“Thirty-two thousand men…following me. There’s no way the Midianites can stand against us. We’re invincible.”
“You’ve got too many men, Gideon.”
“What, Lord? Too many men?”
“Yes. Say to the people, “Whoever is afraid can go home.”
As Gideon watched twenty-two thousand of his troops tramp back home what was he thinking? This is Gideon, the weakest-clan warrior, the hide-in-a-hole hero. Was he shaking in his sandals?
I don’t think so. God had called him to lead, had promised him victory. I think he probably got a little nervous as the fearful fled, but then he looked at the fearless – ten thousand battle-ready warriors.
If God said there were too many before, then these guys must be the leanest, meanest fighting force ever assembled. “There’s no way the Midianites can stand against us. We’re invincible.”
“You’ve got too many men, Gideon.”
“What, Lord? Too many men?”
“Yes. I’ll separate them for you. Take them down to the water.”
God had Gideon set aside those that brought the water to their mouths from those who put their mouths to the water. Three hundred in one group, nine thousand seven hundred in the other.
As Gideon looked out over the two groups, he probably nodded with satisfaction. “Three hundred, that’s doable. We should have no problem defeating Midian without those three hundred guys.”
“No, Gideon, the three hundred is your army. Send the nine thousand seven hundred home.”
“What! Three hundred men?”
God went out of his way to make sure Gideon knew God was with him. He called him, burned up a meal on a rock, kept the fleece wet and kept the fleece dry. “Gideon, I’ve chosen you!” It’s almost as if God was shouting it. “You are the one.”
And then…when Gideon’s finally convinced – and thirty-two thousand others are too – it seems as if God’s saying, “Just kidding.” Of course, that’s not what was going on.
God chose Gideon, chose Gideon to lead Israel, chose Gideon to defeat Midian. But God also chose Gideon to follow Him, do depend on Him, to bring glory to Him. Gideon couldn’t let the sight of thirty-two thousand men take his eyes off the King of Glory.
When we are afraid, hiding in a hole, it is easy to place our trust in the power of the almighty, world-creating, death-defeating God. But for many of us, all we need is a little confidence, a little prosperity, a little victory and then we act like four year-olds. “I can do it myself.”
When it seems as if your resources are receding or your followers flagging, perhaps that’s not a sign of discouragement. Instead, it’s a sign that the God of the universe is preparing you for an amazing battle. He’s going to strike down the Midianites in your life. He just wants you to know He is the power in powerful, the might in almighty and the victor in victory.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Fleece
Angel: “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”
Gideon: “But…”
Angel: “I will be with you, and you will strike the Midianites as one man.”
Gideon: “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have said, behold I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.”
God: Did it.
Gideon: “Please let me test one more time with the fleece…”
God: Did it again. “Now – Go down against the [Midian] camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.”
Then Gideon went with Purah…
And they call Thomas “Doubting.”
But how many of us are just like Gideon? And usually (okay for me – always), God isn’t asking us to go into battle against a superior fighting force using REAL swords… that cause REAL wounds…and possibly REAL death. For us, it’s more like God saying, “Obey my commands… even when you don’t want to.”
And our response:
“Oh, I don’t know if I can do it. God probably doesn’t want me to really obey. I mean, not all the time. People might think I’m weird… How could I be an effective witness if they think I’m weird?
“Okay, I feel better about that now. I think. God, do you really want me to obey? I mean… I… I’ll tell you what, God. If you want me to do this, then make it crystal clear to me – somehow.”
I’ve done that…more than once. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m alone in this. Neither do I think this is what the story is trying to show us. God is not about miracles or magic just to help us see what he wants us to do.
However, if confirmation helps you do what he’s already asked you to do, He might. God asked, quite possibly, the biggest chicken in the world to become an army commander. Confidence boosters were exactly what Gideon needed.
But don’t read the story and expect God to wet the fleece for you.
First you must listen. Open your heart to hear the voice of God calling you to service. Note that Gideon said twice as you have said. He already knew what God wanted. Gideon’s struggle was with obedience.
When God has asked you to do something, he will grant what you need to be obedient. Ask him for it…again and again, if necessary. He will provide.
Gideon: “But…”
Angel: “I will be with you, and you will strike the Midianites as one man.”
Gideon: “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have said, behold I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.”
God: Did it.
Gideon: “Please let me test one more time with the fleece…”
God: Did it again. “Now – Go down against the [Midian] camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.”
Then Gideon went with Purah…
And they call Thomas “Doubting.”
But how many of us are just like Gideon? And usually (okay for me – always), God isn’t asking us to go into battle against a superior fighting force using REAL swords… that cause REAL wounds…and possibly REAL death. For us, it’s more like God saying, “Obey my commands… even when you don’t want to.”
And our response:
“Oh, I don’t know if I can do it. God probably doesn’t want me to really obey. I mean, not all the time. People might think I’m weird… How could I be an effective witness if they think I’m weird?
“Okay, I feel better about that now. I think. God, do you really want me to obey? I mean… I… I’ll tell you what, God. If you want me to do this, then make it crystal clear to me – somehow.”
I’ve done that…more than once. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m alone in this. Neither do I think this is what the story is trying to show us. God is not about miracles or magic just to help us see what he wants us to do.
However, if confirmation helps you do what he’s already asked you to do, He might. God asked, quite possibly, the biggest chicken in the world to become an army commander. Confidence boosters were exactly what Gideon needed.
But don’t read the story and expect God to wet the fleece for you.
First you must listen. Open your heart to hear the voice of God calling you to service. Note that Gideon said twice as you have said. He already knew what God wanted. Gideon’s struggle was with obedience.
When God has asked you to do something, he will grant what you need to be obedient. Ask him for it…again and again, if necessary. He will provide.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Pretest
The night was dark, the air still. Why is it so quiet? Thunder…God, some thunder would be nice right about now. The sky was silent.
The man was sure the men of the town would hear. How could they not? Rocks were tumbling, wood splitting, bulls bellowing, the noise was deafening.
They would kill him when they got to him. He’d had dreams of leading God’s people against the Midianites. Those dreams would soak into the dusty soil along with his blood. AND, it was going to be God’s people that drained him of both.
The men with him were good men, but they would run. He would be alone to face the men of his town, his friends…his family. Why had God asked him to do this? Why would God put him in this place?
Have you ever been in a situation destined for failure? Ever felt like God had something special he wanted from you, but your current crisis seemed to doom God’s design? That’s exactly where Gideon found himself.
God had called him to a meaningful task. But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man. First, however, God had one other small assignment.
…pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of the stronghold here… (Judges 6:26)
If God wanted to use Gideon to free his people from the bondage of Midian, why would he threaten that plan? Of course, God didn’t. The only real threat to Gideon was between his ears.
That’s not to say he was in no danger. Gideon was afraid of the men of the town, and sure enough the next morning they came to kill him. The threats came to nothing, but Gideon’s actions were important for several reasons.
1. It showed that Gideon would obey God. He may have been terrified. He may have done it in secrecy, in the middle of the night, but he did it.
2. It pointed out the sin of God’s people, sins that needed to be addressed. They wanted God to save them, but they were still worshipping other gods as well.
3. It showed God’s people that Gideon was not afraid of the gods of the Midianites. In fact, they gave him a new name, Jerubbaal, which meant Let Baal contend against him. Baal didn’t.
After this experience Gideon called for warriors, and 32,000 men were willing to follow him. Would those warriors have followed Gideon if he hadn’t passed through this time of testing? When God places you in a path that seems to hold no hope of success, don’t be too quick to pray for deliverance.
Obey. In the dark of night, do what’s right. Face your fear and remain faithful. God may be preparing you for something much greater. To the one who is faithful in the little things, much will be given.
The man was sure the men of the town would hear. How could they not? Rocks were tumbling, wood splitting, bulls bellowing, the noise was deafening.
They would kill him when they got to him. He’d had dreams of leading God’s people against the Midianites. Those dreams would soak into the dusty soil along with his blood. AND, it was going to be God’s people that drained him of both.
The men with him were good men, but they would run. He would be alone to face the men of his town, his friends…his family. Why had God asked him to do this? Why would God put him in this place?
Have you ever been in a situation destined for failure? Ever felt like God had something special he wanted from you, but your current crisis seemed to doom God’s design? That’s exactly where Gideon found himself.
God had called him to a meaningful task. But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man. First, however, God had one other small assignment.
…pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of the stronghold here… (Judges 6:26)
If God wanted to use Gideon to free his people from the bondage of Midian, why would he threaten that plan? Of course, God didn’t. The only real threat to Gideon was between his ears.
That’s not to say he was in no danger. Gideon was afraid of the men of the town, and sure enough the next morning they came to kill him. The threats came to nothing, but Gideon’s actions were important for several reasons.
1. It showed that Gideon would obey God. He may have been terrified. He may have done it in secrecy, in the middle of the night, but he did it.
2. It pointed out the sin of God’s people, sins that needed to be addressed. They wanted God to save them, but they were still worshipping other gods as well.
3. It showed God’s people that Gideon was not afraid of the gods of the Midianites. In fact, they gave him a new name, Jerubbaal, which meant Let Baal contend against him. Baal didn’t.
