Spiritual Integrity: Hope for the Family - Part 1

Every day is a challenge in some way, ranging from minor obstacles that are easily managed to major tasks that require precise focus and concentration to conquer. Financial analysts say we're coming out of the economic recession, but have cautioned against overactive expectations. The biggest challenge might be more personal than finding ways to enjoy prosperity.

At a Bible conference for business men and women, many stated a desire to grow spiritually. To obtain a deeper spirituality, a greater challenge has to be met  and conquered. What is that? The greatest challenge is to hold in check the drive and desire to acquire more "stuff" that we're certain will satisfy our need to be happy and content.

God's desire is for us to mature in order to be realistic. With this attribute we can fulfill our commitment to serve Christ Jesus and overcome the challenges we face. Listen to God's promise to Joshua. "No one will be able to stand against you...I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." That promise is for you.

Accomplishment: A Fresh Look - Part 3

Taking stock of how you spend your time and what you've achieved is critical to establishing new objectives and goals. Employers consistently outline objectives and goals they expect employees to accomplish. Your job security depends on complying with what's expected. Taking stock includes seriously and honestly evaluating compliance and performance with what is expected.

I heard someone say, "My golf game has improved a hundred percent this year, but my work and family life have suffered." These words may be an honest assessment, but they imply neglect and irresponsibility. Jesus, speaking to the religious teachers of the day, accused them of neglecting the important matters of the law - mercy, justice, and faithfulness.

There are times when neglect can produce grave consequences, but by  choosing to change, repenting, and requesting God's help, a fresh start is possible. Romans 12:21 offers this initiative. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Christ in you is your hope for change.  

Accomplishment: A Fresh Look - Part 2

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment in the time frame God has given you so far? It's helpful to measure our progress against the goals we set in place at an earlier date because we encounter distractions. Distractions may have been associated with a crisis or with opportunities that couldn't be passed up. Sometimes original objectives need to be re-prioritized.

In some cases it's appropriate to let go of a hope or dream that could not come to fruition. It may be impossible to reach an objective because of issues and factors beyond our control. It's important to evaluate carefully and prayerfully what role God's purpose and objectives play when disappointments or downright failure are unpreventable.

Celebrating what you have accomplished and what God has provided is a positive way to take stock and accept what could not come to fruition. Philippians 3:14 instructs us press on to what is possible. "Forgetting what is behind, I press onward toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me." This is a good and godly choice.  

Accomplishment: A Fresh Look - Part 1

Most everyone begins adulthood with dreams of the perfect job, the perfect spouse, and perfect children. Dreams of success provide motivation for going out into the world to accomplish great things. God designed us to be ambitious, to reach out beyond perceived limitations and obstacles to achieve what others believe to be impossible for us.

A  successful, caring physician was discouraged by his parents from applying to medical school. When he persisted in pursuing his ambition, both parents withheld their financial and emotional support. Thankfully his grandfather, a physician, encouraged him to follow his dream. The young man's determination and faith helped him meet and overcome the obstacles he encountered.

It's interesting how surprised we can be when we're confronted by obstacles on our way to success. Obstacles test our faith, give rise to doubt, and test our obedience to God's calling. Luke 10:3 portrays Jesus sending his disciples out to meet these obstacles. With prayer and determination, obstacles can be overcome. Give thanks to God for giving you determination to overcome obstacles.

Overcoming Obstacles by Growth and Change - Part 3

How much of your day do you think is devoted to work? Statisticians say about forty percent. If this is true, how important is job satisfaction? Most often job satisfaction is directly related to obstacles that must be managed each day. An obstacle could be thought of as any barrier or drawback to satisfaction with one's work.

Disgruntled, unhappy employees create an atmosphere that affects everyone  within their range of their influence. This not only applies to the workplace, but to the family when negative attitudes are brought home. Jesus advised his disciples to guard against the yeast of the Pharisees. He was referring to their attitudes and teachings because it permeated the whole community.

St. Paul issued a similar warning. "Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. Get rid of the old yeast of sin so that you can be  pure." Permit Christ Jesus to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Then it will be possible to better manage complications related to work and care more for your family and coworkers. 

