Broadcasts – Christian Working Woman

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Even though he was Lord of all, Jesus was serving the disciples in a very humble way! He did this for a very specific reason—to be a model of the behavior he was calling his disciples to. He knew they would ultimately argue about who was greatest. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher' and ‘Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him (John 13:12-16). Clearly Jesus modeled how he served, even as their teacher and Lord. They were to serve one another just as Jesus had just served them. Jesus was also a servant and messenger of God. He was not greater than the one who sent him. Yesterday, I asked you consider if you are displaying lordship in your leadership or service. Obviously, you aren't going to work washing people's feet, unless you are a nail technician by profession! But what are ways you can model servant leadership to people around you at work? Again, it doesn't matter if you hold a leadership title or not. You are a servant leader! Some of descriptors of servant leadership we discussed include empowering others, letting others shine, acting with humility and authenticity, being held accountable, practicing stewardship and accepting the perspectives of others. Jesus clearly saw the perspectives of others! He served them and didn't care what other people said when he dined with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus was a model of seeing people where they were. How are you seeing others around you who may feel outcast? Are there people at work battling a hidden illness or disability? How can you help? Are you humble? Colossians 3:12 tells us as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, we are to clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Humility is a modest or low view of your own importance. If you are a leader, do you feel more important than people around you? Extending kindness in good measure, along with patience to others is one way to show you know they are important! How do you steward your time? Are you wasting it in gossip or viewing memes online when you should be coaching someone along? Ask yourself how you are modeling servant leadership!

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Even though the phrase servant leadership isn't a biblical term, the Bible does tell us as leaders to serve! I am so thankful for God's Word and how it truly can inform how we work! Jesus tells us to serve in this passage. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves (Luke 22:25-26). This verse follows a dispute among the disciples about who would be regarded as the greatest. Although we don't read as much detail about the last supper in Luke's account, we need to consider how Jesus modeled servant leadership to the disciples that night. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:3-5). Jesus knew he was all powerful. God had put all things under his power yet he took the posture of a lowly servant and washed his disciples' feet, going as far as to use the towel on his body to dry them. He did not exercise lordship over them and demand they wash his feet, rather as the leader, he was the one who served. Do you exercise lordship, or, as a leader, do you serve? Maybe you are not yet thinking of yourself as a leader. Let's remove the notions of worldly appointments and titles. Jesus was not considered a leader by the people of his time, at least not in the sense of the synagogue or even in politics. It was through his service of speaking the Word of God, healing the sick, and performing miracles that Jesus came to be seen as a leader. And for some, his leadership blessed them, and others, it threatened. He didn't demand lordship as the Son of God, demanding to be followed. He was followed because he served! If you find yourself in a position where you do hold a title, are you using this for the betterment of those who see you in this position? What do they see? Are you demanding respect or giving it? Are you watching your team struggle to complete work or are you seeking to help?

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Did you know the widely-used workplace term servant leader doesn't have roots in the Bible? Sometimes, when something seems to fit what we believe as followers of Jesus, we easily ascribe it to what we know from the Bible. You and I know there is no better wisdom for living than God's Word! Whether in our personal or business life, we find truth and goodness for any situation we face in His Word. And, although the author and scholar who coined this term didn't find this truth from the Bible, we clearly see the Word calls us to lead lives as servant leaders. What is it mean to be a servant leader? Coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 in an essay “The Servant as a Leader”, Greenleaf seeks to understand a character from a fictional story—not the Bible. This story talks about a band of men on a mythical journey who have a servant who cares for their every need. “Once he disappears, their band falls apart, and everything is in disarray.” One of the members finds the servant later, and discovers he is a “guiding spirit, and noble leader.”[1] To my listeners today, this is why abiding in the Word and in community with other believers is critical! We might say Greenleaf was reading biblical allegory, but he was not! Greenleaf goes on to describe who a servant leader is. Some of a servant's characteristics include someone who desires to serve and then become a leader rather than having a leader-first attitude seeking unusual power or material possessions. A servant leader makes sure the needs of other people are his highest priority, and they are receiving benefits from the servant leader. Further descriptors of servant leadership include empowering others, standing back to let others shine, humility, authenticity, courage, accountability, acceptance of other perspectives, and stewardship. Let's replace this fictional character and the worldly descriptors and think of Jesus in God's word, which is where we need to seek our wisdom about being a servant leader! --- [1] Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. The Greenleaf Center For Servant Leadership, Cop.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen As Christians, we often consider ourselves servant leaders, but how was this phrase born into our business vocabulary as something to aspire to whether you are a follower of Jesus or not? And why do we consider servant leadership biblical at all? First, for those of you who missed the conversation about the roots of servant leadership in secular business, it all began in 1970 when Robert Greenleaf mused over an allegory about a servant who ended up being a leader of a great band of men. This story was not biblical, but it sparked the thought that those who serve with an others-first focus can become some of the greatest leaders; more than leaders who are bestowed with a title who desire power, authority, and self-focused gratification. The phrase servant leader is not specifically found in the Bible. How many times is the word leader even used in the Bible? Just a quick look in my Bible's concordance—you know the list of words in the back with references to verses—the word leader is not listed. Only, lead, leads and led. People who lead are listed. Rulers along with kings, but both rulers and kings would better describe appointed positions of authority. In the New Testament, the word diakonia—meaning servant or service—is the most used word to describe people in leadership. Not surprising the words servant, servants, serve, and service take up much more space in the concordance than any of the other “official” terms for the appointed offices. Perhaps this is why we are drawn to the term servant leader as followers of Jesus. It is deeply connected to the Word of God in describing those in the early church. In Romans 16:1 speaks of Phoebe, a servant and patron of the church. 1 Corinthians 3:5 exhorts, What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. We know each of these servants were in fact leaders of the early church. All early church leaders had one thing in common—submission and obedience to the will of God in their lives. They looked to their relationship with God in Jesus before even considering the work before them. In his book, Forgotten God, Francis Chan sums up our need for seeking and submission well in his introduction when he writes, “…as believers we can never be done with God. He is infinite and we are finite; there will always be more of his character to discover, more of his love to experience and more of his power to use for his purposes.”[1] More of his power—not my power—to lead. His power made perfect through me for his purposes. True servant leadership begins in submission to God through Christ Jesus. We see this throughout Scripture. We see the success of those who submit themselves to the Lord's will and the failure and despair of those who choose to lead by selfish ambition and pride. True servant leadership as a follower of Jesus Christ starts with a posture of submission. Is this on a leadership description for your next job—must be willing to submit. We can all say probably not. But are you willing to submit in order to become a better servant leader? God rarely uses the shiny, well-educated people to make the biggest impact for his kingdom. Remember, the disciples were mostly fishermen and a tax collector! So, if you are submitted, be prepared for God to use you as a servant leader right where you are! I have thought a lot about the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Submission to the will of God was most of his story, and God used him to glorify himself during a deeply sinful time filled with idol worship. Found in 1 Kings, God used Elijah to give word to Ahab of a drought in the land. During this time, the Lord sent Elijah away where ravens and a non-Israelite widow provided for him! We learn he stayed by a river for a while, and when it dried up, Elijah moved on. He was completely reliant on God and obedient to his call. Finally,

Here's the word of wisdom for today: The quality of your work reveals your character. Did you realize your work tells what kind of person you are? The Bible tells us the works of God reveal to us what kind of God he is. The beauty of his creation, the majesty and grandeur of his universe give us a clear view of his character and his personality. That's true of us as well. Just suppose someone who doesn't know you at all was asked to write a description of you based upon an audit and inspection of your work. What would that audit reveal? Are you careful to do your work with thoroughness, or would your work reveal a careless attitude? Does your work show you are considerate of the person at the receiving end or at the next stage of your work? Or would the inspector conclude you're in a hurry to get through and get going, because your work is sloppy? When your work involves dealing with other people, would it reveal an attitude of respect and concern for others? Do you think the inspector would conclude you care about other people, and you treat everyone with respect? Or would it reveal a callousness toward others, treating them like numbers and not bothering to be kind and considerate toward them? Could anyone tell by the quality of your work you do it as unto the Lord? Would it look different from those who aren't Christians? As I look at the work of God's hands, I know so much about his loving, caring nature. His work reveals his character to me. Your work reveals your character as well. Would you be pleased to have someone describe you based on the work you've done this week? It's a good word of wisdom we need to think about frequently. Remember, you'll find a copy of this devotional along with a set of Wisdom for the Workplace cards for your use here.

Do you need a word of wisdom for the workplace today? I'm offering nuggets of wisdom for the workplace. In fact, you can have a set of cards here, very nicely designed, with these words of wisdom, for your own edification, or to pass along to a friend who may be in need. Here's my word of wisdom for today: Don't let anxiety or fear rob you of God's peace. Are you feeling anxious about something today? Are you very disturbed by a situation in your life? Does it seem impossible to find any rest and peace right now? All of us have gone through and are still going through difficult times, which creates anxiety and fear. A passage in Isaiah 48 is very helpful when you are not at peace. This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isaiah 48:17-18). Anxiety and unrest are often a result of our failure to pay attention to what we know about God. Rarely do we need some new truth or principle; we just need to practice what we know already. I find I rarely make a deliberate decision to wander from God's principles. It's simply a failure to pay attention to what I know already. My focus gets fractured. I move slightly off-center, simply because I haven't paid attention like I should. And when this happens, I lose my peace, and I'm anxious and frustrated. When you start to dig underneath those outward effects, you often discover the cause is failure to pay attention to God's commands. It may be something that seems very small, but if we walk away from doing it God's way, we can expect to lose the peace and rest we so need. The Lord told his people, if only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river. If you're missing peace in your life today, see if there's some area where you're not paying attention to God. Once you get that straightened out, that wonderful, marvelous, indescribable peace will return, like a river, flooding your heart and calming your nerves.

I'm wondering, have you read the verse which says, "Be kind to everyone who is kind to you. Be kind to the people you like. Be kind when you want to impress someone, or when there's something in it for you"? No, you haven't seen this verse in Scripture, but Paul wrote to Timothy, And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful (2 Timothy 2:24). That's my word of wisdom for the workplace today: Be kind to everyone. In fact, we've put these words on a set of cards, designed to help you remember them or to pass them along to someone else who may need a word of wisdom for the day. You'll find them ready for your use here. Today it's “Be kind to everyone.” I once witnessed a situation in which a Christian sister was obviously unkind to a person simply because she didn't like that kind of person. Based on her prejudices and some bad experiences she had, she had classified a group of people as undesirable. And so, she was obviously unkind to this person. My heart was hurt to see a Christian treat someone unkindly. Then I realized I probably do similar things all too often. I mean, it's easy to be kind to people who seem to deserve our kindness. But the Bible says we are to be kind to everyone. That includes strangers, people who irritate us, people who are not kind to us—everyone includes everyone! Once I was unkind to a clerk at a hotel who was not very efficient at her job. Her lack of efficiency inconvenienced me just a bit, and though I didn't say anything, I'm sure the look on my face and my body language was most unkind. How easy it would have been for me to say something kind to her, to make her feel a little more comfortable, to forget my minor inconvenience and try to help her a bit. The Holy Spirit hit me between the eyes as I walked away. I heard him say, “You had one chance to show her what Jesus is like, and you showed her what you are like.” Ouch! The Lord's servant must be kind to everyone, even people who don't do their jobs as well as they should. Where do you often fail to be kind? Shore up this area with prayer and ask God to help you to be kind, as the servant of the Lord should be, to everyone.

