MAKE ADJUSTMENTS!

Then He said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. (John 21:6, NLT)

There is a true story about the marketing director of a large food brokerage company in the upper Midwest. He could not understand why sales at one particular store in his region plunged every winter. He studied his product line and interviewed customers. He did everything possible to uncover the mystery. Finally, someone made a remarkable discovery that changed everything.

When it became cold outside, the manager of the store raised the store’s inside temperature. When customers came into the store it was too warm for them, so they removed their coats and placed them in their shopping carts. This meant less room for food and resulted in reduced sales. Consequently, the store owner lowered the temperature of the store, and as a result, sales climbed back to the levels they were accustomed to.

There is another true story about Peter and a few disciples that were having trouble catching fish. Jesus yelled from the shoreline asking if they had caught anything. They had not. He then suggested they cast their line on the other side of the boat. Without knowing that it was Jesus who was addressing them, they took His advice. Soon they began catching so many fish they could not bring them all into the boat.

Adjusting our lives to God is the first thing we need to do to experience Him in our daily lives. For some, it is simply following the advice of those above us. For others, it may require a major change in our job situation. Still, for others it could mean making changes in relationships. Whatever the case, you can be sure that until we adjust our lives to God we will not receive His full blessing. Ask Him today where you need to make adjustments so you can come closer to Him and find the peace and love that only He can give!

Enjoy your day, “Working for Christ”!

Related Articles:

• Political Correctness (blessedaaron08.wordpress.com)
• Plan for the Unexpected! (work4christ.wordpress.com)
• The Biggest Catch – Luke 5:9-11 (stevesbiblemeditations.com)
• The Fishing Net (Matthew 13:47-50) (jimsamuel.wordpress.com)
• Calm the Storm (bongodogblog.com)
• missing the boat (thechristiangazette.wordpress.com)
• An encounter with the Miracle Man, Jesus. (chauy678.wordpress.com)
• Do You Love Me?… (beardedhac.wordpress.com)
• Which Side of the Boat Do You Fish From (unctionsofthespirit.com)
• Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders (marketplaceleaders.org)

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT?

How does God see our roles at work?

If you are in charge of managing others, consider this: Scripture assures us it is God who exalts a person and places them in a position of leadership (Psalm 75:6-7), with Jesus as the head over every power and authority (Colossians 2:10). All things were created by and for Him (Colossians 1:16). So if you are “the boss,” recognize that God Himself has put you in charge to act on His behalf in an organization created by Him.

As the boss, your job is to do good for those you supervise (Romans 13:4). As Paul instructs, you are not to “pull rank” and order your employees around, but appeal to them in love. Motivate and encourage them to do good works (Philemon 1:8-9). Resist showing favorites by including only a few in important matters (Ephesians 6:9). Walk the floors, spend time with your employees, listen to their ideas, invest in their lives, and extend the love of Jesus. Their roles and job titles may not be the same as yours, but as you work in harmony, each member will feel equally valued, and you will see productivity and morale go up (Romans 12:16).

If you are an employee, obey your leaders and don’t complain or cause trouble. Whether or not your boss is a follower of Jesus, you are called to do your work with excellence and go that extra step – not to win favor or to show off, but out of respect for Jesus because it is for Him you ultimately work (Colossians 3:22–23).

Give an honest account of your work and be truthful (Proverbs 12:22). Resist participating in gossip that can betray a confidence and cause you to lose credibility and respect (Proverbs 20:19). Try to please your boss and not talk back disrespectfully or steal, but show you can be fully trusted and God will look more attractive to them (Titus 2:9-10). And be gentle and calm, even when your customers or co-workers aren’t (Proverbs 15:1).

No matter where you are on the organizational chart, being known as a person of integrity will ultimately bring you favor and influence.

Enjoy your day, “Working for Christ”!

Related articles:

• Lean In & Trust Him (livingmoreabundantly4christ.com)
• No Need to Stint (whatthebiblesaysdoctrine.wordpress.com)
• Happiness in God (crt010304.wordpress.com)
• Revelation is Understanding (apostolicrevival.wordpress.com)
• Know Who You Are (reflectgrace.wordpress.com)
• Dont Be a Victim of Identity Theft (yourbestlifeblog.com)
• Mission: Accomplished! (mrsmendiola.wordpress.com)

Inspired by Helen M Mitchell, founder of Strategic Management Resources (strategicmgmtresources.com) All rights reserved.

PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED!

“You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” (Proverbs 19:21, NLT)

Are you a planner? Is your calendar neat and organized? Before you make additional plans, do you need to check your Blackberry or iPhone to make sure there are no scheduling conflicts? What happens if something unexpected occurs? Does it mess up your whole day or possibly your entire life?

Like many people, I like to plan my day, but I realize that ultimately I am not in control of the uncontrollable. We never know when emergencies may arise or when the Lord may call on us to serve Him in a way that we had not considered.

Looking at my calendar as I sat down to write this, I realize I don’t have any entries for the unexpected. Why? Because I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know when or where to squeeze these things into my busy day. I know they are going to occur, but when they do, how am I going to handle them? Am I going to freak out, or am I going to accept them and deal with them as they arise?

The most important plan to make today is to spend some time with the Lord! Instead of trying to plan your future, concentrate on the present and on the presence of our Savior. Let everything else be secondary to the time you spend getting to know Him a bit better. This will help when the unexpected occurs – and you know, it will occur. The more the Holy Spirit lives within you, the easier it is to handle the unexpected. And, when things arise it is more likely that you will handle them with grace and mercy, much like Jesus would.

Enjoy your day, “Working for Christ”!

Related Articles:

• When Life Gives You the Unexpected. (tanthonyfowler.wordpress.com)
• How to Pick Your Battles – A Devotion (lthomason.wordpress.com)
• Our Source of Strength (janetsketchley.wordpress.com)
• Finding Your Spiritual Voice? (testimonyandprayer.wordpress.com)
• Jesus Calling (Sarah Young)

DON’T ASK WHY!

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!
 I will praise him again -
my Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:5-6, NLT)

In the 1970’s Toyota developed a problem-solving technique known as the “Five Whys”. It basically involved asking the question “Why?” up to five times to ultimately discover the cause of any problem they were having with their cars. The management team found that by using this method, most problems could be resolved. One question would lead to another, which led to another, and then to another – until one question ultimately got to the true cause of the problem.

Although this technique may work well in the auto industry, it doesn’t necessarily work well in our daily lives. Not every question in life can be answered by simply asking “Why?”

When I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, my first question was “Why?” Then as complications developed and I required more surgeries and medical procedures I began to realize that God wants me to stop asking questions and turn to Him. He knows my entire situation, including my frustrations, and He needs me to have faith in His plan for my life. The more I turn my problems over to Him, the more at peace I have become with my “new” way of life. I can now say that I am grateful for this time of uncertainty. My faith has grown stronger and I’ve learned how God wants me to answer the difficult situations that arise in my personal life.

No one is going to make it through life on this earth without having problems and setbacks. We are all going to have good days and bad days – that’s just the way it is. Instead of asking ourselves “Why?” we need to turn to our Savior and ask Him to bring us closer, to increase our faith, and to trust in Him to bring us into His peace!

Don’t ask “Why?” Ask “Why Not?” Why not ask Him to go through this life with you?

Enjoy your day, “Working for Christ”!

Related Articles:

• How to Build an Altar – A Devotion (lthomason.wordpress.com)
• Questions for Reflection – Psalm 120 – 123 (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
• There Is Hope! (not-alone.org)
• Bad Weather Farmers – Psalm 126:5-6 (stevesbiblemeditations.com)
• God’s Love (devog.wordpress.com)
• Why, Why,Why? (wordwithlav.wordpress.com)

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH CRITICISM?

“If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace;
 if you accept correction, you will be honored.” (Proverbs 13:18, NLT)

Receiving constructive criticism is helpful, but it sure can hurt. Recently, I met with someone who had listened to me speak to a group of business leaders about keeping Christ in the workplace. In the course of our conversation, he gently pointed out a deficiency in my presentation, and asked if I would like the name of someone who could help me improve.

What? Are you kidding me? Is he serious?

Instinctively, my first reaction was to be on the defensive, but after I thought for a minute or so, I became filled with humility and came to the realization that to fix my problems I first need to acknowledge them. I had been a little uncomfortable about one of the topics I was discussing. Perhaps he could sense the difficulty I was having and really wanted to help me!

We should always want to be the best we can at whatever we commit ourselves to do, but we can’t improve unless we recognize our weaknesses. Our pride often taints our ability to improve.

