Just another day at work...

Why is work so challenging?  The workplace can become a toxic environment when negativity surrounds you.  The workplace can sometimes feel like a pressure cooker just waiting for someone to “blow their top” with stress and demands placed upon you.

What is required to work a job?  I think strength is required.  I’ve never considered myself a physically strong person or a strong personality like many we can think of,  but I do have one kind of strength- I have moral strength.  It’s a unique- one-of-a-kind strength.  It’s a tender strength; A strength that preserveres over adversity and with a smile. 

The work world is really not about the work, it’s about the people!  Jesus actually called the disciples out from the “world of work” and said, “Now let’s go fish for people.”  If the disciples thought hauling fish was challenging wait until they encountered those who opposed Jesus!

If you want an easy job, go work alone! 

And truth be told, that is what many of us would do if we could.  But Jesus knows there are many people out there in the cold, sometimes hostile world of work that need a Moral Strength that displays the cost and character of Jesus Christ,  who laid it all done on the Cross and Overcame the most challenging obstacles, so we too could enter into His Glory.

“If you would, Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Hebrews 12:13

With all things considered, Jesus- It’s just another day at work!

My Legacy-Here on earth as it is in Heaven!

I woke up today and I wasn’t excited to go to church, and I have my reasons why, but I decided to go anyway because I need God.

 When I got there I began to worship the Lord and experience His presence.  I thought to myself, “At this point in my life, I don’t have time for resentment.  I don’t have time for unforgiveness.  I desperately need the Living God!”  “I need His Presence, I need His Life, I need His Word, I need His Healing touch that makes all things well.” 

I need God! 

I realized tonight, I need God’s presence more than anything else in this life.  More than the best therapy, more than the most money, more than the loveliest home, more than the most well-meaning people, more than the most successful Job… I need God.

What else is there?

I really don’t know.  I’m not the smartest, most gifted, most articulate, most functional, most social person there is.  Quite possibly I have one claim to fame- I know that I know that I need God..

And God in all his Grace and Glory is more than enough for the likes of me.  Let that me my testimony, Let that be my legacy….Here on earth as it is in heaven!

Undoing...

A new undoing awaits you,

You’ve never traveled this way before...

Relying on intellect will break you,

New guides will lead you to heart’s open door.

Not knowing releases you in presence and pain,

with child-like wonder that holds no restrain.

God’s kindness will keep you with hope as your shield.

And Jesus will meet you, every part fully healed..

One Thing!

“Only one thing is needed, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:42

What was Mary’s secret, that Jesus commended her for?  Mary was basking in the presence of Jesus.  She was filling herself with His presence, His words, Himself.  This is the one thing that was needed for her, for Martha, and for their family. 

We need more of Jesus, and when you experience Him you know it.  “He is all you need.  He’s the more than enough.”  When we don’t have “the more” of Jesus we start filling ourselves with other things like food, drink, material items, personalities..

Jesus said, “You look for me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” John 6:26

Truth is we are a hungry people; spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  We will fill ourselves with something or someone.  We long to be full..

That’s why we need to eat God’s Word, bask in his presence, and be full of the Holy Spirit…

The problem with Martha was that she was missing Jesus in the midst of doing something for Him.  He was right in front of her and she was running around trying to serve.  If she took the time to be with Jesus, maybe Mary would have gotten up and started cooking. 

Being always comes before doing in God’s economy.  We Be before God, experience His presence, and listen to His Words, and then He sends us out to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead!

Mary chose the better part, and that part is always Jesus, seeking to know Him, seeking to be filled by Him, seeking to be in Fellowship with Him.

No matter what you are going through today, I want you to know that only one thing is needed, and when you find that thing, nothing and no one can take it from you..

Jesus will reward you, but with a treasure that far outweighs them all… You will find His love, Joy, peace, kindness and pleasure given to all who sit at His feet, delight in His presence, and drink from His words..

Attention

We all need attention.