After this experience Gideon called for warriors, and 32,000 men were willing to follow him. Would those warriors have followed Gideon if he hadn’t passed through this time of testing? When God places you in a path that seems to hold no hope of success, don’t be too quick to pray for deliverance.
Obey. In the dark of night, do what’s right. Face your fear and remain faithful. God may be preparing you for something much greater. To the one who is faithful in the little things, much will be given.
O Mighty Man of Valor
The hole was shallow, carved from solid rock. The low bowl normally held the juice of the grapes as they were stomped. It was NOT designed for threshing wheat.
Wide eyes peeked over the lip of the winepress, scanning the horizon for dust plumes or any other evidence that the enemy was near. Seeing nothing, the man ducked back into the hole. He was miserable, but hunger could make you do things you normally wouldn’t.
The work was stifling. Sweat dripped from his nose and stung his eyes. The chaff from the wheat stuck to his skin.
He lifted a bowl of the un-sifted wheat as high as he dared and slowly dumped it out, shaking it slightly over the empty bowl below. While it fell he blew against the grain hoping to blow the lighter hulls away from the heavier grains. The solid wheat kernels peppered the inside of the lower bowl. Unfortunately, most of the empty husks landed in the bowl as well.
The wind was blowing up outside of the hole, and if he took the grain to the surface the breeze would quickly disperse the chaff like a dust storm. The Midianite hordes would take the wheat just as quickly. They’d been doing it for seven years, so food was scarce, and he couldn’t afford to lose this meager amount of wheat his family had been able to hide from them.
God had forsaken his people. He wouldn’t be hiding in a hole if it weren’t true. He could be brave, stand tall, even destroy the Midianites.
Dusty fingers tried picking out dried husks and grass from the good grains. He envisioned himself in armor, leading an army of mighty warriors against those marauding Midian locusts. “Yeah, right. Stay in your hole and hide,” he mumbled aloud.
Quickly he slapped a dirty hand over his mouth. He peeked over the rim of the hole again, scanning all around. Nothing.
Whew!
The man plopped back down and chaff puffed up around him. God, why have you forsake us? A prophet said it was because the people had not obeyed God.
At a tiny noise the man’s head rose and there was another man towering over him at the edge of the winepress. I’m dead! The wheat will be stolen, and my family will do without…again. “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor,” the man’s voice boomed.
What? The Lord is with me? Where? Here in this hole?
The man in the hole was Gideon, and the man who appeared was an angel of the Lord. If this angel materialized in front of you, what might he call you: o patient one, o dependable servant, o compassionate child? Don’t look to your strengths. You won’t find your name there. Think about your potential problems, your most constant insecurity, your greatest weakness.
The name God calls you may well be found there. Where you see problems, God envisions potential. Where Gideon felt weak, unable to defend his food from his foes, humbly hiding from them in a hole, God saw a mighty man of valor.
Does this mean you’re mistaken about your own weakness? Was Gideon? Was the man threshing wheat in a winepress really mighty?
No. He was weak and scared – a chicken, but he became a mighty warrior. How?
The secret of Gideon’s metamorphosis from weakness to warrior, mouse to man, was in the angel’s first statement. “The Lord is with you.” Later the Bible tells us the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon. God’s Spirit covered him. Talk about some powerful armor.
We have an added bonus in that God’s Spirit lives in us if we are children of God. That doesn’t guarantee a change from weakness to strength, because we must be with God. We have to crucify ourselves and let God live through us.
When we do, our weakness can become His strength. Our disorganization develops into His order. Our frustration becomes His peace.
Wide eyes peeked over the lip of the winepress, scanning the horizon for dust plumes or any other evidence that the enemy was near. Seeing nothing, the man ducked back into the hole. He was miserable, but hunger could make you do things you normally wouldn’t.
The work was stifling. Sweat dripped from his nose and stung his eyes. The chaff from the wheat stuck to his skin.
He lifted a bowl of the un-sifted wheat as high as he dared and slowly dumped it out, shaking it slightly over the empty bowl below. While it fell he blew against the grain hoping to blow the lighter hulls away from the heavier grains. The solid wheat kernels peppered the inside of the lower bowl. Unfortunately, most of the empty husks landed in the bowl as well.
The wind was blowing up outside of the hole, and if he took the grain to the surface the breeze would quickly disperse the chaff like a dust storm. The Midianite hordes would take the wheat just as quickly. They’d been doing it for seven years, so food was scarce, and he couldn’t afford to lose this meager amount of wheat his family had been able to hide from them.
God had forsaken his people. He wouldn’t be hiding in a hole if it weren’t true. He could be brave, stand tall, even destroy the Midianites.
Dusty fingers tried picking out dried husks and grass from the good grains. He envisioned himself in armor, leading an army of mighty warriors against those marauding Midian locusts. “Yeah, right. Stay in your hole and hide,” he mumbled aloud.
Quickly he slapped a dirty hand over his mouth. He peeked over the rim of the hole again, scanning all around. Nothing.
Whew!
The man plopped back down and chaff puffed up around him. God, why have you forsake us? A prophet said it was because the people had not obeyed God.
At a tiny noise the man’s head rose and there was another man towering over him at the edge of the winepress. I’m dead! The wheat will be stolen, and my family will do without…again. “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor,” the man’s voice boomed.
What? The Lord is with me? Where? Here in this hole?
The man in the hole was Gideon, and the man who appeared was an angel of the Lord. If this angel materialized in front of you, what might he call you: o patient one, o dependable servant, o compassionate child? Don’t look to your strengths. You won’t find your name there. Think about your potential problems, your most constant insecurity, your greatest weakness.
The name God calls you may well be found there. Where you see problems, God envisions potential. Where Gideon felt weak, unable to defend his food from his foes, humbly hiding from them in a hole, God saw a mighty man of valor.
Does this mean you’re mistaken about your own weakness? Was Gideon? Was the man threshing wheat in a winepress really mighty?
No. He was weak and scared – a chicken, but he became a mighty warrior. How?
The secret of Gideon’s metamorphosis from weakness to warrior, mouse to man, was in the angel’s first statement. “The Lord is with you.” Later the Bible tells us the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon. God’s Spirit covered him. Talk about some powerful armor.
We have an added bonus in that God’s Spirit lives in us if we are children of God. That doesn’t guarantee a change from weakness to strength, because we must be with God. We have to crucify ourselves and let God live through us.
When we do, our weakness can become His strength. Our disorganization develops into His order. Our frustration becomes His peace.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Redefining Retirement
A cardboard box filled – “World’s Greatest Grandpa” coffee cup, photos of the family, a few “success” books, pens, pencils, a nearly empty package of breath mints, the outer one slightly gray – you carry the remains of a life long career. Tomorrow you don’t have to drag yourself out of bed. You don’t have to drag yourself anywhere. You won’t need to set an alarm. Not that it matters, you’ll wake up at 5:45, the same as you have for years.
What’s next? Relax. Take it easy. Who cares, you’re retired – free!
What does God say about retirement? Interestingly, he’s rather silent on the subject. Perhaps it’s because retirement is a fairly new phenomenon.
Long ago work had much more to do with survival than building a 401k. If you’re working to put dinner on the table retirement is going to leave you seriously hungry. However, maybe God is silent on the matter because he’s got other plans.
There was a king, hair thin and gray, hands gnarled, laying on his deathbed, literally. Bones aching, body weak, shaking, he just couldn’t get warm no matter what his servants tried. He’d lived a good life, had no regrets. He was ready.
Then came the news. You can’t die yet, there’s more to do. The heir to the throne was being usurped. Both were the sons of the king, the heir and usurper, so if either ruled the king’s lineage would continue. He could have rolled over and said, “I’m too old for this stuff. Let the young ones fight over it. My time is past.”
Not this king, he dragged himself out of bed. Calling his advisors, he determined the situation. He met with the leaders who ruled under him and made sure a coronation was held for the true heir to the throne.
Okay, that’s enough right. Get back in bed, old man. Nope, not yet.
The king took his son, the heir, and taught him. Reviewed all the wise things he’d taught him over a life of preparation. When the son was firmly on the throne, and the other son had abdicated his false claims to the crown, then King David, the giant killer and friend of God, retired.
Retired. It’s one of those weird re-words that doesn’t work. Re often means “again” – redo: do it again, rebuild: build it again, refrigerate: frigerate it again. Okay, refrigerate is another one that doesn’t quite work.
Retire. Maybe it means you spent thirty years getting tired, now, do it again. I doubt I’d get too many supporters for that definition.
Sometimes I picture it a different way. If you’ve ever watched a car race, you’ve seen a pit stop crew. Now I’m not mechanically minded, not even a little.
Last week I had to replace a rear turn signal bulb on my truck. It should have taken five minutes, but three hours and four trips to the parts store later I’d gotten so mad I broke the rear light assembly. I shoved it all back in and started once again to the parts store to return the new assembly I’d bought, the one that didn’t work. On my way to the store I absent-mindedly flipped on the turn signal – AND IT WORKED! If I’d have known breaking it would have fixed it I could have done that before I ever bought the new bulb.