Are you tired today? I have a word of wisdom for you. You can have these nuggets of wisdom on some cards we've prepared. Then you can use the cards to remind yourself of these important principles, or you may want to give some to others who are struggling with workplace issues. Today's wisdom for the workplace is: Remember being tired is inevitable, but if you're tired for the wrong reasons, then you need to take some action. First, let me assure you it's okay to be tired. Jesus was often tired while he was here on earth. You remember when he fell asleep on the boat, and a terrible storm didn't awaken him. He was tired. We read in John 4 he was tired from a long journey. We know Jesus understands our tired bodies and minds because he experienced it while he took the form of man on earth. He sympathizes with our weaknesses and the limitations we face. Just knowing that helps me a lot. But we need to determine if we're tired for the wrong reasons. Have you been trying to be all things to all people lately? It's exhausting—and you can never succeed. Perhaps you've taken on jobs God never intended you to do, and you're tired from trying to do too much. Maybe you're trying to do everything to total perfection. Perfectionists are usually very tired people, trying to prove something to themselves and to the world by being perfect all the time. You may be tired because you've got your priorities confused. Someone has said, "There's always time to do God's will," and I think it's true God would never ask of us more than our bodies and minds can do without going into overload and burn-out. But when we confuse our priorities, it causes weariness and exhaustion. Remember this important message from Isaiah: Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:30-32). You may have a copy of this devotional as well as these cards giving these words of wisdom for the Workplace. You can use these cards to encourage yourself each day or pass them on to others who may need a word of wisdom. This is available here.

I want to give you some specific wisdom for the workplace. In fact, I want you to have a set of cards with these nuggets of wisdom which you can take to your job, use them for yourself, or even give to others as an encouraging word. You'll find those here. Here's today's wisdom for the workplace from Luke 12:15: Jesus said, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed (Luke 12:15). This greed problem is nothing new. And we certainly must watch out for the many kinds of greed. There's greed for power, the drive to have authority and influence over other people. And greed for prestige and fame. Of course, greed for material possessions is very commonplace. Almost daily we hear of another scandal where greed for money has driven people to destroy their whole lives. When you think about it, greed is pride. It is that desire within us to show the world who we are by our status in life, our possessions, or our fame. Greed is a direct result of the pride of life. Greed is contagious. If you're around people who have lots of things and who focus their life on getting more and more things, you'll discover it's very difficult not to be swept right along into their greedy mindset. Greed is cancerous. It grows fast, and it consumes and destroys everything it touches. No wonder Jesus said we must be on our guard against all kinds of greed. Jesus went on to say a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Greed can overtake us quickly and completely distort our priorities and our commitment to the Lord. Jesus said life is more than food or clothes; life is peace and contentment. Those can't be bought; they are found only in Jesus. Our wisdom for the workplace today is: Be on your guard today against the greed that surrounds you, especially in the working world. It wants to drag you right into its currents, but by God's grace, you can be victorious.

We have seen how Jesus was such a great leader because he knew who he reported to, and he made sure he fulfilled his boss's expectations. Also, he knew what his mission was, he stayed focused, and he didn't try to jump through the expectation hoops of others. Jesus was always ready to celebrate, and that made him a great leader. Then one thing I really love about Jesus is he always had time for little people—every individual was important to him no matter his/her age, status, or position. Now, let's look at some additional examples of what made Jesus such a great leader. Jesus was a great leader because he was willing to look foolish to others. Do you realize great leaders throughout history have been willing to take risks with their public image, and they didn't spend their time worrying about what people would think of them? Anytime a person is primarily focused on what others think, they are handicapped because they lose the freedom to do what they think is the right and best thing to do. How do you think Noah looked when he started building the ark? Pretty foolish and stupid, don't you imagine? And when Moses told Pharoah to let his people go, he had to look like an insane person, approaching Pharoah with his threats. The great prophet Elijah had to ask a poor widow for food, which some would have considered very demeaning. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was willing not only to look foolish, but also to lose her good reputation in order to bear the Son of God. Had any of these people been primarily concerned with what the neighbors would say, none would have accomplished their God-given purpose. Jesus was not concerned about what people would think. For example, he cried over a city that was not repentant—a grown man crying. But he didn't care what people thought. His heart broke for those people. He rode a donkey in a parade, a lowly beast. Most leaders would have demanded more appropriate transportation, but he sought out a simple donkey to ride on. And, of course, the ultimate example was he was willing to go through a shameful trial and die on a cursed cross, enduring the scorn and abuse of his enemies, to accomplish God's plan. We need to consider this as we approach our jobs and duties. Are you overly concerned with what people will say or think? If so, you may miss the opportunities and blessings God has for you. It's impossible to please everyone anyway, but when we focus on pleasing God, we will please more people as well. Jesus was a great leader because he was willing to do the difficult work. Do you remember the time Jesus determined to go to Jerusalem for Passover? His disciples did not want him to go there because they knew there were people plotting to kill him, just waiting for him to arrive. They wanted to spare him that difficulty, but he knew he was supposed to be there, and he went. Also, he was willing to say no to people when necessary, though I'm sure he didn't enjoy disappointing people. Often the disciples wanted him to do one thing when he knew he should do another, and he would tell them "no.” He even said "no" to his mother and brothers who wanted to interrupt his teaching to speak to him. Jesus also said "no" to himself. Satan tried to tempt him with very enticing promises, and he had the wisdom to say "no" to the easy way out. He knew he had to discipline himself to do what God wanted him to do. Then there was Gethsemane, where Jesus came face to face with the most difficult thing he would ever do: Drink the cup of death and sin that was necessary to pay the price of redemption. None of us can even imagine how hard that was to do—to become sin for us even though he had never sinned. But he did the difficult thing because it was the right thing to do. If you and I are ever going to be effective leaders, we must be willing to do the hardest and most difficult work. Often people see those in leadership as having it easy but from my experience,

Presented by Julie Busteed I've been looking at what it takes to build healthy relationships. And I've saved the best for last: forgiveness. This verse in Matthew always catches me short. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15). I need to take to heart this command! Relationships are living, growing things because they involve people who are growing and changing. And because you are human, there will be times when words are spoken or actions are taken that hurt someone in the relationship. You and I need to forgive others and also ask for forgiveness—things that are not easy to do, except through the power of the Holy Spirit. But wait—there's more! Jesus said we should love our enemies. I look at Jesus' example of laying down his life for you and me. When he was on the cross, suffering, he forgave those who crucified him. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). That's the ultimate in forgiving your enemies. It really seems quite impossible, doesn't it? Jesus was fully God and fully man. But I don't think that excuses you or me to forgive even our enemies. Corrie Ten Boom and her family helped many Jewish people escape the Nazi's in WW2. As a result, she was arrested and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. She survived and wrote books and spoke about her experience. Corrie recounts the following as she was speaking about forgiveness at a church in Munich in 1947: Afterward, I saw him—a man moving toward me through the crowd. I recognized him instantly: a former guard from Ravensbrück, the concentration camp where my sister Betsie and I had been imprisoned for hiding Jews. He approached me, now dressed in civilian clothes, and said, “A fine message, Fräulein. How good it is to know that all our sins are at the bottom of the sea.” Then he extended his hand. “I was a guard at Ravensbrück. I've become a Christian, and I know God has forgiven me, but I would like to hear it from you. Will you forgive me?” I stood frozen, remembering Betsie's suffering and death. Forgive him? I could not. Yet I knew Jesus' words: “If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive yours.” Forgiveness is not a feeling—it's an act of the will. So, I prayed silently, “Jesus, help me. I can lift my hand; You supply the feeling.” Mechanically, I reached out—and as I did, a current seemed to pass from my shoulder to our joined hands. A warmth filled my heart. “I forgive you, brother,” I said, “with all my heart.” In that moment, I felt God's love more deeply than ever before.[1] May you and I be obedient and lift our hands and trust God to fill us with his love. --- [1] Corrie Ten Boom, Sherrill, E., & Sherrill, J. L. (2008). The hiding place. Chosen Books.

Presented by Julie Busteed Humility may not be the first trait that comes to your mind as an essential element in healthy relationships. That's what I will look at today as we continue to seek to grow healthy relationships. The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word humility is I need to have a low opinion of myself. But that's not correct. It's about being interested in others. Serving others. Yes, modesty is part of humility, but it's not being down on yourself. It's putting others first. Paul exhorts the Philippians and us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:3-4). Becky Harling, author of Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World, writes humble people come in curious to the conversation, and this curiosity is the superpower of connections! They listen and ask questions. They don't come in like the expert. I love that! We can have this superpower if we are simply interested and curious. And that's what I think the Apostle Paul is talking about—to look not to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Humility also is shown by just being kind, lending a hand, helping a coworker. My friend Heather recently showed a beautiful example of humility. She had her day carefully planned with a full to-do list, but when a friend reached out to spend time together, she chose to set her plans aside. It wasn't what she had intended for the day, and honestly, it wasn't what she felt like doing at the moment—but she recognized her friend needed someone to listen. What makes this even more meaningful is this friendship isn't always easy or comfortable. Yet that very morning, Heather “happened” to read Proverbs 3:27–28. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you'—when you already have it with you (Proverbs 3:27–28). Those verses were a timely reminder that God sometimes calls us to act in the moment—to give of ourselves, our time, or our attention—when it's within our power to do so. Heather reflected the heart of Christ that day by choosing relationship over routine, allowing herself to be “interrupted” in order to show love and kindness right when it was needed most. I pray you and I will be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).

Presented by Julie Busteed I'm looking at some strategies to help grow and build relationships—principles that apply at work, home, church—with everyone. The first two strategies I looked at were loving others and communication skills. I think integrity is also an important component in healthy relationships. Integrity really covers several qualities. It's being honest, having strong moral principles, and being trustworthy and reliable. A great example of integrity in the Old Testament is Daniel. He was taken into captivity from Israel to Babylon, and he became an adviser to the Babylonian kings because of his integrity and trust in God. For many, it's a familiar story but to recap: Daniel refuses to bow down and worship a man-made idol. He worships and prays to God. As a result, he is thrown into a literal lion's den. The next morning, he testifies that my God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight (Daniel 6:22a). Not only did God protect and preserve Daniel, but King Darius also decrees everyone in his kingdom must fear and revere the God of Daniel. Daniel's integrity and courage not only effected his own life, but the entire kingdom was now to fear God. He trusted and honored God in his actions, and his integrity was evident to his employer, resulting in a testimony to the entire kingdom. Integrity can also be something significant done privately, not for public recognition. A friend of mine recently showed a great example of integrity. She just published a book through a traditional publisher. Normally, when you work with a publisher, you receive an advance against future royalties—meaning you don't earn additional royalties until the book's sales cover that advance. And if the book doesn't sell enough to cover it, the author doesn't have to pay it back. That's completely normal. But my friend told me she wants to make sure her book's sales do reach that advance amount. She's putting in extra effort to promote and market her book because she doesn't want to be a burden to the publisher. She isn't required to do this—it's not part of her contract—but she feels it's the right thing to do. Quiet integrity. In both of these examples, integrity was a vital characteristic in dealing with others. Integrity directed how they should act in certain situations—be it life or death—or something that's not really seen by others. With faith in God and belief he is faithful, they lived out their lives in honor to him. Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out (Proverbs 10:9). When we live our lives with integrity, we can walk securely—quietly resting upon God's favor and gracious providence.

