Do you need a word of wisdom for the workplace today? I’m offering nuggets of wisdom for the workplace. In fact, you can have a set of cards here, very nicely designed, with these words of wisdom, for your own edification, or to pass along to a friend who may be in need.

Here’s my word of wisdom for today: Don’t let anxiety or fear rob you of God’s peace.

Are you feeling anxious about something today? Are you very disturbed by a situation in your life? Does it seem impossible to find any rest and peace right now? All of us have gone through and are still going through difficult times, which creates anxiety and fear. A passage in Isaiah 48 is very helpful when you are not at peace.

This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isaiah 48:17-18).

Anxiety and unrest are often a result of our failure to pay attention to what we know about God. Rarely do we need some new truth or principle; we just need to practice what we know already.

I find I rarely make a deliberate decision to wander from God’s principles. It’s simply a failure to pay attention to what I know already. My focus gets fractured. I move slightly off-center, simply because I haven’t paid attention like I should.

And when this happens, I lose my peace, and I’m anxious and frustrated. When you start to dig underneath those outward effects, you often discover the cause is failure to pay attention to God’s commands. It may be something that seems very small, but if we walk away from doing it God’s way, we can expect to lose the peace and rest we so need.

The Lord told his people, if only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river. If you’re missing peace in your life today, see if there’s some area where you’re not paying attention to God. Once you get that straightened out, that wonderful, marvelous, indescribable peace will return, like a river, flooding your heart and calming your nerves.

I’m wondering, have you read the verse which says, “Be kind to everyone who is kind to you. Be kind to the people you like. Be kind when you want to impress someone, or when there’s something in it for you”? No, you haven’t seen this verse in Scripture, but Paul wrote to Timothy,

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful (2 Timothy 2:24).

That’s my word of wisdom for the workplace today: Be kind to everyone.

In fact, we’ve put these words on a set of cards, designed to help you remember them or to pass them along to someone else who may need a word of wisdom for the day. You’ll find them ready for your use here.

Today it’s “Be kind to everyone.” I once witnessed a situation in which a Christian sister was obviously unkind to a person simply because she didn’t like that kind of person. Based on her prejudices and some bad experiences she had, she had classified a group of people as undesirable. And so, she was obviously unkind to this person.

My heart was hurt to see a Christian treat someone unkindly. Then I realized I probably do similar things all too often. I mean, it’s easy to be kind to people who seem to deserve our kindness. But the Bible says we are to be kind to everyone. That includes strangers, people who irritate us, people who are not kind to us—everyone includes everyone!

Once I was unkind to a clerk at a hotel who was not very efficient at her job. Her lack of efficiency inconvenienced me just a bit, and though I didn’t say anything, I’m sure the look on my face and my body language was most unkind.

How easy it would have been for me to say something kind to her, to make her feel a little more comfortable, to forget my minor inconvenience and try to help her a bit. The Holy Spirit hit me between the eyes as I walked away. I heard him say, “You had one chance to show her what Jesus is like, and you showed her what you are like.” Ouch! The Lord’s servant must be kind to everyone, even people who don’t do their jobs as well as they should.

Where do you often fail to be kind? Shore up this area with prayer and ask God to help you to be kind, as the servant of the Lord should be, to everyone.

Are you tired today? I have a word of wisdom for you. You can have these nuggets of wisdom on some cards we’ve prepared. Then you can use the cards to remind yourself of these important principles, or you may want to give some to others who are struggling with workplace issues.

Today’s wisdom for the workplace is: Remember being tired is inevitable, but if you’re tired for the wrong reasons, then you need to take some action.

First, let me assure you it’s okay to be tired. Jesus was often tired while he was here on earth. You remember when he fell asleep on the boat, and a terrible storm didn’t awaken him. He was tired. We read in John 4 he was tired from a long journey.

We know Jesus understands our tired bodies and minds because he experienced it while he took the form of man on earth. He sympathizes with our weaknesses and the limitations we face. Just knowing that helps me a lot.

But we need to determine if we’re tired for the wrong reasons. Have you been trying to be all things to all people lately? It’s exhausting—and you can never succeed. Perhaps you’ve taken on jobs God never intended you to do, and you’re tired from trying to do too much. Maybe you’re trying to do everything to total perfection. Perfectionists are usually very tired people, trying to prove something to themselves and to the world by being perfect all the time.

