iWork4Him PowerThought

What does a normal Thanksgiving dinner look like for you and your family? Does it have all the fixings and smell just like grandma's house when you were growing up? Is it always exclusive to family? There are people you work with and people you live around that will be alone this year; why don't you mess up your normal Thanksgiving and invite some of them to join you? Jim and I would like to challenge you to have your last normal Thanksgiving last year. May last year be the final year when your Thanksgiving celebration didn't include your neighbors. This year we challenge you to invite people into your life and into your Thanksgiving celebration that would otherwise be home alone, probably not even celebrating Thanksgiving. What does a normal Thanksgiving look like? It looks like the power of neighboring in action. 

This whole idea of practicing the power of neighboring at Thanksgiving can cause some strife at home. Not everyone wants to open up their Thanksgiving table to strangers, or people that just aren't family. I know in my family growing up we never had anybody who wasn't family over for Thanksgiving. It just wasn't done. But at Martha's house, her parents were great at inviting people who would be alone at Thanksgiving and having them join us for a family Thanksgiving celebration. Gather your family around you and share this idea with them. Share the idea that you want to solve somebody's loneliness at Thanksgiving this year and you need their help. Once you explain this to your family, I can't imagine that they won't be on board. Maybe they can even think of some people that need to be invited. Together you can change somebody's life this Thanksgiving. 

What does loneliness look like? Does it have a face? Does it always look the same? You and I have the ability to solve someone's loneliness problem at Thanksgiving this year. All around us are people, our neighbors, who don't have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving. They are either too far away from family or don't have family or they've been alienated. Can you imagine being alone at Thanksgiving? It's just a big fat bummer. Look around you. As you leave your neighborhood this morning or drive through your neighborhood this afternoon, think about all the people that you know. Are any of them going to be alone at Thanksgiving? As you walk between the cubicles or sit down for lunch, are any of those people going to be alone at Thanksgiving? Solve loneliness today by inviting a neighbor for Thanksgiving. 

The power of neighboring at Thanksgiving looks like this. It begins with compassion, and it continues with intentionality. We all have neighbors, whether they are at work or in our neighborhood. They could even be in the pews sitting near us at church. But how many of those neighbors will be alone at Thanksgiving time? In my opinion, there is nothing worse than being alone during the holidays. My challenge to you today is to institute the power of neighboring right where you live and right where you work. Find out if anyone you know and care about will be alone on Thanksgiving. And then invite them for dinner. You may already have a crowded dinner table, and you may have to cook some more food, but by inviting them to be part of your celebration of Thanksgiving, you could change their life. 

One day, a religious leader approached Jesus and asked him who's my neighbor? Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Now we know who the neighbor was in this parable. The Good Samaritan was a powerful neighbor in the wounded man's life. The power of neighboring lies within each of us—the power to transform somebody's life by loving them as we love ourselves. The power of neighboring requires selfless acts and living on the edge of comfortableness. The power of neighboring started with Jesus, and it continues on in you. You have the ability to impact somebody's life for eternity by loving them. Your neighbors, they are at work, and they are in your neighborhood too. The big question I have for you today is who is your neighbor and will any of your neighbors be alone this Thanksgiving. 

Jesus said that our unity would attract others to Christ because our unity would show that Jesus came from our heavenly father. In other words, when we walk as one in the marketplace, our neighborhoods, our communities, and our country, the message is loud and clear:  Jesus has transformed the lives of all these people, and they walk as one in love. It's so important that we, as workplace believers, display our love for Jesus in unity, to attract others into conversations and, eventually, a relationship with Him. Our unity is attractive. That was Jesus's idea all along. For the remainder of this year, look for ways to walk in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ to solve your community's problems and bring Jesus-sized solutions to those who need it. 