Presented by Julie Busteed Are there people in your life you find difficult to get along with or really understand? I am examining biblical strategies to help grow and build healthy relationships, and communication is a key tool. A verse you might be familiar with is everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19b). Honestly if we all practiced that, I think there would be much less miscommunication. Let's break this down. What does it mean to be quick to listen? Studies show good communication is essential for organizations. Marjorie North—a communications expert—says we only hear half of what is being said in any given conversation. It's true, isn't it? I can be distracted by something outside the conversation, or I can begin to form a response to something the person said. No matter what distracts me, I struggle to listen. You and I need to practice active listening. And I mean practice; it will take a lot of practice. Put the distractions away—and by this, I mean your phone! Give the person your full attention. I know someone who is so good at this. I can tell when I am speaking to him I have his full attention. It's a great thing to be heard—really heard. Some other ways to be quick to listen is to repeat back what you believe you heard the person saying. And if you don't understand something, ask clarifying questions. Try not to interrupt them. What does it mean to be slow to speak? I think we need to be careful and thoughtful. Examine your words before you say them. Depending on what the conversation is, you might even need some time to think before responding. Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them (Proverbs 29:20). Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin (Proverbs 13:3). James also goes on to talk about our tongues—what we say and how our words can bless or curse others. He compares our tongue to the bit that steers a horse or the rudder that guides a ship. What comes out of your mouth can not only corrupt your whole body but others as well. The Psalmist prays to set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3). And the Apostle Paul encourages the Ephesians to not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29). Good communication in relationships is necessary. It's a skill you and I can practice and improve, but we need to be mindful and intentional.

Presented by Julie Busteed Have you ever said or thought this? “I'd love this job if it just wasn't for the people!” I know this is a sarcastic saying—it's more tongue in cheek—but it's how we feel sometimes isn't it? Yet as Christ-followers, the greatest command Jesus gave us is to love God and love others. This week, we'll look at some strategies to help us as we relate to others around us—our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 22:37-39). The first priority in dealing with our relationships is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind! Our relationship with God is essential. It affects everything, including our relationships with others. Take a minute to ask yourself these questions: Are you spending daily time with God? Reading his Word? Praying? This is the first place to start. It's vital for you and me to make our relationship with God the foundation of our lives. Sometimes it can be easy to think, “I have a relationship with God, and that's enough. I don't need others. I don't need to go to church.” But that's not true either. God is a triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is community between them, and as image-bearers, we need community not only with God but also with each other. God made you for community and connection. Since you and I are made to be in community, how do we do this well? Jesus goes on to say we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. What does it mean to love your neighbor? Love is an action—not just a feeling—a romantic feeling. It's not the same as like. Love is giving of yourself and putting others first. It could look like delivering a meal to someone in need. Or helping a coworker with a project. Or praying with or for someone. It can take many forms; the main thing is that you see others—notice when they are in need—and reach out to help and care for them.

It seems like many people don't think of themselves as a leader because they don't hold a position that identifies them as a leader. So, when they hear messages on how to be a better leader, they figure it doesn't apply to them. But you know, the truth is we are all leaders in some way or another. Some of us are the up-front obvious types who lead groups of people. Others are quiet leaders, who influence and persuade others behind the scenes. And believe me, there is someone in your life right now who looks at you as a leader. So, whatever form of leadership you may have, this message on the leadership qualities of our Lord will apply to you. Why was Jesus such a great leader? Here are some reasons: Jesus was a great leader because he fulfilled his boss's expectations. Jesus kept in close contact with his Father. He said again and again that he always did what pleased his Father and spoke what the Father taught him. In John 7:18, Jesus said, Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. When is the last time you checked with your boss to see if you're working to his or her satisfaction? Do you spend enough time with your boss to understand his or her priorities, so you are doing things that please your boss? It really is your job to make sure you've got the marching orders right. And besides, it is simply smart to take initiative of letting your boss know you need and appreciate his or her feedback. Maybe you're thinking: You don't know my boss, Mary. It's impossible to communicate with him or her. Well, that may or may not be true, but you should do everything you can to improve that communication. Many times, we excuse our own lack of effort by saying "He never listens to me" or "I can't get any feedback from her," or "This company doesn't care what I think!” Pray about it and ask God to give you some creative ways to improve communication with your boss. That's the mark of a good worker and a good leader; certainly, Jesus was careful to stay in close contact with the One who had sent him. In any business or organization, the ultimate boss is the customer. Ed Koch was a mayor of New York famous for walking the streets of his city, stopping people, and asking them, "How am I doing?" He recognized he reported to the people who had elected him, and he wanted to please them if possible. Who is your customer? You may think I don't have customers; my company does. Or I don't have customers; I work at home. But I would ask you to re-think that response. Everybody has customers! Here's why: Your customer is the person who creates the need for your job. If they didn't exist or didn't have certain needs, your job would be unnecessary. Think about it and clearly identify your own personal customers. Those are the people you need to please. Your customer probably falls into several categories—internal and external, above and below you, business and personal. People outside and inside your organization who depend on you for help, information, service, etc. Even those who are not employed have customers. For moms your customers are your family members; they certainly create the need for your job. So, in a real sense, we all work for our customers. Therefore, we should be very attentive to their needs and requests, since they are critical people in our lives and livelihood. But more importantly, we should want to please them out of a desire to do things right, just as Jesus wanted to please his Father. So, Jesus was a great leader because he gave careful attention to his boss, the Father, and did what the Father wanted him to do. Another reason Jesus was such an outstanding leader is he knew what his mission was, he stayed focused, and he didn't try to jump through the expectation hoops of others. Do you remember when the disciples told Jesus the whole town was waiting to hear him sp...

How would you like to work with someone who resents you, is jealous of you, and treats you rudely? That's what our friend Fran is facing on her job. Jenny, a new coworker, has been asked to work under Fran's supervision, but her jealousy and resentment have become obvious to the boss, Marilyn. While Marilyn is having a private talk with Jenny, Fran is in her office praying for guidance. She told God if he wants her to relinquish this new account to Jenny, she will do so. In a few minutes Marilyn walks into her office. “Fran, I explained to Jenny that I make the business decisions here, and I reminded her she was fully informed of what her status would be when she requested the transfer here. So, she's agreed to work with you on this account. If you have any problem, you let me know.” “Marilyn,” Fran says, “I'm willing to give her the account if you want me to. But I'm not sure how easy it's going to be for us to work together.” “There's no way I'm going to let you give up that account. You won it, and it's yours. And if anybody can work with Jenny, you can, Fran.” And with that Marilyn goes back to her office. Since it's almost quitting time, Fran heads for the door just as Jenny is leaving. “Jenny,” Fran says, “I know you're not happy with this latest arrangement. I can understand how you feel…” “Oh, give me a break, Fran. You don't understand or care how I feel,” Jenny comes back with great anger. “Just don't think I'm going to do all the dirty work.” “Jenny, please,” Fran begins, “I even offered to give you the account, but Marilyn insists we can work together. I certainly want to try.” “You offered to give me the account?” Jenny is incredulous. “I don't believe it. You're just trying to make points with Marilyn. Just don't expect me to do your work for you, Fran.” Fran recognizes there is no way she can have a rational conversation with Jenny, so she goes to her car and heads home. The tears start to come. “Lord, what am I going to do?” What is Fran going to do? There's no happy ending to this story. Fran cannot turn Jenny around, and as they work together, Jenny increases her attacks on Fran. Many times, Fran is tempted to go to Marilyn and tell her what's happening, but each time she has a check in her spirit. She spends many miserable days trying to work with Jenny. Finally, Jenny resigns her position and leaves the company, full of bitterness and anger. “It's so sad,” Fran says to the Lord, “and I feel bad for her. But Lord, what more could I do?” Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy (Proverbs 27:4). Not every story has a happy ending, even when we obey the Lord and do what he tells us to do. But we can trust the results to him.

Jealousy can cause any of us to do and say things that are hurtful and wrong. Fran is learning first-hand how the jealousy of a coworker can be very painful. Jenny is jealous of Fran because of her success in the company. Now with a new account Fran has just signed up, it appears Marilyn is going to assign Jenny to work with Fran on it. For Fran, it's the worst possible news she could hear, because Jenny has been openly arrogant and rude to Fran. As she and Jenny go into Marilyn's office, Jenny says to Fran, “If you think I'm going to take orders from you, think again, Fran. I know more about this account than you will ever know.” Fran has no opportunity to respond, as Marilyn walks in at that moment. “Well, it seems to me,” Marilyn says, “you two are a perfect match to work on the Edwards account, since you have a lot of good experience with construction companies, Jenny.” The silence is deafening. Nobody says anything. Marilyn continues, “I am right, am I not, Jenny? You had a large construction account in Atlanta?” “I certainly did,” Jenny begins, “much larger than this one.” The anger in her voice is obvious. “I see,” Marilyn says, beginning to sense there is a problem here. “Do you have a problem working with Fran on this account?” “Well, truthfully, I think Fran should be working with me on the account, Marilyn, seeing how I know this business much better than she does,” Jenny says. She is beginning to lose control. “I think you should just let me handle this account. That would make the best business sense.” “I see,” says Marilyn. “So, you don't want to work with Fran on the account?” “Like I said,” Jenny begins again, “I think she should…” “I know,” Marilyn continues, “you think she should work for you. We better have a talk about this. Fran, would you excuse us please?” As Fran walks back to her office, she is literally shaking. Fran prays, “Lord, do you want me to just volunteer to give her the account?” A battle goes on inside of Fran as she wrestles with this issue. She prays and fumes and thinks, and finally she says, “Lord, I can't stand Jenny, and there's no way I could give her this account. But if you want me to do it, I can do it for you. So, right now I relinquish the control and I'm willing to do what you want me to do. Just show me.” And with that, she sits quietly. Her spirit calms down, and the peace of God descends upon her—that peace that passes understanding. As soon as she lets go of her rights and gives the Lord permission to do his will, she can relax. Now she is in a win-win situation. It's difficult to let go, isn't it? But letting go and giving God the control always brings peace.

We continue our most recent story of Fran and Jesus on the Job. Fran finds herself on the receiving end of a jealous coworker, who is very vocal and very vicious in her attitude toward Fran. A week ago, Fran made an important presentation to a new prospect, and today is the day she is to get their answer. This morning, in some quiet time with the Lord, Fran prays, “Lord, once again I give over to you the results of this new business. I pray you will give me a favorable response, but no matter what happens, help me to be gracious and kind.” Then she thinks about Jenny. Fran has struggled to have a right attitude toward her, because Jenny has said some unkind and rude things to Fran. “Lord, I know Jenny is not in my life by accident. I don't like her, Lord, but I want to be willing to let you love her through me. And Lord, help me to see her the way you see her. I know underneath her tough exterior and her angry demeanor, there is a big hurt only you can heal. Please help me to see her through your eyes.” About ten o'clock that morning, Fran makes the call and to her great delight, she learns they will sign a contract with her. She makes an appointment to be at their office first thing tomorrow morning, then goes in to tell her boss. “Congratulations, Fran,” Marilyn says, as she shakes her hand. “That is great news. We'll announce it at the meeting this afternoon.” Marilyn is obviously pleased. As the department gathers for the meeting, Marilyn enthusiastically announces Fran's success. “This is a very significant account, and Fran did a great job to land it. Obviously, she'll be needing help from the team. In fact, Jenny, since you've had some experience with construction companies, it might make sense for you to help Fran out. We can talk about that.” Fran's stomach does a couple of somersaults. How could Marilyn do that to her? She can never work with Jenny. Now what is she going to do? As the meeting ends, everybody is congratulating Fran. Jenny starts to walk out without saying anything, when Marilyn stops her. “Jenny, why don't you and Fran come into my office for a few minutes. Let's talk about this new account.” “Lord,” Fran prays silently, “I need wisdom, and I need grace. Please help me. You know I can't work with Jenny. Please deliver me.” She can hear that inner voice of God's Spirit responding to her panic. “What you can't do, I can.” With that assurance, she heads toward Marilyn's office.

