iWork4Him PowerThought

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. There is brokenness in us, in our world, work, and community. There is healing in Jesus. Today as you have zoom calls, meetings, sales calls, service calls, or power lunches, look for the broken around you through God's eyes. See people the way He sees them… as Image bearers. In following Jesus, we are to be like Him. He brought healing wherever he went. Sometimes it was physical, and sometimes it was emotional. Either way, He was a healer, and he wants you to heal too. You first, then others. By loving God and loving people, God will heal wounds through us. You are in your workplace on purpose because there is healing to be done. Remember, Jesus is a healer, and since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. Frederick Buechner said, "Pay attention to the things that bring a tear to your eye or a lump in your throat because they are signs that the Holy is drawing near." What injustice in your community brings you to tears? Homelessness, poverty, joblessness, sexual exploitation? What can you do about it? God provided you with a job and an income. What is that income for? For providing for your family and for bringing healing to your community. God asks that you Consider 10% of your income for ministering to the needs of the lost and broken. Sometimes those lost and broken are right next to you at work. Remember, Jesus is a healer, and since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. Frederick Buechner once said, "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." I believe the greatest need is the healing of the lost and broken. Likely you have noticed brokenness in your workplace that needs to be healed. What are you doing about it? Praying about it? Seeking to understand it? Trying to find the person who is causing the brokenness? In our workplaces, we often find broken people bring their brokenness to work with them, and it multiplies. It's one reason you as a Jesus-follower are there. That brokenness needs healing, and you know the best healer in the world. Remember, since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace. You may be saying to yourself, but how do I bring healing to my workplace when I am so broken myself? As a Jesus-follower, you serve the ultimate healer. For the woman at the well, he didn't just give her water; he gave her healing from the inside out. She was a broken woman who had been married five times. No matter what is broken inside of you, Jesus can handle it. In Luke 4:18, Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. Remember, Jesus is a healer, and since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.

Life/work balance. How many of us have fallen for that myth and tried to make it happen? Only to fail over and over…a business coach we interviewed has a better concept. How about living an INTEGRATED LIFE? One that brings Christ into each aspect of our life and work, so that we are putting The Lord, not our futile "balance" efforts, first. So how about you? Are you ready to live ONE INTEGRATED LIFE, where you represent the Lord, you listen to the Lord, and let Him show you your priorities every day? Join us in this prayer: Father, today, I submit my day, my plans to you. Please show me YOUR PRIORITIES for my day. In Jesus's Name, Amen

Are you stuck in a rut or comfortably nestled in there? Have you been "doing your Christianity the same way, with the same people, in the same ministry, in the same church? In the same type of work? With the same company?" When's the last time you stopped, poked your head UP OUT OF THE daily rut and asked "Lord, am I doing your will? Am I doing ministry and my work YOUR WAY? Where do YOU want me?" So how about you? When's the last time you considered re-thinking how you're walking out your faith? And who you're working or ministering with? When's the last time you got UNCOMFORTABLE, in order to follow The Lord? We invite you TODAY, to ask in prayer "Lord, where do you want me?"

Do you need to be removed? Sometimes, we start something and think we are supposed to stay in it, lead it, and serve it. And, we stay IN IT…sometimes too long. We no longer seek the Lord's counsel about IF we should still BE where He placed us. Sometimes He just wants us to START something, sometimes He wants us to "help get it off the ground", NOT stay and lead it or serve it. Sometimes, the BEST thing we can do for the work He asked us to start is to leave. So how about you? Are you staying in some work or ministry too long? When's the last time you prayed about what God would have you do next? We invite you today, to take your work to the cross and ask "Lord where do you want me? And what would you have me do?"

I try to keep my heart pure and intimate with Christ, so I can be a source of light and encouragement to the people I work with. That's the faith at work philosophy of a millennial professional we interviewed. What a beautiful philosophy of how we can really prepare and BE Christ at work. So how about you? Is your heart pure and intimate with Christ so YOU can be a source of light and encouragement to YOUR co-workers? How about today, before stepping into work, you prayed this prayer: Father, purify my heart, that may I BE Christ to everyone I work with today. Use me Father, to be a source of light and encouragement to everyone I work with. In Jesus's name.

Heard this great reminder from a manager of a Christian Retail company "The biggest challenges in my life and work have been when I have forgotten WHO God is, or WHO I AM in Christ." So how about you? Are you in the midst of a challenge at work? If so, CLING to the words of God. Remind yourself right now who you are IN HIM, not the words of what the world tells you. Here are just a few:

I am a child of God, I am Jesus's friend, I am a NEW creation, I am an heir with Christ, I am chosen, holy, and blameless before God and I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

What's the fastest way to get what you DON'T want? Tell the Lord "I will NEVER _________________" Yep, just ask any other Christ follower who's made the mistake of saying something like that. You WILL end up being exactly where YOU said you would NEVER be or DOING something you said you would never do. Our thoughts are not God's thoughts and His ways are NOT our ways. We don't have the big picture, but God does. So how about YOU? We're challenging you to remove the word NEVER from your vocabulary and to replace it with scripture, such as Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.