Almost 2000 years have passed since Jesus returned to heaven. In the last 500 years, denominational segregation has plagued the body of Christ. We all go to different churches on Sunday. We live in a town of about 2000 people with 15 different churches and 15 different denominations. Very little ministry is coordinated for the ministry to this small town by the leaders of those churches. There is hope because marketplace and political leaders are unifying in Christ to bring flourishing to this town. When we are unified as followers of Jesus, outside our denominational hold, we can impact our cities and communities for good. When we face the problems together, we are so much stronger and more powerful. When Christ followers unite, no weapon of the enemy can stand against us. Those weapons may be poverty, drug addiction, broken families, et cetera. Let's unite as Jesus followers and bring good to our cities. 

Do you know what's great about believers? We all experience God differently. I know this because we're all different. Not one of us is the same. Jim and I got to sit down with some friends here in our small town in Missouri just the other day. We go to different churches on Sunday, yet we share a sweet fellowship in Christ. They shared some of their traditions surrounding the giving and taking of communion. While their traditions are very different than ours, the commonality is the communion. As believers in Jesus let us work hard at focusing on the things we have in common despite the efforts of denominations to split us, and focus on the things that the Bible teaches us clearly. The power of a unified church cannot be overcome. Let's find unity by celebrating the diversity of how others worship Jesus. 

What has amazed me most in the last 11 years is the incredible unity in the body of Christ out in the marketplace. On Sunday, we are the most segregated, separated people on the planet. But on Monday morning, when we go to work, nobody cares about Denominations. All they care about is, "I want to hang out with and do business with people who love Jesus. I don't care that you may show your love for Jesus in a different way than I do or sing different songs on Sunday than I do. All I care is that you love Jesus."  Jesus prayed for us in John 17. He prayed that we as believers would be one so that through that oneness, the world would know that God sent Jesus. In the marketplace, I see this unity. For the sake of the people in our communities, let's lay down our denominational swords and walk in Unity as we minister to their needs in the name of Jesus. 

Have you ever wondered where all of the denominations in Christianity come from? I mean really, 2000 years ago, there were the Jews and the Gentiles. Today, we have 43,000 "Christian" denominations around the world. What happened? I'll tell you what happened. People. Instead of focusing on the unity Christ talked about in John 17, Christ followers throughout the centuries have focused on differences in traditions and interpretations that broke Christianity into 43,000 pieces. On Sunday morning, the church is segregated and separated. But denominations have no place in the marketplace, so it's easy to unify on the message of Jesus. Don't let your denominational commitment on Sunday get in the way of you forming solid relationships with other believers in the marketplace on Monday. 

I have this funny thing that I do. When I ask people how they're doing, I mean it. So if I ask someone, "How are you doing?" and they say, "Fine," I respond with, "Really? Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. No, how are you really doing?"  And I mean it. Then I shut up and listen. When someone shares from their heart after you've had that exchange, it opens the door for the next step. I say, "Thank you for sharing that with me. I really appreciate you allowing me to see a part of your heart. Can I pray with you about that right now?"  I've never been told no. Because prayer, in a time when someone is hurting, is meaningful, powerful, and effective. Look for opportunities to overcome the " I'm fine" response. Because when you pray with people, it changes things. 

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace.  You may be saying to yourself, but how do I bring healing to my workplace when I am so broken myself? As a Jesus-follower, you serve the ultimate healer. For the woman at the well, he didn't just give her water; he gave her healing from the inside out. She was a broken woman who had been married five times. No matter what is broken inside of you, Jesus can handle it. In Luke 4:18, Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.  Remember, Jesus is a healer, and since we follow Jesus, we are healers too. 

Jesus routinely met and ate with people who we would refer to today as very, very lost. They were the most despised people of that day. And yet, Jesus had no issue with spending time with them. Our workplace is not only a place to make a living, but also a place God has ordained for us to make relationships, build trust, and grow friendships – especially with pre-believers. Often, the workplace is where we have the greatest opportunity to influence those who don't know Jesus, and who are struggling or dying without Him. How many people would Jesus have already invited to lunch if He worked at your place? Look with His eyes. Pray for courage to introduce yourself to those He shows you, and don't forget your/(you're) light, as His Word works in you, today. 