Needless to say, I appreciate the skill and speed of the pit stop crew.
That race car can go round and round (never really getting anywhere in my opinion), driven hard, tires bald. It rolls into the pit stop and in a matter of seconds the pit stop crew has got the car re-tired. It’s ready to get back out there and do what it was created for.
I wonder if that’s God’s idea of retirement. He says, “Come to me you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
“Yes!” you might be thinking, especially if you’re close to retirement. You might be picturing a hammock under a shade tree or a recliner in the den. Sorry to mess up your daydreams, but God didn’t stop there.
“Take my yolk upon you….” A yolk is the work tool of the oxen. It allows two oxen to pull a load together.
“You want rest, relaxation?” God asks. “Come and work with me. That’s where you’ll find it.” Maybe in God’s eyes retirement is more about re-commissioning. God giving you time to do a new job, maybe a job with much greater impact than the career you spent the rest of your life working.
There was a man who started a new career at age sixty-nine, when most of his peers had already been retired for several years. He only worked the job for eight years, but he was better known for that post than for any other thing he did in his life. His name was Ronald Reagan.
It’s an impressive story, but all he did was serve as President of a country. You could help build the kingdom of God. When the time comes let God re-tire you so you can get back out there and do what you were created to do.
What’s next? Relax. Take it easy. Who cares, you’re retired – free!
What does God say about retirement? Interestingly, he’s rather silent on the subject. Perhaps it’s because retirement is a fairly new phenomenon.
Long ago work had much more to do with survival than building a 401k. If you’re working to put dinner on the table retirement is going to leave you seriously hungry. However, maybe God is silent on the matter because he’s got other plans.
There was a king, hair thin and gray, hands gnarled, laying on his deathbed, literally. Bones aching, body weak, shaking, he just couldn’t get warm no matter what his servants tried. He’d lived a good life, had no regrets. He was ready.
Then came the news. You can’t die yet, there’s more to do. The heir to the throne was being usurped. Both were the sons of the king, the heir and usurper, so if either ruled the king’s lineage would continue. He could have rolled over and said, “I’m too old for this stuff. Let the young ones fight over it. My time is past.”
Not this king, he dragged himself out of bed. Calling his advisors, he determined the situation. He met with the leaders who ruled under him and made sure a coronation was held for the true heir to the throne.
Okay, that’s enough right. Get back in bed, old man. Nope, not yet.
The king took his son, the heir, and taught him. Reviewed all the wise things he’d taught him over a life of preparation. When the son was firmly on the throne, and the other son had abdicated his false claims to the crown, then King David, the giant killer and friend of God, retired.
Retired. It’s one of those weird re-words that doesn’t work. Re often means “again” – redo: do it again, rebuild: build it again, refrigerate: frigerate it again. Okay, refrigerate is another one that doesn’t quite work.
Retire. Maybe it means you spent thirty years getting tired, now, do it again. I doubt I’d get too many supporters for that definition.
Sometimes I picture it a different way. If you’ve ever watched a car race, you’ve seen a pit stop crew. Now I’m not mechanically minded, not even a little.
Last week I had to replace a rear turn signal bulb on my truck. It should have taken five minutes, but three hours and four trips to the parts store later I’d gotten so mad I broke the rear light assembly. I shoved it all back in and started once again to the parts store to return the new assembly I’d bought, the one that didn’t work. On my way to the store I absent-mindedly flipped on the turn signal – AND IT WORKED! If I’d have known breaking it would have fixed it I could have done that before I ever bought the new bulb.
Needless to say, I appreciate the skill and speed of the pit stop crew.
That race car can go round and round (never really getting anywhere in my opinion), driven hard, tires bald. It rolls into the pit stop and in a matter of seconds the pit stop crew has got the car re-tired. It’s ready to get back out there and do what it was created for.
I wonder if that’s God’s idea of retirement. He says, “Come to me you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
“Yes!” you might be thinking, especially if you’re close to retirement. You might be picturing a hammock under a shade tree or a recliner in the den. Sorry to mess up your daydreams, but God didn’t stop there.
“Take my yolk upon you….” A yolk is the work tool of the oxen. It allows two oxen to pull a load together.
“You want rest, relaxation?” God asks. “Come and work with me. That’s where you’ll find it.” Maybe in God’s eyes retirement is more about re-commissioning. God giving you time to do a new job, maybe a job with much greater impact than the career you spent the rest of your life working.
There was a man who started a new career at age sixty-nine, when most of his peers had already been retired for several years. He only worked the job for eight years, but he was better known for that post than for any other thing he did in his life. His name was Ronald Reagan.
It’s an impressive story, but all he did was serve as President of a country. You could help build the kingdom of God. When the time comes let God re-tire you so you can get back out there and do what you were created to do.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Redefining the Boss
Feet caked with mud, arms scratched, muscles aching, the man mashes straw into mud. His team is required to create a certain number of adobe bricks each day. It’s a hard, unrelenting job.
As he squishes in the mud, each stomp of his feet keeps the beat of the song in his heart. He thinks about the upcoming vacation and can’t help but smile. Even the shouts of the boss to hurry can’t get him riled today. He’s going to have a few days off.
A kernel of doubt enters his brain. “The big boss hasn’t Okayed the trip yet.” It was true. He was still awaiting final approval.
They had asked for time off to go and worship. The boss was a religious man. Granted, it was a different religion, but he understood the need for worship.
The doubt didn’t leave. It irritated him the way a sharp rock down in the mud would do to his foot. The difference: with the rock he could stick his hand down in the quagmire and pull it out. The feeling of uncertainty in his mind was more elusive.
How about you? Have you ever had a situation at work where you asked the boss for a favor? How about a favor that had to do with worship, or a Bible conference, or a Good-Friday service, did you have to wait for the boss to answer your request? It can be frustrating. Let’s look back at our story and see what happened.
The boss gave a resounding NO. No way. Not a chance.
The man was discouraged as he went to bed the night he heard. The next morning he had to drag himself to work. The day didn’t get better. The boss let his team know that there was a change.
“If you have enough time to go off to worship your God, you’ve got time to gather your own straw.”
“What?” The man thought. “We already dig the clay from the hillside and carry the water from the river. If we have to have to gather the straw too we’ll never be able to make as many bricks.” Then he chuckled under his breath. “Serves the boss right – he won’t have as many bricks, the Jerk.”
Just then the boss said, “I’ll expect the same number of bricks as always. Failure to do so will bring about steep penalties.”
Unfair! Unjust! Why would God allow this to happen to people who were trying to worship him? He’s a loving God who wants to bless his children. How could he be so uncaring?
The man in the story and his team asked God very similar question. Their leader, Moses, questioned God’s actions – or inaction – as well. And, if you’re like me, you’ve probably questioned God in very similar ways when things didn’t go as you planned.
So, why didn’t God allow them to go and worship. I mean, that’s a good thing, a great thing, something he’s commanded us to do. Does God not really care?
In truth, God does care about us. That doesn’t mean blessing us is his first priority though, especially if by blessing us we mean giving us what we want. God’s first priority is that he is glorified before the world. Ezekiel 36:22-23 says, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name … I will vindicate the holiness of my great name which has been profaned among the nations … and the nations will know that I am the Lord….”
That’s what he was doing for Moses and children of Israel. After Moses questioned God’s inaction the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharoah….” (Exodus 6:1) He gave Moses a message for the people. Basically he said, “You wanted to go worship me for a few days and then come back to serve as slaves under Pharoah, but I’m going to way out do that dream. I’m going to take you to the land I promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I’m going to be your God and you, my children, will worship me there.”
Wow! God’s plan was a far greater blessing, and in the process of blessing the children of Israel he would glorify his name among all the nations. Before you get too excited, read the response of his people. Moses told them everything God had said, “but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.”
It would be easy for us to shake our heads at their attitude, but how often have I completely missed the real blessing God had planned because I was feeling sorry for myself. I was having a pity party because God didn’t do what I thought he should have.
When things don’t go your way lift your eyes to the hills – or those bright, white, fluorescent lights if you’re at work – and say like the Psalm, “My help comes from the Lord (the Boss), who made heaven and earth.” (121:2) You can watch his plan unfold. You can be the one glorifying his name before the nations.
As he squishes in the mud, each stomp of his feet keeps the beat of the song in his heart. He thinks about the upcoming vacation and can’t help but smile. Even the shouts of the boss to hurry can’t get him riled today. He’s going to have a few days off.
A kernel of doubt enters his brain. “The big boss hasn’t Okayed the trip yet.” It was true. He was still awaiting final approval.
They had asked for time off to go and worship. The boss was a religious man. Granted, it was a different religion, but he understood the need for worship.
The doubt didn’t leave. It irritated him the way a sharp rock down in the mud would do to his foot. The difference: with the rock he could stick his hand down in the quagmire and pull it out. The feeling of uncertainty in his mind was more elusive.
How about you? Have you ever had a situation at work where you asked the boss for a favor? How about a favor that had to do with worship, or a Bible conference, or a Good-Friday service, did you have to wait for the boss to answer your request? It can be frustrating. Let’s look back at our story and see what happened.
