The Working Believer

For years now, many Christmas Eves, I have been a fan of the classic tale by Charles Dickens; A Christmas Carol. I have loved this story in all of its forms: A Muppet Christmas Carol, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Disney's A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey, and more. However, none of these versions hold a candle to the original. I have read A Christmas Carol multiple times, and every time I read it I learn something new. This particular something I wanted to share with you this Christmas. If you, like me, having the privilege of leading a team of people, whether great or small, have the opportunity for a great lesson here. Through the years I have read many books on leadership, business management, and organizational strength, but I have yet to find a lesson so profound and sincere as the one found in Scrooge's visit to his past. Every vision, every memory he relives with the Ghost of Christmas past carries with it a purpose, a recalled experience meant to soften the hea...

Please follow me on LinkedIn to see my latest Article: 4 ways to stay sharp in a dull world If the ax is dull, and the edge unsharpened, more strength is required in the swing. Ecclesiastes 10:10

Sad thought: applying Biblical Truth in the workplace has become so abnormal that when a Christian encounters a Working Believer, and witnesses the application of scripture through the day-to-day...it is Revolutionary. Colossians 3:17 - Represent the Lord with Thankfulness through whatever you do. Colossians 3:22 - Work for those who oversee you with sincerity of heart Colossians 3:23-24 - Do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men; it is Christ whom you serve Colossians 4:1 - Managers, treat your direct reports with Justice and Fairness The Bible is simple. The Truth is plain. We do not lack understanding.... ...what we lack is application.

The views are always better from the peaks of the mountain, but that is not where the journey takes place. True, once we arrive to the summit, our breath is robbed by the expanse of creation that lay before us, but there is also so much more to the victory of a mountaintop. What was the journey like? How dark did the valleys get? Were there any caves that had you hemmed in, feeling like you were trapped? Any large boulders or other obstacles that demanded you to go over, under, around, or through them? What about rivers? Were there any rapids that tested your metal, chilled you to the bones with its cold, or dashed you on the rocks? The struggles we go through to get to the mountains crest only add to its beauty when we finally arrive. We may stand with arms outstretched in victory, or we may collapse in a combination of exhaustion and satisfaction of completing the climb and getting to take in the sight that our blood, sweat, and tears have bought us. Regardless, through the ...

All we need is Christ. A magnificent fact about the Gospel-centered life is that it is gloriously simple: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians‬ ‭2:6-7 In order to live above the events, situations, and circumstances of our lives, we must seek and find our lives in Christ alone. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Him we are made complete, lacking in nothing. Let us not be taken captive by philosophies, human traditions, or elementary principles. Let us be consumed by Christ, and Him alone. The Gospel is simple. Let’s keep it simple. Finish out the foundation of our faith by reading Colossians 2:9-15.

Count your blessings, name them one by one! Trials are going to happen. Jesus promised us that “in this world, [we] will have trouble”. It’s inevitable. Why, however, are we so quick to remember and wallow in our difficulties? We remember ever wrong word, deed, or action toward us, and hold grudges over the silliest things. We chisel these wrongs the walls of our stone hearts and grace or forgiveness is never applied: whether personally or toward others. Why do we not stay busy remembering the blessings of our lives? We have such wonderful things for which we can give thanks, and most of them are temporal: family, friends, home, jobs, etc. We ought to be thankful for these things, but even these are subject to change. We also have many things for which we can give thanks that are unchanging! Our Heavenly Father, Christ Himself, the Holy Spirit within, His Word, our Salvation and Forgiveness, mercies every morning, grace, and so on. When we spend our time remembering those things, ...