Solomon wrote: Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy (Proverbs 27:4). Who indeed? Fran is discovering just how dangerous it is to work with a jealous coworker. A woman named Jenny transferred to Fran's office and accepted a lower position. She has become more and more vocal about how over-qualified she is for her job. Today Fran and her good friend, Louise, are walking to the cafeteria when Jenny walks in behind them. Fran and Louise have tried unsuccessfully to be friendly to Jenny, but they try once again. “Want to join us for lunch?” Louise asks. “Yeah, why not,” Jenny responds. As they sit down to eat, Jenny says to Fran, “You had a presentation today, didn't you, Fran?” “Yeah, we're trying to get the Edwards Construction account,” Fran replies. Jenny says, “I landed the largest construction company in the Southeast when I worked in Atlanta, you know.” Fran can feel the anger start to creep up within her. She sends up a wordless prayer before she responds. “I wish I had known, Jenny. I could have used your help.” “Well, they should have let me have that account,” Jenny says. “I've got the experience that would have guaranteed we would get it. How did the presentation go?” It's all Fran can do to answer Jenny with a civil tone of voice. “I really couldn't tell. They said it would be a week before they decide.” Louise is angry, too, and she just can't sit there without defending her friend. She says, “I can assure you, if anyone can get that account, Fran can. I'm sure you did a great job, Fran.” Jenny laughs and says, “Well, Louise, I'd expect you to say that about your good friend, but I'm looking at it from a business perspective. With my experience, I would have done a better job.” “Excuse me,” Louise retorts, “but that's your opinion and you ought to keep it to yourself.” “Oh, Louise, don't take everything so personal. I'm just saying it like it is,” Jenny replies. “I call that rude,” Louise says. “Hey,” Fran interjects, “this conversation is getting out of hand. Thanks for your loyalty, Louise, but Jenny has a right to her opinion. Maybe we better get back to work.” As they start to leave, Jenny says, “You know, it's stupid for women to be so emotional about these things. I'm just talking business, and you two keep taking it personal.” Fran and Louise walk away without another word to Jenny, but steam is coming out of Louise's ears. “Can you believe that woman? She's just jealous of you, Fran.” And jealousy can be dangerous.

Have you ever worked with someone who was jealous of you? In Fran and Jesus on the Job, Fran discovers a coworker is not only jealous of her but seeks to ruin her. As I periodically present these stories of Fran and Jesus, it is my prayer you will be encouraged to practice the presence of Jesus on your job and seek his guidance in every situation you face. On this Wednesday morning, Marilyn, Fran's boss, comes into her office and says, “Fran, I want you to meet Jenny. She just transferred here from our Atlanta office, and she'll be working with Phil as his assistant.” “Glad to meet you,” Fran says, as she extends her hand. “If I can help in any way, let me know.” “Yes, Jenny, you can always count on Fran. She's one of our best account reps, so she knows the ropes well,” Marilyn adds. “That's nice,” Jenny says, “but I can hold my own. I…uh…I was sales leader in the Atlanta office last year, but I had to transfer out here because my husband took a new job, so…” “Well,” Marilyn chimes in, “we just didn't have a sales slot for Jenny right now, but I'm sure something will open up before too long.” “I sure hope so,” Jenny says. “I didn't put in all that hard work as an account rep to work as an assistant.” It is obvious Jenny is not happy with her current assignment. As they leave, Fran thinks: She acts like she's too good to have that job. I think she's going to be trouble. But as soon as she starts that kind of thinking, the Spirit of God convicts her. “I'm sorry, Lord,” she prays quietly, “forgive me for thinking of her in negative ways. Help me to have the right attitude toward her.” Fran is learning a very important principle about dealing with people. When you are working with someone you don't particularly like, don't allow yourself to indulge in derogatory thoughts about the person. Instead, pray for him or her. Every time you are tempted to think unkind thoughts about the person, just stop right in the middle and change those thoughts to a prayer. Pray for your attitude toward the person and pray for him or her.

I don't know about you, but I find I can easily make commitments. I can decide I really want to do something and set my mind to do it. But if I don't have a plan as to how it gets done, it just remains good intentions that usually don't become reality. So, what I'm hoping is that you will not only be inspired to reflect Christ more on your job, but you'll have some specific actions that will make a difference in your life and in your workplace. So, here's my fourth suggestion (view part one for the first three suggestions) as to how we can more perfectly reflect Christ on our jobs: Be Transparent and Vulnerable Jesus gave us clear instructions as to how we are to live as Christ-followers in our worlds. In Matthew 5:14-16 we read from his sermon on the mount: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. In other words, we're not called to be undercover Christians. Even in our post-Christian culture, Jesus' challenge does not change. We are not to hide our lamp—our witness—as Christ-followers, and that includes on our jobs. The challenge we face is how to do that naturally, organically, and not in an unnecessarily offensive way. Someone has said that too often we Christians are more interested in giving out the right news instead of the good news. We believe we're right, based on God's Word, and we never compromise those beliefs. But we do it through being real, not with a know-it-all attitude or arrogance of any kind. You and I must be approachable, real, and transparent in the way we live if we ever hope to have influence in our world today. If you project a plastic image to those around you, an image of “I've got this all figured out, and my life is always together,” then who can ever relate to you? Let me ask you: Do you fake happiness even when you are sad about something? Do you share personal struggles and concerns with coworkers appropriately? Can you and do you naturally talk about how God has helped you through hard times, how he has answered your prayers? Are you willing to be vulnerable, admit your mistakes, or talk about your struggles? Or are you trying not to show a trace of doubt or misgivings or let anyone see the pain in your life? If so, you are putting up a barrier between you and others, and they just don't know how to relate to someone who seems to always be in control! Living a transparent and authentic life means being yourself, without any pretensions. There was a woman who worked for me many years ago who was just always perfect. She was vocal about her faith, but she was also vocal about how perfectly she did her job. She subtly would let everyone else know they should be like her and do their work like she did. Now, she was an excellent worker, but she made everyone else in the department uncomfortable by her perfectionist demeanor. I often wondered what she was like at home with her husband. And I noticed that she really had no connections in our office; she worked in an isolated atmosphere. That's never going to be an effective way to reflect Christ. So, one powerful way you and I can reflect Christ—be like Jesus—in our workplaces is to be transparent, inviting, and willing to share our lives, the good and the bad, with others. Reflect Christ by Developing the Fruit of the Spirit I come to the fifth suggestion for reflecting Christ on your job, and it is to consistently display the fruit of God's Spirit in your life. Honestly, this is an impossible assignment until and unless you become intentional about bearing much fruit. In John 15:8 Jesus said, This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen In this digital age, it feels like our community is giant! Some days it feels like I have a community of a thousand friends. Honestly, if I ever heard from one of you listening today personally, I am sure it would be like chatting with a lifelong acquaintance! I feel the same when someone reaches out via social media or on LinkedIn to connect about our faith or even a business matter. But truly, how many “friends” can we have? In my opinion, the current workplace culture has us thinking about relationships all wrong. All these different professional groups and networking meetings bring new contacts, but are they true connections? How often are we trading time with a network for true, authentic connection? I say get small! What do I mean by this? Take a sheet of paper. I want you to write down a list of your deep, authentic connections. These are the friends you pray with, laugh with, cry with. The ones you go to for good, biblical advice. These friends know your favorites in life. The good and bad. You should want not only to receive from them but also to give to them in return. How many are on your list? Can you count them easily or did you quickly fill a sheet top to bottom? Jesus held 12 closest to him—the disciples. Surely, he did daily life with others whom he was closest to like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, but those in his inner circle were fewer than 20. Although Luke says he had a larger group of around 70, this was more of the community around him—think of people who you are friendly with at work or even at church. Going back to your list, who are your inner, most sacred connections? Who are your 12? Who make up your 20? How can you build deeper connections with those closest to you? Maybe some of these connections have come from work—some could be family, and others from church. Building connections and relationships is important to Jesus, and I want all of you to be encouraged if perhaps you aren't finding this community and connection at work. Those of us who are connected in the community of the Body of Christ can be encouraged that God has brought us into his family. Another song for this week: What a Friend we Have in Jesus! Above all, of the friends you have written down on your paper today, write JESUS in big letters at the top!

Presented by Lauren Stibgen As we talk about social connections and community at work, I have been talking about some of the more difficult aspects of this connection—not fitting in, feeling lonely, being exhausted. One common workplace issue I hear from many women is the loss of workplace connection due to betrayal. We can feel betrayed in many ways. Maybe you learn you have suddenly become the topic of office gossip, or a colleague is speaking poorly about your performance to a superior. It could even be you are suddenly left out of lunch or happy hour invitations or other gatherings you would typically attend. If you aren't sure about what has caused you to be the odd “woman” out, this can make the feelings sting even more. Joseph was betrayed deeply by his brothers because of their deeply-rooted jealousy. They were so jealous they thought to kill him but chose to sell him to slavery instead. Joseph was then betrayed by the wife of his employer who lied and said he was making a pass at her! The story of Joseph is in the book of Genesis chapters 37-50. Let's consider Joseph for a moment. Being his Dad's favorite wasn't his fault, but it surely didn't help him. Are you a favored employee at work? Maybe this favoritism made the young Joseph a little prideful. He sometimes recounted his dreams about ruling over his brothers. If you are that favored employee, are you humble or prideful about it? Like young Joseph's brothers, perhaps your colleagues are jealous, but they also don't like how you are responding to all the positive attention you are receiving. Maintaining humility and recognizing the achievements of your colleagues, contributes to a balanced approach to success in the workplace. In Joseph's later years, the betrayal by the wife of his employer was not his fault. My point is sometimes you just cannot control what someone says about you, and this is very hard. Through all this betrayal, Joseph looked to the Lord. He trusted God's plans for his life, even when he was alone in a pit, sold as a slave, and placed in prison for something he clearly did not do. If you suddenly find yourself on the outs with workplace friends, carefully reflect and look to the Lord in prayer. Turn to a connection outside of work to help you consider how you may approach the situation with care, as a follower of Jesus. Rather than rushing to a judgement, prepare to ask some questions and seek to understand.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen We have been talking about how much time we spend at work—one-third of our waking hours—and the social friendships and connections we may or may not have there. Like me, you may be just too exhausted to even think about being social at work! After all, sometimes these connections require even more of your time, and your calendar outside of work can be just as busy. Spending time with other Christian working women reminds me all working women—Christian or not—feel the burdens of the elusive work/life balance more than their male counterparts. A 2024 Gallup poll found 51% of women compared to 39% of men feel stressed at work.[1] Women are more likely to juggle personal items during work hours, which also adds to this. Women are balancing work, caregiving, health, and perhaps additional education opportunities making their days long. Making time for more social connections often feels like another thing they just cannot add to their day. Being too exhausted to engage socially is impacting more than just social connections for women; it is also impacting their opportunities for promotion. A study by Leanin.org found women are less likely to be promoted than men, partly because they participate less in informal social interactions.[2] Our Savior Jesus was sometimes too exhausted for more social engagement too! Hebrews 4:15 reminds us we have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus experienced weariness too. In fact, his exhaustion is one of the things that lead to the interaction with the woman at the well. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon (John 4:6). Jesus had sent the disciples ahead to bring back food to him, and he was alone. Wearied in the Bible refers to deep physical and emotional exhaustion. We know Jesus was facing both. And I am sure this resonates with you. Your physical body and emotional state are just gassed. Knowing Jesus felt the same way, what habits did he engage? Jesus went to his Father for refreshment. We see this repeatedly in the gospels. Luke 5:16 and 6:12 tell us Jesus withdrew and went up to a mountain to be in prayer with God. We also read this in Mark 1:35. When you feel too exhausted to connect socially, connect with God in prayer. Take time to bring your burdens to the Lord. Pray for the right connections and interactions. Pray for balance and refreshment. Pray for the right opportunities at work. After all, God is your best social interaction. --- [1] Barry, K. (2024, December 4). More Than a Program: A Culture of Women's Wellbeing at Work. Gallup.com; Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/653843/program-culture-women-wellbeing-work.aspx [2] Women in the Workplace. (n.d.). Lean In. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace/2018/women-get-less-support-less-access-at-work

