“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” —Thomas Jefferson
Tom was right. Work is a tremendous rewarder, provider and safety net. Does the Bible address this fact? Glad you asked.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Give it some thought and go to work.
Gary
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s Hamburgers: “I got my MBA long before my GED. I even have a photograph of me in my MBA graduation outfit – a knee-length work apron. I guarantee you that I’m the only founder among America’s big companies whose picture in the corporate annual report shows him wielding a mop and a plastic bucket. That wasn’t a gag; it was a case of leading by example. At Wendy’s, MBA doesn’t mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop-Bucket Attitude. It’s how we define satisfying the customer through cleanliness, quality food, friendly service, and atmosphere.”
I Timothy, Titus and I Peter all agree with this type of leadership. This attitude should be modeled in every church.
nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
Roll up your spiritual sleeves and go to work. Give it some thought.
Gary
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” —Winston Churchill
Did you know the Apostle Paul experienced such things on his missionary journeys? Case in point:
For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
Opposition doesn’t mean you are on the wrong track but could be proof that you are in God’s perfect will.
Give it some thought.
Gary
A woman was giving birth to a baby in an elevator at a hospital. When she complained about the location, a nurse said, “Why this isn’t so bad; last year a woman delivered her baby on the front lawn.”
“Yes,” said the woman on the floor, “that was me, too.”
– Source unknown
Some people just seem to come up short, never quite getting to the place they should be. Does the Bible address it? Glad you asked.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
Be there. Don’t fall prey to a mistake in timing. Give it some thought.
Gary
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t the apple on the tree that got us banished from Paradise.
It was the pair on the ground.
– Unknown
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
You were born with a problem and only the new birth has the solution. Give it some thought.
Gary
Max Lucado says, “The Bible has been banned, burned, scoffed, and ridiculed. Scholars have mocked it as foolish. Kings have branded it as illegal. A thousand times over, the grave has been dug and the dirge has begun, but somehow the Bible never stays in the grave. Not only has it survived, it has thrived. It’s the single most popular book in all of history. It has been the best-selling book in the world for years.”
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
But He answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
What does it mean to you? Do you know Him as Lord, Savior, Counselor, and Enabler? Give it some careful consideration.
Gary
Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asks a young engineer fresh out of university, “What starting salary are you expecting?”
The engineer replies, “$200,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”
The interviewer says, “Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks’ vacation, full medical and dental, gym membership, all meals provided and a Lamborghini company car to use?”
The engineer sits up straight and says, “Wow, are you kidding?!”
The interviewer says, “Yeah, but you started it.”
What are you expecting from Christianity? Is it wealth, health and a problem-free life? Then, do you want to die peacefully in your sleep? Now that’s funny.
Hebrews 11:35-38
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
Give it some thought.
Gary