Working Upward: Biblical Mindset Podcast for Christian Work at Home Business Women

In this week’s episode, I share our theme for the month: banishing burnout.

It’s real. It’s happening all around us and maybe it’s happening to you.

I want to shed some Scriptural light on the topic all month long so be sure to tune in each work for a new word and devotional to help refresh our souls and give rest to our bodies.

Desk to Desk

• Introducing new monthly themes for our weekly words.
• Introducing a bit more structure in the Desk to Desk segment (coming next time!)
• Introducing the Question of the Week (because I want to hear from you to keep this conversation a little less one-sided)

Word of the Week: Still

Read the full devotional over at WorkingUpward.com

The Word of the Week is wisdom and the devotional can be found online at WorkingUpward.com on Monday morning. 

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Desk to Desk Links & Resources:

 1.  Here's the article I referred to when talking about the dangers of digital wandering: Social Algorithms Are Today's Lady Folly

2.  Here's an example of my own "Link In Profile" page: workingupward.com/linkinprofile 

3.  I would like to feature your work at home business in the podcast. To apply just click the first button on the top of my podcast page.

4.  Feedback, questions and comments are always welcome by email.

The Word of the Week is ready  and you can read the text version of the devotional podcast segment at WorkingUpward.com.

Desk to Desk Links & Resources:

 1. Feeling sad, unmotivated or depressed?  If you're currently struggling with feelings of sadness or lack of motivation, you may be suffering from depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder. You may also have an underlying health issue (i.e. hypothyroid or another kind of autoimmune disorder).  If this is impacting your relationships or productivity in any way, I encourage you to seek help -- talk to a biblical counselor from your church and see your doctor to rule out any health issues. Your hormones affect your feelings and energy levels more than you might think. 

If unable to find a biblical counselor near you, please email me. I may be able to help.

2. Linktr.ee is a popular "link in bio" service to give your social media followers a one-page resource of your recent or primary shared links. But it costs money. If you can create a web page, you can create one for free. Here's an example of a linktr.ee page you can use as a template:  Theology of Work Linktr.ee (pretty simple, huh?)

3.  would like to feature your work at home business in the podcast. To apply just click the first button on the top of my podcast page.

The Word of the Week is ambition and following is the text version of the corresponding devotional podcast segment.  Mentioned resources and links from the Desk to Desk segment  are at the end of the devotional.

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Ambition.

I used to cringe whenever I heard or read the word ambition. To me, it just smacked of greed or worldliness and I couldn’t help but picture climbing the ladder, elbowing people along the way and doing anything you could for more money and more success.

But it turns out there are actually two different kinds of ambition and the Bible paints a clear picture of each. 

There’s the  version where you wake up and "pour yourself a cup of ambition" and go to the office -- or stay in your home office -- and work 9 to 5 and try to get to the top of the ladder even when everything’s working against you -- yes, just like Dolly Parton’s song. 

This is in line with Merriam-Webster’s definition which states that ambition is “an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power.”

Now think about that for a moment. Who gets the rank? Who gets the fame? Who gets the power? The person with the desire to get it. The person who is ambitious. It’s all about that person.

The Bible minces no words when it comes to this kind of ambition. It just calls it for what it is: selfish ambition.

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3). 

In this passage and others where the Bible talks about selfish ambition, the root Greek word is eritheia which means faction, strife and contention. 

This is the same kind of ambition we read about in James 3, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. “

Contrast that with what the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:9. “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” 

The root Greek word for this good kind of ambition -- the kind that results in God’s pleasure -- is philotimeomai which refers to striving earnestly. 

So my question for you this week is what kind of ambition do you have? The one characterized by contentious strife or the one characterized by earnest striving? The one that is focused on you getting what you want -- whether that’s approval, recognition, fame or more money -- or the one that is focused on pleasing the Lord?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, how good and how kind you are. You know I love you but sometimes I really struggle with my motivation. Sometimes I’m selfishly ambitious -- craving approval, recognition and success the way the world sees it. But when I’m looking upward to you, that all goes away and I’m ambitious for your glory and for your pleasure. This week, please help me have the good kind of ambition -- the kind that esteems you  and others higher than myself. I can’t do this alone. In Jesus name, amen.

Links & Resources

1. I would like to feature your work at home business in the podcast. To apply just click the first button on the top of this page.
2. Book recommendation: 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke
3. The Upward VA Roadmap is now just $27.

The Word of the Week is grace and following is a transcript of this week's corresponding devotional podcast. Mentioned resources and links  are at the end of the transcript.