In the workplace there are many performance reviews, and day-to-day issues that are glossed over, and not being addressed head on with love and kindness. Helping someone grow in his or her personal development requires the truth to be spoken. It also requires someone with humility to receive those truths.

If you have a tendency to avoid telling hard truths, ask yourself if you are holding another person back from a growth opportunity. Also consider if they will have ears to hear. Once you’ve answered those questions, do the loving thing, not necessarily the convenient. And, if someone offers to help you improve, listen to what they have to say. They just might be able to help!

Remember, “If you accept correction, you will be honored.”

Enjoy your day, “Working for Christ”!

YOU CAN HANDLE THE PRESSURE!

“Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!’ The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. ‘Who is this?’ they asked.” (Matthew 21:8-10, NLT)

And you think you are under a lot of pressure? Jesus was under the pressure spotlight! Pressure, because the cheering crowds welcoming him into Jerusalem expected him to take the leadership role against the unwelcome Roman rulers. He had no such intention. He was under more pressure because He knew that He was close to arrest and a cruel death paying for our sins. And, He was under a spotlight because everyone was watching Him – friends, enemies, and the crowd that could switch loyalty at any moment.

Jesus stayed on course through all this. He knew very clearly that He was doing the work of our heavenly Father. He entered Jerusalem under tremendous authority. The crowd, however, made the mistake of believing they knew His intentions. They didn’t, and when He didn’t do what they wanted, they turned against Him. Does that sound familiar?

There will be times when we are under pressure and scrutiny. Many times, they will occur while we are at work. Some of us are in pressure situations now. Jesus had the advantage of knowing that He was doing God’s will. If we will ask Him, He will show us the path that He would like us to follow, too. But we must listen so we can hear His voice. We must take care to walk with Him, and not according to those who are “watching”. We need to love all those who watch, like Jesus did, and to have concern for how our actions and decisions will impact them, like Jesus did.

And we need to have the strength of our convictions and the will to pursue God-honoring results, just like Jesus did.

Enjoy your day, “Working for Christ”!

Inspired by an article written by Dr. Richard Bouch.

COVERED WITH GRACE!

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16, NLT)

Last night, my wife stole the blanket!  Or at least, that’s the way I saw it.

I woke up at 2 a.m. with cold legs and feet.  Finding them uncovered and thinking my wife had robbed me during the night, I gave the blanket a little tug – reclaiming the half granted to me in our marriage contract. Feeling warm and snug once again I settled in for the rest of the night.  That is, until I felt a tug back in the other direction.

My knees and toes were again suddenly exposed to the cool night air. I reached over and once again yanked the blanket back to my side of the bed. She retaliated. Before I knew it, the war was on.

“Why do you keep pulling the blanket away from me when you have so much of it?” my wife asked.

In the most patient half-asleep tone I could muster, I informed her that I had only one small corner of the blanket – barely enough to cover my toes. (Which, incidentally, were not covered.) “You’re cold because the rest of the blanket is up by your head,” she informed me. In the dim light of our bedroom I looked up toward my pillow and there was a large unused pile of blanket. She was right! “Oh, sorry,” I mumbled.  Feeling a bit silly I reached for the blanket realizing this little argument was my fault all along.

I have a knack for opening my mouth and saying whatever is on my mind. Most of the time, I don’t consider the consequences. I can recall way too many embarrassing lapses of judgment, selfish words I wish I never would have spoken, angry outbursts I’ve regretted, and obvious envy I should have avoided.

These and many other actions uncover the deep imperfections I try so hard to hide. When these carefully concealed faults are exposed, the result can be every bit as chilling as the absence of a blanket on a cool spring night.

While an exposed body may be easily remedied, an exposed soul is more difficult to cover. Covering an exposed soul is best accomplished through God’s wonderful gift of grace. Grace is simply God’s offering of forgiveness to those who don’t deserve it – like me. After all, I’m typically the source of my own embarrassing exposure.

In Romans 5:20 the Apostle Paul says, “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.”

His grace covers all faults. His acceptance warms the soul. His love brings new life. Nothing can be done to deserve it. But to all who ask, God graciously offers the warmth of His forgiveness and the covering of His grace. So why shiver in the cold confines of an exposed soul? God’s covering – His comforting grace is near!

Enjoy your day, “Working for Christ”!

Inspired by ToddChobotar.com, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief at Florida Hospital, Orlando, FL