Attention is what causes us to perk up and come to life.  Attention makes us beautiful and fragrant.

Consider a flower that is wilting.  We put it in the sunlight and water it and very soon it comes to life again; fragrant and beautiful for all to see.

We are like that flower- in need of attention, water, and sunlight so we can flourish and grow into a beautiful garden.

Beautiful gardens naturally offer hospitality and invite others in.  We can only hope to be such a person whom offers presence, beauty and hospitality to those who have lost their way, and to those who are in need of some personal attention of their own.

So many of us have been neglected in our past, in our present, and truth be told we have been conditioned to neglect ourselves. 

This perhaps could be one of humanity’s deepest darkest secrets- Neglect.  It may not be as violent as rape or abuse, but it is a silent killer…

We need to offer the neglected parts of ourselves to God.  We need to seek ways in which we allow our neglected selves some much needed personal rest and attention…

There are so many ways you can gift yourself some attention like going on a retreat, seeing a counselor, getting a massage, surrounding yourself with beauty and art, sitting in a garden, going to the beach, going to the gym.

Be good to yourself.  It’s ok to ask for what you need. Also, remember to take some time to read the written Word, which says…

“You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”  Isaiah 58:11

Trinity

Jesus is a parent.  Jesus is a lover.  Jesus is a friend.

These three relationships are most important to us.  We need our parents, we need our lover, we need our friends.

Early in life parental relationships are primary.  Parents help us develop a healthy self-esteem.  They are our protectors and providers. 

As time goes on we develop same-sex relationships and these friendships help us develop a sense of identity to the gender of our birth. 

Then we develop an attraction to the opposite gender.  This is powerful and exciting to explore.  We realize we have boundaries in relating to the opposite gender.

A healthy relationship to our parents, to our lover, to our friends is vital in helping us develop our identity, our boundaries, and our self-worth.

We realize that God engenders all three relationships. It’s vital that we explore God as parent, as lover, and as friend.

Jesus’ relationship to Father God is a powerful symbol to what a parent and child relationship can be; affirming, loving, and trusting.

God, as friend can be studied throughout pages of the Bible.  A good example is His relationship to Abraham, whom He called “Friend.”  Or David, who He said was a “man after my own heart.”

I was 18, when I first stumbled across the book of “Song of Soloman” in the Bible.  I couldn’t believe that God could be a passionate lover as depicted in the Song.  It broke my stereo-type of God as being a purely highly moral individual , which He is, but He is also passionate, pursuing, and fiercely devoted to me.

Just as God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; He is also parent, lover, and friend.

Reading the pages of the Bible is an exciting, healing, and grand-adventure filled with God’s attributes, and His loving relationships to men and women just like you and me.

It is written...

Brian and Jenn Johnson sing a song called, “For the One.”  The chorus says, “Help me to love with open arms, like you do- A love that erases all the lines, and sees the truth…”

I was really struck by the line, “Sees the truth.” How desperate we are to see the truth about ourselves, about others, about God. 

We can easily become victims to our emotions, and the dialogue that is constantly rolling in our heads.

We need the truth, though raw at times. It remains unashamed and unadulterated.

God’s Word speaks about the truth of who He is, and who He created us to be.  We need to meditate on this daily.

God will give us eyes to see the truth and sometimes we are very aware of this reality, but we still need a “It is written” truth that grounds us in the moment we are tempted to despair and believe the lie.

The lie that there is something wrong with us. 

The lie that we are not worthy of Love.

I realize now this happens at moments when we don’t feel loved or even liked by the people surrounding us.  This is dangerous ground. 

We need God’s loving affirmation that we indeed stand upon the Holy Ground of His written Word.  

The Word that tells us the truth- That He is our Father.

The Word that tells us the truth-That we are His beloved daughter and son.

Jesus told the enemy of his heart, “It is written…It is written…It is written…”

And the enemy of his heart left him, and angels came and attended him to go and do the work…