Grace Part III: From Salvation to Daily Living - Now What and How?

Have you ever said to yourself, "Have I actually been saved? I said the prayer of invitation, but I don't feel different yet." Have you thought to yourself, "Why do I not feel the presence of God?" Whether we are new followers of Christ or those who have been raised in the church, we all face the daily challenge of building, nurturing, and maturing in our relationship with Christ.



We must remember that by His grace, God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit as soon as we became believers. Ephesians 1:13-14 NLT says, "And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him." Why does this gift of the Holy Spirit matter? Simply put, our human minds are not capable of understanding all heavenly things. Many of us struggle to believe without physical proof - seeing is believing, right? The Holy Spirit functions as the interpreter for our minds and souls by helping us to understand, to see, to communicate to, and to sense the very presence of God around us, and it gives us the courage to share what we learn and know to be true.

There are several steps we can take to grow our relationship with Christ that allow us to experience God's presence each day and confidently know we are one of His children for eternity.

First, we must take full advantage of the power that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:11-13 NIV tell us, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” In the Promise Bible, Dr. Douglas J. Rumford explains this verse by stating, "Though the Holy Spirit lives within us after we ask and believe, we pray expectantly that God will release more and more of the Spirit's power in our lives. In a way, the Holy Spirit is like the potential power of a dammed up reservoir of water - only when it flows through the turbines will it generate the power we need."

1 Corinthians 2:9-13 NIV, says, “What no eye has seen,what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. We can call upon the Spirit to help us understand the truth of God." Not only can we understand the truth of God but we can also rely on the Spirit to broaden our intellect and the wisdom that we gain will not be from our own human understanding but from a deeper spiritual understanding that can only come from the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:26-27 NLT, explains that the Holy Spirit communicates to God on our behalf when we do not have the words on our own. It says, "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will."

Second, we must spend time in a meaningful relationship with Christ each day in order to experience God's presence. This can be done through prayer, journaling, song, actual conversation, daily bible reading, or any combination of the aforementioned methods of worship. God patiently waits for us and desires a personal relationship with each of us. Ephesians NLT 3:12 tells us,"Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome." Moreover, in Colossians 1:21-23 MSG, the apostle Paul tells us, "You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message." Any relationship requires nurturing in order to strengthen the bond that exists. A friendship has a deeper bond than that of an acquaintance and an acquaintance has a deeper bond than that of a stranger. Our relationship with God is no different. The more time we spend building the relationship, the deeper the bond will be.

Finally, in combination with our quality time spent with Christ we must work to strengthen our faith in Christ by listening to the message of the Good News. We do this by reading the word, attending corporate church services, and spending time with other believers in dialogue surrounding the study of His word. Hebrews 10:22-25 MSG says, “So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” Romans 10:17 NIV says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." We as Christians need one another as we journey together in communion with Christ. Our faith can only grow when we not only challenge ourselves by maintaining a heart of worship but equally challenge one another to stay grounded and accountable for the God we represent. Rumford adds, "Faith is grounded in God's word. It is not simple a matter of positive thinking or the creation of human effort. Faith is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit working through the word of God. Our faith grows as we read the stories of God's work across the centuries and we received the truth of his instruction."

Our Father in Heaven,

We so desire to experience your presence each day, to confidently know we are saved and counted among your children. We pray that we learn to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our learning and to translate for us as we read, study and hear the word of God. Help us to trust in the Holy Spirit to intervene on our behalf, when we have no words and don't know what to say or pray. Help us to grow closer to you in a meaningful, personal relationship and increase our faith so that we might know you better. It is in the amazing name of Jesus, we pray...Amen.

Grace Part II: Who Needs a Savior Anyway?

Justification (as Google defines it):

1.the action of showing something to be right or reasonable.

good reason for something that exists or has been done.plural noun: justifications "there is no justification for an increase in charges" synonyms: grounds, reason, basis, rationale, premise, rationalization,vindication,explanation; More defense, argument, apologia, apology, case "there's no justification for their rudeness"

2.Theology the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God.

Isn't it odd that justification is both the one thing that keeps us from a meaningful relationship with God AND the one thing that makes us right with God?

We've all had conversations with someone or even ourselves where we rationalize or justify an action, comment, thought, attitude, or habit that we know is not right. We have talked ourselves into believing that our sin is justified. Could it be possible we may even know someone who truly believes he or she has never sinned? With the ways of the world so focused on satisfying self and immediate gratification, it is not surprising that one could think this way.

Romans 3:10 NLT states,“No one is righteous—not even one. So, how do we open the door to this conversation without it turning into an awkward condemnation? How do we help them and ourselves to see that we are all in need of a savior over and over again?