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The word translated "grace" in the New Testament comes from the Greek word charis, which means “favor, blessing, or kindness.”

It’s a constant theme in the Bible -- in the Old Testament but especially in the new -- and it’s most often referred to as a gift. God gave it to us through His merit alone - in other words, it’s not something we earn or even learn by ourselves. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9

The gift of grace came to us through the person and work of Christ. 

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. - John 1:17

And His grace is not only given to us through salvation, it is given to us every single moment of our lives -- through hard times and good times. I love how the apostle Paul begins many of his letters with the phrase, “Grace and peace to you.” He ends many letters that way, too. 

 Every time we take the time to stop and consider God’s grace, we will find it amazing. 

My challenge for you this week is not only to take the time to consider God’s amazing grace in your own life but to shine a light on God’s grace by showing grace to others. 

I Peter 4 exhorts us to steward God’s gift of grace by serving one another. This is such a relevant Scripture passage for all work at home businesses, especially those of us with service-based businesses. 

Verse 10 here says ”As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace . . ."

This means we should:

Show it to our clients -- when they struggle to give us something in a timely manner or answer that email or offer feedback or give constructive criticism that’s hard to take. 

If you have virtual team members or those you’ve hired to help you with your work - show it to them. When they disagree with you. When they don’t do something the way you think it should be done. 

Show it online-- in our social media posts, in our blog posts, wherever we talk about our work and life. Be bold with God's truth but always as gracious as possible. The world is a dark place, especially now -- make a point to be a light. God sees every comment. 

Show it to our families. When they interrupt a phone call or a project you’re working on. When your children make a mess. When it’s time to serve them even when you don’t feel like it. 

Show it to ourselves and by that I mean remind yourself of God’s grace so you don’t consume yourself with guilt or take all the responsibility of the world on your shoulders alone. And so you don’t endeavor to earn favor from God’s that unearnable because it’s already there. 

Show God’s grace because He shows it to you.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your eternal grace displayed on the cross and through salvation. And thank you for giving daily grace to meet every challenge that comes my way. Help me to delight in your grace even more and show it to all I serve this week. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Links & Resources:

I would like to feature your work at home business in the podcast. To apply just click the first button on the top of this page.

Up until 2020, I’ve always been a stickler about celebrating Thanksgiving first and then celebrating Christmas. Thanksgiving just gets a bad rap, you know -- I mean, in stores I see Thanksgiving table settings and napkins go on clearance before the holiday itself to make room for more Christmas stuff. Which, by the way, began to appear on shelves in July.

But this year, I’m making an exception. I am in full-on Christmas mode for some very good reasons. First, 2020. Need I say more?  We could all use a little more holiday cheer, I believe.

And second, we are in the process of packing and selling our house and moving to Iowa from Georgia mid-December. No Christmas decorations around here and definitely no Christmas ham coming out of my oven so I am celebrating creatively in other ways as early as I can.

And one of those ways is this podcast which I’ve been itching to do for a little while -- where we’ll talk about some new things coming your way in 2021 , how we can have a thankful Christmas this year and the imperative role contentment has in your mindset and your business.

SHOW NOTES

The Apostle Paul on contentment: 

• 1 Timothy 6:3-10
• Philippians 4:4-13
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Mentioned & Related Resources:

Email me if you're interested in teaching what you know in an online course and would like a free consultation.

Want Your  Business Featured in the Podcast? (It's Free)
Then go here.

Mission:

Read Psalm 100 and Luke 2, back to back, in anticipation of a thankful Christmas.

Pay It Forward:

Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes to help spread the word about the Work Is Good podcast.

Credits:

Intro and Outro Music by Purple-Planet.com

Drum Roll Sound Effect by Mike Koenig, via SoundBible.com

"Bike, Bell Ding, Single, 01-01.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org

There’s an old song that goes “There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus, joy that throbs within my heart.”

But here’s the deal -- while there is joy in serving Jesus -- sometimes you just don’t feel it. Things happen. The days get long. The work gets hard. You find yourself fake smiling and easily annoyed. 

In this episode of Working Upward, we’ll talk about what to do when you get to that place and how you can renew your joy of serving your clients and customers and those around you even when you don’t feel like it. And we’ll start with taking a closer look at the joy of the Lord -- the kind He both possesses and gives to His children.