You may be tired because you’ve got your priorities confused. Someone has said, “There’s always time to do God’s will,” and I think it’s true God would never ask of us more than our bodies and minds can do without going into overload and burn-out. But when we confuse our priorities, it causes weariness and exhaustion.

Remember this important message from Isaiah:

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:30-32).

You may have a copy of this devotional as well as these cards giving these words of wisdom for the Workplace. You can use these cards to encourage yourself each day or pass them on to others who may need a word of wisdom. This is available here.

I want to give you some specific wisdom for the workplace. In fact, I want you to have a set of cards with these nuggets of wisdom which you can take to your job, use them for yourself, or even give to others as an encouraging word. You’ll find those here.

Here’s today’s wisdom for the workplace from Luke 12:15: Jesus said,

Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed (Luke 12:15).

This greed problem is nothing new. And we certainly must watch out for the many kinds of greed. There’s greed for power, the drive to have authority and influence over other people. And greed for prestige and fame. Of course, greed for material possessions is very commonplace. Almost daily we hear of another scandal where greed for money has driven people to destroy their whole lives.

When you think about it, greed is pride. It is that desire within us to show the world who we are by our status in life, our possessions, or our fame. Greed is a direct result of the pride of life.

Greed is contagious. If you’re around people who have lots of things and who focus their life on getting more and more things, you’ll discover it’s very difficult not to be swept right along into their greedy mindset.

Greed is cancerous. It grows fast, and it consumes and destroys everything it touches. No wonder Jesus said we must be on our guard against all kinds of greed.

Jesus went on to say a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Greed can overtake us quickly and completely distort our priorities and our commitment to the Lord. Jesus said life is more than food or clothes; life is peace and contentment. Those can’t be bought; they are found only in Jesus.

Our wisdom for the workplace today is: Be on your guard today against the greed that surrounds you, especially in the working world. It wants to drag you right into its currents, but by God’s grace, you can be victorious.

We have seen how Jesus was such a great leader because he knew who he reported to, and he made sure he fulfilled his boss’s expectations. Also, he knew what his mission was, he stayed focused, and he didn’t try to jump through the expectation hoops of others. Jesus was always ready to celebrate, and that made him a great leader. Then one thing I really love about Jesus is he always had time for little people—every individual was important to him no matter his/her age, status, or position.

Now, let’s look at some additional examples of what made Jesus such a great leader.

Jesus was a great leader because he was willing to look foolish to others.

Do you realize great leaders throughout history have been willing to take risks with their public image, and they didn’t spend their time worrying about what people would think of them? Anytime a person is primarily focused on what others think, they are handicapped because they lose the freedom to do what they think is the right and best thing to do.

How do you think Noah looked when he started building the ark? Pretty foolish and stupid, don’t you imagine? And when Moses told Pharoah to let his people go, he had to look like an insane person, approaching Pharoah with his threats. The great prophet Elijah had to ask a poor widow for food, which some would have considered very demeaning. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was willing not only to look foolish, but also to lose her good reputation in order to bear the Son of God. Had any of these people been primarily concerned with what the neighbors would say, none would have accomplished their God-given purpose.

Jesus was not concerned about what people would think. For example, he cried over a city that was not repentant—a grown man crying. But he didn’t care what people thought. His heart broke for those people. He rode a donkey in a parade, a lowly beast. Most leaders would have demanded more appropriate transportation, but he sought out a simple donkey to ride on.

And, of course, the ultimate example was he was willing to go through a shameful trial and die on a cursed cross, enduring the scorn and abuse of his enemies, to accomplish God’s plan.

We need to consider this as we approach our jobs and duties. Are you overly concerned with what people will say or think? If so, you may miss the opportunities and blessings God has for you. It’s impossible to please everyone anyway, but when we focus on pleasing God, we will please more people as well.

Jesus was a great leader because he was willing to do the difficult work.

Do you remember the time Jesus determined to go to Jerusalem for Passover? His disciples did not want him to go there because they knew there were people plotting to kill him, just waiting for him to arrive. They wanted to spare him that difficulty, but he knew he was supposed to be there, and he went.