Just because life may be hard does not make God any less Good. I fall victim to this way of thinking from time to time. “Why are things so hard? Have I done something wrong? Why won’t God give me this thing?” Sadly, all too often our faith in God is too conditional on our material or physical circumstances. Those who are financially well off, or thriving in their health, are confident, but wherein is that confidence rooted? In Psalm 73, the writer observed the “good” of those who did not have the Lord... Verse 19: “How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!” As we follow after, and live for Christ, we are not promised any specific material, physical, or financial comfort. In fact, more often than not, we are warned by Christ that we will struggle, face hardships, or carry great burdens. As we seek the Lord in our Day to Day life, we must strive to keep Him first and foremost in our lives, in our hearts, thoughts, priorities, and most prized possession; mor...

As is perception, so is reality. If our walk with the Lord is base, self-serving, and elementary, we will only be truly impressed by amazing feats of God’s moving and intervening in our lives. However, if we have learned to walk, daily leaning on Christ, panting for Him as the deer pants for water, dependent on Him, and rooted in Him like a tree by the water...we will see the wonder and splendor of God, His Working and Will, in all areas of our lives. Being a Christian is not a whirlwind adventure; it is a life, plain and simple, but lived to abundance with joy overflowing, mercies new every morning, grace sufficient for the need, and peace that passes comprehension. Once the scales have fallen from your eyes and your see God as He intended - by Him, through Him, and for Him - you will never want to go back. Knowing is a gift. Knowing is a burden. But with this burden of understanding come the greatest blessing: by Him we are made Complete. In light of that...let’s live to the hil...

I love the simplicity of the Bible. You wouldn’t light a candle and put it under a basket, would ya?!? Of course not. That’s silly. But hiding under baskets seems to be where too many Christians spend their time during the work week. Brother and sisters in Christ, who I know not only profess to trust in and follow Jesus, but also have a passion for Him, His Word, the Gospel, and Missions. And yet...Monday morning...back under the basket. Those who are lost, without Christ in the world, are described as “living in darkness”. They need the Light of Jesus. They need the Light bearers. They need you to shine for them. Come out from under the Basket, let Him shine in your work, both in the quality of your work and in your attitude while at work (Col. 3:17).

It never fails. Every Sunday night, I see posts about dreading Monday and returning to work. Every Monday, I see posts about how horrible it is to return to work. Every Wednesday, there’s the “Halfway there,” posts. Sometime on Thursdays, I see a new trend: Friday Jr. or Friday Eve. Every Friday...it’s like a Social Media-wide Jubilee, or Revival. These are usually the most enthusiastic and engaged posts I see. And then the weekend; when life happens. We laugh, we love, we dine, we soak up all of the goodness and fulfillment this life has to offer. But it is short lived. Once Sunday arrives, we may enjoy our time at church, but it is mired by the looming return of Monday. The circumstances of our Joy and Eternal Hope never change!! Sunday through Sunday, we are indwelled by the living Spirit of God, shouldering the mantle of His Will, to live and share the Good News of the Gospel. What could be more thrilling for the Working Believer!? Monday’s are not to be dreaded: they be...

There is nothing revolutionary about my approach to work, and seeing it as my Ministry and Mission field. The Scripture is clear! What lacks is our diligence to understand, and our obedience to actually apply it; to truly live as if we truly believe the Bible to be True. The Bible speaks about our working life, and we will give an account for our actions, attitudes, interactions and reactions in the workplace, and the people with which, and for which we work. His Word and Will have been revealed...we have only to faithfully read, humbly trust, and dutifully obey.

Earlier this week, a dear brother in Christ and fellow Working Believer, sent me an email hoping I was flying high above the troubles of this world. I appreciated his care for me, but I was immediately reminded of Jesus. While out at sea with his Disciples, a horrific storm arose. These seasoned fisherman, who were very familiar with the perils of the sea, were terrified for their lives fearing the boat would be overcome by the waves and sink. But where was Jesus? Asleep. Here was Jesus, who could have easily hovered about the cares of the world and the storm they were currently in, sound asleep in the belly of the ship. The calm and peace He was experiencing while others scrambled around frantically trying to stay afloat was quite the distinction. The Disciples were dumbfounded. Then, Jesus was awakened, and immediately quieted the seas. There are two things that we can take away from this Biblical account: 1) The same Peace and Calm that allowed Jesus to sleep during a storm is...