The boss gave a resounding NO. No way. Not a chance.
The man was discouraged as he went to bed the night he heard. The next morning he had to drag himself to work. The day didn’t get better. The boss let his team know that there was a change.
“If you have enough time to go off to worship your God, you’ve got time to gather your own straw.”
“What?” The man thought. “We already dig the clay from the hillside and carry the water from the river. If we have to have to gather the straw too we’ll never be able to make as many bricks.” Then he chuckled under his breath. “Serves the boss right – he won’t have as many bricks, the Jerk.”
Just then the boss said, “I’ll expect the same number of bricks as always. Failure to do so will bring about steep penalties.”
Unfair! Unjust! Why would God allow this to happen to people who were trying to worship him? He’s a loving God who wants to bless his children. How could he be so uncaring?
The man in the story and his team asked God very similar question. Their leader, Moses, questioned God’s actions – or inaction – as well. And, if you’re like me, you’ve probably questioned God in very similar ways when things didn’t go as you planned.
So, why didn’t God allow them to go and worship. I mean, that’s a good thing, a great thing, something he’s commanded us to do. Does God not really care?
In truth, God does care about us. That doesn’t mean blessing us is his first priority though, especially if by blessing us we mean giving us what we want. God’s first priority is that he is glorified before the world. Ezekiel 36:22-23 says, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name … I will vindicate the holiness of my great name which has been profaned among the nations … and the nations will know that I am the Lord….”
That’s what he was doing for Moses and children of Israel. After Moses questioned God’s inaction the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharoah….” (Exodus 6:1) He gave Moses a message for the people. Basically he said, “You wanted to go worship me for a few days and then come back to serve as slaves under Pharoah, but I’m going to way out do that dream. I’m going to take you to the land I promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I’m going to be your God and you, my children, will worship me there.”
Wow! God’s plan was a far greater blessing, and in the process of blessing the children of Israel he would glorify his name among all the nations. Before you get too excited, read the response of his people. Moses told them everything God had said, “but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.”
It would be easy for us to shake our heads at their attitude, but how often have I completely missed the real blessing God had planned because I was feeling sorry for myself. I was having a pity party because God didn’t do what I thought he should have.
When things don’t go your way lift your eyes to the hills – or those bright, white, fluorescent lights if you’re at work – and say like the Psalm, “My help comes from the Lord (the Boss), who made heaven and earth.” (121:2) You can watch his plan unfold. You can be the one glorifying his name before the nations.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Redefining the Worker
The older man was harried as he prepared for the trip he didn’t want to take. One of his sons came in the room. “Son, I need you to go out to the field and work for me today. I must go on an unexpected trip, and there’s work to be done.”
The son grimaced. This was supposed to be his day off. “Dad, I’ve got plans. I can’t go out and work today.”
“Son, I’m depending on you.”
“This stinks,” the son replied as he stormed out of the room. He calmed down some as he walked through the house, and by the time he was outside he’d steeled himself for the work that lay before him in the field.
About the same time the man’s other son walked in on him. “Son, I need you to go out and work in the field today. I’ve had a change of plans.”
“No problem, Dad. I’ll get right out there.”
The father smiled as he watched the second son leave the room. The boy walked down the hallway and into his bedroom where he went back to bed. Now which of these sons did the will of his father?
WANTED: A major corporation is seeking a worker who is blameless and who does what is right. We are looking for an employee who speaks the truth from his heart. Someone who doesn’t slander or slur his fellow worker. Despising those who are evil is acceptable. Working well with those who fear the Lord is a must. This employee must keep his word even when it hurts. He who does these things will never be fired. (based on Psalm 15:1-5)
What if employers used God’s Word as the standard by which they hired employees? Would you have been given the job you now have? If your annual performance and promotions were based on that standard would you quickly rise in the company, or would your non-Christian workmates give you a run for your money?
Your boss might not know what God’s Word says, so your job description probably didn’t sound like the ad above. Most employers don’t look for employees by those standards. God does.
When he says, “Be holy (set apart, spiritually distinguishable) as I am holy.” He didn’t mean just at church. He was thinking specifically of you on your job … and at church … and everywhere else.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (Col. 3:23) If we live by this, and if our work is our worship and our work place is a place where the Savior sits and speaks, then we have to live according to God’s standards. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed.... 2 Tim 2:15
Remember, your job is not really about you, right? It’s about bringing glory to God. So, how can we do that? How you can you live a holy life at work, a life that is so spiritually different that the world that people notice?
How about this: Do 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 4:29-30) There are two directives in this verse: 1) don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, and 2) build others up.
Unwholesome talk could consist of off-colored jokes in the break room, or it could be bashing the boss by the water-cooler. For you to bring glory to God, your words need to be helpful, to encourage, to lift up, to make the life of someone around you better. Help the haters. Encourage the inefficient. Love the losers. Build up the boss.
Yeah, he might really be an idiot, but he’s an idiot that your Savior went to the cross for. Jesus isn’t asking us to be nailed to a tree for our fellow workers, but he does ask us to die to our own pride. Those snide comments that make us feel part of the group or possibly even better about ourselves, they are anything but holy.
The Apostle Paul gave this instruction to workers, and these workers had it tougher than most of us. Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show them that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. (Titus 2:9-10) If Paul instructs slaves to act toward their masters in this way, how much more should we as free workers support our bosses?
Did you recognize the reason we should treat our bosses this way: so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive? We treat our leaders with respect so that God is made attractive. He is glorified.
The way you act at work reflects directly on God. If you are arrogant and unkind, God’s image is distorted, made ugly to the world. The more you imitate God, the more he is seen in his beauty. You, the worker, were created in the image of the God who speaks life to the world, who gave everything for those that despised him. Imitate him.
The son grimaced. This was supposed to be his day off. “Dad, I’ve got plans. I can’t go out and work today.”
“Son, I’m depending on you.”
“This stinks,” the son replied as he stormed out of the room. He calmed down some as he walked through the house, and by the time he was outside he’d steeled himself for the work that lay before him in the field.
About the same time the man’s other son walked in on him. “Son, I need you to go out and work in the field today. I’ve had a change of plans.”
“No problem, Dad. I’ll get right out there.”
The father smiled as he watched the second son leave the room. The boy walked down the hallway and into his bedroom where he went back to bed. Now which of these sons did the will of his father?
WANTED: A major corporation is seeking a worker who is blameless and who does what is right. We are looking for an employee who speaks the truth from his heart. Someone who doesn’t slander or slur his fellow worker. Despising those who are evil is acceptable. Working well with those who fear the Lord is a must. This employee must keep his word even when it hurts. He who does these things will never be fired. (based on Psalm 15:1-5)
What if employers used God’s Word as the standard by which they hired employees? Would you have been given the job you now have? If your annual performance and promotions were based on that standard would you quickly rise in the company, or would your non-Christian workmates give you a run for your money?
Your boss might not know what God’s Word says, so your job description probably didn’t sound like the ad above. Most employers don’t look for employees by those standards. God does.
When he says, “Be holy (set apart, spiritually distinguishable) as I am holy.” He didn’t mean just at church. He was thinking specifically of you on your job … and at church … and everywhere else.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (Col. 3:23) If we live by this, and if our work is our worship and our work place is a place where the Savior sits and speaks, then we have to live according to God’s standards. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed.... 2 Tim 2:15
Remember, your job is not really about you, right? It’s about bringing glory to God. So, how can we do that? How you can you live a holy life at work, a life that is so spiritually different that the world that people notice?
How about this: Do 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 4:29-30) There are two directives in this verse: 1) don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, and 2) build others up.
Unwholesome talk could consist of off-colored jokes in the break room, or it could be bashing the boss by the water-cooler. For you to bring glory to God, your words need to be helpful, to encourage, to lift up, to make the life of someone around you better. Help the haters. Encourage the inefficient. Love the losers. Build up the boss.
Yeah, he might really be an idiot, but he’s an idiot that your Savior went to the cross for. Jesus isn’t asking us to be nailed to a tree for our fellow workers, but he does ask us to die to our own pride. Those snide comments that make us feel part of the group or possibly even better about ourselves, they are anything but holy.
The Apostle Paul gave this instruction to workers, and these workers had it tougher than most of us. Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show them that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. (Titus 2:9-10) If Paul instructs slaves to act toward their masters in this way, how much more should we as free workers support our bosses?
Did you recognize the reason we should treat our bosses this way: so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive? We treat our leaders with respect so that God is made attractive. He is glorified.
The way you act at work reflects directly on God. If you are arrogant and unkind, God’s image is distorted, made ugly to the world. The more you imitate God, the more he is seen in his beauty. You, the worker, were created in the image of the God who speaks life to the world, who gave everything for those that despised him. Imitate him.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Redefining the Tough Day at the Office
Dust caked the workers sweat soaked faces. Blood from busted knuckles had congealed with the white powder making putrid gray-brown crumbles on their hands. Their eyes were hollow; any hope had faded to despair. They were forever trapped in this endless endeavor.
The stones they carried held no precious minerals, no jewels. They were just rocks, ugly gray rocks. They seemed to have tumbled in a heap without end.