Also, he was willing to say no to people when necessary, though I’m sure he didn’t enjoy disappointing people. Often the disciples wanted him to do one thing when he knew he should do another, and he would tell them “no.” He even said “no” to his mother and brothers who wanted to interrupt his teaching to speak to him.

Jesus also said “no” to himself. Satan tried to tempt him with very enticing promises, and he had the wisdom to say “no” to the easy way out. He knew he had to discipline himself to do what God wanted him to do.

Then there was Gethsemane, where Jesus came face to face with the most difficult thing he would ever do: Drink the cup of death and sin that was necessary to pay the price of redemption. None of us can even imagine how hard that was to do—to become sin for us even though he had never sinned. But he did the difficult thing because it was the right thing to do.

If you and I are ever going to be effective leaders, we must be willing to do the hardest and most difficult work. Often people see those in leadership as having it easy but from my experience, a true leader is one who is willing to do what no one else wants to do.

Someone has defined a professional as a person who does things even when she or he does not feel like doing them. That’s another way to define discipline. And believe me, effective leadership demands a disciplined life.

Jesus was a great leader because he respected and empowered women and allowed them to use their gifts and abilities.

In a culture which truly devalued women and their contributions, which saw them as servants of men or worse, possessions of men, Jesus went out of his way to show his respect for women. Let me give you just a few examples.

After his resurrection, Jesus first appeared to a woman and entrusted to her the important and prestigious responsibility of telling the disciples he was risen. The men were very skeptical about this word; one even demanded he put his fingers in Jesus’ wounds before he believed. But Mary Magdalene believed and gladly told everyone, “He’s alive!”

Before Jesus was born as a man, his Father entrusted to a young maiden the greatest responsibility and highest honor ever given to any woman—to bear in her body the Son of God, and she kept it to herself until the appropriate time.

We read in Luke 8, women followed Jesus and the disciples as they proclaimed the good news, right along with the twelve disciples. In fact, these women were helping to support Jesus and his group out of their own pockets.

Then we see how he treated the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the woman who touched his garment for healing, the Syrophoenician woman who begged for his healing touch on her daughter. With great tenderness and respect, he responded to women with equality and care. And he accepted and enlisted their help in telling others about him.

Women are uniquely gifted by God in many areas, and to ignore or fail to enlist their help and energy is to make a big mistake. Pilot ignored his wife’s intuition about Jesus to his great harm. Jesus was a great leader because he used the gifts and enlisted the help of women without discrimination. He had created them equal, and he treated them as equals.

Another reason Jesus was a great leader was he trained his replacements.

How many organizations, companies, and churches can you think of who faltered and/or failed after a great leader left, died, or retired? The reason was the leader did not train his or her replacement, so when that person left the scene, the organization was at an extreme disadvantage.

Jesus was eager to and intent on training those who would carry on after he was gone. He was constantly teaching, telling, explaining, and preparing his disciples to do the job after him. In fact, he told them they would do even greater things than he had done.

Jesus didn’t have any problem with his ego. He wasn’t threatened by others nor fearful of putting someone on his team who had leadership skills. Just the opposite—he wanted those best qualified and capable of fulfilling his mission for the group, so he trained them well. And that small group went on to change the course of history by spreading the gospel.

If you’re a leader, have you thought about training your replacement? It’s another sign of a good and secure leader—like Jesus.

In closing this message on what made Jesus such a great leader, I want to remind you of how awesome Jesus was in dealing with people. He had the best people skills ever. Let me briefly point out just a few examples.

Ask yourself, how are your people skills? Do you communicate a vision to people? Are you willing to reward those who earn it? Do you give people a second chance? Are you a servant leader? And do you truly care for others? Those are some of the attributes that made Jesus so special.

As believers, that should be true of us because we should have the same heart for people that Jesus did. Do you need better people skills? I know I do. Let’s make it a matter of daily prayer and ask God to make us more like Jesus in relating to the people in our lives.

Presented by Julie Busteed

I’ve been looking at what it takes to build healthy relationships. And I’ve saved the best for last: forgiveness. This verse in Matthew always catches me short.

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15).

I need to take to heart this command!

Relationships are living, growing things because they involve people who are growing and changing. And because you are human, there will be times when words are spoken or actions are taken that hurt someone in the relationship. You and I need to forgive others and also ask for forgiveness—things that are not easy to do, except through the power of the Holy Spirit.

