iWork4Him PowerThought

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

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

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

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

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

People want to be heard and recognized, which makes listening so important. I have a tendency to listen to the first few words of someone expressing a thought or idea or feeling to me, and then I am busy contemplating a response. I often miss my chance to listen because I want so badly to be heard. I never realized that behavior was so hurtful until I got married. Martha is a great communicator and says so many incredible things. I have had to learn to just listen to her when she speaks without responding. Then she knows I love her. We work together every day, so this is a really important skill. When we listen, we communicate care and love and acceptance. And you know that Jesus is the best listener ever. As Jesus-followers, we can be just like Him. Practice listening today.

People want to be heard and recognized, which makes listening so important. We spend a lot of time with our co-workers—lots of time. We grow to like our co-workers, and some we even grow to love and cherish. But do the people you love know that you listen to them? Do people at work and frankly at home, know that you love them by how you demonstrate your listening skills? Listening is the most powerful communicator of love. Jesus is the best listener ever, and everybody who met him knew He loved them. As Jesus-followers, we can be just like Him. Practice listening to those you love in your work and your home today – listening will show them that you care.

People want to be heard and recognized, which makes listening so important. When I get in my car, I put on the radio. I love to listen to talk radio. It passes the time in traffic, and I get entertained. About 15 years ago, I realized I had an addiction to noise in my car. I needed to learn to be quiet and listen to God. I committed my morning commutes to work to be my listening/praying time. No matter how long or short, my morning time in the car was committed to learning to be a listener…and to be quiet. It changed my life. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." If I learned to be still, you can too. Listening is a Jesus quality. Practice listening to God in your car on your way to work today.

People want to be heard and recognized, which makes listening so important. When you are in trouble or need advice, who do you listen to first? Do you rush right to your bible and get on your knees in prayer? Or do you tend to call a friend or post your trouble on Facebook? I get it. It is easier to connect with humans than to seek the Lord. But if our tendency is to go to people for answers and not our Heavenly Father, how will we attract others to Jesus. Jeremiah 29:11 says "He knows the plans for us" It's good to have sounding boards for advice, but who do you listen to first? Jesus is the best listener ever. Practice listening to your Lord today.

People want to be heard and recognized, which makes listening so important. Are you a good listener? I am a much better talker than a listener. When we listen to others, we are like Jesus. He listened so well. Today you may be on multiple zoom calls or in-person meetings, be the best listener in the crowd, not just listening for your job but listening for what isn't said, things spoken without words. Listening is the best way to open doors to conversations about your faith in Jesus. When we hear people's words, they feel valued. Psalm 34:15 says, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry." Jesus is the best listener ever. As Jesus-followers, we can be like Him. Practice listening in your work today.