In 2006 I started a new job commuting 90 miles each way to work. I made a commitment to not turn on the radio on my way into work. I wanted to dedicate that time to pray for my family, my bosses and their families, my co-workers, and my employees. I learned to be quiet and I learned to make notes when I heard things from the Lord in my prayer time.  I like to say that it Changed my life.  Over the 4 years of this commute, I watched one of my Bosses come to be a Jesus follower and one rededicate his life to Christ. I was able to pray many times with my employees and I was able to demonstrate through service and friendship that my life was changed by Jesus. iWork4Him was launched through this prayer time and the iWork4Him Nation Covenant was birthed out of the process God took me through. 

It comes as no surprise that less than 20 percent of Americans regularly attend church.  But just about all Americans have a job. So, we COULD say that not everybody has a pastor, but just about everybody has a boss.  So how will the other 80% of Americans find out about Jesus Christ if they are not stepping into a church?  The current population of the US is about 330 million. So that's 264 Million people that WE can witness to through our daily interactions in our jobs.  You are the one that has been chosen. You ARE CHRIST'S AMBASSADOR, for such a time as this. Today, won't YOU PRAY AND COMMIT to BE Christ-like at work, to everyone you work with? 

The body of Christ is made up of many parts; none is more important than the other.  Do you ever feel unimportant in the Kingdom of God?  Like who you are and what you do is on a lower tier while others are on a higher one?  In 1 Corinthians 12, God lets us know that each of us plays an important role in the body of Christ.  Verse 18 says, "Our bodies have many parts, but God has put each part just where He wants it." Are you letting God use you right where you are, or are you too busy comparing your talents, resources, and position with others?  Stop scrolling through social media, thinking you're not enough.  You are an essential part of God's plan, and He desires to use you!  So, when you're feeling unimportant, remember – there are no tiers in the Kingdom! 

Your voice matters. No matter what you've experienced or been told, your ideas, creativity, and perspectives are important contributions to your work. Unfortunately, many women have been ignored, overlooked, and had their ideas stolen by others. Someone may have assumed you are more junior than you are. As difficult and discouraging as those experiences can be, other people don't get the final say about our value or our contribution. We are God's co-workers, called to partner with Him in our work. Bring those difficult situations before God in prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He wants you to do and say. Pray for your co-workers and for your organization, then do the next right thing with boldness and courage. The tougher the situation, the more glory God gets. Praise Him and thank Him in advance, then watch God work on your behalf. 

We all have two voices speaking to us daily—God's still, small, loving voice and the accusing, fear-ridden, loud voice of the enemy. How can you tell the difference? If it's encouraging, uplifting, life-affirming, convicting yet loving, aligned with Truth, you can be sure it is from God. If it brings fear, insecurity, anger, condemnation, or confusion, you can be sure it's from the enemy. Whose voice should you listen to? I recommend choosing God. Every. Time. We all face battles at work that make us vulnerable to a myriad of thoughts. But God gives us the victory. Whether you're facing unfair treatment, conflict, failure, or just feel stuck, turn to your Father. Pray for that difficult boss or co-worker. Pray for wisdom in that challenging circumstance. Ask God to turn your situation around for good. Listen for His direction and take obedient action. Then anticipate a miracle! Remember, God is for you! 

You, dear sister, were created in God's image. Man and woman were given the same cultural mandate to fill and subdue the earth. Your talents and desire to make an impact through your work are planted in you by your Creator. Your purpose is to steward those talents for His glory by continually leaning on Him. No one else will use your talents in quite the same way you do. You will reach, impact, and connect with people who others never will. God needs every single one of us to work like He is our CEO—Chief Eternal Officer. What you do in partnership with God for His glory will have eternal impact. So today, as you tackle the mundane and struggle to climb the mountains, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and your goal to bring Him glory. Because it doesn't all depend on you—it depends on you depending on Him!  

