Recently I heard a talk about the value of living in a God-honoring family. There were some terrific points brought up that were certainly relevant to my family life and I got a lot out of that message. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about how important this is in all our relationships, especially those at work (perhaps because I have worked in several environments I considered to be less than God-honoring – in fact, the picture above resembled a boss I once had). So what does a God-honoring workplace look like?

l think a couple of verses give us a good look at what a God-honoring work environment would include:

• Ephesians 4:2 – Be completely humble and gentle; bearing with one another in love.
• Philippians 2:3-4 – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Could you imagine working at a place that embodied these characteristics? It would be a place where the people were:

• Completely humble;
• Gentle;
• Patient, bearing with one another in love;
• Selfless servants to each other;
• Truly for one another.

To many, this probably seems like utopia…the perfect place to work. However, we more typically see the opposite…work environments where people are arrogant, rude, impatient and selfish. And when we’re in such an environment our natural tendency is to act in the same manner. After all, who wants to be gentle and kind to a jerk? But these verses are not suggesting we embody these characteristics only when others around us do. We are being told to choose to walk this way regardless of our environment. In essence we are encouraged to be atmosphere changers.

The fact that we are more likely to be kind and considerate to others when they treat us that way shows us the power we have to change atmospheres. It only takes one person to start. Why not you?

We just returned from a very relaxing week with some good friends in the beautiful Playa Del Carmen area of Mexico. We stayed at the Grand Mayan and were treated like royalty with tremendous service from the very friendly staff. Having stayed at the Grand Mayan before, we were not surprised by this treatment.  However, on day two of our vacation I was incredibly impressed by something that happened.

The night before, I had requested to our concierge, Paola, that the housekeeping crew put an extra sheet at the bottom of our king-sized bed. The last couple of inches of the mattress were showing which is not an issue for most people (only those five feet twenty inches or taller!). That next day upon returning from the beach, I almost fell down laughing when I saw our bedroom. Our very creative maid, Rosario, had completely rearranged our bedroom, moving our sofa to the end of our bed to make a bed extension (see picture below).  I was flabbergasted to say the least and was very appreciative that they would go to that much trouble to accommodate me. I then noticed the flashing light on our phone indicating a voice mail message. This message was asking me if I liked the arrangement and if I wanted to make any modifications.

All I asked for was another sheet. Yet Rosario took it a step further, just to serve me. Wow. Now that is customer service the way Jesus taught (see verse below)

“If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
Matthew 5:41

A friend of ours named Cindy (not her real name) recently shared an incredible story about her son Bob (not his real name) who is in the 8th grade. Though I have never met him he sounds like an amazing kid. Anyway, he was just accepted into a technical high school. Why is this news?, you may ask. Because he has Asperger Syndrome which is a form of Autism. He currently attends a school designed for children with special needs.

Cindy recently met with the administrators of this high school and also had the administrators of Bob’s current school present. At the end of the meeting, the high school leaders invited Bob to attend their school in the fall. According to Cindy, when her son accepted the invitation, Bob’s current school leaders were grinning from ear to ear. It seems that Bob is the first student in his school’s history to “break out” into a traditional school. A milestone had been achieved and Bob’s school representatives could not have been prouder.

This got me thinking a bit about how similar Bob is to a guy named Roger Bannister (pictured above). Bannister was a famous runner from England in the 1950s. At that time, all experts claimed that it was humanly impossible to run a sub-four minute mile. This false belief existed for years and was reinforced when runner after runner failed to break the mythical mark.

On May 6th, 1954 however, Roger Bannister posted a time of 3 minutes 58.8 seconds. In fact, in that race, John Landy finished second with a time of 3 minutes 59.6 seconds showing the world that this feat truly was possible. The interesting thing about this is what happened after this. Just 46 days later, Bannister’s record was broken and today sub-4 minute miles are expected from the world’s elite runners.

So what held back runners prior to this time? At least part of their hindrance was a false belief that it was impossible to break four minutes. The same might be said of students, teachers and administrators in Bob’s school. They may have had a false belief that it was not possible for a student in their school to attend a traditional school.

I told Cindy that I thought Bob was a “barrier breaker.” He is the Roger Bannister of his school. I believe this will be the start of something in the coming years in his school. All because a false belief has been removed. I believe that this all started because of the true belief and faith that Cindy and her husband had in Bob. As a result, he was not operating with the same false beliefs that others around him may have had.

