2022-08-25
John 17:13 NLT
Here are two more ways to increase the level of your joy:
(1) Start serving others. As long as you live with a sense of entitlement believing that others should serve you, your joy gauge will be reading “empty.” Jesus said it’s in giving away your life to others that you find abundant life (See Mark 8:35). Paul reminds us: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do” (Ephesians 6:7-8 NIV). The happiest people are typically too busy helping others to ask themselves, “Am I happy?” Find a cause greater than self-interest, and pour your life into it. If you do, your legacy will be much greater than your life span.
(2) Share your faith with someone. “There is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents” (Luke 15:10 NLT). Your greatest joy in life will be the result of trusting in Christ as your Saviour. And your second-greatest joy will come from introducing others to Him. Imagine sharing your faith with someone. They may not respond at the time, but you have still sown the seed of God’s Word. Later, they commit their lives to Christ. Perhaps you didn’t know it. But imagine them meeting you in heaven and saying, “I want to thank you for taking the time. I’m here because you cared enough to tell me about Jesus.” You say, “I’ve lost my joy.” Question: When was the last time you shared your faith with someone or led them to Christ?
Soul food: Judg 12-15; Mark 7:24-37; Ps 119:121-128; Prov 18:13-20
2022-08-24
Psalm 28:7 NIV
Joy is like a muscle; the more you develop it, the stronger it becomes. Here are two exercises to help you develop inner joy:
(1) Try to show more gratitude. “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV). Note, it doesn’t say be thankful for all circumstances, but in them. Hans Seyle, the father of modern stress studies, says gratitude produces more emotional energy than any other attitude. So look for more ways to express gratitude. Send an email or make a phone call to someone to tell them how much they have meant in your life. And remember to express gratitude to God. The psalmist says, “With my song I praise him” (Psalm 28:7 NIV). If you’re not naturally a joyful person, start singing praises to God and watch your attitude change.
(2) Look for ways to give. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NIV). Someone has jokingly said, “When it comes to giving, many people will stop at nothing.” What does the Bible reveal? “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV). Why? Because you are most like God when you give, and He doesn’t give grudgingly. Your giving actually determines how much you receive from God! The Bible says when you give Him the first tenth of your income, He will “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10 NIV). You cannot outgive God. As the old farmer said, “I shovel it into God’s storehouse, and He shovels it into mine – but God has a bigger shovel.”
Soul food: Judg 9:34-11:40; Mark 7:14-23; Ps 119:113-120; Prov 20:25; Ecc 5:4-6
2022-08-23
Proverbs 10:2 NAS 1995
In order to be blessed on the job, you must practice this: honesty. It’s unwise to steal, even if you’re never caught. “Ill-gotten gains do not profit.” You may steal and get away with it, but you won’t benefit by it. “Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles” (Proverbs 13:11 NAS1995). You can’t do the wrong thing and finish up with the right result. Not only will you have trouble, you will bring trouble on those who love you and depend on you. “He who profits illicitly troubles his own house” (Proverbs 15:27 NAS). Think about it: You could lose your job, damage your reputation, be humiliated, face costs and legal consequences your whole family pays for, and end up in shame, all which will negatively affect your children. Your spouse deserves an honest partner. Your children deserve an honest role model, confident that the path you walk is safe for them to follow.
Radio commentator Paul Harvey stated that 40 percent of American workers admitted to stealing on the job, and 25 percent of them felt justified in doing so. They rationalised it by saying: “Everybody’s doing it, why shouldn’t I… The boss can afford it, he won’t miss it… It’s only small stuff, it won’t make any difference… The company owes me, and I’m just taking what’s mine… I deserve it, I’ve worked hard and never been acknowledged.”
What does God have to say about this? “The wicked earns deceptive wages” (Proverbs 11:18 NAS1995). When you deceive your employer, the Bible says you are “wicked.” Of all people, employers and customers should be able to trust a follower of Christ to be honest, earn their wages, and provide quality service.