But wait—there’s more! Jesus said we should love our enemies.

I look at Jesus’ example of laying down his life for you and me. When he was on the cross, suffering, he forgave those who crucified him.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

That’s the ultimate in forgiving your enemies. It really seems quite impossible, doesn’t it? Jesus was fully God and fully man. But I don’t think that excuses you or me to forgive even our enemies.

Corrie Ten Boom and her family helped many Jewish people escape the Nazi’s in WW2. As a result, she was arrested and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. She survived and wrote books and spoke about her experience. Corrie recounts the following as she was speaking about forgiveness at a church in Munich in 1947:

Afterward, I saw him—a man moving toward me through the crowd. I recognized him instantly: a former guard from Ravensbrück, the concentration camp where my sister Betsie and I had been imprisoned for hiding Jews.

He approached me, now dressed in civilian clothes, and said, “A fine message, Fräulein. How good it is to know that all our sins are at the bottom of the sea.” Then he extended his hand. “I was a guard at Ravensbrück. I’ve become a Christian, and I know God has forgiven me, but I would like to hear it from you. Will you forgive me?”

I stood frozen, remembering Betsie’s suffering and death. Forgive him? I could not. Yet I knew Jesus’ words: “If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive yours.” Forgiveness is not a feeling—it’s an act of the will.

So, I prayed silently, “Jesus, help me. I can lift my hand; You supply the feeling.” Mechanically, I reached out—and as I did, a current seemed to pass from my shoulder to our joined hands. A warmth filled my heart.

“I forgive you, brother,” I said, “with all my heart.”

In that moment, I felt God’s love more deeply than ever before.[1]

May you and I be obedient and lift our hands and trust God to fill us with his love.

—

[1] Corrie Ten Boom, Sherrill, E., & Sherrill, J. L. (2008). The hiding place. Chosen Books.

Presented by Julie Busteed

Humility may not be the first trait that comes to your mind as an essential element in healthy relationships. That’s what I will look at today as we continue to seek to grow healthy relationships.

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word humility is I need to have a low opinion of myself. But that’s not correct. It’s about being interested in others. Serving others. Yes, modesty is part of humility, but it’s not being down on yourself. It’s putting others first.

Paul exhorts the Philippians and us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:3-4).

Becky Harling, author of Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World, writes humble people come in curious to the conversation, and this curiosity is the superpower of connections! They listen and ask questions. They don’t come in like the expert. I love that! We can have this superpower if we are simply interested and curious. And that’s what I think the Apostle Paul is talking about—to look not to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Humility also is shown by just being kind, lending a hand, helping a coworker.

My friend Heather recently showed a beautiful example of humility. She had her day carefully planned with a full to-do list, but when a friend reached out to spend time together, she chose to set her plans aside. It wasn’t what she had intended for the day, and honestly, it wasn’t what she felt like doing at the moment—but she recognized her friend needed someone to listen.

What makes this even more meaningful is this friendship isn’t always easy or comfortable. Yet that very morning, Heather “happened” to read Proverbs 3:27–28.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’—when you already have it with you (Proverbs 3:27–28).

Those verses were a timely reminder that God sometimes calls us to act in the moment—to give of ourselves, our time, or our attention—when it’s within our power to do so. Heather reflected the heart of Christ that day by choosing relationship over routine, allowing herself to be “interrupted” in order to show love and kindness right when it was needed most.

I pray you and I will be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).

Presented by Julie Busteed

I’m looking at some strategies to help grow and build relationships—principles that apply at work, home, church—with everyone. The first two strategies I looked at were loving others and communication skills. I think integrity is also an important component in healthy relationships.

Integrity really covers several qualities. It’s being honest, having strong moral principles, and being trustworthy and reliable.

A great example of integrity in the Old Testament is Daniel. He was taken into captivity from Israel to Babylon, and he became an adviser to the Babylonian kings because of his integrity and trust in God.

For many, it’s a familiar story but to recap: Daniel refuses to bow down and worship a man-made idol. He worships and prays to God. As a result, he is thrown into a literal lion’s den. The next morning, he testifies that my God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight (Daniel 6:22a). Not only did God protect and preserve Daniel, but King Darius also decrees everyone in his kingdom must fear and revere the God of Daniel.