They carried the rocks and stacked them. They piled them one on another, load after load, stacking them – carry and stack, cart and pile. But the structure didn’t get any bigger.
“We can’t go on. It’s too much. We’re never going to finish. We give up.”
That was their cry to Nehemiah, their leader. This cry didn’t come at the beginning of the wall building project. Oh no, like many projects it started with gusto. In fact right before we read about this moment in Nehemiah chapter four the author had told us: So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
What happened? The story moved from the people had a mind to work to: The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall. And this all happened in four verses.
I know exactly what happened. It happens in my backyard all the time. I get a great idea for a project in the backyard, and with little thought to how difficult the task will be I begin. I’m excited. I know this is going to be the best looking walkway, flower garden, vegetable garden, rock wall – oh, I can’t remember all of the projects I’ve started. With gusto, I might add.
Unfortunately, they are seldom finished, at least in a timely manner. I run out of steam. My back starts to feel the stress of bending over. Muscles I only work a few times a year start to scream, “What are you doing? Are you insane? We can’t finish this by ourselves.”
The children of Israel had reached that dreaded spot, the one that brings me to my knees, the halfway point. It’s a terrible place. You’ve gone too far to turn back, but the end seems to be forever away still.
Often the time we are at our weakest, is when we are halfway through something. Sometimes we know it. Sometimes we don’t.
When we know we’re there, we may be able to muster the strength to carry on. But, what about those time when we just don’t think we’re going to make it? What can we do then?
All of us will face those moments. You may face a moment like that in your marriage, in raising your kids, or in your career. So, what do you do?
Quit. No, you may feel like that, but we can look back at Nehemiah’s story and find the solution. We have to refocus.
The children of Israel were sure they couldn’t continue on. They were being threatened by outside forces. They complained about all the rubble around them. Problems were everywhere, and they were tired on top of all that.
The wall they were rebuilding was the wall of protection around the city. King Nebuchadnezzar’s army had pulled the old wall down, rock from rock, into the huge pile of rubble that they were now climbing over. It was a mess.
But the mess was much smaller than it had been when they started. They were using those very same rocks that had been the old wall to build the new wall, and now the wall was half its height. The rubble they were complaining about was the very storehouse that was supplying their needs.
That’s often the case when we are struggling. Our biggest problems are also a source for our success, but how do we see them for what they are? How do we take our eyes off the rubble?
We follow the advice of Nehemiah. He didn’t explain to them that there was less rubble than when they started. He didn’t say, “Cheer up. We’ve come a long way.”
Have you ever done that? When someone is having one of those really tough days, they’ve reached a halfway point, and you say something pithy. “Oh, things aren’t really as bad as you think.” Usually the result is less than positive. I know, I do it to my wife all the time. You’d think I’d learn.
Nehemiah was obviously smarter than me, so he didn’t focus on the rubble. He didn’t focus on the job either. That would be the route many leaders would take. “Remember, we’ve got a job to do. It’s an important job. We need everyone on their A-game.” Pep rallies for the defeated aren’t too successful.
He didn’t remind them of all he had done to help them out. “Listen people, I went before King Artaxerxes, risking my own life to come here and lead you all. I made sure we had lumber for the doorposts and gates. I mean, come on. If I can do all this for you, you can keep going until the job’s done.” No, he didn’t focus their attention on his fearless leadership.
Nehemiah did what you and I need to do. He focused them back on God. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.
If the mission of our job is bring glory to God. If our work is not really about us, but truly about him, then he has to be where our eyes, our mind, our hearts are focused. You want to push through the tough times, focus on the Lord, who is great and awesome.
The stones they carried held no precious minerals, no jewels. They were just rocks, ugly gray rocks. They seemed to have tumbled in a heap without end.
They carried the rocks and stacked them. They piled them one on another, load after load, stacking them – carry and stack, cart and pile. But the structure didn’t get any bigger.
“We can’t go on. It’s too much. We’re never going to finish. We give up.”
That was their cry to Nehemiah, their leader. This cry didn’t come at the beginning of the wall building project. Oh no, like many projects it started with gusto. In fact right before we read about this moment in Nehemiah chapter four the author had told us: So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
What happened? The story moved from the people had a mind to work to: The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall. And this all happened in four verses.
I know exactly what happened. It happens in my backyard all the time. I get a great idea for a project in the backyard, and with little thought to how difficult the task will be I begin. I’m excited. I know this is going to be the best looking walkway, flower garden, vegetable garden, rock wall – oh, I can’t remember all of the projects I’ve started. With gusto, I might add.
Unfortunately, they are seldom finished, at least in a timely manner. I run out of steam. My back starts to feel the stress of bending over. Muscles I only work a few times a year start to scream, “What are you doing? Are you insane? We can’t finish this by ourselves.”
The children of Israel had reached that dreaded spot, the one that brings me to my knees, the halfway point. It’s a terrible place. You’ve gone too far to turn back, but the end seems to be forever away still.
Often the time we are at our weakest, is when we are halfway through something. Sometimes we know it. Sometimes we don’t.
When we know we’re there, we may be able to muster the strength to carry on. But, what about those time when we just don’t think we’re going to make it? What can we do then?
All of us will face those moments. You may face a moment like that in your marriage, in raising your kids, or in your career. So, what do you do?
Quit. No, you may feel like that, but we can look back at Nehemiah’s story and find the solution. We have to refocus.
The children of Israel were sure they couldn’t continue on. They were being threatened by outside forces. They complained about all the rubble around them. Problems were everywhere, and they were tired on top of all that.
The wall they were rebuilding was the wall of protection around the city. King Nebuchadnezzar’s army had pulled the old wall down, rock from rock, into the huge pile of rubble that they were now climbing over. It was a mess.
But the mess was much smaller than it had been when they started. They were using those very same rocks that had been the old wall to build the new wall, and now the wall was half its height. The rubble they were complaining about was the very storehouse that was supplying their needs.
That’s often the case when we are struggling. Our biggest problems are also a source for our success, but how do we see them for what they are? How do we take our eyes off the rubble?
We follow the advice of Nehemiah. He didn’t explain to them that there was less rubble than when they started. He didn’t say, “Cheer up. We’ve come a long way.”
Have you ever done that? When someone is having one of those really tough days, they’ve reached a halfway point, and you say something pithy. “Oh, things aren’t really as bad as you think.” Usually the result is less than positive. I know, I do it to my wife all the time. You’d think I’d learn.
Nehemiah was obviously smarter than me, so he didn’t focus on the rubble. He didn’t focus on the job either. That would be the route many leaders would take. “Remember, we’ve got a job to do. It’s an important job. We need everyone on their A-game.” Pep rallies for the defeated aren’t too successful.
He didn’t remind them of all he had done to help them out. “Listen people, I went before King Artaxerxes, risking my own life to come here and lead you all. I made sure we had lumber for the doorposts and gates. I mean, come on. If I can do all this for you, you can keep going until the job’s done.” No, he didn’t focus their attention on his fearless leadership.
Nehemiah did what you and I need to do. He focused them back on God. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.
If the mission of our job is bring glory to God. If our work is not really about us, but truly about him, then he has to be where our eyes, our mind, our hearts are focused. You want to push through the tough times, focus on the Lord, who is great and awesome.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Redefining Career Training
From the moment he was aware of who he was he knew there was a job waiting for him. Nepotism pure and simple – it was a job given to him because of who his father was. That was the way it was with royalty, and he was the son of a king.
So, how does the heir to the throne prepare for imperial work, dine with kings, dance with queens, study the anthologies of his ancestors, learn to think, talk and act like a king? This prince went about it a little differently. He walked away from the riches of royalty. He denied himself the adulation of the well-wishers.
He became a carpenter. The prince became skilled at working with wood. He could have had a quality business, a home crafted by his own hand, but the prince even gave up this. His job led him elsewhere.
The responsibility given to him so long ago because of his lineage couldn’t be completed in a workshop. So, wandering around the countryside, the prince began dining with the despised, dancing with children, caring for cripples, loving lepers, shattering stereotypes and inciting riots. He didn’t rule nations or make royal proclamations.
Instead, he befriended an eccentric band of misfits. He spoke to the masses in stories they often didn’t understand. But to his friends he was direct, “My job isn’t over yet. There’s more and it’s not pretty.”
His task, his life’s work, the commission he’d received from his father was … to die. He was to take the punishment for everyone who had ever done or ever would do anything against the king … and that included, well, everyone. It was his job to sop up the justice being poured out on the world, to absorb the fury of his father’s wrath.
I don’t know about you, but his job makes mine look really desirable in comparison. His job stunk. No matter how well-written the want add was, the applicant pool was bound to be small. But that was okay, since Jesus was the only one who had the right qualifications anyway, the only righteous one.
This story is not where most of us would go for career training, but the work ethic of Jesus is the highest around. We can learn many things about working by watching the boss. Be imitators of God. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
As you look back at the story you might start thinking, “I don’t want anything to do with that job.” I understand your hesitation, and share it, but know that while his job was tough it came with a great benefit package. Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow in heaven and on Earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God.