Who you are is not the sum of your past mistakes, successes, or talents. You are a daughter of the one true King, created in Christ Jesus, to do work that brings glory to God in your own unique way. Even when no one else seems to notice you, God sees everything you do to support others, contribute to the success of your organization, and share His love. God hears every prayer you whisper, cry, or scream. He is working even when you don't see it. There is nothing He allows that He won't redeem. Today, through the challenges and hard work, pause and acknowledge God's presence with you. He's right there, and He wants to give you strength, joy, peace, and rest, dear sister. All you have to do is ask. He loves you more than you could possibly know. 

One day a friend of mine called me and said “Jim, I have been trying to mentor and disciple my friend for 2 years now.  He is hopeless.  Maybe He will listen to you.” That was almost 10 years ago now.  My new mentee was not a believer yet, was struggling with issues from the battlefield that impacted his marriage, and was very skeptical of church culture.  For 3 years, we wrestled about faith topics in person, by phone, and by text.  Finally, he surrendered his life to Jesus, which is hard for war vets to do, and then the real work began.  For the next 7 years, we read and studied the Bible together, discussing family, work, faith, and parenting issues.  Today he is challenging me with things about my faith.  God has worked a miracle.  Mentoring this young man has made a difference for eternity.  Pour your Jesus Life into someone today. 

For the first two decades of our marriage, Jim and I did youth ministry as volunteers.  We spent thousands of hours with kids from various backgrounds and family structures.  I worked with girls who were daughters of pastors and daughters of high-powered executives, some from broken families and some from healthy solid families.  These relationships often started when these girls were 11 or 12 and continued until they graduated from high school.  However, two special relationships have lasted over 35 years.  These two young ladies I invested my Jesus life into are now parents of teenagers.  To have lived a lifetime with them has been such a reward to me and my faith.  Are you intentionally investing your Jesus life in someone today?  You are surrounded by others who need you to live life alongside them.   

My husband Jim and I are very different.  He has done a lot of formal mentoring, and I tend to do more informal mentoring.  Over the years, I have taken the time to live life alongside so many different women.  Some older than me, some younger than me.  Since Jim and I are involved in marriage mentoring with Christian Entrepreneurial couples, I often spend time with the wives working life out with them.  You see, mentoring for me looks like phone calls, drop-in visits, shopping trips, and texting.  The women I pour my Jesus life into rarely have time to meet for coffee, but we can share coffee over the phone or Facetime just the same.  My mentoring often looks scattered and informal, but I am available when needed and recognize that just stepping out for a call is part of my discipleship ministry.  Who do you pour your Jesus Life into? 

If there is one thing I learned from my first mentor, Mike, it is that mentoring and discipleship is something to be done in the context of life and not in a hurry.  It was not a box to be checked but time to be set aside.  It was an investment of Mike's life into mine and, honestly, as it turns out, an investment of my life into Mikes.  Since I experience God differently than Mike, he learned things from me too.  It's important to understand that every time you pour your Jesus life into someone else, you will, in return, have their Jesus Life poured into you.  This interchange is part of the process of disciple-making.  Mentoring with discipleship takes time, but it is an investment that pays lifelong & eternal rewards.  Pour your Jesus life into someone and watch them pour back into you.  It will change your life for the better. 

As a 16-year-old and a new believer of just 3 years, I needed someone to invest their life in mine.  Was that discipleship or mentorship that I needed?  Enter - Mike.  Many would argue that being a disciple-maker is inherently different than being a mentor.  Mentors often help someone become more like the mentor; Disciple makers help someone become more like JESUS.  Discipleship invites someone to follow us as we follow Jesus and then step aside so that we can learn directly from the Master Himself.  I argue that Mike poured his Jesus life into my life and taught me not just about Jesus but about life and Jesus – no matter what you call it.  As believers, everyone needs a Paul figure that will pour their Jesus Life into them and a Timothy to pour their Jesus life into.  Being mentored and mentoring others has rapidly deepened my faith.  Get a mentor and start mentoring today. 