Overcoming Obstacles by Growth and Change - Part 2

What do you believe is the most important part of yourself that you take to work each day? Is it your capacity to think, perhaps your integrity, that permits you to give of yourself beyond what's expected? If not, it's important to examine your attitude to determine what stands in the way. Obstacles could be persons who do not like you or negative attributes within yourself.

God has given you this unique capacity to think, to observe, to analyze, and  make decisions about what to do in any given situation. If you allow a negative attitude to develop about work, then you're vulnerable to becoming entrapped by these obstacles.

Keep in mind that obstacles can be seen as challenges for change and growth. Romans 12:21 lays out a strategy for dealing with obstacles, regardless of their origin. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." The good you can do is determined by your ability to think and believe that God is at work to help you. Choosing what is good is God's way.  

Overcoming Obstacles by Growth and Change - Part 1

Everyone seeks meaning and purpose for their life, even if what they choose appears misguided or foolish. What gave meaning and purpose at an earlier time can lose significance as we are forced by age or circumstance to move to another phase of life. Adam and Eve were forced from the Garden of Eden to a place of change and challenge.

At some point we're forced to leave what we construct or what was designed  for us. This most often happens in mid-life just when a career or lifestyle appears to be secure. Consider the stay-at-home mom who out of necessity is forced to resume a profession that had been set aside for a higher calling.

Remaining fixated when change is demanded may blind us to present and future opportunities. The good news is that God can do his best work with us in times of transition. Romans 12:2 can be your confidence. "Do not be conformed to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind." What a wonderful choice! 

Work Choices: Are You Satisfied? - Part 3

Some people hate their work and feel sick just thinking about it. Others find meaning and purpose doing any type of work. For them, wasting time is out of the question. However don't confuse relaxation with idleness, for leisure is required for healthy living. Ecclesiastes 10:18 reminds us that laziness produces trouble. "If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the roof leaks."

If you despise your work, trouble and hardship may show its face unless you adjust your attitude. You can choose to change by allowing yourself to develop a positive attitude toward your work. You can refuse to be negative by choosing to see your work as God's provision for you and your family. Ask yourself, "How can I be helpful to those I work with each day?"

Pay attention to your co-workers. Determine to be a role model of the love and compassion God has shown you through Christ Jesus. He endured the Cross to save you and give you a life worth living. Would you begin demonstrating this attitude and see what God will do with it? 

Work Choices: Are You Satisfied? - Part 2

Most Americans believe work should be a source of reward by providing meaning and purpose as well as financial security. Linus Carl Pauling, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry and the Nobel Peace Prize was known for his carefree enjoyment of life. "I just went about doing what I liked to do." He liked to do almost everything, whether trivial or difficult.

Even in his nineties Linus Pauling possessed the enthusiasm and curiosity of a young person. Life was not easy growing up in poverty or working at menial jobs as a teenager and college student. Yet he found harmony between these trivial jobs and his work during the rest of life. He followed the encouraging advice of Colossians 3:23. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, for it is Christ Jesus you're serving."

God told Adam he would have to work to make a living, but he promised to  be his help and guide. When you choose to work as if working for the Lord, you're in a position to receive what Colossians 3:24 calls an inheritance from the Lord. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Work Choices: Are You Satisfied? - Part 1

So many people detest their work and yearn for an opportunity to make changes. Others shift the emphasis from work to leisure because work fails to  provide satisfaction. Some individuals in their mid-life years seek change by taking dangerous risks because of disappointment and burn-out with their work.

In Luke 12:16-21 Jesus conveys a story about a farmer who became wealthy, but because of a misguided attitude toward work and leisure, he failed to reap the harvest of his labor. Work and leisure fail to bring satisfaction and meaning when God is excluded from our choices. God's desire is to be included so we can feel blessed and enriched by him.

Permit yourself to see work as God's gift and as an avenue for expressing your love to Christ Jesus. He not only saves us from our sins and but saves us from negative attitudes that ruin our joy and happiness. Ecclesiastes 2:26 is instructive. "To the one who pleases God, he gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness." Seek to please God with all your heart.  