Presented by Lauren Stibgen With one-third of our life spent working, it is no wonder we seek friendship and connection from our colleagues. A recent Forbes article from March 2024 titled How Loneliness Can Impact Your Job (And Life) by Tracy Brower says 69% of employees report they are unsatisfied with their social connections at work, and 43% don't feel a sense of connection with their colleagues.[1] Loneliness is universal, and it doesn't hold a title or age. CEOs and assistants are equally impacted by these feelings of disconnection. Since it is subjective, we need never negate our own personal feelings of loneliness or those feelings of a colleague. As followers of Jesus, what does this mean for us? First, what if we are the employee feeling dissatisfied with our social connection at work? Turning to the Word of God can remind us it is our God who sees us in our daily work even when we feel alone. Consider when the woman at the well went to draw water. She went in the middle of the day, the hottest time. Although we are not told about her feelings, we know she went alone because she likely was not accepted by the other Samaritan women. She was alone, and perhaps lonely when she encountered Jesus. He knew the intimate details of her not so perfect life and offered her living water—salvation in him! You can read this story in John 4:4-30. And, what about Hagar? She was sent away, pregnant and alone when she was met by God and felt seen. Read more about Hagar in Genesis 16. The woman at the well and Hagar are reminders that even when we are walking alone, God sees us. Maybe you aren't lonely at work. You have a wonderful social community! As a follower of Jesus, we are called to see others. Just as Jesus saw the woman at the well and God saw Hagar, who do you see in your workplace who could use some social connection? There is a Christian song by Brandon Heath, Give Me Your Eyes with perfect lyrics: “Give me your eyes for just one second, give me your eyes so I can see…”[2] Take a listen. It can encourage you to see those in your workplace that could use you extending your care and connection in that moment! -- [1] Brower, T. (2024, March 21). How Workplace Loneliness Can Impact Your Job (And Life). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2024/03/21/how-workplace-loneliness-can-impact-your-job/ [2] Heath, B., & Ingram, J. (2008). Give Me Your Eyes [Song]. In What If We [Album]. Reunion Records.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen We all spend so much time at work. In fact, on average, we will spend about 90,000 hours working over the span of our lifetime. This is one-third of all our waking hours! Given how much time we spend in our workplaces, it is not surprising we want to find community and relationships at work. We can develop friendships that last. While statistics vary between 70-85%, on average, most workers report they have some kind of friendship at work. The statistics are lower for the reporting of a best friend, down to 50%. What if you are a person in the 15-30% category who reports having no social friendship at work? Although this doesn't mean you have no community or friends, it suggests you are spending one-third of your waking hours without a friendly connection. Perhaps your specific job makes it hard to connect with other people. Does your role automatically draw judgement from others? I find it funny that often one of the most relational departments, human resources, can often draw the most judgement. Perhaps it is because this department holds the keys to so many hot button employment related issues like pay, benefits, hiring and firing, and compliance and investigations! Sure, the work can be good, until it isn't! It is good news when they hire a great person for a team but bad news during a layoff. Good news when they add a terrific benefit but bad news when the cost of the benefits goes up! If you work in human resources, I am sure you're familiar with some employees' visceral reaction of, “Uh-oh, here comes HR.” I am sure there are other departments like risk and compliance and sometimes IT that face this same experience and hold a balance between being heroes and then not being very liked at all. Imagine for a moment, a worker from the Bible, Zacchaeus. He was the proverbial tax man during the time of Jesus. Described as a man small in stature, he climbed a tree just to see Jesus. For sure, Zacchaeus was doing his job as chief tax collector, but he was also taking more than he should have and not being very honest. I would guess he was not a very liked guy, and he probably did not have many friends at work. In comes Jesus! He calls Zacchaeus from the tree and asks to have dinner at his house! You can read more in Luke 19:1-10, but Zacchaeus follows Jesus and returns his dishonest gain. If you work in a position that makes others skeptical, remember Jesus sees you. If building relationships at work seems difficult, turn to your first and best relationship with him.

What does it mean to “reflect Christ”? It's a rather unusual use of words. Has anyone ever said to you, “You reflect your mother”? No, usually we say something like “You look like your mother,” or “You remind me of your mother,” or “That's exactly what your mother would say.” If I reflect my mother, even though I don't look like her, people might comment on how very similar my mannerisms, words, or way of life are to her. That, of course, is because she raised me, and it's only natural that I would take on her ways and attitudes. For example, my mother would always clean the house really well before going away for a few days, so I do the same thing. I just don't want to come home to a dirty house. But my husband found this strange. Nobody's going to be here so who cares how it looks? That's the way he saw it. But I'm like my mother. I watched how she did things, and I followed her in her ways. In that way, I reflect my mother. Obviously, it's very important who we choose to reflect. Thankfully for me, my mother was the best person in the world for me to emulate. But I know that's not true of everyone. Maybe you're having to deal with some ways of doing things you learned from someone, but they're not positive or helpful. That's another “kettle of fish,” as we say. I want to talk about how we who call ourselves Christ-followers—people who have claimed the gift of salvation Jesus offers and have placed our faith in him, becoming children of God—should and can reflect Christ particularly on our jobs. Of course, we should reflect Christ in all areas of our lives, but I want to look at it from the perspective of reflecting Christ in the often-godless environments you may encounter on your job. Your job is typically not a place you can take time to open the Bible and share your faith. You're there to do a job and do it well. But there are so many ways you can reflect Christ as you do your job—things that will perhaps open doors for you to share your faith. You just need to be intentional about it, and that's what I'm hoping to help you with. Reflect Christ in Your Thought Life and Attitudes Everything begins in your thoughts. The Bible says as we think in our heart, so we are. What you allow yourself to think about and what you refuse to think about is critical to success in any area of your life. Did you know you have the power through Christ to put wrong thoughts and wrong thought patterns out of your head? And if you know that, do you practice it? Your thought life will determine your attitudes. Think about your attitude toward your job. Are these thoughts mostly positive or mostly negative? If you see your job as simply a duty required of you to pay your bills or a necessary drudgery, I suggest this attitude does not reflect Christ. Maybe you really want a job but not the one you have. So, it's your attitude toward your specific job—the work environment, the people you deal with, the job content itself. Do you face most of your days with a sense of drudgery? With a “It's time to make the donuts” attitude? If so, believe me it shows, and it is not a reflection of Christ. In writing to the Christians in Colossae, Paul said: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24). If you want to reflect Christ on your job and please the Lord Jesus, make sure you keep your attitude toward your job in good shape. You're working for the Lord, so work at it with all your heart. Others may never appreciate your good work, but you will receive a blessing—an inheritance—from the Lord as a reward. That means you don't bad-mouth the company, the boss, your coworkers—never! It doesn't mean you stick your head in the sand and ignore wrong practices or behavior, but unless you're doing something to make matters better,

Are toxic coworkers driving you crazy? First, just remember workplaces will be workplaces—people will be people. In most workplaces, you have a lot of different personalities thrown into one cauldron during working hours. Drama, power struggles, office politics, and other unpleasant things are going to happen, at least to some extent. It's not that you just settle for these types of situations, but you shouldn't be shocked to discover that in a sin-infected world, we must deal with toxic people. In Philip Yancey's book, Reaching for the Invisible God, he advises it is easier to act your way into feelings than to feel your way into actions. In other words, do what you know is right to do and let the feelings follow, if they will. If you wait on your feelings to kick in before you do what you know you should do—especially when it comes to dealing with difficult people—you'll be in wait mode many days, if you're like me! John wrote: God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16b). Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). This kind of love is an action, not a feeling. It is a decision not a desire. Sometimes the feelings are present; sometimes they are not. Either way, if we live in God, we must live in love. One of the greatest indications that we truly “live in God” and are new creations in Christ Jesus is our willingness to extend this God-love to people who would have no claim on our love otherwise. After all, these toxic coworkers can't expect you to love them, can they? It's not in your job description and no one can demand it from you. Therefore, when you choose to love in actions and truth, you show a loveless world a sample of what Jesus is like. You become the love of God reaching out to them, unconditional love, which cannot be explained or ignored. It is powerful in its implications and effects on the relationships of our lives. One small verse in 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us love never fails. When nothing else works, try love. When there seems to be no way to improve a relationship, try love. Love never fails.

For many years, I've been sharing the privilege and importance you have as a Christian in the marketplace to let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven, as Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16. In all those years, one issue surfaces most frequently—dealing with people. As Charlie Brown said, “I love mankind; it's people I can't stand!” I'm examining dealing with people who are particularly toxic, spreading their poison where you work. You must intentionally purpose not to let toxic people occupy any more of your thought life than absolutely necessary. Here's another practical suggestion: Distance yourself from them as much as possible. You've heard a lot about setting boundaries, I'm sure. The Bible teaches us to set boundaries. For example, these two passages from Proverbs: Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way (Proverbs 4:14-15). The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives (Proverbs 16:17). And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). You must be wise about distancing yourself from people who would fill your mind with evil and try to bring you down emotionally. You may not be able to distance yourself from a toxic person physically, if they are a coworker, but you can learn to distance yourself mentally and emotionally. Pray each day that God will protect your mind and teach you how to literally tune them out when you can. If you can wear headphones where you work use them as a buffer between you and a toxic person. Even if you don't listen to anything, just wearing headphones creates some distance. You have two options: You can gripe and complain about them, letting them bring you down to their level, or you can determine by God's grace, to take whatever steps are necessary to respond appropriately and in Christ-like ways to toxic, difficult people. God loves them as much as he loves you, and no one is in your life by accident.