Daniel’s integrity and courage not only effected his own life, but the entire kingdom was now to fear God. He trusted and honored God in his actions, and his integrity was evident to his employer, resulting in a testimony to the entire kingdom.

Integrity can also be something significant done privately, not for public recognition. A friend of mine recently showed a great example of integrity. She just published a book through a traditional publisher. Normally, when you work with a publisher, you receive an advance against future royalties—meaning you don’t earn additional royalties until the book’s sales cover that advance. And if the book doesn’t sell enough to cover it, the author doesn’t have to pay it back.

That’s completely normal. But my friend told me she wants to make sure her book’s sales do reach that advance amount. She’s putting in extra effort to promote and market her book because she doesn’t want to be a burden to the publisher. She isn’t required to do this—it’s not part of her contract—but she feels it’s the right thing to do. Quiet integrity.

In both of these examples, integrity was a vital characteristic in dealing with others. Integrity directed how they should act in certain situations—be it life or death—or something that’s not really seen by others. With faith in God and belief he is faithful, they lived out their lives in honor to him.

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out (Proverbs 10:9).

When we live our lives with integrity, we can walk securely—quietly resting upon God’s favor and gracious providence.

Presented by Julie Busteed

Are there people in your life you find difficult to get along with or really understand? I am examining biblical strategies to help grow and build healthy relationships, and communication is a key tool.

A verse you might be familiar with is everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19b). Honestly if we all practiced that, I think there would be much less miscommunication.

Let’s break this down. What does it mean to be quick to listen? Studies show good communication is essential for organizations. Marjorie North—a communications expert—says we only hear half of what is being said in any given conversation. It’s true, isn’t it? I can be distracted by something outside the conversation, or I can begin to form a response to something the person said. No matter what distracts me, I struggle to listen.

You and I need to practice active listening. And I mean practice; it will take a lot of practice. Put the distractions away—and by this, I mean your phone! Give the person your full attention. I know someone who is so good at this. I can tell when I am speaking to him I have his full attention. It’s a great thing to be heard—really heard.

Some other ways to be quick to listen is to repeat back what you believe you heard the person saying. And if you don’t understand something, ask clarifying questions. Try not to interrupt them.

What does it mean to be slow to speak? I think we need to be careful and thoughtful. Examine your words before you say them. Depending on what the conversation is, you might even need some time to think before responding.

Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them (Proverbs 29:20).

Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin (Proverbs 13:3).

James also goes on to talk about our tongues—what we say and how our words can bless or curse others. He compares our tongue to the bit that steers a horse or the rudder that guides a ship. What comes out of your mouth can not only corrupt your whole body but others as well. The Psalmist prays to set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3). And the Apostle Paul encourages the Ephesians to not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29).

Good communication in relationships is necessary. It’s a skill you and I can practice and improve, but we need to be mindful and intentional.

Presented by Julie Busteed

Have you ever said or thought this? “I’d love this job if it just wasn’t for the people!” I know this is a sarcastic saying—it’s more tongue in cheek—but it’s how we feel sometimes isn’t it? Yet as Christ-followers, the greatest command Jesus gave us is to love God and love others.

This week, we’ll look at some strategies to help us as we relate to others around us—our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).

The first priority in dealing with our relationships is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind! Our relationship with God is essential. It affects everything, including our relationships with others. Take a minute to ask yourself these questions: Are you spending daily time with God? Reading his Word? Praying? This is the first place to start. It’s vital for you and me to make our relationship with God the foundation of our lives.

Sometimes it can be easy to think, “I have a relationship with God, and that’s enough. I don’t need others. I don’t need to go to church.” But that’s not true either. God is a triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is community between them, and as image-bearers, we need community not only with God but also with each other. God made you for community and connection.

Since you and I are made to be in community, how do we do this well?

Jesus goes on to say we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. What does it mean to love your neighbor? Love is an action—not just a feeling—a romantic feeling. It’s not the same as like. Love is giving of yourself and putting others first. It could look like delivering a meal to someone in need. Or helping a coworker with a project. Or praying with or for someone. It can take many forms; the main thing is that you see others—notice when they are in need—and reach out to help and care for them.