When you retire, does your calling retire too? Does our calling run out when Social Security kicks in? I don't think so. Your mission field assignment may or may not change later on in life. Some of you have a career that could go until very late in life. Just because you're 65 doesn't mean that you're done working. Sure, maybe you need to change things up or perhaps you need to work fewer hours. But it's important to realize that as a Jesus follower, everywhere you go, everyone around you should be benefiting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not. What better place to invest your life than in an industry you have spent your life learning? The American dream of retirement is a lie. 30 years of vacation is not a dream; it's a nightmare. Ask God what He has for you in retirement. 

Why are you retiring? Is it because you're too old to work? Is it because you're ready for a break? Is it because you're ready for a change? We need to recognize why we want to retire. Change is OK. But it doesn't mean that retirement is an end to our work. God gave us work as a gift. That gift continues throughout our lives until the very last breath. Our work is meant to glorify God. If you're retiring because you're just tired of the job that you're in or the industry that you're in, maybe God has something new and fresh for you. Remember this. You have a lifetime of wisdom that the next generations need. The next generations desperately need you to pour your life into them. Retire with a purpose, and pour your life into others. 

So many retirees in America have spent a lifetime preparing for retirement. Well, I should say they're preparing their financial means for retirement, but are they preparing for what God has them to do in their retirement? The answer is almost categorically no. How much time have you spent preparing for how God will use you when you retire? Does that planning include how you will use your gifts, talents, and spiritual abilities for God's glory in a community that needs you? Or is most of that time spent dreaming about how you will relax in the sunshine and always have a perpetual tan? You've heard it said that many people who retire with no purpose end up returning to work or dying. Why don't you ask God for His plan for you and your retirement? 

The American dream of retirement is a lie. The American dream says that we will retire and live out the remainder of our lives on vacation, enjoying sunsets on the beach where every day is filled with pleasure and deep satisfaction. One problem. It never works out this way. Most of us know what we are going to retire from. We're retiring from a job we just want to be done with. It has paid our bills and provided a living for our family, but we're ready for some change. Does God desire that change to be a 30-year vacation? I don't think so. It's easy to know what you're retiring from, but what are you retiring to? God has been investing in you for a lifetime. You have a hoard of wisdom. God's plan for you is to use that wisdom in your next life stage. 

The American Dream of Retirement is a lie. It's also not biblical. God never intended for us to retire from work and then go on a perpetual vacation. Retirement is only mentioned once in the Bible and only for levitical priests. However, when they retired, their next role was to train up the next generation of levitical priests. We can learn a lot from that model. If you are retired or almost retired, God has a plan for the remaining years of your life. That plan is to use your lifetime of experiences wherever you go. Will it involve some vacation time? Absolutely. But as long as you are not dead, God is not done with you. Our Retirement years can be the most fulfilling years of our lives as Jesus Followers because we walk in wisdom and can impact the next generations of our family and our community. 

It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, knows what our priorities should look like. The number five priority should be our hobbies and volunteer work. God, Spouse, Kids, Work – they all come first. When your church volunteering gets in the way of family, spouse, and even work time, everyone gets disgruntled. If your volunteer work causes you to neglect your kids or spouse, that's upside down. When something attacks the fabric of society (Marriage and Family), it is out of line with God's original intent. After a week of evaluating your priorities, did you find things in order or out of order? Submit your priorities to God and He will lead you out of the mess. But you have to let Go and Let God—time for the weekend. Celebrate God and Family and put everything else aside. 