It’s interesting that this came up during this season in my life as I have been discovering some false beliefs that I have had as well. I have been going through the process to replace those with truth.

I would like to encourage you to do the same and take an inventory of any false beliefs you may have had and begin to replace those with the truth. As the verse below tells us, we must “renew our minds” in order to be transformed. And as the examples of Bob and Roger Banister have pointed out, our transformation can help others as well.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

I was listening to a teaching on CD today in which the speaker mentioned that encouragement is literally “pouring courage” into someone. I really like that picture.

I have been wrestling through quite a few things lately in which I need to make some decisions. One in particular has felt very heavy to me. Recently I’ve been feeling as if God wants me to go in a way that could prove to be very unpopular with a certain group of people. Though I feel strongly He is leading me in this direction, I have been a bit apprehensive about it.

This morning I received a call from a good friend who, while driving, said that he felt led to call me. He continued to tell me some very specific things that confirmed what I had been hearing (really, it was incredible!). Then he began to speak some very encouraging words to me. I literally felt as if I had courage poured into me and I now have much more confidence in going down the path I am being led. I thanked him for his obedience and told him that he has no idea how much of an impact his simple phone call had on me. After hanging up, I thanked God for my friend and for our conversation and for Him caring enough about me to orchestrate that call.

When was the last time you were prompted to “pour courage” into someone? Did you follow through? The next time you feel that urge, encourage someone, it could make their day!

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

It is hard to believe, but due to the amazing weather we’ve been having, I cut my lawn for the first time yesterday. As it does every year before the inaugural mowing, this required some preparation before the actual mowing happened. I not only needed to get the mower ready, I needed to get the yard ready as well. As I was preparing the yard (mostly picking up branches and sticks that had blown down), I noticed that there were a couple of areas where grass was looking extremely healthy and was growing very rapidly, much more so than the rest of our yard. I then noticed that most of these areas were close to some rock walls (see picture above).

As I pondered this, I realized that what was happening in these areas is that the sun has been hitting the rock wall which was absorbing and reflecting the heat to the surrounding grass. Because the mornings and evenings have still been cool, this has provided more optimal growing conditions for this grass. First the wall absorbed the sun, then it reflected it.

It then occurred to me that this is a great picture of how our lives should be. Just like these rock walls, we are to absorb and reflect the Son to others. This then will help them to be more healthy and to grow just as the grass has in my yard.

For us to reflect the Son, we must be living out our faith…or practicing what we believe. As we are changed by God, we should then become atmosphere changers.  A room should change just because we walk into it. All because of the power of the One in us. But, in order for this to happen, we must absorb the Son.

In order to absorb the Son, we must be seeking God which can be done in a number of ways including reading and meditating on Scripture, talking to and listening to God (praying), going for prayer walks,worshiping, reading a devotional or talking with a friend. The key is not what we are doing, but rather our hearts. God promises that if we seek him with all our hearts, we will find Him. And when we find Him, we will be changed which can then have an impact on those around us.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 29:13-14a

 
There are basically two types of people in the world:

1. Those who spend their time focusing on what they want;
2. Those who spend their time doing what it takes to get what they want.

One thing is certain about this. Group No. 2 is always more successful in any endeavor than group No. 1…100% of the time.

The big idea here has to do with self-control and delayed gratification. Group No. 1 wants it now but doesn’t want to do what it takes to get it. Group No. 2 understands the power in delaying gratification.

This holds true in many aspects of life but maybe more so with finances. We live in a credit-friendly, “have it your way” society. As a result, many have fallen prey to the allure of having it all now and find themselves in massive debt (this has happened with our country as well).

It also shows up in our health care industry. Many statistics point to the fact that as a whole, this nation is heavier than at any other time in history. Many people don’t want to eat healthily and they don’t want to exercise. It’s no wonder the weight-loss industry exceeds $33 billion in annual sales. Another example where not delaying gratification gets us in trouble.

Years ago there was an experiment done in which 4 year-olds were put in a room with a marshmallow. They were told that they were to be left alone in the room for 15 minutes. When the researcher returned, if the marshmallow was still there, the child would get a second marshmallow. If the child ate the marshmallow before the 15 minutes they were given nothing else. Two out of three ate the marshmallow early. The above video shows one such study (or you can go here to watch it: http://youtu.be/ykLUZO_-QZk).

