give me a vision of what you want to do with me now at this age in this time.”