It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, has a clear answer for our priorities. Our Number 4 priority should be our work. Work is a gift from God, just as our relationships are. Work is necessary to shape our character and pay our bills. Work is designed to have a start and an end every day. Everything unravels when work is a higher priority than our families and God. Marriages struggle, kids struggle, and we become strangers with God. When Work is put in its proper place, it is a blessing that causes flourishing for us, our coworkers, bosses, employees, customers, and vendors. Avodah is the Hebrew word for Work and Worship. That is what God intended- for our work to be worship at the same time. Keep it in check, and life will be good. 

It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, has a clear answer for our priorities. Our Number 3 priority should be our relationship with our kids. I know that not everyone listening has kids but listen for your friends. When our kids run our priorities list instead of being in 3rd place, the whole family is a mess, especially you. Our lives are not supposed to revolve around our kids. Our kids should clearly be in place behind God and our spouse. When this is done properly, our kids will understand three important things, God is important, marriage is critical, and the world is not all about them. Do your kids a favor today and tell them their priority in your life. Today is a great day to start showing them the truth. 

It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, has a clear answer for our priorities. Our Number 2 priority should be your relationship with your spouse if you are married. Everything else but God should be prioritized behind your spouse. So often, this gets really messed up. We put work first, and everything else just    ends up in a mess. When we get married, we are marrying our best friend—someone we want to spend our lives with – all of our lives. When we neglect time with our spouse and our priorities get out of whack, our marriage and everyone around us suffer. Do you know what usually pushes your spouse's relationship out of order? Your kids. We will talk about them tomorrow. Want to keep your marriage intact and flourishing? Prioritize your spouse over kids and work, and under God. 

It shouldn't surprise us. Our God, who is a God of order, design, and truth, has a clear answer for our priorities. Our Number one priority should be our relationship with Him. Our quiet time, our calendars, our checkbooks and our screen time reflect this. When God doesn't take first place in our lives, we always seem to be hurried and harried, never getting enough done. When our daily schedule reflects God as our number one priority, with first place in our day, things fall into place, time moves productively, and things just work. When God is number one, your work will reflect your relationship with Him, and others will be attracted. Who's number one in your life? What's it going to take to put God back on top? You will benefit the most if you get this done. 

What's the purpose of business? God designed business to be a blessing to your community. What does that look like? It means that the service you provide is always done with excellence. It means your product is safe and does exactly what you say it will do. Your community is everybody you serve. But the community also means the area around where your business resides. Being a blessing to your community can look like investing in your city's infrastructure and in ministries that touch the lives of people there. Being a blessing to your community means much more than just writing a check. It means unleashing your employees in the community as volunteers on a regular basis. If you asked the local civic officials if your business was a blessing to the community, what would they say? 

What's the purpose of business? God designed business to be a blessing to the employees of the business. What's that look like? It means paying your people well, treating your people nicely, providing a safe work environment, and listening to them. There are so many things you can do to be a blessing to your employees, but number one is they need to be loved… Have you ever asked your employees how you're doing? Have you ever asked them if they feel blessed to work for you as a business owner? If you haven't, maybe today is the day you start asking those tough questions. If your business isn't being a blessing to your employees, then they're likely not being a blessing to your customers, and eventually, your business will run out of steam and close its doors. Jesus said love your neighbor. Start doing that with your employees today. 

What's the purpose of business? God designed business to be a blessing to the vendors that supply your business. What does that look like? It means ordering your supplies well in advance. It means being respectful on the phone when you're making your orders. It means paying your bills on time. It means telling others about the quality of service you receive from the vendors. If your business is blessing your vendors, then they will be a blessing to your business, because you're one of their customers. If your vendors aren't happy with how you treat them, then there's something wrong with your business. As Jesus followers, how we treat others really matters. It's one of the two things Jesus said was more important than anything else. Love God and love people. How are you treating your vendors today? 