Re-creating Job Satisfaction - Part 3

Two objectives for working are to attain satisfaction and a earn a livelihood. The degree of satisfaction you experience is linked to your attitude toward work. A positive attitude will enhance your chances for satisfaction in other areas of your life. The happier you are with work, the higher your chances for finding meaning and purpose for your time here on earth.

What are you trying to extract from your work? Is it just a means to an end, a way to get the necessities of life and other things you want? Is work a channel for retirement and security for old age? I'm reminded of Jesus' parable about the farmer who reaped such an abundant harvest that he had to build new barns to store the overflow.

His attitude was to eat, drink, and be happy, but he failed to consider God's plan for his future. The point Jesus made is that your attitude toward work may not produce the rewards you expect. However deciding that your work is God gift to you can be the attitude you take to work and pass on to others. What could be more pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ?

Re-creating Job Satisfaction - Part 2

The attitudes you developed toward work as an adolescent most often endure for a lifetime. Some adolescents want to avoid work while others seek out employment. Those who to have a positive attitude toward work as teenagers tend to make better adjustments to the changes life requires during the decades of the forties and fifties.

For some adults, mid-life necessitates redefining specific goals for working. More than a few men and women reach mid-life and conclude they have been chasing the wind, as Solomon pointed out in Ecclesiastes 4:6. The attitude you possess toward work determines in part whether you come to judge your life's toil as meaningful or meaningless.

Without Christ Jesus giving direction to your life, what you achieve can be seen as pointless and ultimately worthless. Change must include an evaluation of your attitude toward work, the objectives you've achieved and whether you believe work is God's gift to you. God is at work in your life to show you his way and what you can be for him and others.  

Re-creating Job Satisfaction - Part 1

If you were honest, how would you gauge your attitude toward the work that you do each day? What has influenced you in forming this attitude? A large percentage of the work force consider changing employment to find more fulfillment and job satisfaction. Do you think work is one of the most important dimensions of life, but would rather not be doing it?

The uncertainty of work and the changing attitudes and values placed on work create anxiety and stress for all concerned. What helps determine the importance of work and whether it's meaningful is decided by the influence you believe it has on others and if you believe you're making a positive contribution to the lives of others.

God put in everyone's heart a desire to be creative and to feel blessed in doing so. When you share your wisdom and knowledge, it actually reduces stress and anxiety. Proverbs 29:9 is an encouragement. "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares what he has with others." Will you let this be seen in your attitude and actions?

Securing Contentment Through Generosity - Part 3

Most individuals are innately a bit self-centered. While it's normal to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually, most people retain a healthy concern for others. God generously gives us a measure of love and wisdom, which become the hallmark for making life joyful and peaceful. The way in which these attributes get expressed depends on our individual choices.

In the parable of the sower, seeds fall on four different types of soil. These soils represent a person's availability to receive the message from God's word. How much joy and peace we experience depends on the depth God's word is allowed to penetrate our heart and soul. Seeds fail to produce when the soil is shallow or when it's polluted and stifles the plants.

The seeds God sows in you are meant to produce love for others and wisdom for living. This takes place when we become vulnerable to God's purpose and plan for our days upon the earth. Let love and wisdom be the soil that covers your skills and abilities so these will generate the bountiful harvest to which Jesus refers in his parable.  

Securing Contentment Through Generosity - Part 2

A young man in his mid-thirties left an extremely lucrative and successful business to take a position in another company that appeared more challenging. He had made enough money to give him a cushion for several months. Two years after leaving his former employment, he's back in town looking for something else. He is still looking for contentment.

By mid-life, most everyone begins to realize some dreams are not going to become reality. It may be that some people are so inflexible that dreams wither and die from lack of hope or like plants with little or no roots. In Jesus' parable of the four soils a farmer sowed his seeds in his field. Some seeds fell among thorns, which choked the tender young plants.

We must continually evaluate what we want to achieve with the gifts and talents God has entrusted to us. Failure to share them will suffocate you like thorns that choke plants. Listen to Proverbs 11:25. "A generous man prospers; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." As you share with others, you discover God's purpose for your life.  

