iWork4Him PowerThought

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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