What's the purpose of business? God designed business to be a blessing to the customers of the business. That may sound oversimplified, but if your customers aren't feeling blessed by your product or service, then you won't have a business for very long. What does it look like to be a blessing to your customers? It means that the product that you provide is well-built, long-lasting, and meets the needs of the customer. It means that the service you provide is done with excellence, on time, and exactly what you told the customer you would do. Do you ever survey your customers to see if they're satisfied? To see if you're a blessing to them? There really is no point in being in business if your business isn't a blessing to your customers. Ask them today how you're doing. 

What's the purpose of business? God designed business to be a blessing to the business owner and his/her family. What does that look like? A paycheck, or is it more? Of course, a business needs to provide an income to the owner, but it must also help his/her marriage and family to flourish. If your business is robbing your family of your time, then it's not a blessing. If your business isn't providing consistent income, maybe your business model needs a little work. God designed business to be a blessing, to have purpose in meeting the needs of those the business serves. But first and foremost, if the business isn't a blessing to the business owner and their family, something has to change. Is your business a blessing to your family? 

We can spend a whole year preparing for a short-term mission trip.  But how much time have you spent preparing for your workplace mission field?  We need to prepare our openness to God's leading as we work.  All day long, decisions need to be made.  You will also be presented with opportunities for conversations.  How often do you stop before you make that decision and say, “God, what do you want me to do here?” How often do you stop before talking with someone and say, " God, what do you want me to say here?” Too often at work, we are so busy checking things off our to-do list that we miss the opportunities to involve God in our daily work.  Prepare yourself today to be directed by God in all that you decide and in all your conversations. 

We can spend a whole year preparing for a short-term mission trip.  But how much time have you spent preparing for your workplace mission field?  We need to prepare our strength daily.  I'm not sure who said it first, but whoever said it was right.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Exercise isn't a bad idea either.  If you never get to eat a decent breakfast and never get a chance to exercise, how can your strength be prepared for your workplace ministry?  We need to be ready to battle the enemy who wants to keep the lost souls of our workplace neighbors entrapped in eternal damnation.  We need to be at the top of our game every day.  We must eat right, grow strong, and keep our face to the Son and our feet on the rock.  Are you at your full strength today? 

We can spend a whole year preparing for a short-term mission trip.  But how much time have you spent preparing for your workplace mission field?  We need to prepare our souls daily as we get ready for work.  What does that mean?  So often, our souls have been hurt and damaged by the people we work with and the people we live with.  Preparing our souls means forgiving those who have sinned against us.  Remember, forgiving isn't for them it's for you.  If you don't forgive others, your soul will never be prepared for your workplace mission field.  Do you have people at work that you need to forgive?  If our souls are not prepared through forgiving others who have hurt us, we will not be able to prepare others for the soul repairing that Jesus can do for them.  Is your soul prepared today? 

We can spend a whole year preparing for a short-term mission trip.  How much time have you spent preparing for your workplace mission field?  We need to prepare our minds daily as we get ready for work.  What does that mean?  Spending time in God's word, prayer, journaling, and just plain quiet time.  If we jump out of bed, get ready for work, and take off down the driveway, our minds will be filled with furious thoughts about everything we want to accomplish in the day.  If we prepare our minds, we will focus on the people we work with and how we need to love on them and pray for them.  If you don't prepare your mind, your workplace mission field is in danger today.  If you do prepare your mind, those people you work with, they're in danger of meeting Jesus. 

We can spend a whole year preparing for a short-term mission trip.  But how much time have you spent preparing for your workplace mission field?  We need to prepare our hearts daily as we get ready for work.  What does that mean?  It means confessing our sins to our heavenly Father before our day starts.  Confessing just means agreeing with God for what He already knows about our attitudes and actions.  So often we carry negative attitudes and actions towards those we work with because of frustrations at our jobs.  Our hearts need to be prepared with love for those in our workplaces.  Whether that be our bosses, our vendors, our customers, or fellow employees, our hearts need to be ready to hear the voice of God and respond lovingly to those around us.  Have you prepared your heart for today? 