I can remember times when I worked with or for someone who was toxic. I think of one man who was never pleasant, always complaining and demanding, had no encouraging words ever, and truly poisoned the atmosphere in the room when he entered. Do you have a coworker like this? I'm specifically looking at how Jesus would want you and me to respond and interact with the toxic people in our lives. I think the first challenge is to get your own attitude and reactions to toxic people under control. Learn to do some things that will keep you from—as we say—going crazy. Here is the first and most important thing you can do to protect yourself when you're dealing with a truly toxic person. Don't let your thoughts and your mind dwell on them all the time. When dealing with such a disruptive and irritating person—on a regular basis, no less—it's very natural to let their behavior occupy your mind and your thoughts way too much. You dread going to work because you'll have to deal with them. You fume all the way home because you had to deal with them. They can occupy way too much of your thought life. You need to firmly and swiftly boot the person out of your head. Refuse to let them take over your mind. Philippians 4 tells us to think about things that are lovely, pure, noble—and that pretty much excludes a toxic person. Stop giving them time in your mind. And how do you do that? You do it by replacing thoughts of them with good thoughts, thankfulness, reciting your blessings, and focusing on God's goodness. That's what it means to bring every thought into captivity and make it obedient to Christ, as we read in 2 Corinthians 10:5. This spiritual discipline will make a huge difference in your life. If you have not already discovered this truth and learned how to take wrong thoughts captive, I recommend a book I've written on it, entitled Think About What You Think About. As you head out to work each day, pray the Holy Spirit will remind you to boot those wrong thoughts out of your mind, to help you refuse to allow toxic people to occupy your thoughts in a negative and upsetting way. That is a very important first step.

Are toxic coworkers driving you crazy? These are people you are forced to be with daily, and their habits or attitudes are driving you—well, crazy! What are some characteristics of toxic people? Basically, they are people who somehow poison the atmosphere around them with their attitudes and behavior. As Christians dealing with toxic people, our first challenge is to remember God loves the person just as much as he loves you. See them through God's eyes. The second important thing to remember is the person is not in your life by accident. God is allowing it—not approving of their behavior, mind you—but allowing the person in your life for some good reason. It could be to help you grow in grace as you deal with them. It could be for the good influence you could have on them. It could be both. But trust me, God has a good reason(s) for the person being in your life. We are told in Scripture: If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). That's our assignment for dealing with toxic people. Others may live by more commonly accepted relationship principles, such as, look out for number one! Don't take any guff! Stand up for your rights! They may not be motivated to live at peace with everyone, but we are called to this Christ-like objective. It is a lofty one; it is often out of step with the world's wisdom; it is often not appreciated or valued by others. But as disciples of Jesus Christ, it is our guiding principle. Let me assure you when you can respond to toxic people with more patience, more kindness and less anger than others, you are demonstrating the love of Jesus, and it won't be missed. Your coworkers may not believe in God, they may never go to church, they may even think you are some kind of religious fanatic, but they cannot escape the difference in the way you respond to toxic people, when you allow God's Spirit to empower you to respond like Jesus would. Keep these two things in mind, namely God loves them as much as he loves you, and no one is in your life by accident. God has a purpose for allowing that person in your life.

How often do you say something like: “It's driving me crazy”? Or “He's driving me crazy”? It's a way of expressing frustration and impatience with something or someone. And usually it is someone—that person who is getting on your very last nerve! I want to talk about dealing with toxic people—especially coworkers—who are “driving you crazy!” Someone has said relationships are the sandpaper of our lives, and you would probably agree with that—right? When you are dealing with a relationship you wouldn't necessarily choose—like a coworker—and when that person's continual behavior is harmful and disruptive, you can feel like you're losing it—or as we say, you're going crazy. This is one area where your light for Jesus should shine, because as a Christ-follower you and I have Holy Spirit power to give us the ability to deal with toxic people appropriately. I want to share some biblical principles to help you deal with your toxic coworkers. First let's define a toxic person. Toxic means poisonous, dangerous, harmful, and persistent. A toxic person is one who can poison an atmosphere, and their actions and words are harmful and repetitive. Toxic people don't just have a once-in-awhile bad day but recurring unhealthy and hurtful behavior. Here are some signs a person is toxic: They talk more than they listen. They are always right—never admit to being wrong. They are drama queens or kings—drama seems to follow them everywhere. They often lack tact and general courtesy. They often lie to make themselves look good or to get what they want. They exhibit controlling behaviors. They love to talk about other people—to gossip. They are, in general, very negative people. Here's the first thing I want to remind you as we talk about dealing with toxic people. They are people God loves just as much as he loves you. I remember long ago when I worked for a boss who was anything but pleasant; I just found it hard to even be around him. But I remember clearly one day when the thought came to me, no doubt from the Holy Spirit, that God loved him just as much as he loves me. I had to sit down and think about it. How could God love someone so unlovable? But it's true, because God is love. He loves the toxic person in your life just as much as he loves you. Step one is to ask God to help you see a toxic person the way God sees them.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Forming relationships is foundational in every aspect of our lives. From early relationships formed with family and childhood friends, to our experiences in sports, school, and work, we are made for relationships. God is relational. He was never alone. At the beginning of Genesis, we can see the unity God has in the trinity—one God, three persons: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Father) The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Holy Spirit) (Genesis 1:1-2). While Jesus is not specifically named in Genesis one, in Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image” (Son). As John 1:1-4 states: In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Thus implying Jesus. The essence of the Almighty is one body with three distinct members. I love the simple way one person described the Trinity as “one what” and “three whos”. We are made in God's image (Genesis 1:26); we are not made to do life alone. But what are relationships with one Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? The more I look externally at my relationships, the more I desire to see how this one relationship could impact every other relationship I have. For most of us, there may be a relationship in our live that is not what we hoped it to be. If you can say boldly, no Lauren, everything is terrific with everyone in my life, I would simply love to meet you! This is not my experience, nor is it my experience with many of my close friends and colleagues. Watch the news or read an opinion article. Our relationships are very broken. Have you ever heard the phrase “born sinner”? This is a theological phrase from the concept of the original sin born by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Yes, the one with the fruit and the snake that leaves Adam and Eve hiding in the bushes naked from God. From this, we have inherited a sinful nature from birth. My aim is not to paint a depressing picture about a lifetime of doomed connections but rather to stress the importance of our personal relationship with God and his trinitarian nature. Each person of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—plays an important relational role in our lives. Each is a model for how we can outwardly express ourselves in relationship with others. The early age relationships we form are called attachment relationships and help children from birth to 6 years old develop a sense of security and trust which can impact their future relationships as they get older. Can you join me in having the mind of a young child? I want you to deeply consider how you can develop a deep attachment relationship with the persons of the Trinity. A secure and trusting relationship can impact every future relationship you have! After all, some of you are God's child! You have a fresh and new start! In John 3:3, Jesus tells us unless we are born again, we cannot see the kingdom of God. In fact, the Trinity is seen all together in verses in John 3:1-8. While we worship the triune God, let's carefully consider the attributes of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit while recognizing one is not greater than another, and they exist in perfect harmony. How do these specific attributes help us relate to others? God the Father. The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:6-7). In Exodus 34: 6-7, God describes himself to Moses. We know he is God, and we are not. Yet, we can consider his attributes in our own relationships. Are we merciful and gracious to others? Slow to anger?

I've been examining how we can do a better job of connecting with people. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9). How do we show hospitality to one another? There are myriads of ways to do that, but it means you will have to see yourself as the host or hostess rather than the guest. Someone who shows hospitality takes on the responsibility to make others comfortable, to serve their needs, to initiate a welcoming environment, to make the first move. That could be in any situation—at home, at work, at church, while shopping or traveling, etc. Show hospitality to others. Sometimes it simply means taking time to recognize someone and greet them, calling them by name if possible. Sometimes it means interrupting your own plans to help someone out. It could mean inviting people to your home for a meal or taking time to listen to someone's problem. It will require a servant attitude, a willingness to put others first and truly connect with them. But that's the Jesus way, right? Notice that Peter says we are to show hospitality without grumbling. That tells me showing hospitality is not always easy to do. Putting others first requires an attitude that has to come from God's power in us, not from our own selves. It's possible to be hospitable with the wrong spirit—with a grumbling spirit. If you're serious about connecting with others and fulfilling this hospitality challenge, you'll want to pray about it. Pray that God will give you both the desire and the power to want to connect with others, to expend the energy, time and resources that will be required to put others first and die to your own selfish desires. But here's the good news: When you learn to do this, you reap wonderful benefits. You discover dying to yourself brings new life, as Jesus promised. When you get yourself out of the way and make it a daily practice to put others first, you move into that abundant life that Jesus came to give us. It's one of the paradoxes of the Christian life—that if we want to be the greatest, we must be a servant. And by God's grace and for his glory, that can become a reality in our lives.

Do you approach your relationships as a host or a guest? We can improve our ability to connect with others. And the attitude that helps is to think of yourself as the host or hostess rather than the guest. Or, in more biblical terms, as one who serves rather than one who is served. Think about your daily interactions with other people—at work, at home, or church, wherever. Are you a host or a guest? For example, do you initiate the phone call that needs to be made, or do you wait for the other person to call? When you're in a group, do you introduce yourself to someone new or wait for them to introduce themselves first? When someone seems puzzled or confused, do you offer help? Maybe you're thinking you can't be the host or hostess because you're shy or introverted. I want to encourage you to give it a try. It may take you out of your comfort zone temporarily, but once you take that first step to “host” your relationships, you'll see it really isn't that scary, and before long you will be comfortable doing it. It will surprise you to see the positive reactions you receive, and you'll feel very good about connecting with others in more meaningful ways. One of the reasons we hesitate to take the role of host or hostess in relationships is because we fear what others will think of us. I find when I am more concerned about how I will appear to others than I am about trying to connect with them, it's because I am far too self-focused. I have to stop and remind myself it's not all about me. I can assure you if you reach out to others in an attempt to connect in a better, more loving way, you will rarely make a fool of yourself. And so, what if you do? Does the world stop revolving? Does God stop loving you? We just have to get over our intense self-absorption. Or maybe you hesitate to connect with others because it just takes too much effort. I know sometimes I just want to people-out—just have a quiet moment to myself. At those times I just simply make myself become interested in whoever it is around me—someone who just may need a listening ear, a kind word, a smile to encourage them or lift their burden True, it does take effort and time, but the fruit of that effort is very rewarding. I hope you'll consider your responsibility to be a host or hostess with the people in your life, rather than playing the role of the guest. It makes life so much richer and fulfills our God-given responsibility to do unto others as we would want them to do to us.

Think of yourself as a host or hostess on your job—initiate conversations, volunteer help, keep your antenna up for anyone who needs a word of encouragement. This is how we show Christ's love in a world that is starving for kindness and compassion. I've heard one of the Boy Scout's mottos is to “leave it better than you found it.” Imagine how much nicer our worlds would be if we all practiced that regularly—leaving everything better than we found it. If your goal for every relationship was to leave that person better than you found him or her, how would that improve your relationships? It means you would be thinking about the other person and not about yourself—which is a really good thing. No doubt you would listen more than you talk, you would offer to help where you could, you would offer words of encouragement. People don't remember so much what we do or how well we do it, but they do remember how we made them feel. Have you ever thought about how you make other people feel? I'm sure you've thought about how other people make you feel. But let's reverse that and ask ourselves, “How do I make other people feel?” Some people make us feel insignificant. Others intimidate us. Some people make us feel like failures. They may not intend to give off those vibes, but something in their manner or the way they treat you gives you that impression. Stop and ask yourself: Do I unintentionally do that to others? I have learned I can send negative messages to others because of my tendency to be very project oriented and very focused on getting a job done. In the process, I can miss opportunities to recognize people along the way and let them know they are important to me. I've become very intentional about changing that bad habit and I intentionally try to connect with others, especially strangers or people who look a little left out. What kind of messages do you send to others? Do they sense you are a caring person; do you exude an attitude of acceptance and warmth? Do you initiate connections—with greetings, asking questions, and starting conversations? It isn't hard—and it's very rewarding. Don't forget—people remember how you make them feel, so do what you can to make them feel cared for and important.