Securing Contentment Through Generosity - Part 1

I'm reminded that we spend our young adulthood learning the skills of a trade or profession. Then we learn how to apply these skills. In the mid-life years some people stop learning by getting stuck in stagnation, followed by death of enthusiasm for their work.

Listen to words from Jesus' parable of the four soils. A farmer went out to sow his seeds, some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. Plants sprang up quickly for the soil was shallow, but when the sun came up the plants withered because they had no roots.

God intended for all people to work as a means of creating a productive life. Meaning and purpose can be experienced when work is viewed as God's gift to us. Failure to do so may result in stagnation and self-absorption. You can avoid these negatives by sharing with others what you've learned at work, in the community, and in the world. This is the pathway for becoming unhooked from self-absorption. We are nurtured and refreshed by the power and strength that comes only from the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Burned Out or Blessed? - Part 3

Jesus told a parable in Matthew thirteen about a farmer who went out to sow his seeds, which fell on four different types of soil. Imagine this farmer walking through his field sowing the seeds. Some seeds fell on a well-traveled path comprised of hard packed soil. These seeds had no chance to get planted, so birds came and ate them.

When work is seen as having little value except for a paycheck, feelings of stagnation eventually replace a positive attitude that made work endurable. What you bring to the work that God can use to influence others gives work a special purpose. If our attitude is centered only on a paycheck then encouragement will diminish like the seeds the birds ate.

Coming to terms with who you can be in Christ Jesus and how that is passed on to others can make a  difference in the value you place on work. You're  encouraged to be committed as if working for Christ Jesus, for he is at work to activate his good purpose in you. With this attitude, you can sow seeds that yield a good harvest.  

Burned Out or Blessed? - Part 2

How would you describe your attitude about the work you do each day? Is it a drudgery or a blessing? Is work a place where you do as little as possible just to keep your job? Do you have enthusiasm for your work? It's true that some tasks are mundane and not challenging, but the attitude you have about work doesn't have to be negative.

Is it possible to perceive work as God's gift to you, rather than punishment to make life miserable? How is it possible for work to be seen as a blessing from God who loves you? Work brings into focus an acute awareness of choices that determines what level of influence you will have on fellow workers and those we serve.

If you've reached mid-life, consider the knowledge and wisdom you can pass on freely to the next generation. You may have to force yourself to count the ways you've been blessed by God in your work. Next, thank God for his blessings by   permitting yourself to enjoy the fruits of your labor. This is possible when you view your work as a gift from God.  

Burned Out or Blessed? - Part 1

Just about everyone eventually gets to a place in their everyday work experience where change would be a welcome relief from the routines that have long lost their challenge. Even the rewards of safety and security of everyday work routines do not compensate for the absence of heartfelt meaning and purpose for how life is spent.

Working only for financial security and recognition may eventually result in mental and physical burn-out, a major cause of crisis for people in their mid-life years. Each person's core being, that part of the self that needs affirmation and nurturing, must be in harmony with the way life is lived. To be out of harmony creates displeasure with just about every aspect of life.

However making sweeping changes during mid-life may not be productive.  It's beneficial to present needed changes to the redemptive power and guidance of Christ Jesus. He will give wisdom and direction for any needed changes. I am confident that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  

Work: A Gift from God - Part 3

If you were asked to explain what gives meaning and purpose to your work, what would you say? A mother I know worked at a department store for years so her daughters could attend college. Personally, I worked as a young man so I could go to college and support my wife and daughter. God intended for work to give meaning and purpose to life because work is a necessity.

Some people see work as a drudgery and punishment from God. If this fits  your attitude, there will be little joy found in work, regardless of your position or salary. For work to be meaningful and purposeful it must hinge on an attitude that is compatible with God's plan for you. Work is a necessity for the development of integrity, self-esteem and independence.

Do you wonder why adult children of wealthy parents seek careers in public service? Creative work furthers God's plan for you while providing meaning and purpose that prevents stagnation and self-absorption from taking over. Colossians 3:23 offers this encouragement. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord."  

