What Do You Really Want in Life?
What do you want in life? Honestly, what do you really want in life? You may know the “right answers” to this question, but as you take an honest look at how you’re living, what is actually true for you? Jesus challenges us to be honest about our deepest desires, so that our hearts might be transformed to be more like the heart of God.
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Prayers for Workers: Your Times are in God’s Hand
There are times when the troubles and discouragements of work seem to go on and on. You wonder why God isn’t being more helpful, either making things better at work or leading you to another job. You can feel desperate, as if you’re wasting your life in a dead end job. But, the truth is that your times are in God’s hand. God is holding your life even as he is holding you. In God’s care you can be confident, even as you cry out for God to deliver you.
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Hearing the Disturbing Words of Jesus
Sometimes the words of Jesus bring extraordinary comfort and inspiration. Sometimes, however, they are disturbing. They challenge us in our comfort and self-reliance. They force us to take a fresh look at how we’re living, to see through our self-serving assumptions. Jesus disturbs us because he wants us to experience the truest joy and meaning as we live, not for ourselves, but for the kingdom of God.
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Going Deeper and Longer in Prayer
Short prayers are just fine. But sometimes, like Jesus, we need to devote more time to prayer. We need to share with the Lord more of what is in our hearts. And we need to be quiet long enough so we can hear the still, small voice of the Spirit. God will help us to spend the time we need in prayer so that our hearts might be more connected to the heart of God.
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Jesus Pulls an All-Nighter
When Jesus faced substantial challenges or needed to make key decisions, he spent time in prayer. If the Son of God found it helpful to talk with his Heavenly Father in such times, shouldn’t we do the same?
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A Prayer for Labor Day
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). But when we work for God’s glory, when we dedicate our work to God, when we allow God to work in and through us by the Spirit, then “in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
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Labor Day in a Pandemic, Part 2
On this Labor Day weekend, we have an opportunity to value the work of all people, especially those whose work is deemed “essential.” By offering a simple “thank you for working,” we can acknowledge their labor and affirm the difference they are making, both in the world and our own lives. Why not say to those who serve you this weekend, “Thank you for your work”?
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Labor Day in a Pandemic, Part 1
On this Labor Day weekend, the global pandemic makes us especially aware of ways in which our world, including our work, is broken and, therefore, workers are suffering. But, as God’s people, we acknowledge the fundamental goodness of work and we seek God’s justice and peace for all workers. We yearn for the day when God will re-establish the created goodness of work for all.
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Being God’s Temple
We who call ourselves Christians are to live in the world in such a way that God is truly and obviously present. We are to be the “temple” of the living God, the “place” where God can be found in this world. We are to do this in our private lives and our public lives, in our families and our workplaces, in our neighborhoods and schools.
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The Cornerstone
If Jesus Christ is your cornerstone, then many of the choices that can confuse your life are removed from the range of possibilities. You will not, for example, have to spend much time worrying about whether or not to get revenge on a colleague. You won’t have to choose a life of conspicuous consumption in order to convince yourself that you matter. You won’t believe that racism is acceptable or insignificant. Building your life upon Jesus and orienting your life in the direction of his kingdom allows you to live with greater freedom, confidence, and significance.
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You are a Fellow Citizen
In a day when “spiritual” people are less and less inclined to be actively involved in any religious community, when millions of Christians seem satisfied to remain disconnected from other believers, when COVID-19 keeps us from being in physical proximity with other believers, we need to hear the good news of Ephesians 2:19 and consider the implications for our lives. Because of Christ, we are fellow citizens with God’s people. We belong, not just to God, but also to the community of those who have pledged their allegiance to God through Christ.
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Consequently
As you go about your business today, consider how the cross of Christ impacts your feelings, choices, and relationships. When you deal with a difficult relationship at work, what difference does the cross of Christ make? If you’re wronged by someone on your team, how is the cross relevant to you? If you’re aware of racial injustice in your workplace or community, what might Christ be calling you to do? Jesus died on the cross, thus forging reconciliation among divided peoples. Consequently, how will you live today?
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Amazing Access
According to Ephesians 2, we have amazing access to God the Father. Through Christ, we are free to approach God just as we are, without pretense or pretending, without feigning or fear. As it says in Hebrews 4, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” What an invitation!
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The Good News of Christian Leadership – Labor in Vain?
Jesus lamented in fulfilling his vocation. Consequently, the good news begins by discovering that Jesus is quite at home in the company of those who are discouraged, despondent, and even despairing. Jesus understands, in a way that I hadn’t imagined possible, those who struggle with chaos, futility, and a sense of purposelessness.
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The Good News of Christian Leadership – A Flickering Light?
Light is a biblical image not just for understanding and knowledge. It is also a metaphor for a flourishing life. Life and light are therefore deeply interconnected. We live in a season of flickering lights that seem to be on the verge of going dark. Institutions that we have counted on for dependable light and life have begun to flicker. What hope does Christian leadership offer in such a time?
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