Soul food: Judg 7:1-9:33; Mark 7:1-13; Ps 119:105-112; Prov 18:10-12
2022-08-22
Romans 12:10 KJV
Here is another important key to being blessed on the job: thoughtfulness. That’s true whether you’re the company president or the night-shift janitor. The nameplate on your office door may say that you deserve respect, but you have to earn it every day through your work ethic and your attitude.
In the Old Testament, most people earned their living by farming and raising cattle, so Solomon offers this advice: “Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds” (Proverbs 27:23 NAS). Good leaders make it their business to know the needs, strengths, weaknesses, potential, and motivational levels of those who work with them. As a result, employee sick time is reduced, morale improved, and quality and production soar. Believe it or not, a pay increase isn’t always the best motivator. Sometimes your thoughtfulness, understanding, and interest in an employee is a more powerful motivator. Putting people down or taking them for granted just guarantees resentment. When you truly care about people, you try to bring out the best in them.
And if you’re an employee, God promises, “Whoever protects their master will be honored” (v. 18 NIV). If you keep criticizing those above you, those around you will begin to distrust you. Why? Because they know that at some point you will do the same to them! As long as you resent your position as a follower, you will never become qualified to be a leader. The Bible says you’re supposed to speak well of those in authority over you (See Titus 3:1-2). And if you can’t, say nothing and look for another job: That’s how to be blessed on the job.
Soul food: Judg 4-6; Mark 6:45-56; Ps 119:97-104; Prov 18:9
2022-08-21
Proverbs 13:4 CEV
Here is another key to succeeding on the job: hard work. “Hard work will reward you with more than enough.” Ask any employer and he or she will tell you that their biggest challenge is finding and keeping good people. “The hand of the diligent maketh rich” (Proverbs 10:4 KJV). Diligence means being self-disciplined, motivated, alert, dependable, and following through on something when you start it. And it is priceless because it’s so hard to find (See Proverbs 12:27 NKJV).
The Bible teaches that your boss is responsible to pay you a fair day’s wage, and you are responsible to give them a fair day’s work. The story is told of a guy who went for a job interview and was asked if he was responsible. He replied, “Yes, every time something went wrong on my last job, the boss said I was responsible!”
Seriously, do you want to prosper? See that your employer prospers! Hard work, not politics and manipulation, will get you promoted. “Work hard, and you will be a leader; be lazy, and you will end up a slave” (Proverbs 12:24 CEV). Lazy employees complain about things like unfair bosses, systems that are stacked against them, and “company men” who ingratiate themselves with bosses who “take care of them.” These people want the privileges others get to enjoy, but they’re not willing to work for them.
The Bible says that “the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied” (Proverbs 13:4 NIV). They get it all; the satisfaction of a job well done, a sense of self-worth, a reputation for integrity, the trust of others, job security, profit, promotion, and most importantly, God’s “Well done.”
Soul food: Josh 1:7-8; 2 Tim 3:14-17; Ps 119:1-16
2022-08-20
Proverbs 22:29 MSG
Solomon writes, “Skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don’t take a backseat to anyone” (v. 29 MSG). But skillfulness isn’t genetic; you have to work at it. Sometimes that means burning the midnight oil, stretching to your limits, and refusing to settle for less. As you watch true craftsmen, your esteem for them rises. You notice their attention to detail, refusal to cut corners, patience, dedication, and pride in their work. They inspire confidence and respect.
There is not a more practical demonstration of true Christianity! When they speak, people listen. If you doubt that, try sharing your faith with those who see you being dishonest, shoddy, and careless. It would be better to remain silent until you earn the right to be heard. The Bible says that whatever your work, “do it… in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17 NIV). Because you represent Christ and His Spirit lives within you, you should set the industry standard for excellence. Your employees and customers should have confidence that they will get nothing from you but the best.
A skillful worker can’t lose because God promises that their work will inevitably attract the attention of people who will promote and reward them (See Proverbs 22:29 MSG). They may start at the bottom, but like cream they rise to the top. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego started out as slaves in Babylon. But they ended up as the king’s closest advisers. Why? “Whenever the king asked for advice, he found their wisdom was ten times better than that of any of his other advisors” (Daniel 1:20 CEV).
Soul food: Judg 1-3; Mark 6:30-44; Ps 119:89-96; Prov 18:6-8