“I wish I knew what I know now way back when.” The school of hard knocks does not seem to ever hand out any diplomas or degrees. They seem to keep adding course requirements, increasing the number of electives, and extending the date of the exams. This school house rocks your world. Life is tough. It’s merciless, brutally unforgiving, and rarely ever fair (basically never). However, despite being tough, we learn and grow through our hardships and struggles. Every valley shows us another mountain we can ascend. The lessons can shed great light on the paths ahead of us, but they can also illuminate the wrong decisions and missed opportunities of our past. But the temptation to dwell in the past can hinder our ability to keep moving forward. For the Working Believer, learning to live out the Gospel and be Salt and Light in the workplace can be very trying. We will mess up. We will miss a step, lose our temper, or misrepresent the Lord...but we have to learn from it and keep going. Pau...

Read through Colossians chapter 3. We are meant to be different. As different as Light is to darkness. This distinction is not one of arrogance, entitlement, or exclusion. We have been drenched in Grace, seasoned with the Word of God, and illuminated by the inner Light of the Spirit of God. We have been Saved out of the loneliness, isolation, and emptiness of our sin, and adopted into the blessed, redeemed, and eternalized family of God. The only place there ought not to be a distinction is within our own lives. We are not to segment or compartmentalize our lives with areas that belong to Christ, and areas that do not. We have no closets in which to hide our secret sins or the selfishness of our prideful hearts. Christ, in His mercy has kicked in every door of the house that is our life shedding His radiant light, dispelling all shadows of fear, uncertainty, and hopelessness. For the Working Believer, WHATEVER we do, in word or deed, is meant to represent the Lord Jesus Christ as an...

“How do you represent Jesus Christ in your workplace?” I wish that weren’t such a loaded question. Sadly, this question will often put Working Believers on the defensive. “What does my work have to do with my relationship with Jesus?!” That is the beauty and the burden of dying to self that we may live to Christ: when we are dead, we are wholly dead. We cannot pick and choose which parts of our lives we will designate as Christ’s, and others as ours. We have great organizations that send in representatives of Jesus Christ to the workplace to bring Light, Hope, and Grace to the worker, and I am very thankful for these organizations. However, I cannot help but think that the need for these organizations is also a testimony to the lack of active Gospel engagement from the everyday Working Believer. Our service to God is only at, with, or through the Church. Beyond that...we switch off. There is a lot of opportunity left on the table if that is our mentality. I fear we will have a lo...

It’s both wonderfully encouraging and devastatingly convicting to understand that my relationship and closeness to God completely hangs on my shoulders. God first loved us, and sent Christ as a ransom against our sins. This is a free gift in Grace displaying the Love of God. While extending us His patience and Mercy, he remains completely Just by pouring out His wrath for sin. Jesus, being a perfect sacrifice, was able to endure the full might of God’s judgment for our sins, and come out victorious, giving us Eternal Life by conquering death. He did all that...while we were undeserving. If we feel far from God, He is not the one who moved. We moved. We have either allowed become stagnant through a lack of discipline in our Bible reading, prayer, and worship of Him, or, like the parable suggests, have allowed the world and its concerns to grow up around us like thorns and thistles choking out the fruit of The Vine to which we are grafted. Simply stop, turn away from this world and ba...

When the storm hits, waves surge, winds gust, and rain drives...do you have an anchor? Even on the most raging seas, large ships drop their anchors which stabilize those ships through the storms. For Working Believers, Christ and His Word are that anchor. Conflicts will happen. Tempers will flare. Stress will build. And when those circumstances arise, we can be tossed to such a degree that we are tempted to doubt God and His Word. But this ought not to be the way of the Working Believer. Circumstances are never given as an excuse in Scripture for our misses, doubts, unbelief, or failings. In fact, almost all verses that call us up to Holiness do so while we are in the midst of the worst circumstances. We may be pressured, but God’s Word is never squeezed. His Word is Sure, and when the swells of negative circumstances rise...drop your anchor. Cling to Christ. Cling to His Word. Weather the storm.

