iWork4Him PowerThought

The other day I heard about an easy conversational tip to help build quick relationships with new people no matter what situation you're in – from the office to the bus to the breakroom! It's called the FORD Method. The FORD Method is an acronym where the "F" stands for Family, "O" for Occupation, "R" for Recreation, and "D" for Dreams. By asking the other person questions in each of these four categories, there is no reason why you can't turn coworkers into friends, strangers into clients, and customers into regulars. So, who do you want to connect with on a deeper level this week? I challenge you to ask them more about their family, their feelings about their position or job, what they like to do in their free time, and their real dreams - then pray for open doors to share the gospel!

Have you ever found yourself caught up in petty workplace rivalries? If you have, then you know that they can get ugly – fast! When we play the comparison game, it's easy to spend more time looking over at our neighbor's desk and critiquing their work than actually focusing on doing our own work with excellence. In 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 the Apostle Paul writes, "We hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work..." Nothing good comes from jealousy, gossip, idleness, or comparison. So next time you find yourself tempted to peek over at your coworker's progress or lack of progress and decide to make a comment, stop and remember Paul's command to settle down and get to work!

What do you see when you look at your boss, coworkers, or employees? Do you see annoyances and frustrations, or do you see the image of God? As Christians, we believe that God creates all people in His own likeness, each one worthy and inherently valuable. And what's more, each person is also loved by God! Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Take that in for a second: Jesus loves your boss, coworkers, and employees so much that he was willing to die for them! Do your words and actions at work reflect Christ's love to those around you? Or do you find yourself slipping into judgment and anger? This week, I want to challenge you to treat everyone you meet with the love, dignity, and respect of Christ!

In our book, iWork4Him, Bob Willbanks writes about how he was "miserably saved." A condition where one is focused more on a life guided by the American Dream than on a life guided by Jesus. This mindset may have brought Bob worldly success and riches, but it also led him down the road of alcoholism, cost him his first marriage, and almost cost him his second. He was on the fast track to disaster until Jesus met him there. So, what about you? Are you miserably saved? Do you feel like your faith gets in the way of your dreams and ambitions? Or are your dreams and ambitions guided and set by your faith? Remember, true faith will direct you to set aside yourself and your selfish ambitions to seek God's purposes. When you rest in the promises of God and value the type of success that bears eternal fruits, you will cultivate a flourishing faith and abundant life.

In Matthew 10:27, a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. The answer: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." God wants your whole life; He isn't interested in just a part of it. He doesn't just want your Sunday mornings. He wants it all. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year (and three hundred and sixty-six on leap years). And guess what? That includes the hours you spend at work! Following Jesus is not a part-time gig. It's all the time. So take a second and ask yourself if you have invited Jesus to come to work with you or if have you relegated Him to your private life.

During the work week, most people spend 40 hours at their job, 40 hours sleeping, and 40 hours for everything else – including commute time, chores, eating, hobbies, relaxation, and family time. This means, the greatest sphere of interpersonal influence you have is probably your job. Tracy Matthews from Attune said in a recent interview that, "Time spent at work typically consumes the largest share of waking hours and is one of our greatest arenas of character formation and external influence." In other words, your job is not just a job… it's an opportunity to impact the lives of others for Christ. The workplace is the largest mission field in the world and you are already deployed there! Don't waste a second of it! God wants to use you to reach your coworkers, employees, clients, and bosses with the love of Christ! How can you engage in your workplace mission field today?

Too often, when we hear the word "generous" we think only of financial giving. But what if God is calling us to be generous with our whole lives – not just our bank accounts? Proverbs 11:25 says, "Generous persons will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." What if we redefined generosity as anything that refreshes those around us? In other words, taking time to listen, being lavish with our compliments, leaving room in our schedule to build relationships, using our influence to lift others up, and applying our talents to lighten the workload of our coworkers? Imagine the kind of cultural change our workplaces would have if we made a habit of refreshing others instead of draining them with negativity or exhaustion! Ask the Holy Spirit to redefine your idea of generosity this week!

If I had a quarter for every time I'm talking with someone about work and they say, "I just wish I knew what my purpose was," I would be a very rich man. We have been fed a lie in America that there is one exact job that God is calling us to, and if we miss that career path, we have somehow missed His purpose for us. But in Matthew 28:16 Jesus gives us the ultimate calling. He says, "Go and make disciples of all nations." Period. That is our purpose – our calling. To make disciples of all nations… including that grumpy coworker or difficult boss. In a recent interview, Pete Ochs said, "Your job or platform is really just the venue that God's given you to live out your purpose… to honor God." So remember, no matter what job you hold, your unchanging purpose is to share the good news of Jesus with everyone around you!

In Luke 9:23 Jesus says, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." In other words, if you are going to follow after Jesus, you have to be willing for faith to cost you something. Drew Crandall from North East Christians at Work told us in a recent interview that, "It's relatively easy to be a Christ-follower at church on the weekend. But exporting, or integrating, your faith into the workplace is a challenge!" In other words, it's easy to be a one-day a week Christian… it's a whole other thing to invite Christ into your everyday. But trust me when I say the effort is worth it! Are you ready to take the challenge and commit to being a workplace missionary? Check out the iWork4Him Nation Covenant on our website, at iWork4Him.com/jointhenation.

When you are faced with a difficult person, a disagreement with your spouse, an unfair situation at work, or a complaining coworker – what is your initial response? Is it to open your mouth? Or is it to open your Bible? Too often we speak out of anger, frustration, or even a misguided sense of justice, without first seeking out the heart of our Heavenly Father. This type of response – more often than not - leads to broken relationships and unwise choices. However, when we take the time to consult with God FIRST about the challenging situations in our lives, he is faithful to answer in a way that brings life, goodness, and restoration to everyone around us. Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus." Next time you're frustrated, try opening your Bible before your mouth.