Work: A Gift from God - Part 2

Most people go to college to qualify for a career that provides great benefits. Those who graduate usually achieve their objective. Should money be the major reason for working? Most everyone would say, "I work to make a living, to provide for my family." To be able to work, to express and exercise your full range of talents is indeed a privilege and a blessing from God.

Creative work is God's gift of love to you. However when the gift of work is used primarily for self-gain, saturation begins to dulls your sense of appreciation for what's been achieved. Saturation is indicative of the need to redefine what's important. Using the gift of work for the betterment others and the Kingdom of God avoids self-absorption and stagnation.

Accepting work as God's gift is a step toward making essential changes. Work that benefits others produces joyful feelings of accomplishment. It pleases God, as Hebrews 6:10 explains. "He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you help his people and continue to help them." This is indeed a godly choice.  

Work: A Gift from God - Part 1

The wonder of the human species is that we're perpetually in transition, even if changes exist unnoticed. This may be difficult to accept for those who appreciate constancy. God created us for transitions even though change can be disruptive. For those who have reached mid-life, disruptions may be a frequent occurrence whether at work, in the family, or in personal lives.

Turmoil is a time to make needed changes that were previously overlooked. What would you say personally defines you at this stage of your life? What are your major concerns? Jesus asked a related question in Matthew 6:25, "Is not life more important than food for the body, more important than clothes?" How could this question be re-framed for today?

Change could include redefining what you want to pass on to others who observe you, listen to what you say, or use you as a model for their lives. Jesus gave us this guideline: "Seek first God's Kingdom and his righteousness and all these other things will be given to you." This might be a difficult choice, but in reality there could be no better decision.  

Managing Mistakes - Part 3

Finding meaningful work is one of the most important endeavors men and women seek in life. Ecclesiastes 5:19 specifically says that to be happy in one's work is a gift from God. The most important objective, although not always given first place, is finding peace with God by loving and seeking him with all your heart, soul, and strength.

Contentment with work depends on your motivation for work. My mother's  job was being a homemaker. She viewed this work as her career and still in her late seventies stayed busy doing what she defined as her job. She believed her work was a gift from God. Do you see your career as a means of helping others to be successful, either directly or indirectly?

Change must include altering your attitude about work. How would your attitude be affected if you believed your work was a gift from God? If this were possible, you might be more motivated to use your knowledge, skills, and wisdom to benefit the next generation destined to take your place. This would be a great choice for God and others.  

Managing Mistakes - Part 2

Our society has varying requirements for achieving success in a career. One motivation that drives people to strive for success is personal recognition and acceptance by peers and family. Singer/song writer John Denver's success gave him the means to exploit flying, which made him feel acceptable to his father, an Air Force test pilot.

In the drive to succeed it's almost impossible to avoid becoming self-absorbed, which requires staying singularly focused to limit distractions such as the family or an active spiritual life. For the self-absorbed, other important facets of life will have to be partially ignored.

Self-absorption overlooks giving others the essentials for making their lives successful. To change from being self-absorbed to other-centered requires analyzing your attitude about why to be successful. Jesus asked you, "What good will it be to gain the whole world and forfeit your soul?" This could include your family or your physical and spiritual well-being. You can make better choices.  

Managing Mistakes - Part 1

Getting older is desired by adolescents seeking independence and greater control over their destiny. With age comes the privilege of decision-making and the right to choose a career. But by mid-life, disappointments surface as a consequence of earlier choices. Facing disappointments is unavoidable, but the way they are managed depends on your attitude.

Mistakes and bad choices can be attributed to immaturity, but choosing to learn and mature requires being receptive to what God wants us to see about ourselves and to his plan for our future. While mid-life's uncertainties will come, we choose to cope by submitting our future to Christ Jesus who empowers us to make helpful choices and changes.

Your choices permit a shift from trusting your own intelligence and power to trusting God. Psalm 22:5 assures that those who trust in the Lord will not be disappointed. "Trust in the Lord and do good and he will cause you to dwell safely in the land." This is an assurance as well as a choice that ensures positive change.