Fifteen years later, they studied each of the children and found that the group who delayed gratification was significantly more successful than those who ate the marshmallow. This is perhaps one of the greatest life lessons we can teach our children. This lesson is not only for children though as it is never too late to begin to practice delayed gratification. If you have found that you have been a marshmallow eater in your past, you can change the course you are on today. So are you going to eat your marshmallow?

I was watching my son at his martial arts class last week when I struck up a conversation with another father who was there. As we talked, he began to tell me a fascinating story from his days as a salesman.

He was a new sales rep with this computer company at the time and was asked to visit one of their largest clients. He introduced himself to the six or seven who were in the room and asked how he might be able to serve them. They began to share with him a few pretty major issues.

He calmly responded, “Is there anything else?”

They then shared more issues they had with his company.

Again, “Is there anything else?”

More issues. And now they were beginning to be agitated with him because he represented the company causing so many issues.

He continued, “Is there anything else?”

This continued, he said, for six hours. At the conclusion of their time together, he had written down over 330 issues on the board. He then asked once more, “Is there anything else?”

They responded by saying, “Isn’t that enough?” and he replied, “I thought it was enough five and a half hours ago but I wanted to hear all your issues.” Then he said, “I am really sorry for the pain my company has caused you. How can I help you?”

They asked that he take all their equipment back and give them a refund (some of the equipment had been installed for over 10 years). After they admitted that the equipment had been working for them, they understood that he could not take the equipment back.

Then, the head of the company spoke up for the first time and said, “We have never had anyone care about our concerns as much as you have. I am going to give you a purchase order for our new systems.”

This guy ended up walking out of that meeting with an order for $25 million worth of equipment. Quite a turnaround, don’t you think?

He told me that he now uses this approach with everyone who gives him any complaint, even his wife.

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen,
slow to speak and slow to become angry.
James 1:19

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m just doing it for the glory of God”? Have you, ever wondered what that meant? I know I have.

I remember years ago when my son Robbie was younger, he used to love to play with Legos. He would excitedly run to me with his latest creation. “Dad, look what I made! Do you like it Dad?  Is it good?” He wanted to know if what he had done was worthwhile in my eyes. Of course, I would always respond enthusiastically with a, “That’s great!” or a, “You are really good at that!”

Do you think as a Christian dad I would have been better to say something like this? “No, son, it’s really not good because it has no eternal value – one day it will burn. Your Lego-mobile can’t get souls to heaven, so it’s not worth anything.”  Of course not! What he built and the things he does now have real value in my eyes. They reflect his creativity and his God-given gifts and I believe this truly glorifies God.

Do you remember what Eric Lydell said in the movie, Chariots of Fire? “When I run I feel God’s pleasure.” How can running please God?  How can building with Lego’s glorify Him?  I think many of us fall into the trap of thinking that we must be a pastor or a missionary in Africa to bring glory to God. I used to think this way but this could not be further from the truth. What we do every day glorifies Him as well.

Check this out from Luke 5:1-3: One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Did Jesus ask to use Simon’s boat? Nope. He just took it. Sounds kind of rude doesn’t it? Actually, it’s not because it was really His boat to begin with as He owns everything. He was just letting Simon use it to earn a living. And that wasn’t just true 2,000 years ago…it is still true today. If you work in retail, you work in His store. If you work in a plant, you work in His plant. If you work in a medical setting, you work in His office or hospital. If you work in an office building, you work in His office building. If you work at home, it is His home you are working in.

The bottom line is that your work is His work. And when you dedicate it to Him and seek to glorify Him, your work becomes your calling…and a very noble one at that!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 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

It seems we are so quick to segment our lives into these little compartments…family, spiritual, work, friends, hobbies, etc… We then talk about and aspire to this thing called “work-life” balance. Have you, like me, been chasing work-life balance and have yet to find it?

While the notion of living a balanced life is a noble one, I believe the main reason we struggle so much with this is that it is simply impossible to balance work and life. Here’s what I mean. Work is a part of life, it is not separate from it. Therefore, it is impossible to balance something that is a part of something else because the “something else” will always weigh more. I believe this false belief has gotten us in trouble because we are striving after something we will never find. At times you will need to spend more time in one area than another. This doesn’t mean your life is out of balance though.

Because life is integrated, we get out of line when we put the wrong thing at the core. If money is at our core, then we will be out of line. If our family is at the core, we also will be out of line. I believe the only way to be in alignment is if we place Jesus at the core of who we are in all areas of our lives, even at work.