I have never worked a manufacturing line.  But I know this.  If people don't do their jobs at the manufacturing plants, then many items we count on wouldn't be made.  If you feel like you're just a manufacturing worker and want to quit your job to go into full-time ministry.  Don't!  That's a disaster.  Your job is so critical to the lives of thousands of people, perhaps millions.  God has gifted you uniquely to be able to build things, fix things, and package things.  Without manufacturing, we'd still be in the dark ages.  Every day as a worker in a manufacturing environment, you have the unique ability to touch the lives of everyone around you and impact the lives of people you'll never meet.  Please stay at your job and keep making a difference.  Imagine a world where everybody in a manufacturing environment quit their job to work at a church.  That's not a world I want to live in. 

I've been in sales before.  For 10 years, I worked in Christian retail.  I actually worked at a Christian bookstore inside of a church.  Every day I had to manage employees, manage stock, keep track of sales, and please the people that owned the store.  I loved selling people things they needed.  I sold lots of Bibles.  I sold lots of books.  I sold lots of gifts.  I sold a lot of music.  I saw the joy of matching the right product with the right customer.  I knew I wasn't just a salesperson.  I knew I wasn't just a bookstore manager.  I knew that I was in full-time ministry in a Christian bookstore.  I knew that what I did every day was making a difference.  Imagine a world where all the salespeople quit to go into full-time ministry.  That's not a world I want to live in. 

You might say, All I ever do is clean up after people.  As a janitor, I'm sweeping floors day in and day out.  I clean them, and other people get them dirty.  I clean the bathrooms, and they get dirty again.  I just want a job that matters.  I'm gonna quit my job and go into full-time ministry.  STOP.  You are not just a janitor.  You have a unique set of gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given you to see dirt and know how to clean.  You see a mess and know how to bring order.  You know how to fix things.  You know how to clean things.  You know how to make things safe.  All of that stuff is very important.  You are gifted, and you are called.  Just imagine a world where everyone who is a janitor quits their job to go into full-time ministry.  That's not a world I want to live in. 

I had a conversation the other day with a friend of mine.  She said to me “ I'm a really good accountant but I'm thinking about quitting my job and going to work in a church. I just want my work to make a difference.  I want my work to matter to God.” So I said, “ You are not just an accountant.  You are someone uniquely gifted by God to work with numbers.  You organize those numbers so they make sense.  Without your set of unique gifts, talents, and abilities to work with numbers, the entire world would collapse.  God designed you right from the start to love working with numbers.  Embrace it.”  Now just imagine a world where everybody who's an accountant quit their jobs so they could go work in a church.  That's not a world I want to live in. 

If I hear one more person say that their job doesn't make a difference so they're going to quit their job and go work in full time ministry - I'm gonna explode.  You're not just a plumber.  You're a plumber who loves Jesus and who's really good at keeping people's water flowing, their toilets flushing, their drains draining and their hot water hot.  You're a blessing to everybody you serve because they depend on you for reliable plumbing.  And when you do an excellent job, God is glorified and you have an opportunity to tell people why you do things with excellence.  So you're not just a plumber, you're a Jesus follower who is a plumber.  You are gifted and you are called.  Just imagine a world where everybody who's a plumber quits their job and goes to work in a church.  That's not a world I wanna live in. 

Our country needs healing, and it starts with bringing healing to your workplace.   Frederick Buechner once said, "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." I believe the greatest need is the healing of the lost and broken. Likely you have noticed brokenness in your workplace that needs to be healed. What are you doing about it? Praying about it? Seeking to understand it? Trying to find the person who is causing the brokenness? In our workplaces, we often find broken people bring their brokenness to work with them, and it multiplies. It's one reason you as a Jesus-follower are there. That brokenness needs healing, and you know the best healer in the world. Remember, since we follow Jesus, we are healers too.