Jesus didn’t climb up the ladder of success. He turned the world upside down by voluntarily climbing down the ladder. He was scarred beyond repair, despised by a multitude, ignored by even more. But, when he reached the very bottom of that ladder the God of the universe, his father the king, loving lifted his broken body, the body that had born the sins of the world. He welcomed him home like a prodigal son, wrapped a royal robe around him and set him above all things forever and ever.
That same father – his father, your father – promises you the same thing in your job. He doesn’t guarantee you’ll reach your career goals, doesn’t pledge a promotion in the company. However, he vows that the greatest among you will be the servant of all.
“Yeah, but isn’t all that stuff about our Christian life? I mean this is my job, my life.”
Scripture teaches us that there is no distinction. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
There is the key, the truth that Jesus knew. His job was not about him. No, it really wasn’t about us either, not in the grand scheme of things. It was about bringing glory to the Lord our God.
Your job is no different. It’s not about you. It’s all about him, bringing him glory. Yes, you may have to fix cars or fight crime, command masses or clean messes, but whatever you spend your day doing, it should be bringing glory to the Creator of the universe.
“Wait a minute, if I do that, bring glory to God in my work, couldn’t that backfire. I mean, what if I do the right thing, but doing that makes me lose a business deal. What if bringing glory to God brings unemployment to me? That can’t be God’s plan, can it?”
Those are good questions, and to answer them think back to the story of Jesus. What did doing the right thing bring him? If you said, “death” you win. If doing the right thing makes you lose your job, then that is exactly God’s plan.
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life (job) will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Brining glory to God will probably not require physical death, but death to your pride – oh yeah, death to your passions – definitely, death to your own ambition – for sure.
When you bring glory to God in your career you may find yourself climbing down the ladder of success, but remember this promise. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. He’s offered you a benefit package to die for.
So, how does the heir to the throne prepare for imperial work, dine with kings, dance with queens, study the anthologies of his ancestors, learn to think, talk and act like a king? This prince went about it a little differently. He walked away from the riches of royalty. He denied himself the adulation of the well-wishers.
He became a carpenter. The prince became skilled at working with wood. He could have had a quality business, a home crafted by his own hand, but the prince even gave up this. His job led him elsewhere.
The responsibility given to him so long ago because of his lineage couldn’t be completed in a workshop. So, wandering around the countryside, the prince began dining with the despised, dancing with children, caring for cripples, loving lepers, shattering stereotypes and inciting riots. He didn’t rule nations or make royal proclamations.
Instead, he befriended an eccentric band of misfits. He spoke to the masses in stories they often didn’t understand. But to his friends he was direct, “My job isn’t over yet. There’s more and it’s not pretty.”
His task, his life’s work, the commission he’d received from his father was … to die. He was to take the punishment for everyone who had ever done or ever would do anything against the king … and that included, well, everyone. It was his job to sop up the justice being poured out on the world, to absorb the fury of his father’s wrath.
I don’t know about you, but his job makes mine look really desirable in comparison. His job stunk. No matter how well-written the want add was, the applicant pool was bound to be small. But that was okay, since Jesus was the only one who had the right qualifications anyway, the only righteous one.
This story is not where most of us would go for career training, but the work ethic of Jesus is the highest around. We can learn many things about working by watching the boss. Be imitators of God. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
As you look back at the story you might start thinking, “I don’t want anything to do with that job.” I understand your hesitation, and share it, but know that while his job was tough it came with a great benefit package. Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow in heaven and on Earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God.
Jesus didn’t climb up the ladder of success. He turned the world upside down by voluntarily climbing down the ladder. He was scarred beyond repair, despised by a multitude, ignored by even more. But, when he reached the very bottom of that ladder the God of the universe, his father the king, loving lifted his broken body, the body that had born the sins of the world. He welcomed him home like a prodigal son, wrapped a royal robe around him and set him above all things forever and ever.
That same father – his father, your father – promises you the same thing in your job. He doesn’t guarantee you’ll reach your career goals, doesn’t pledge a promotion in the company. However, he vows that the greatest among you will be the servant of all.
“Yeah, but isn’t all that stuff about our Christian life? I mean this is my job, my life.”
Scripture teaches us that there is no distinction. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
There is the key, the truth that Jesus knew. His job was not about him. No, it really wasn’t about us either, not in the grand scheme of things. It was about bringing glory to the Lord our God.
Your job is no different. It’s not about you. It’s all about him, bringing him glory. Yes, you may have to fix cars or fight crime, command masses or clean messes, but whatever you spend your day doing, it should be bringing glory to the Creator of the universe.
“Wait a minute, if I do that, bring glory to God in my work, couldn’t that backfire. I mean, what if I do the right thing, but doing that makes me lose a business deal. What if bringing glory to God brings unemployment to me? That can’t be God’s plan, can it?”
Those are good questions, and to answer them think back to the story of Jesus. What did doing the right thing bring him? If you said, “death” you win. If doing the right thing makes you lose your job, then that is exactly God’s plan.
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life (job) will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Brining glory to God will probably not require physical death, but death to your pride – oh yeah, death to your passions – definitely, death to your own ambition – for sure.
When you bring glory to God in your career you may find yourself climbing down the ladder of success, but remember this promise. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. He’s offered you a benefit package to die for.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Redefining Career Choice
“I don’t know.” His shrug was nonchalant, but the look in his eyes told me another story. “Not only do I not know, I don’t have any idea how to find out. This decision is way too big for me.”
He was teetering precariously on that fine line between child and adult. The decisions changed from do I want to ride my bike around the block again to what am I going to do with the rest of my life? He was only seventeen, but to pick a college he had to have a major and to pick a major he had to have career aspirations. He didn’t.
As a parent I felt the same tug I’ve felt since I heard him crying in his crib that very first night he was home from the hospital. I want to rush in and help, fix it, make things better. Growing up is tough, at least his growing up has been tough on me. Letting go, watching him fall, crash, mess up, get discouraged, sin – it has all be hard on me.
But, when it comes to his future career I can’t do much. He has to make that decision, as most of us have done. As a high school teacher I get to watch a lot of students work through these choices and I’m always amazed at how some students know exactly what they want to do. At seventeen I was just like my son. I didn’t have a clue. Actually, I’m 46 and I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.
People in the United States change careers approximately three times over their work life. This is a relatively new phenomenon. Years ago people often spent their entire career with the same company. Now they bounce not only from company to company, but from career to career. At the same time, jobs are becoming more and more specific, so training is more specialized. No wonder kids and many adults are confused.
In our constantly and quickly changing world it is important that we teach our kids what Jesus tells us about careers and career training. It’s important for you to remember his words too.
Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)
Your career is not your life. It’s the means by which you make money to take care of necessities such as food and clothes. Could you get food and clothes working at a different job than the one you have now?
“Sure, but I couldn’t afford the house we live in, or drive that sweet ride I have,” you might say.
Almost every year I have my students fill out a sheet telling me what career they want to have. Over fifty percent of them pick high-income careers in entertainment, medicine or law. Can you imagine what our country would be like if half of the workers were in those three industries? Scary.
Too many people have bought into the AmericanDream Nightmare, where their success is based on how much stuff they have. This puts extra pressure as far as career choice. I’ve got to have a career where I can make the most money.
Unfortunately, it is because we’ve completely forgotten Jesus words to us about careers and life. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth … but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
When we – and our kids – place our trust in God, we can reduce the anxiety over careers. “Consider the birds of the air: they neither so nor reap, nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 5:26)
He was teetering precariously on that fine line between child and adult. The decisions changed from do I want to ride my bike around the block again to what am I going to do with the rest of my life? He was only seventeen, but to pick a college he had to have a major and to pick a major he had to have career aspirations. He didn’t.
As a parent I felt the same tug I’ve felt since I heard him crying in his crib that very first night he was home from the hospital. I want to rush in and help, fix it, make things better. Growing up is tough, at least his growing up has been tough on me. Letting go, watching him fall, crash, mess up, get discouraged, sin – it has all be hard on me.
But, when it comes to his future career I can’t do much. He has to make that decision, as most of us have done. As a high school teacher I get to watch a lot of students work through these choices and I’m always amazed at how some students know exactly what they want to do. At seventeen I was just like my son. I didn’t have a clue. Actually, I’m 46 and I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.
People in the United States change careers approximately three times over their work life. This is a relatively new phenomenon. Years ago people often spent their entire career with the same company. Now they bounce not only from company to company, but from career to career. At the same time, jobs are becoming more and more specific, so training is more specialized. No wonder kids and many adults are confused.
In our constantly and quickly changing world it is important that we teach our kids what Jesus tells us about careers and career training. It’s important for you to remember his words too.
Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)
Your career is not your life. It’s the means by which you make money to take care of necessities such as food and clothes. Could you get food and clothes working at a different job than the one you have now?
“Sure, but I couldn’t afford the house we live in, or drive that sweet ride I have,” you might say.
Almost every year I have my students fill out a sheet telling me what career they want to have. Over fifty percent of them pick high-income careers in entertainment, medicine or law. Can you imagine what our country would be like if half of the workers were in those three industries? Scary.