Pastor and author John Piper said this, “The aim of all human life in God’s eyes is that Christ would be made to look as valuable as he is. Worship means using our minds and hearts and bodies to express the worth of God and all he is for us in Jesus. There is a way to live-a way to love-that does that. There is a way to do your job that expresses the true value of God. If you can’t find it, that may mean you should change jobs. Or it might mean that verse 2 is not happening to the degree it should.”

I love Piper’s quote. The verse 2 he is referring to is Romans 12:2 which says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Most of us need to transform our minds…in other words, change our thinking about our work.

Work is a very spiritual act. In fact, it was created by God for us on earth as a form of worship. Seriously, this is true. In Genesis, God told Adam to go and work the garden. This was before sin entered the world. This was God’s perfect world…and it included work! In addition, the Hebrew root word from which we get the words “work” and “worship” are the same, Avodah. So in God’s eyes, when we work, we are worshiping Him.

With this in mind, do you need to change your thinking about your work? How would you approach your workday differently if you really understood this? Does this help you to think more positively about your work?

I was recently interviewed by the Greater Toledo House of prayer for their monthly newsletter. I thought I’d share the text of that interview to make you aware of GTHOP and how they have benefited our region. It also tells a bit more about some of the work I’m doing so I thought this would be worth sharing…

GTHOP: Jim, how did you come to be the chapter president of Truth@Work in this region?

Jim: I was the chairman of Toledo’s National Day of Prayer Breakfast in 2008. Ray Hilbert was our speaker that year and he is also the founder of Truth@Work. Ray did a great job at the breakfast that year and many were impacted by his message. Immediately afterward, he and I spent close to three hours together at a local Bob Evans getting to know one another. During that time together we both knew the Lord was doing something in our midst. That led to me investigating Truth@Work further and them investigating me. We then decided to work together sometime that summer.

GTHOP: What exactly is Truth@Work?

Jim: Truth@Work provides a forum for Christian business and ministry leaders to share their struggles as well as successes and to receive input from trusted advisors. This is delivered through a roundtable setting in which 12-15 peers sit around a table together once per month to guide and encourage one another. In doing so, we help one another to grow our organizations in a God-honoring way while at the same time helping each other to grow personally and spiritually. Currently we have 60 or so members and over the past three years I have witnessed God do some incredible things in the personal lives, families and businesses of our members.

GTHOP: Jim, how did you become connected with GTHOP?

Jim: At the 2008 prayer breakfast, Denise Emerine completed a response card saying that she wanted to connect with some business leaders. As a result, I invited her to our initial introduction session about Truth@Work and she attended along with Bonnie Mohan. God spoke to them and Denise approached me afterward to tell me that she felt strongly that she was to provide prayer support for Truth@Work. I was humbled, to say the least.

GTHOP: What role has GTHOP played in Truth@Work’s success?

Jim: I must tell you that I have not been one who understood the importance of prayer. However, that has been changing over the past three years. I believe that the prayers coming from GTHOP have been vital to the success of Truth@Work…and I don’t say that lightly. Around the country, I know other Truth@Work chapters who are struggling and I know in my heart that prayer is one of the primary reasons God is doing such amazing things here.

GTHOP: Why are you so passionate about GTHOP?

Jim: Not only have I seen the benefits of GTHOP on Truth@Work, but I have seen significant growth in my family as a result of GTHOP’s ministry. Denise Emerine has really been instrumental in ministering to me and my family and discipling my wife and me. We have really formed a great relationship in which I am very thankful to God for. To add to this, I look around at some of the amazing things happening in our city (that I don’t see in other cities) and I marvel at what God is doing. I attribute much of that to GTHOP’s prayers for our city. It was a couple of years ago when I attended OneThing in Kansas City that the light bulb went on for me. When I heard Mike Bickle explain that all of the revivals that occurred in the Old Testament were preceded by day and night prayer, that’s when it hit me…this region NEEDS 24/7 prayer. It is not just a nice thing to have, it is a necessity!

GTHOP: Jim, if someone would like some more information about Truth@Work, how would they get that?

Jim: They can simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will follow-up with them. They can also go to our website at www.truthatwork.org.

GTHOP: Thanks so much Jim!

Jim: My pleasure, anytime!

If you’d like to learn more about the Greater Toledo House of Prayer and how you might be able to participate, you can visit their site here.