iWork4Him PowerThought

When's the last time you really saw your co-workers? .... Saw them as real three-dimensional people? Not just a co-worker, workplace mate or just an employee? When's the last time you remembered, that they're a son or daughter of God? .... That they were created, like you, by God, for a purpose. That they are worthy. That they have a life, and that life is just as important as yours. That they're on a journey, their own journey, just like we all are. .... So how about you? We invite you today, to put on God's view of each person you work with, and to see Christ in each of them. And then watch the supernatural transform your work relationships and your workplace.

Ahhh rebellion. Its' the sickness of youth but perhaps, there's still some rebellion in our hearts as adults. Is there some ONE or some THING that you're rebelling against at work?...You may be doing it unknowingly… "under the table"…undermining, backbiting, using sarcasm or pushing against another's ideas or leadership in subtle ways. Romans 13:1 and 2 is clear: Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. So how about you? Won't you commit to glorify God, by submitting to YOUR authorities at work?

After a conversation with Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, of Love & Respect, I'm rethinking the way I go about being a peace-keeper. Here's what he said: Sometimes, as peace keepers we hedge on the truth, or just lie, to keep the peace. .... So let's apply that to our workplace. Are you unknowingly hedging on speaking the truth in work situations, to keep the peace? How can you know? You'll probably have a niggling in your spirit, an unsettledness. So what can we do to know when to speak the truth: We can check in with the Holy Spirit in the moment, before conversing, and pray for wisdom for how and when to speak. Keeping the peace may not be what best serves the organization. But speaking the truth is. So how about you?

If you're someone who watches or reads the news, then you know that there are a lot of bad things going on in the world today. From pandemics and civil wars to inflation and genocides, there is no shortage of darkness in the twenty-first century. How does all this sorrow and hardship affect your life? How about your work? Do you take it with you to the office? Do you chat with your co-workers about it? Do you live in fear or frustration? Bad news was going on during Jesus's day as well, but the Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:8, "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Today, I invite you to fix your mind on what is GOOD and then speak about it to your co-workers, who desperately need the hope of Christ.

Do you ever feel like a hamster on a wheel - stuck in a monotonous, repetitive, and unfulfilling pattern of going to work, eating, sleeping, and paying bills? When every day feels the same it can be difficult to live with a sense of significance… but here's some good news: our significance is not determined by our position or plans but by God working out His plans through our current position. Psalm 57:2 says, "I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me." God has a purpose for you, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. The job that you hold, the people that you work with, none of that is an accident. Jesus wants to use you to bring His light to everyone that you encounter. Next time you feel stuck on the hamster wheel, pray that God would open your eyes to His eternal purposes for you today at work.

We all have a calling, have you heard this before? Some of us get called to the pulpit and some to the foreign mission field but most of us get called to our cubicles, construction sites, care facilities or whatever your job site may be. Your Workplace, It's your mission field and in that mission field, you and me, we may be the only Jesus our co-workers, employees and bosses may ever meet. That Job that you hold and the work that you do, and the people that you work with, none of that is by chance. The people that you work with need to meet Jesus and you may be their only chance. So, as you contemplate the value of your work today, realize this…You don't need to quit your job in order to go into fulltime ministry. You are already in fulltime ministry, right there where you work.

Why do you go to work? Something gets you out of bed and on the clock. Is it for a paycheck, to get experience, or to feel like you're making a difference? All of us have a reason. If you paused and assessed yours, what would the answer be? For nine years we have opened the iWork4Him radio show and podcast by asking: Who do you work for, really? This simple question gets at the heart of the matter because when it comes down to it, there are only two people you can be working for: yourself or God. Either you are laboring for the things of this world – your comfort, wealth, status, and pride. Or you are laboring for the things of eternity – a harvest of righteousness and the fruit of the gospel. Your work matters to God – invite Him in!

Do you find ever yourself scrolling through social media and feeling bad about yourself or your life? Or how about, looking over at your coworker and wondering why they got the promotion you feel you should have had? Sound familiar? Comparison is an ugly emotion… one that Mark Twain calls "the death of joy." When Simon Peter, one of Jesus's closest disciples, was told that he would be martyred for his faith, he looked over at his friend John and asked how he would die. Jesus responded, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me." Jesus's answer to Peter holds true for us as well! Next time you find yourself comparing your life, achievements, or appearance to that of a coworker or friend - stop looking at them, and instead, follow Jesus.

Mary Magdalene stood outside the empty tomb crying. She thought that someone had stolen the body of Jesus, the only thing she had left of him. But Jesus himself – very much alive – said from behind her, "Woman, why are you weeping? … I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Have you ever been in a position like Mary's - mourning the loss of a friend, family member, job, relationship, or dream? Maybe you are in that position today. In these desolate moments beside the tomb of something lost, Jesus wants to meet you. And in your grief, he reassures you that you are a child of God, seen and loved and heard. No matter what you are facing this week, remember that Jesus is alive and because of that, you are a child of the Most High!

How do you define success? Being promoted? Achieving a certain number of social media followers? Reaching a particular income level? Well, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines it simply as, "a favorable or desired outcome." Take a moment today and consider how God's desired outcome looks different than the world's. In Matthew 22, Jesus tells a lawyer there are two main things we should desire in life… and they have nothing to do with financial status, power, or position! He said, "you shall love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… and shall love your neighbor as yourself." What kind of desired outcome are you pursuing at work: the world's version of success that centers on personal gain? Or God's, which is about honoring Him and loving those around you?