First, name the problem by sharing personal stories of your own struggles with sin and what you are doing about it. Help them to see that even followers of Jesus fall victim to sin and continually need a Savior. Sin is not just the bad things we do, but it is an inherent part of who we are. We should paint the picture that any person in the middle of difficult circumstances, when left to his or her own devices, is likely to sin. We can't help it. But, we as Christians know better and have tools and options to assist us when we find ourselves in the midst of those circumstances. We can use things such as prayer, other Christians, and more, but sometimes we choose not to use them and instead choose to take the path of least resistance - sin. By our own admittance of personal sin, we put a face and a reality to sin which allows those who don't know Jesus recognize it.

Jeremiah 17:9 MSG says, “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out."

Second, name the solution by sharing how we are made right in God's sight as we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. Jesus justified us to God. Emphasize that we are all saved in the same way no matter who we are or what we have done. Romans 3:21-24 MSG tells us that God has set things right. It says, "But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ." It is by grace that we are made clean.

Finally, share how to accept God's offer for justification through Jesus Christ. Acts 3:19 NLV says, "Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins." To know Jesus Christ personally and to have our sins forgiven, we must first admit that we are sinners who are separated from God. We must believe that we cannot save ourselves and there is no rationalizing our sin. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to earth to die for our sins. But, we cannot stop there. We also need to confess our sins and turn away from them. We must ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. He will then help us to change, over time, from the inside out.

For some, maybe even many, having the courage to share these three points will be a scary endeavor. Push yourself to follow up with a note or an email to ask if he or she wants to hear more. We may even have the opportunity to pray with our friend. Listen to God's leading and be sensitive to their body language keeping in mind that some people will need more time than others to see the truth.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being a forgiving God. Thank you for loving us enough to send your Son to die for our sins. Thank you for this gift, the grace, You show in the person of Jesus. Help us to seek you every day at every turn instead of "trying" to lean on our own thinking. We recognize that our nature is to take the easy way out and let our emotions run our decision making. We know in our hearts and minds that Jesus is the only way to righteousness. Give us the courage to share the truth with our friends who don't know you in a way that it will be received. It is in the strong name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, we pray...Amen.

Grace Part I: Witnessing to Spock or Sheldon

Do you know a co-worker or family member who has a hard time accepting the good news of salvation by faith? Have you tried to subtly share your story only to find yourself seemingly speaking a foreign language? Our hearts ache when those who we care about and work with struggle to find peace. They ache even more so when they question us as we try to help them find the answers they seek. Many of our logical friends who share qualities with the character Spock from "Star Trek" or are similar to Sheldon of the "Big Bang Theory", have "tried" to make sense of religion, only to become more frustrated and more confident that religion is all a hoax. It's only purpose to keep society in line and to help those who need it to feel good about themselves. Some have even called the bible a nice little story. Interestingly enough, they still know that something is missing. What is it that is being missed in how we share the good news? How can the powerful,living Word of God be silent to some, yet it is a comfort and guide for others? We can continue to question, but the real message we have to convince them of is that "it" is about a relationship and not about religion. It is about a friendship with a person unseen.



Even Jesus himself faced this same challenge as he spoke to Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, in John 3:10-12 MSG, Jesus said, “You’re a respected teacher of Israel and you don’t know these basics? Listen carefully. I’m speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God?"

So how do we simplify and bring to life the amazing relationship available to others through Jesus Christ? One of the keys to helping our logical friends make sense of it all lies in getting them to first believe that they, alone, cannot satisfy the feeling of need or the longing for something more, indefinitely. Self-sufficiency will do them no good in this arena. They must comprehend the concept of grace. Our practical friends want to know how to apply our words in their lives. It needs to make sense to them. Many of them are used to having achieved success by following a series of steps, being dedicated, and working very hard. Grace is a foreign concept for them.

Google defines grace, in Christian belief, as the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. What does this mean? How can we translate this into everyday words for our friends and relate it to something they can understand right now?

First, they have to know that there is nothing they can do to "get" grace. It is simply God’s favor that is unearned, undeserved and not repayable. They need to stop trying, stop the madness of working hard to earn it; and just stop. Ephesians 2:7-10 MSG, states, "Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." God's grace is a special gift. The fact that we can do nothing of our own effort to earn grace or lose grace is a source of comfort and hope. It is a gift that God gave us through His son, Jesus.