Do you know the name of the person who cleans your office or who delivers your mail? An important connection skill is to consider everyone significant, and to take the time to learn names and call people by name. Often people in service jobs wear name tags. Waiters, waitresses, cleaning people, doormen—they usually wear name tags. If you see a name tag, call that person by name. And if they don't have a nametag, take the time to ask, “What is your name?” In a world that is often cold and uncaring, something as simple as calling a person by name can bring warmth and a touch of love into that relationship, brief as it may be. Not long ago one of the pastors in our church had the idea of offering permanent nametags to every church member and attender. What a difference that has made in helping us to connect with others at the church. People I've seen for years I now can connect with by name. We connect with each other much better simply because of those nametags—we can call each other by name. If you determine to have a mindset that you are the host or hostess, and it is your job to find common ground with others and make them feel at ease, you will discover you talk less about yourself and focus more on others. Paul wrote to the Philippians we should count others more significant than ourselves. How do you do that? You have to be very intentional about it, pray God will give you both the desire and the power to do it, and then decide what you will do to fulfill that command. If you're like me, your first reaction when being with someone you don't know well is just to wait for them to make the first move. Just this past week I made myself make the first move and begin a conversation with a young woman seated at the same table with me. Now I have a new friend. We are connecting in several ways, and all it took was for me to say, “Hi, I'm Mary; what's your name?” You will be amazed at how easy it is to connect with people once you become the hostess!

I am often asked: What is the main issue people in the workplace are struggling with today? I've been broadcasting this program a long time, and I can tell you one issue remains at the top of most everyone's list, and that is how to deal successfully with people! It's people! In some form or another, our relationships—on the job and everywhere else—cause us more frustration, create more conflict, and waste more of our time than anything else. Of course, relationships also can bring great joy and satisfaction, too. Let's talk about this relationship challenge of connecting successfully with others. Some people seem to have no difficulty forming friendships, generating loyalty, creating community, and getting along with people, while others seem to be lacking in these skills. But remember God equips us to do what he wants us to do, so if making friends and connecting well with others is important—and it is—then he will help you develop the ability to make the first move and initiate connections. It may push you out of your comfort zone, but that's a good thing. It stretches you. One of the first things to connect better with others is to make people feel comfortable in our presence. And we can learn to do that by thinking of ourselves as “hosts” or “hostesses” in any situation. A good host takes the initiative to make others feel comfortable. Most people view themselves as “guests” in life, expecting others to take the initiative and make the first move. But if you will just reverse that tendency and think of yourself as the host or hostess, you will become more proactive in initiating conversations, offering to help others, and discovering that you are beginning to connect with people much more easily. I challenge you to be the “host” as you go to work; see yourself as the person who will initiate connections, who will have your antenna up to be aware of others around you and be willing to get out of your comfort zone and make the first move. It is such a simple idea, but I can promise you it will make a difference in how you connect with others.

In part one, I challenged you to enlarge the way you pray for yourself, using some biblical prayers as guidelines, and I want to follow up on the power of claiming God's promises to you in prayer. For example, think about this passage from 2 Peter 1: 3-4: His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. I want to urge you to start praying this passage into your life, something like this: God, I know you have given me divine power through your Spirit to live a godly life. I know this comes through my knowledge of Jesus and his Word. I pray that you will help me to pursue this knowledge, and I claim your promise that I can participate in the divine nature of Jesus—I can be more and more like Jesus and less and less corrupted by my evil desires. What if God answered this prayer? Would it make a difference in you of eternal importance? The obvious answer is yes, of course. And here's the thing—when you sincerely pray this kind of spiritual prayer for yourself or for others and you consistently claim the promises that are yours in Scripture, you will be more and more transformed into the likeness of Jesus, because you can be assured that God will answer that kind of prayer. I want to encourage you to pray God's promises into your life. I remember a song I sang as a kid that said, “Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line.” It's a good reminder that God's Word is full of promises you can and should claim as your own. How often do you do that? Are you missing some blessings because you're not praying those great and precious promises? For example, in part one, I talked about the promise in James 1:5—if we ask for wisdom, God gives it to us generously. Have you been praying for wisdom? Remember, God's wisdom keeps you from making poor choices and bad decisions—and just think what a difference that could make. In Philippians 4:6-7 we read: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. This is a promise with a condition. Presenting your requests to God with thanksgiving—that's the condition. Here's the promise: the peace of God will guard your heart and mind. You're promised peace. Have you been peaceful lately or more stressed-out, discouraged, despondent, or unhappy? Maybe that's because you haven't presented your requests to God and claimed the peace that transcends all understanding. Here's an incredible promise from Isaiah 58:11: The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Have you ever prayed this Scripture into your life? When you don't know what to do, claim this promise that the Lord will guide you. When you're in a desert-like situation and everything seems dry and lifeless and you lack energy or motivation, claim the promise that the Lord will satisfy you even in a dry place. He will strengthen you—physically and spiritually. He promises to turn hard, dry places into gardens whose waters never fail—to give you hope and joy even in a tough place. It's a promise there for you, so take advantage of God's goodness. There are many more promises for you and biblical prayers you can pray for yourself and others. These are prayers we know are in God's will, and therefore we can claim the promise from 1 John 5:14: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Presented by Julie Busteed I used to think there were seasons of waiting on God, but now I think there is always something I am waiting on from him. Maybe it's waiting for some direction in one area of my work or waiting for something to come to an end or waiting for the next big thing. But aren't we always waiting to hear from him? And since we are always in this “waiting room” of God's timing for some kind or another, then what is the purpose? What is the benefit? Yet the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him (Isaiah 30:18). We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you (Psalm 33:20-22). There's a blessing in the waiting room. There is hope. It's not always my favorite place to be, but I'm not as anxious there as I used to be. I've grown in my trust of God, that he has what's best in store for me, even if it seems difficult. I know I can trust him no matter what. And my goals and focus are ever more on my hope in him. Yes, you and I are living in the now and it's a fallen world. But if you are a Christ-follower, there is hope of eternal life with God. The more I get to know him, study his Word, read his Word, pray, and meet and talk with other Christ-followers, the more I can rest in his timing. Not that it's never frustrating or scary, but I know he will never leave me or forsake me. Do you have confidence in your relationship with him? If not, please, take some time right now to pray and ask for his help to get into his Word. He alone is our hope and salvation. He is trustworthy and loving. He waits to be gracious to you. If you are struggling with waiting on God and having patience to endure in a situation, then think about this. God's silence doesn't mean that he doesn't care. He hears you and knows you. But maybe he has something better in mind for you. Or maybe the answer is no or not right now. But you are building your faith muscle as you wait and trust in him. I think Oswald Chambers says it beautifully: Some prayers are followed by silence (from God) because they are wrong, others because they are bigger than one can understand. It will be a wonderful moment for some of us when we stand before God and find that the prayers we clamored for in early days and imagined were never answered, have been answered in the most amazing way, and that God's silence has been the sign of the answer.[1] --- [1]  Chambers, Oswald, Oswald Chambers Daily Thoughts for Disciples, Christian Literature Crusade, 1976, p. 75.

Presented by Julie Busteed What happens when you are not patient and run ahead of God and take things into your own hands? That's exactly what happened to King Saul. You can read the entire account in I Samuel 13:1-15 but let me summarize. Saul is the newly appointed first King over Israel. They've had some success at defeating their enemies. I guess King Saul is feeling pretty good about this. Then the Philistines—the enemy—assemble to fight and they have many chariots and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. When the Israelites see this, they are quaking with fear. Saul waits seven days for Samuel (the prophet and priest) to arrive to offer the burnt offering. He was following Samuel's instructions (1 Samuel 10:8). But something happens—we're not told what—but Samuel doesn't show up in seven days. He's late. And Saul seeing that his soldiers are frightened, seeing the strength and number of his enemies, takes things into his own hands and he offers the sacrifice to God (which by the way was against the law—only priests were to do this). And then guess who shows up at this exact moment—Samuel! And he asks Saul what's going on, and Saul explains: “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering” (1 Samuel 13:11-12). Oh wow. Did you hear that? Saul's saying things weren't going as he thought they should. He was looking at his circumstances around him and becoming fearful and not looking at God. And so, he took things into his own hands—he felt “compelled” to ask for the Lord's help in this way. And Samuel then tells him that he's done a foolish thing. That he's not kept the command that the Lord God gave him and as a result the Kingdom of Israel will be taken away from him, it will not endure. I do feel for Saul sometimes. It sounds like he convinced himself he was doing the right thing in rushing ahead of God and offering these sacrifices and seeking the Lord's favor instead of waiting for Samuel. But it was not the right thing. How many times have you been anxious, got tired of waiting for God and took things into your own hands which then resulted in more trouble? Maybe you are so desperate to get out of a job or a project that you'll do anything. I know. It's hard to wait. But it can be even more dangerous to not wait. To make poor decisions and suffer those consequences. You might not have your kingdom taken away from you like Saul, but it could still end in difficulty. As the Psalmist says, wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:14 ESV)!

Presented by Julie Busteed Waiting on the Lord is hard. But he gives us promises that we can hang on to during this time. But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31 ESV). Years ago, I was in a job that was not my favorite. There were many things that were fine, but the work itself was not really what I wanted to do. I felt like it wasn't a good fit for me, and it was work that didn't come naturally to me. For a long time, I complained about this. I would complain in my heart, to God, to my husband and search for ways to move on to something else. But the opportunity didn't present itself. Finally, I remember crying—literally—to God about this and just pouring my heart out to him. And it's not that I heard a loud voice, it was a soft gentle reminder that he is sovereign and to trust and wait on him. Instead of trying to change my circumstance, I began to change my thoughts—my mindset about the situation. It's not that I became content and happy overnight, but I tried to focus on the things that were good. I also gave myself little rewards or encouragements for doing some of the hard things of the work. And by that, I mean taking a quick walk, getting another cup of coffee and so on. And slowly, I wasn't as miserable! I think I complained less! Changing my attitude made a huge difference. My situation didn't change right away either. I would still have some valleys of despair, but they became fewer and far between. Then, when an opportunity did arise, I was almost surprised! I was now actually more prepared for this next step having stayed where I was. And I wasn't leaving my employer on bad terms—not burning any bridges. I know there are many different situations and some more difficult than what I was experiencing. And for your own mental and physical health you may need to take different actions. But I tell you this, for a couple of reasons. First take some time to reflect and think on the situation as objectively as possible. Are there some good and positive things about where you are right now? Then pour your heart out to God. Continue to seek him. Realize he has purpose in the waiting. And that nothing is ever wasted.