SHOW NOTES

Joy Ride Through Scripture:

• “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” – Psalm 47:1
• “I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow.” — Jeremiah 31:13
• “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break into joyous song and sing praises.” — Psalm 98:4
• “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them.” — Psalm 126:2
• “You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” — Psalm 30:11
• Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory— 1 Peter 4:13
• But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. - 1 Peter 4:13
• These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. - John 15:11
• When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.— Matthew 2:1

Mentioned & Related Resources:

Email me if you're interested in teaching what you know in an online course and would like a free consultation.

Want Your  Business Featured in the Podcast? (It's Free)
Then go here.

Mission:

Joy out loud. Right now. Remember joy is delighting in God and in the gifts He gives.

 Pay It Forward:

Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes to help spread the word about the Work Is Good podcast.

Credits:

Intro and Outro Music by Purple-Planet.com

Drum Roll Sound Effect by Mike Koenig, via SoundBible.com

"Bike, Bell Ding, Single, 01-01.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org

According to a 2017 Barna research report, only 17% of practicing Christians actually have a biblical worldview.

This then begs the question, what worldview do the majority of these professing Christians have if it’s not the biblical one? And how does this relate to the biblical mindset we need to live by and motivate us to work successfully in God’s eyes?

We’ll take a deeper look at how your worldview affects your mindset in this episode of Working Upward. 

>>Get your free Biblical Mindset Bookmark Set here. (third resource down)<<

SHOW NOTES

Resource Spotlight:  GotQuestions.org

Featured Business: KarismabyKara.com

A worldview is the lens through which you see and interpret the world around you. Everyone has a worldview. Your worldview helps you answer life’s deepest questions like 1) Where did we come from? 2) Why are we here? 3) What is wrong with the world? And 4) How can we fix it?

Mindset, according to Merriam Webster, is a mental inclination, tendency or a habit. Other dictionaries use the term attitude to help describe this concept of mindset.

Scripture:

• 1 Corinthians 9:25
• Philippians 3:13-14
• 1 Corinthians 2:16
• Romans 12:2
• John 17:17

Mentioned & Related Resources:

Free Biblical Mindset Bookmark Set (third resource down)

Barna Research: Competing Worldviews Influence Today's Christians

Stay Salt: The World Has Changed, Our Message Must Not by Rebecca Manley Pippert

Mission:

Take a moment out of your day to read 1 Corinthians 2. 

 Pay It Forward:

Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes to help spread the word about the Work Is Good podcast.

Want Your  Business Featured in the Podcast? (It's Free)
Then go here.

Credits:

Intro and Outro Music by Purple-Planet.com

Drum Roll Sound Effect by Mike Koenig, via SoundBible.com

"Bike, Bell Ding, Single, 01-01.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org

Ah, there’s nothing like a gentle breeze through your open window or sunshine on your shoulder, or even a quarantine to get you thinking about all the wonderful things you can do to spruce up your house, clean your car, and refresh your business -- but where to even start? Well, I’ll leave those petrified french fries in your car for you to take care of, but I will help guide you through spring-cleaning your business in today’s episode of Working Upward, using a simple method to ensure no detail falls between the cracks. And, like I’m doing with every episode in this Business Boosters Series, I have a free companion download for you. Be sure to grab your Business Spring-Cleaning Guide over at WorkingUpward.com/BusinessBoosters.

SHOW NOTES

The simple method in a nutshell:

R-A-P your way through every part of your business. 

R = remove what you don't need.

A= add what you do need.

P = polish it all up to look great and run smoothly.

The Plan (aka, the Master Checklist you'll R-A-P your way through)

• Physical Space
  • Office Arrangement
  • Office Supplies
  • Papers and Files
• Digital Space
  • Inbox
  • Hard Drive & Desktop files
  • Dropbox, One-Drive and Google Drive
  • Note-taking Apps
  • Other Apps & Digital Libraries (Ex: Canva’s Design Folders)
  • Password Manager
• Other
  • Digital Tools & Subscriptions 
  • Processes 
  • Automations
  • Services and Pricing
  • Website
  • Time Management 
  • Customer/Client Journey

Mission:

Go to WorkingUpward.com/businessboosters to download the Business Spring-Cleaning Guide and use the list worksheets to start cleaning up your business today.

Pay It Forward:

Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes to help spread the word about the Work Is Good podcast.

Want Your  Business Featured in the Podcast? (It's Free)
Then go here.

Mentioned & Related Resources:

The Business Spring-Cleaning Guide & Master Checklist

Credits:

Intro and Outro Music by Purple-Planet.com

Drum Roll Sound Effect by Mike Koenig, via SoundBible.com

"Bike, Bell Ding, Single, 01-01.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org