Second, they have to understand that every strategy they have ever used before to complete something well, frankly, will not work for filling this particular void. Practical people can be hard-headed, creatures of habit. Taking this leap of faith by accepting God's grace is unnatural, scary, and feels totally out of control. It's like jumping out of an airplane and enjoying the freefall portion of the jump. Titus 3:4-7 CEV says, "God our Savior showed us how good and kind he is. He saved us because of his mercy, and not because of any good things that we have done. God washed us by the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave us new birth and a fresh beginning. God sent Jesus Christ our Savior to give us his Spirit. Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life."

Third, they must know that the rules of religion are man's and not God's. Many who were not raised in the church do not have a true understanding of the purpose of the Old Testament laws. Their purpose was to show us how totally incapable we are, as humans, to keep them. They were supposed to point us to the person of Jesus Christ as our Savior. Unfortunately many of today's churches still perpetuate this thinking by placing emphasis on rules and guidelines or do's and don'ts. Instead of planting seeds and harvesting them for the Kingdom, they drive people away by making themselves and others look like hypocrites. No one can perfectly keep the laws of the Old Testament except Jesus, himself. So, incredulously, even many churches and congregations miss the point and therefore miss the mark! Romans 3:20-24 NLT tells us that Christ took our punishment. It says, "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins."

Finally, God does not expect perfection. In fact, he expects us to fall short. Often, we have trouble accepting this because we operate under a system of conditions in most of our interactions with others, i.e. if he does this...I will do this....If she does that....I will not do this.  God expects that we admit our shortcomings and attempt to do something about it by asking for forgiveness and legitimately striving to not make the same mistake again. But, once forgiveness is accepted the slate is wiped clean in His eyes. Psalm 32:5 says, Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. He already knows the sins of our past and future. There is nothing we can do that will surprise God. Yet, he still loves and accepts us with all our imperfections. There is no sin so great that we cannot come back to God.

Dear Almighty Father,

The four points above are crosswise with our current world culture and are hard for us to accept as reality. Help us to take the leap of faith by accepting your grace and go one step further by putting grace into words for all to understand. Help us take the "religion" out of it for those we work with and put the focus on the real relationship with your Son, Jesus Christ. It is in the Holy Name of Jesus, we pray...Amen.

Dodging Bullets Sent by the Enemy

Have you ever experienced a period of time at work where everything seemed to be going well? The ideas were flowing, our ability to influence others seemed vast, conflicts were resolved fairly simply, and wow, we were making a real difference! Sometimes this season can last for weeks or months, but inevitably Satan notices the impact we are having and sets his mind to derailing our efforts. The next thing we know, the tide has turned. One by one, Satan's fiery darts fly our way in multiple forms challenging us to give up for one reason or another. Perhaps, you get a physical ailment...a migraine, a simple cold, or worse; you receive anonymous negative feedback from a client or customer full of untruths about your work and attacks on your character; or maybe even an incident requires you to make a tough decision that you know will be unpopular. At that point, many of us are left asking ourselves, "What happened? Who ripped the rug out from under me?"

Satan specializes in sending specific barriers and trials our way that will take our breath away and are intended to stop our forward progress for God's Kingdom. How are we as Christians to respond when Satan's darts make direct contact? What can we do to keep proper perspective, pick ourselves up, and keep working to share what is good, right, and true?

First, turn your persecutors over to God. This is easier said than done, yet it is what we must do. Whether we know the identity of our attacker or not, we are to let God take care of him or her in His way. In Psalm 64, King David says, 1-2 "Lord, listen to my complaint: Oh, preserve my life from the conspiracy of these wicked men, these gangs of criminals. 3 They cut me down with sharpened tongues; they aim their bitter words like arrows straight at my heart. 4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent. Suddenly the deed is done, yet they are not afraid. 5 They encourage each other to do evil. They meet in secret to set their traps. “He will never notice them here,” they say. 6 They keep a sharp lookout for opportunities of crime. They spend long hours with all their endless evil thoughts and plans.[a]7 But God himself will shoot them down. Suddenly his arrow will pierce them. 8 They will stagger backward, destroyed by those they spoke against. All who see it happening will scoff at them. 9 Then everyone shall stand in awe and confess the greatness of the miracles of God; at last they will realize what amazing things he does. 10 And the godly shall rejoice in the Lord, and trust and praise him."


Second, stay prayerfully focused on doing God's will. In Romans 15:14-16, Paul emphasizes how important our work in sharing the gospel and connecting others to God is. He says, "Personally, I’ve been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another. So, my dear friends, don’t take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It’s not criticism. I’m simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God’s Holy Spirit."

There will always be people who say and do things that hurt. They may not even know at the time that they are in fact are the very vehicle that Satan is using to discourage us. Our best course of action is to be prayerful. Psalm 37:7 Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him. Don’t bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top.