Too many people have bought into the American
Unfortunately, it is because we’ve completely forgotten Jesus words to us about careers and life. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth … but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
When we – and our kids – place our trust in God, we can reduce the anxiety over careers. “Consider the birds of the air: they neither so nor reap, nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 5:26)
Friday, January 21, 2011
Redefining the Work Place
The boat rocked on the water, the occasional soft splashes the only noise
coming from the boat besides the sporadic shuffling of feet. Deft fingers plucked seaweed from the strands of the net, the only evidence they had even gone fishing. There was no joking, the joviality that was normal seemed to have vanished in the same way the fish had done throughout the night.
Shoulders sagged from fatigue and failure. Hard work was nothing new to these men. They liked the work, the burning muscles as they pulled in heavy nets filled with fish, the smell of sweat and fish and water. But to fish the whole night and not have a single fish to show for it, that was tough. Discouragement etched their faces.
Until.
Until, a man stepped aboard their boat. The man wasn’t invited. He didn’t ask for their approval. He merely climbed in, sat down and asked them to cast off from the shore a little ways. They obeyed.
The man, his name was Jesus, began to speak, and in moments he redefined their work place. The old fishing boat became a chapel, a holy place. Dirty fishing nets became curtains for the stage on which sat the teacher, who spoke the words of life. The same voice floated from that boat that had drifted across the dark expanse of the universe before time began. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, came right into our work place and changed it … changed us forever.
That story took place two thousand years ago, but Jesus is still looking for fishing boats … and offices, classrooms, and workshops where he can come and sit. Places he can rest, bringing peace along with him. He envisions your place of employment as a spot where his words can flow freely, bringing hope to the masses, or maybe only to the few employees working away there every day.
That’s how he sees it, but how do you think about the place you work? Jesus wants it to be an imitation of heaven. Ever pictured it that way? When he taught us to pray he told us to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. His will done in your work place like it is in heaven.
It sounds wonderful, but there’s a flip side.
Satan doesn’t want Jesus in your work place. In fact, he will fight to make sure that doesn’t happen. You won’t see him, but he or his minions will be there trying to spoil heaven on earth. Your work place is a battlefield.
“Wow, you’ve been there,” someone might say.
The petty fights and gossiping that stir up trouble, that eat away at your own slice of heaven are not caused by your workmates. Warriors of evil instigate squabbles among us. The hordes from hell hope to harass the kingdom of God until your workplace has no resemblance to heaven at all.
It’s not that Satan cares if your office is peaceful. His plans are much more sinister than strife and discord. Those are just tools he uses. You see, some of your fellow workers are on a path to destruction. If your work place becomes a place where Jesus can come in, sit down and speak the words of life that may change. They may find hope, forgiveness, peace, and Satan won’t stand for that.
Guess who gets to fight them? Paul said, we do not wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. God has placed you there to fight for their freedom.
“But I don’t know how to fight Satan,” you might say. There’s good news. Psalm 144:1 says, Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. You can defeat the forces of evil in your work place and allow God’s will to be done as it is in heaven.
If we view our office or shop as a place where God wants to dwell, how might that change our job? An old preacher was contemplating this once when a woman told him she hated her job. The old preacher gave her a wizened look. “I believe Jesus has sent an angel to your place of employment.”
“Seriously?”
Nodding solemnly the preacher sent her on her way. As she entered the building the next day she greeted each person she came in contact with. She let others use the copy machine before her. When things didn’t go the way she wanted, she smiled and took a deep breath, thanking God for letting her work with an angel.
The next time the old preacher saw her, the woman was telling him about the wonderful place she worked. There may be no angels where you work, but the one who spoke the world into existence wants to sit in the cubicle with you. He wants to ride next to you in the service truck, to join you in the classroom, to sit with you at work … and quietly speak words of life. Isn’t that a place you’d want to work?
coming from the boat besides the sporadic shuffling of feet. Deft fingers plucked seaweed from the strands of the net, the only evidence they had even gone fishing. There was no joking, the joviality that was normal seemed to have vanished in the same way the fish had done throughout the night.
Shoulders sagged from fatigue and failure. Hard work was nothing new to these men. They liked the work, the burning muscles as they pulled in heavy nets filled with fish, the smell of sweat and fish and water. But to fish the whole night and not have a single fish to show for it, that was tough. Discouragement etched their faces.
Until.
Until, a man stepped aboard their boat. The man wasn’t invited. He didn’t ask for their approval. He merely climbed in, sat down and asked them to cast off from the shore a little ways. They obeyed.
The man, his name was Jesus, began to speak, and in moments he redefined their work place. The old fishing boat became a chapel, a holy place. Dirty fishing nets became curtains for the stage on which sat the teacher, who spoke the words of life. The same voice floated from that boat that had drifted across the dark expanse of the universe before time began. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, came right into our work place and changed it … changed us forever.
That story took place two thousand years ago, but Jesus is still looking for fishing boats … and offices, classrooms, and workshops where he can come and sit. Places he can rest, bringing peace along with him. He envisions your place of employment as a spot where his words can flow freely, bringing hope to the masses, or maybe only to the few employees working away there every day.
That’s how he sees it, but how do you think about the place you work? Jesus wants it to be an imitation of heaven. Ever pictured it that way? When he taught us to pray he told us to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. His will done in your work place like it is in heaven.
It sounds wonderful, but there’s a flip side.
Satan doesn’t want Jesus in your work place. In fact, he will fight to make sure that doesn’t happen. You won’t see him, but he or his minions will be there trying to spoil heaven on earth. Your work place is a battlefield.
“Wow, you’ve been there,” someone might say.
The petty fights and gossiping that stir up trouble, that eat away at your own slice of heaven are not caused by your workmates. Warriors of evil instigate squabbles among us. The hordes from hell hope to harass the kingdom of God until your workplace has no resemblance to heaven at all.
It’s not that Satan cares if your office is peaceful. His plans are much more sinister than strife and discord. Those are just tools he uses. You see, some of your fellow workers are on a path to destruction. If your work place becomes a place where Jesus can come in, sit down and speak the words of life that may change. They may find hope, forgiveness, peace, and Satan won’t stand for that.
Guess who gets to fight them? Paul said, we do not wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. God has placed you there to fight for their freedom.
“But I don’t know how to fight Satan,” you might say. There’s good news. Psalm 144:1 says, Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. You can defeat the forces of evil in your work place and allow God’s will to be done as it is in heaven.
If we view our office or shop as a place where God wants to dwell, how might that change our job? An old preacher was contemplating this once when a woman told him she hated her job. The old preacher gave her a wizened look. “I believe Jesus has sent an angel to your place of employment.”
“Seriously?”
Nodding solemnly the preacher sent her on her way. As she entered the building the next day she greeted each person she came in contact with. She let others use the copy machine before her. When things didn’t go the way she wanted, she smiled and took a deep breath, thanking God for letting her work with an angel.
The next time the old preacher saw her, the woman was telling him about the wonderful place she worked. There may be no angels where you work, but the one who spoke the world into existence wants to sit in the cubicle with you. He wants to ride next to you in the service truck, to join you in the classroom, to sit with you at work … and quietly speak words of life. Isn’t that a place you’d want to work?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Redefining Work
Stripped and dirty, they pulled him out of a deep pit. His hands were 
tied together, and he was forced to walk for hundreds of miles staring at the back end of a camel. Behind him was a family where he was the favored son, a home of some wealth … and his future?
The auction was loud, though he only understood some of it – the important part, he was being sold. Quickly he was learning the language of his captors, and so he understood some of what his new owner, his boss, said. He was to work in the house as a house slave.
The work was hard, but rapidly he figured out his duties, and excelled at them. He didn’t complain as the other slaves often did. They cried about the injustice of enslavement, or their duties, or their lives in general. He was silent.
Soon his owner noticed that he surpassed the other slaves and began to give him more and more responsibility. The other slaves complained about this as well. He quietly went about his business, doing his best.
Before long his owner had placed him in charge of all the other slaves, making him second-in-command to only the owner himself. He was able to call the shots. The slave was at the top of ladder, if slaves have ladders.
Until.
Until the owner’s wife noticed that he was a handsome man, a man even her husband respected. “Come lie with me,” she whispered. “He’ll never know.”
“I can’t do a thing like that. He has trusted me with all that he has.”
She pulled him toward her bed. He scrambled back. In desperation he skinned out of his cloak to get away from her grasp.
“Help! The slave has tried to rape me.” Her eyes held no remorse as she said it. Her hand held his cloak as evidence.
Stripped and cowering, they pulled him out of his hiding place. His hands were tied behind him and he was forced to walk the long road into a darkened prison. Behind him was a position as the favorite slave, power and authority … and his future?
The prison was loud, but he was only aware of one thing – he was a prisoner. Whips bit his skin and fists cuffed his head. Fear lurked in the dark shadows.
The work was hard, but rapidly he figured out his duties, and excelled at them. He didn’t complain as the other prisoners often did. They cried about the injustice of imprisonment, or their duties, or their lives in general. He was silent.
Soon his jailer noticed that he surpassed the other prisoners and began to give him more and more responsibility. The other slaves complained about this as well. He quietly went about his business, doing his best.