Presented by Julie Busteed When you're in God's waiting room do you ever think that if you just pray more or fast more or do something more that this will get God's attention? That there is something you need to do. I used to think maybe I'm not in his will, doing something wrong, or not being persistent enough—which is why he's not hearing or answering my prayer. Are you familiar with the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8)[1]? Jesus begins by telling his disciples this parable to show them they should always pray and not give up. And to me that meant relentlessly praying, even begging, and almost trying to bend his will to my prayers. But I don't think that's the point! Briefly the parable goes like this: He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.' “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me'” (Luke 18:2-5)! Here is an unjust corrupt judge who doesn't fear God or care about people. And a widow, who particularly in those days is quite vulnerable. She has no provider or protector. And she's asking for justice. Repeatedly. But the judge refuses. Finally, she wears him down because she keeps “bothering” him and he gives her justice. And to me this meant I need to wear God down with my prayer requests in order for him to answer. I thought that I needed to continually bug him to get his attention. That somehow the accumulation of my prayers would make a difference. I don't think this is what Jesus was talking about. That would be equating God to this unjust judge, and he is not at all like that. He cares about us, he cares about justice, it's his unchangeable character. And I am not like the nameless widow. God knows me, loves me, provides for and protects me. Jesus tells us why he told this parable in verse 1 to show that we should always pray and not give up. And that can be hard to do when you're in that waiting room. When you and I persist in praying, in talking to God, our hearts become more inclined to his. It's a life of prayer that we are called to—a life of continual conversation with God. And it's more about how our hearts and minds can be transformed to his. So yes, pray continually. And trust that in his perfect timing he will answer. As the Psalmist said: I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I hope (Psalm 130:5 ESV). --- [1] Dr. Kent Hughes, “Living in the ‘Not Yet'” Series: Luke, January 8, 2008, https://preachingtheword.com/av_item.php?avid=579

Presented by Julie Busteed Waiting is not my favorite thing! Whether it is waiting in a store line, waiting in traffic, waiting for a doctor's appointment, or waiting for the coffee maker to finish! The most challenging thing can be to wait on God to answer my prayer or give direction. Or waiting for a difficult situation to resolve, or a hard season of life to ease up. We are called to persevere. To continue to trust God and wait on him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him (Lamentations 3:25). When I read the account of Noah in Genesis 8—a familiar story to most of us—I am encouraged to trust God in the waiting. Noah obeyed God in building the ark and gathering all the animals. Scholars think the entire time he and his family were on the boat was about a year. After all the rain and flooding, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove returned and so he waited some more and sent the dove out again. Finally, the dove returns with an olive leaf. Now Noah could see the water was gone but he waited until God told him it was time to get out of the boat—till the ground was completely dry. It probably seemed like he could have left the boat earlier since he couldn't see any water. But he trusted, obeyed and waited. After being in that boat for a year, I imagine it had to be challenging! But he trusted God. There was purpose in the waiting. Another familiar story about waiting and trusting is raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11). Jesus and his disciples get word that his friend Lazarus is ill. And Jesus' response is to wait! He says to his disciples, Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him (John 11:14-15). What? How does that make any sense to the disciples! When they finally arrived, Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for four days. And to everyone's amazement Jesus calls him to come out of the tomb. Now up to then Jesus had done many miraculous things—many healings, providing food, casting out demons. But here he publicly shows even more of his glory by raising Lazarus from the dead. If they had not waited, but gone to Lazarus right away, then it would have been just another healing. But by waiting—being patient—and even suffering as the sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha had done, they are given even a greater view of who Jesus is—his character and his love. Maybe that's where you are right now. Deep in the middle of a dark time. You don't have any hope. You look around at your circumstances and it seems bleak and hopeless. But maybe God is using this waiting time to draw you closer to him, so that you can trust him more deeply, and then be shown his glory more greatly.

We all know prayer is our lifeline to God, and we are encouraged to cast all our cares upon God, because he cares for us. We know God is intimately interested in our everyday lives, and he rejoices when we rejoice and mourns when we mourn. Jesus empathizes with all our weaknesses because he walked this earthly road like you, and I do. So, it is normal and wise for us to pray about the circumstances of our lives—to bring all our concerns to God in prayer. As the old hymn says: “Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” But I want us to consider the content of our prayers. If all your prayers were answered, would it make a difference for eternity? That's the exact question my pastor posed, and I've been giving that a lot of thought. Do I pray primarily—not exclusively but primarily—about things that would make a difference for eternity if my prayers were answered? For example, how do you pray for your family and friends? Do you primarily pray for their spiritual condition? Do you pray for the believers to walk worthy of their call? Do you pray that they will use their gifts to glorify God and do the good works he planned for them to do? If they are not yet believers, do you pray mostly that God will do whatever it takes for them to see their need of salvation? That kind of praying is more important than their health, their financial problems, their success, even their happiness. Sure, we all want our family and friends to be happy, but maybe they need some tough times to bring them back to God. If all your prayers for your family and others were answered, would they maybe just have better grades at school, or better jobs, or more money, or nicer homes? Those are all quite nice, and we can pray about them. But more importantly, if all your prayers for your family and friends were answered, would they start to live more wholeheartedly for Jesus? I have a fairly large extended family; if my count is right, there are more than 90 of us counting down from my Mom and Dad, including children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and their mates. Whew, that's a lot of people. I think of the heritage handed to us by my parents—simple people living lives of integrity and honor to Jesus, a godly heritage as the Bible describes it. And as I pray for all of this crew, my first and most consuming prayer is that they will all walk worthy of the teaching and guidance they have received, that they will pass on to their children the lessons passed on to them, the truth handed to them. More than anything else, I pray for their spiritual welfare. That matters for eternity. I encourage you to examine the content of your prayers for your family. Pray for their physical needs, their success, their health—yes, of course. But make it your habit to pray mostly and primarily for their spiritual condition, for their relationship with God through Jesus Christ. How do you pray for the world—this huge world we live in? In the Bible, God's people are urged to engage with the world around them and not to withdraw from it. That means we should always pray for things and people outside of our own personal circle. Recently, I intentionally reviewed the content of my prayers, and I realized that I often pray for health issues for people I know; I pray for increased financial support for this ministry; I pray for pastors at my church and ministry there. But it became rather clear that my prayers were often limited to my world. How about you? Review what you've prayed for the past few days. Have your prayers primarily revolved around you and people you know? God wants us to pray about the world around us. How do you do that? Well, first you become educated and aware of what's happening outside your world. A few years ago, along with a coworker in my church, I became aware for the first time of the scourge of sex trafficking in our country and our city.

The question today is: How can you become a God-confident woman or man? First, you must continue to grow in your knowledge of Jesus and the Word by making them a daily priority in your life. There's no “secret sauce” here. It is back to the basics of saturating your life with the truth that comes only from God's Word. This is written Word—the Bible—and the Word made flesh, dwelling among us—Jesus Christ. As you continue to know God better, you build spiritual muscles which results in God-confidence. Then, most likely, God will give you an opportunity to do something that will be too big and too hard for you to do. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and follow the Lord, even if you are a bit fearful? I find when God calls me to serve in a new way, I'm always in over my head. But he who calls us to a new service gives us what we need. That's what we call walking by faith not by sight. What are your gifts and abilities you have not yet used in serving the Lord? Find ways to use them. He didn't gift you just so you could get a good job and earn more money. He wants to you to serve others. Never compare yourself to others. You don't have to do what someone else does or measure up to someone else's expectations. But you will need to step out on faith and follow God's leading. Then you will be confident of this: ...that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). You will be living in God-confidence, and it will be amazing. It will be tiring, yes, and not always easy but always fruitful and satisfying. And the joy of the Lord will be your strength.

What is hindering you from having God-confidence? Being confident in yourself is very risky because pretty soon that self will let you down. But being confident in God—who he is and how he sees you—is a firm foundation that holds up no matter what. What is keeping you from having this God-confidence? Could it be a sin you haven't confessed and forsaken? Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). Do you give up too easily and too quickly? Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him (James 1:12). Is your past imprisoning you? Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). Are you afraid to fail? For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Has the enemy of your soul succeeded in making you feel unworthy, or keeping you burdened with sins which God forgave? I want to encourage you today to claim your right—your inheritance—as God's son or daughter. You have God's Spirit, and His Spirit makes it possible for you to be God-confident. His confidence is powerful, loving, and self-disciplined. Are you “taking advantage” of what is yours through God's Spirit? Are you aware of the Spirit's presence and the power you have as a result?

As Christ-followers, the Bible says we should put no confidence in the flesh. It's pretty undependable. But you can and should be totally God-confident. Confident that you have become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ and confident that God has good plans for you—good works for you to do which he determined before you were born. There's nothing to be gained by being constrained and handcuffed by a lack of confidence. James put it this way: But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do (James 1:6 – 8). James says if you're blown and tossed—like happens with lack of confidence—you are unstable in all your ways. You need confidence to be what God created you to be and do the good works he put you here to do. And the confidence you need is not self-confidence, but rather it is God-confidence. What is hindering you from this God-confident life? Many times, it is the constant thought you simply are not good enough. Thoughts like: you've sinned too much; your past is too bad; you can never be worthy. You know where that comes from, don't you? Satan will tell you lies about yourself, like thinking you're not good enough. But remember this wonderful truth. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Whether condemnation is coming at you from others or yourself, you are believing a lie because God never deals with us through condemnation—making us feel unworthy and without hope. The Holy Spirit who indwells every believer will convict you of sin for the purpose of helping you repent and get rid of the drag on your spiritual life. But God never deals with you through condemnation; that's what the enemy tries to do. When the enemy is successful at destroying your God-confidence by his sneaky and sinister words of condemnation, he is keeping you from the joy of the Lord, which is your strength, and from the abundant life Jesus died to give you. You're missing all the good stuff! But there's hope in Jesus!

The second tool you need to be God-confident is to know how God sees you. God wants you to be confident in how he has gifted you and how he wants to use you. Let's begin by affirming what God has said about us: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:13-14). I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand (John 10:28). Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”? Or “I am safe in the hand of Jesus—no one can snatch me out of his hand”? As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love (John 15:9). Have you ever declared: “I am the one Jesus loves”? God-confidence depends on being totally confident of who you are in Christ. But it doesn't come in one swoop—it comes through getting to know God better and better. You have been gifted to do something good for the Kingdom. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:10 NASB). When you're willing to take the next steps where God is leading you, to do those good works he prepared for you, then you can be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). That is God-confidence!

Here's an interesting question: Do you think God wants you to face your world, your life, with unwavering confidence? Is there anything to be gained by lacking confidence? What message does it send if you and I, as Christ-followers, appear uncertain or doubtful? Does that bring glory to God? On the other hand, does it bring glory to God if you have the kind of self-confidence the world says is necessary? This confidence is proud and self-focused, self-assured and braggadocious? It brings glory to yourself. We certainly need confidence. But putting a lot of it in yourself is risky, because it's undependable. You can feel confident one day or about one thing, and then the rug gets pulled out from under you the next day and there goes that self-confidence out the door. It's God-confidence you and I need, not self-confidence. His confidence makes a difference in the way we live and our ability to do what God put us here to do. And it will look different on each of us. However, there are certain things we must be confident of to face life with God-confidence. I want to share some necessary tools for the God-confident woman. The first tool you need is to be totally confident of your faith. Confident in your relationship to God through Jesus I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day (2 Timothy 1:12b). Confident in God's sovereignty For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth (Psalm 71:5). Confident in God's love For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Confident God will never leave you or forsake you God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5b). Confident that God answers prayer This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us (1 John 5:14). Now, if you are confident of those things, then you have the foundation for God-confidence. That's where it begins.