Psalm 46 TLB, we are reminded that...God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. 2 And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble! Nothing in our world is stable or inherently safe. We can find shelter and rest in the Lord. Even when everything else is wobbly and unclear, our faith in God will never be.

The third action we should take is to be boldly confident in God's promises. Psalm 91:9-16 NIV states, "If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he[a] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” God gives us absolute assurance that He will rescue those who love Him. This gives us the promise that when people and circumstances turn against us, God is for us.

Furthermore, in Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV we are reminded to take full advantage of The Armor of God. Verse 10 says, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Whether you are comforted by singing your favorite Christian songs or by quietly reading passages that encourage you, run to God and fellow Christians for proper perspective.

Dear Almighty Father,

We place our lives and work before you. We pray that you bless our words, decisions, actions and use them to connect others to You. Protect us from the devil's darts. Help us to view setbacks and barriers properly knowing that trials often come in response to the good work we have done. Help us to pray for those who grieve us and give them over to You. Teach us to rely on your promises and stand fortified by You and Your word as we push forward. It is in the Powerful Name of Jesus Christ we pray....Amen.

Fishing for Men, Women, and Children at Work

How do you win others over for God's Kingdom at work? Most of us generally try to be a good example of grace, forgiveness, patience, humbleness, and other positive character traits in order for our co-workers to possibly notice God's Spirit within us. We may even verbally thank God or tell a co-worker that we are praying for him or her. Who is going to get upset with us when we offer to pray for them? We might talk about the sermon we heard at church and how it affected our thinking. Is that enough? Is that what God had in mind for us when he said “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matt 28:19)?

Have you allowed yourself to think deeply about the message you send in your words and actions each day? Most of us have not, because we get caught up in "doing" the daily responsibilities of the jobs, and when we do take a moment, fear can often take hold and paralyze us into inaction.

We, as believers, are called to take some risks so that God’s Kingdom may grow! Do you ever have a great idea only to talk yourself out of it? Maybe it will fail; maybe people will laugh at me; what will everyone think? Often our fear gets in the way of doing our best work. But God wants us to go forth boldly, sometimes taking a risk, so that we may accomplish great things for Him. Yes, sometimes we’ll get it wrong and there may be a hard lesson to learn. But we will learn– and eventually great things will happen as result of our courage and persistence!

In Psalm 31:24 MSG, we are called to...Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon. So, what can we do about it? Matthew 13:23 MSG says, The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. We cannot afford to wait quietly in the wings to let others do the work. God’s Kingdom won’t grow unless we start taking some risks! We are "good earth". How do we do that successfully?

Be alert and aware of your word choice and tone of voice. In Colossians 4:5-6 MSG we are called to ... Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

Be sensitive to God's leading and bold in carrying it out even when it involves risk. Psalm 119:41-48, says Let your love, God, shape my life with salvation, exactly as you promised; Then I’ll be able to stand up to mockery because I trusted your Word. Don’t ever deprive me of truth, not ever— your commandments are what I depend on. Oh, I’ll guard with my life what you’ve revealed to me, guard it now, guard it ever; And I’ll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for your truth and your wisdom; Then I’ll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed. I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!— relishing every fragment of your counsel.

Being bold does not mean being reckless. It means trusting in God's strength to express our effort in the manner it will be received best. Psalm 21:13 emphasizes, Show your strength, God, so no one can miss it. We are out singing the good news!

Matthew 5:10 says, You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

Be humble in your deeds giving credit to God and not yourself. In Matthew 6:1-4 MSG we are advised, Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘play actors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Dear Almighty Father,

Fill us with your strength and confidence to win others over for the Kingdom. Give us the words and direct our actions to help others be convinced of your love, grace, and life giving ways. Let us be tools you use to share the good news of salvation and grace through Jesus Christ. We love you and thank you for the sacrifice of your Son. It is in the powerful name of Jesus we pray...Amen.

Opportunities in Disguise: Interruption, Disagreement, & Contention

What do you say? Is it "It's Monday!" or "It's Monday...meh." The week starts afresh and new and we have a choice as to which attitude we take with us. For some, a quick look at the calendar and the appointments, meetings, and tasks within in it will direct our feelings and attitude toward the week ahead. Do you have a meeting with an unhappy parent or client? Do you have an important presentation to make? Do you have a low key week with nothing too exciting planned?

Regardless of what the calendar reads, we never know exactly what is coming around the corner for us at work. In fact, on days where very little is planned out of the ordinary, the personal to-do list usually goes out the window with unplanned, unforeseen challenges. Do you get grumpy when pulled away from the plan? Maybe you sigh with frustration at the interruption. Our outward responses send clear messages about us. What do your responses say about you?