When will we find time to serve the Lord? Time: have you ever noticed that some people tend to have more time to get more done? I have come to understand something about time. No one just HAS time. They don’t. There are only two ways to get more time: you either MAKE it, or your TAKE it. Every year we have 8,760 hours at our disposal. Of those, we will spend approximately 2,920 hours sleeping, leaving us 5,840 of waking hours we can spend in pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. However, like most people, our time is not all our own: we have to work to keep the lights on, food on the table, and the roof over our heads. So when will we serve? Let’s take a look at our week. For most Christians, the process goes like this: “OK, when can I serve the Lord this week? Well, I’ll be at church Sunday morning. Then we have small group Monday night. Next I will be serving as a teacher in Wednesday night kids group while my husband volunteers with the Youth followed immediatel...

Every day that we get to see a new sunrise, we have the opportunity to push forward in the endeavors that are before us. Every day, we should set ourselves on the goal of Giving Thanks to God, through Christ Jesus, whom we represent, in whatever we do in word or deed. Keep pressing ahead, trusting that God will clarify the course with each step of faith.

The most tragic thing I see in the workplace is a Christian who knows exactly what God has revealed in His Word, and what He expects from them every day, but that knowledge never sifts down from the head to the heart.

Just because God says “No” to the thing we believe we want, does not mean that He is trying to keep us from something good; He could be preparing us for something better. When we stop bringing our expectations of HOW He ought to answer our prayers, we will be much more aware of His leading us according to HIS plan, trusting His wisdom rather than our own.

You can easily identify an apple tree by patiently waiting for it to yield fruit. So it is with us. In time, those who say, “I am a follower of Jesus,” will yield fruit, and it will either match the root claim...or it won’t. “What we pay attention to gets better,” and if we pay attention to the World, or the Cultural trends, we will get better at mirroring them. If we pay attention to God Himself through prayer, and by His revealed Word, we will get better at mirroring the Righteousness of Jesus Christ: then we will shine like the Lights unto the world we were called to be.

What’s got two thumbs and is guilty at times of being “too busy” for time with God? *both thumbs pointed at myself* This Guy. I’m confident that any Working Believer has fallen prey to the temptation to see themselves as “too busy”. Work had its demands, as does our Family and Church. But the scariest place to be in life is in the service of God, but not in His presence. As the old Hymn says, “Take time to be Holy! Walk oft’ with the Lord!” It is vital for the Working Believer to safeguard a time of quiet retreat to the prayer closet, to the mountain of worship, or the dark hours of the morning to seek the Face of God. His Word promises that despite how busy we become, these moments of time spent with our Creator will sustain us through more than we could ever imagine. Walking and not growing weary. Running without growing faint. Rising up with wings as eagles. Glory be to God!

To be, or not to be a Living Sacrifice; that...is the question. When we come face to face with the Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness of the God-Man, Jesus, we ought to resign our natural state of sinfulness, and allow the Holy Spirit to awaken us to a newly created state of living: Thankfulness. It is by the mercies of God that Paul beseeches us Believers to give our whole selves unto the Lord. This being our reasonable act of service, the least we could do in light of such Love. Why then do we find it so difficult to say no to fleeting pleasures, selfish ambitions, and working for His glory while the day is still upon us? We ought to work ‘til the day is done! Finish the race! Fight the good fight with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If this were the heartbeat of every Christian, we would soon find we did not have nearly enough pews to seat all of those coming to Christ after seeing our Light, our Love for one another, or having been encouraged and inspired by our bearing the...