Before long his jailer had placed him in charge of all the other prisoners, making him second-in-command to only the jailer himself. He was able to call the shots. The prisoner was again at the top of ladder, if prisoners have ladders.
Joseph was a slave and prisoner, but in both of those roles he was also a worker. You may have had a job at some time where you felt like either a slave or prisoner. It may be the one you’re working now.
How was it that Joseph, no matter where he was, rose to the top? We can’t say luck, since anyone with luck wouldn’t end up a slave or prisoner. So, what was it? What special something did he have?
In the story, as it’s told in Genesis, there is a phrase that is repeated several times, “And the Lord was with him.” That was his secret. God went with Joseph, to the house of Potipher and even to prison. “Okay,” you might be thinking, “I’m a Christian. God’s with me in my job, right?”
The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. If you are Christian, then yes, we have a promise that God’s Spirit lives within us. However, is he truly “with us”? Jesus said that if we abide (live, dwell, stay) in him, then he will abide in us. Are you abiding in him?
Sometimes in the evening my wife and I will be upstairs reading or doing some work, and I will realize that I don’t know if my sons are even home. They often spend time hanging out in the basement. Since both of them drive, they come and go much more often than when they were younger, so if I don’t hear them I’m not sure. We live in the same house, but I’m not always “with” them.
The Holy Spirit lives in us, but if we are not with him, then he is not with us. In the American church being with God is often seen as something that happens on Sunday at a church service. If we don’t take God, consciously, with us to work, then he won’t be there, at least not in a way that will impact what we do.
In Hebrew, the native language of Joseph, is found the word Avodah. This is the Hebrew word for work. Interestingly, the word also means worship. For Joseph his work was his worship. If he was filling the wine glasses of Potipher, it was worship of God. If he was emptying latrines in a dank, dark prison, it was worship of God.
The New Testament says it this way, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) Is this your mantra as your inbox rises faster than your outbox? Is this your cry as your boss takes credit for yet another of your ideas?
Neither Potipher nor the prison keeper chose Joseph just because they liked him, because he was charming and a nice guy. They chose him because they saw something different in the way he worked. His work was worship of his God.
Is your work your worship? That is a sure way to make sure God is with you when you are at work. It doesn’t mean you’ll get the promotion or that raise you’ve been hoping for, but it does mean he’ll be right there with you. Joseph’s promotions always went down – way down – before he went up, but he didn’t seem to mind.
God was with him. You see, Joseph knew his job wasn’t really about him, it was about God. When your work is your worship, your career is about bringing glory to the divine creator of the universe. Now that’s a job you can get excited about.
tied together, and he was forced to walk for hundreds of miles staring at the back end of a camel. Behind him was a family where he was the favored son, a home of some wealth … and his future?
The auction was loud, though he only understood some of it – the important part, he was being sold. Quickly he was learning the language of his captors, and so he understood some of what his new owner, his boss, said. He was to work in the house as a house slave.
The work was hard, but rapidly he figured out his duties, and excelled at them. He didn’t complain as the other slaves often did. They cried about the injustice of enslavement, or their duties, or their lives in general. He was silent.
Soon his owner noticed that he surpassed the other slaves and began to give him more and more responsibility. The other slaves complained about this as well. He quietly went about his business, doing his best.
Before long his owner had placed him in charge of all the other slaves, making him second-in-command to only the owner himself. He was able to call the shots. The slave was at the top of ladder, if slaves have ladders.
Until.
Until the owner’s wife noticed that he was a handsome man, a man even her husband respected. “Come lie with me,” she whispered. “He’ll never know.”
“I can’t do a thing like that. He has trusted me with all that he has.”
She pulled him toward her bed. He scrambled back. In desperation he skinned out of his cloak to get away from her grasp.
“Help! The slave has tried to rape me.” Her eyes held no remorse as she said it. Her hand held his cloak as evidence.
Stripped and cowering, they pulled him out of his hiding place. His hands were tied behind him and he was forced to walk the long road into a darkened prison. Behind him was a position as the favorite slave, power and authority … and his future?
The prison was loud, but he was only aware of one thing – he was a prisoner. Whips bit his skin and fists cuffed his head. Fear lurked in the dark shadows.
The work was hard, but rapidly he figured out his duties, and excelled at them. He didn’t complain as the other prisoners often did. They cried about the injustice of imprisonment, or their duties, or their lives in general. He was silent.
Soon his jailer noticed that he surpassed the other prisoners and began to give him more and more responsibility. The other slaves complained about this as well. He quietly went about his business, doing his best.
Before long his jailer had placed him in charge of all the other prisoners, making him second-in-command to only the jailer himself. He was able to call the shots. The prisoner was again at the top of ladder, if prisoners have ladders.
Joseph was a slave and prisoner, but in both of those roles he was also a worker. You may have had a job at some time where you felt like either a slave or prisoner. It may be the one you’re working now.
How was it that Joseph, no matter where he was, rose to the top? We can’t say luck, since anyone with luck wouldn’t end up a slave or prisoner. So, what was it? What special something did he have?
In the story, as it’s told in Genesis, there is a phrase that is repeated several times, “And the Lord was with him.” That was his secret. God went with Joseph, to the house of Potipher and even to prison. “Okay,” you might be thinking, “I’m a Christian. God’s with me in my job, right?”
The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. If you are Christian, then yes, we have a promise that God’s Spirit lives within us. However, is he truly “with us”? Jesus said that if we abide (live, dwell, stay) in him, then he will abide in us. Are you abiding in him?
Sometimes in the evening my wife and I will be upstairs reading or doing some work, and I will realize that I don’t know if my sons are even home. They often spend time hanging out in the basement. Since both of them drive, they come and go much more often than when they were younger, so if I don’t hear them I’m not sure. We live in the same house, but I’m not always “with” them.
The Holy Spirit lives in us, but if we are not with him, then he is not with us. In the American church being with God is often seen as something that happens on Sunday at a church service. If we don’t take God, consciously, with us to work, then he won’t be there, at least not in a way that will impact what we do.
In Hebrew, the native language of Joseph, is found the word Avodah. This is the Hebrew word for work. Interestingly, the word also means worship. For Joseph his work was his worship. If he was filling the wine glasses of Potipher, it was worship of God. If he was emptying latrines in a dank, dark prison, it was worship of God.
The New Testament says it this way, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) Is this your mantra as your inbox rises faster than your outbox? Is this your cry as your boss takes credit for yet another of your ideas?
Neither Potipher nor the prison keeper chose Joseph just because they liked him, because he was charming and a nice guy. They chose him because they saw something different in the way he worked. His work was worship of his God.
Is your work your worship? That is a sure way to make sure God is with you when you are at work. It doesn’t mean you’ll get the promotion or that raise you’ve been hoping for, but it does mean he’ll be right there with you. Joseph’s promotions always went down – way down – before he went up, but he didn’t seem to mind.
God was with him. You see, Joseph knew his job wasn’t really about him, it was about God. When your work is your worship, your career is about bringing glory to the divine creator of the universe. Now that’s a job you can get excited about.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Redefining the Mission Field
The view was picturesque. The city nestled at the foot of the mountain. The air was crisp, but the sun warm. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and listened to the noise of nature.
The men in front of him shuffled nervously. Whispers floated between them carrying their insecurities back and forth. He smiled at them, the future of his endeavor.
The men were well trained. He was sure of that. He’d spent the past three years working with them, developing their skills, building their motivation, teaching, training, honing. They were ready.
Well almost. There was one more thing they needed, but it wasn’t quite time for that yet. Soon. He scanned their faces. Soon they would be ready and the world wouldn’t know what hit it.
“Men,” he addressed them. “I’m the boss, and I’m giving you the authority to complete the mission. Go.” With that simple commission he left them.
And they went.
Jesus gave that command – or Great Commission – to the apostles right before he ascended to heaven. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)
In many Christian circles this Great Commission is considered one of the most important passages in the New Testament. Go. It’s such a simple command, but unfortunately it gets neglected by many.
Go. Go where? Who is supposed to go? Missionaries? Me? What do we do when we get there … wherever there is? When do we go? Do we all go? When we get there does the command end or do we have to go again … and again … and again?
Maybe it’s not such a simple command after all. One problem occurred in the translation from Greek to English. The word should have been translated as you are going rather than go. That would simplify some things.
As you are going to work … make disciples of all nations. As you are going to the mall … make disciples of all nations. As you are going next door, on vacation, to a party – wherever you are going – make disciples. As you are talking with your children, hanging with your friends, going about your daily life … make disciples.
This simplifies several things. The where is everywhere. The who is every Christian. The when is every time you go somewhere … and even when you don’t.
Pastors often instruct their flocks that God has charged them to go. When you’ve heard a message on this you may have imagined going to Africa, Mexico or an urban soup kitchen, but for most of us going means going to work. The average American spends sixty to seventy percent of their waking hours on the job. Countless people at those places of employment are on a path to destruction.
If you spend 60% of your waking hours going to work, then you have an amazing mission field God has sent you to. If you envision the place you work as the mission field where God has sent you, would it change how you view your job? How you prepare for work? How you pray for work?
Over the next few weeks Mission Field: Work will help you prepare for the mission field – your job.
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