Quite honestly for many, the natural response to unknown and possibly unpleasant challenges at work is to be angry, frustrated, and short; to anticipate the week or the next moment with dread, fear, and pessimism. The truth is that we have to discipline ourselves to develop habits to express what God has done in us as Christians. Remember who you represent at work, Team Jesus, Team-Me, or Team No One (See 10/27's blog). Our words and actions not only show who we represent but also act as an expression of our new selves and our relationship with Jesus. So, how can we express what God has done in us as we face contention, disagreements, and disagreeable people and situations? Below are three ways we can find joy in the disagreeable.

Enthusiastically allow the life of Jesus to manifest itself in you. No matter how disagreeable a situation or person may be, say – “Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this matter,” and invite Jesus to provide the words, thoughts, direction, and possibly even a new outlook. Galatians 5:22-24 MSG says, But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Look forward to challenges and accept them joyfully. James 1:2-4 MSG states, Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. Firmly believe that it is one thing to choose the disagreeable, and another thing to go into the disagreeable by God’s engineering. If God puts you there, He is amply sufficient.

View challenges as opportunities to show your faith under pressure. In times of blessing it is easy to demonstrate love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control all on our own, apart from Jesus. But in times of sorrow, challenge, and trial, folks expect anger, bitterness, and strife. Express Christ by responding differently with the fruits of the spirit. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 MSG says, If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!


Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank you that we can express His life through us. We thank you for the opportunities to show others what You have done in transforming us to be more like You. Help us to see interruptions, disagreement, and contention as opportunities to express what Jesus has done in our lives. In Jesus's Holy Name we pray....Amen.

Reasoning or Arguing: What’s better?

Do you have a difference of opinion with a co-worker or a reoccurring challenge with another department at work? Maybe it is a difference in how to approach or solve a problem. Maybe it is how to address a client or a student. Whether you are in the role of leader or teammate, soft skills are extremely important to your ability to communicate your thought process effectively, even when we might be angry, and have a positive outcome. Below are some wise words written by George Whitten that give credence to using your emotional intelligence to manage workplace minefields.

Softer is better!

Thursday, March 22, 2012 (10:13 am) by George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.

How often, in all the issues we have to deal with talking with people, we know or we feel we are right; our idea, our position, our interpretation is it, and we're ready to fight for it. Forget the fact that we may not be, or that there might be something we're completely ignorant of. The truth is that sometimes we know better, and sometimes we don't. But the scripture teaches us, and I've learned from experience (most of the time), that arguing, forcefulness, and violence in my own voice are almost guaranteed to start a futile and ugly war of words. People are naturally defensive, and often, naturally offensive.

But I can be the one to break the pattern…with a gentle answer. If my heart attitude is “Come, let us reason together, hear each other out, respect each other, speak softly, and trust the Lord for the outcome", and my tone of voice carries that spirit, I can actually help the other person to calm down and prevent a war. The fruit of the spirit is…..self control. What a blessing!

Do you want to start a fight…..or finish one? Give a gentle answer today and see what the Lord does!

How can we apply the lesson in Proverbs 15:1 and implement Mr. Whitten's words at work? So often we tell ourselves that if we can just get "it" out, our emotion, that we will feel better even if it comes at the expense of a relationship or trust of a coworker. But if we are honest with ourselves, hurting a working relationship with an emotional, harsh or angry outburst, can be of very little benefit to us. But, sometimes the outburst just creeps up on us and flies out of our mouths before we know it. The key is to prepare your mind and heart before you get to work each day. Below are three actions you can take to help you in working through a difficult conversation.



Praying for the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and minds even when we don't know what we need specifically. Romans 8:26-28 MSG says, Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. We can never truly know the thoughts of others, but God does. He will help us form value added words and thoughts if we let Him.

Ask Jesus to give you the ability to hold your responses captive before letting them out. Give yourself time to wisely consider your words and run them through your filter before speaking. 1 Peter 3:8-12 MSG says, Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life
and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
run after peace for all you’re worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
listening and responding well to what he’s asked;
But he turns his back
on those who do evil things.

Trust Jesus to provide you with His words and not your own. Expect His response and provision. Matthew 10:19-20 says, And don’t worry about what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We pray for you to help us choose to reason rather than fight if at all possible. We pray for the ability to be soft even when we don't feel like it. Help us to hold our fleshly thoughts and attitude captive and allow your attitude and words to take over when we are weak and tired. Fortify our faith in You that You will provide all that we need when we need it. It's in Jesus's all powerful name we pray...Amen.