Confidence - Why are you so afraid?

Confidence - Why are you so afraid? Today I want to share with you a devotional that reminds us to trust God in all circumstances—no matter what they are. It asks some key questions we cannot forget when we are in the midst of the storms in our lives and are experiencing difficult situations. Read this devotional and reflect on it today.

Have Complete Confidence and Faith in Jesus
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Mark 4:40 (NLT)

And he asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?”

Jesus and His disciples were in their boat crossing a lake when a fierce storm arose. The disciples were afraid they were going to drown and went to wake up Jesus who they found peacefully sleeping in the back of the boat. Then Jesus asked His disciples the question above. It is insulting to Jesus when we have Him in our hearts, yet don’t have faith in Him to deliver us from the storms.

When we accept Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Savior, we are telling Him we believe in His ability to save us from everything—including going to hell. How can we believe He saved us from eternal damnation in hell, but we don’t have enough faith to believe He can get us through the storms in our lives?

When Jesus was inside the boat with His disciples and a storm developed all around them, He was sleeping in peace. How could He do that? Simply because He had complete confidence in His Father, and He knew that no matter what was going on in the world around Him, the Father would take care of Him. This is a revelation we must appropriate in our hearts.

If you accepted Jesus, then He is in you now and all that He is and represents is inside of you, in your spirit. Having Him in your life means you have His power, His anointing, peace, love, joy, and everything else God wants you to have to be successful in Him.

Meditate on this today and know that Jesus is in you. Have complete faith, trust, and confidence in Him. Know that no matter what you are going through in your life, Jesus is in control, and He will deliver you.

The Biblical Mindset of a Lifelong Learner

The Biblical Mindset of a Lifelong Learner. In today’s world we need to continue to learn and hone our skills in order to succeed in the workplace. But we cannot forget that in order to deepen our relationship with God we also must continue to learn of His things and more about Him as our Father. In today’s devotional, I would like to encourage you to adopt the biblical mindset of a lifelong learner for both work as well as the things of God.

Acquire a Lifelong Learning Attitude
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Mark 4:25 (NLT)

To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.

Jesus encouraged His disciples to always be open to listen and continue to learn from Him because the higher their desire was to learn, the more they understood. On the contrary, people who don’t care or listen to the things of God drift away and forget even the little they know.

To be successful in the corporate world and our personal lives, we need to adopt the biblical mindset of a lifelong learner. This is true in the natural as well as in the spiritual area. We cannot grow in our spiritual journey with God if we don’t spend time learning from Him and are not open to His daily teaching to us. Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, is willing to teach us how to live our lives and be successful in every area.

Jesus said those who are open to His teachings will receive more understanding because the things of God are understood with the spirit, not with our human minds. When we open our hearts to learn about the things of God, our spiritual understanding is illuminated and we receive revelation—the moment when we “get it.”

Purpose in your heart to be open to the biblical mindset of a lifelong learner and adopt a learning attitude both professional and spiritually. This will ensure a well-balanced successful life here on earth.

Spend Time with God

Spend Time with God. When we look at our schedules we can get overwhelmed at how much there is to do, how many commitments we have in our lives (both from work and from family), and how little time we have left over for ourselves. But we need to also “schedule” time with the Lord for He is the only source of true strength and refreshing. Today’s devotional reminds us to spend time with God.

Spend Time Alone with God
#185
Mark 1:35 (NLT)

The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.

Praying before the day began was a common practice of Jesus. He often went alone to pray, just to be with His Father. By being with God, He got refreshed, renewed, and strengthened to continue His mission. Jesus gave us an example of how we can accomplish our mission here on earth.

Each one of us has a mission appointed by God that only we can fulfill. But we need to spend time with Him in order to follow His direction and to have the spiritual and physical strength we need to do His will. Sometimes, we are so tired we just need to be in His presence and wait for Him to speak to us. We need to rest in Him and quietly worship Him. Other times, we need to cry out for help and dump all of our problems and frustrations on Him. There will also be times of celebration when everything is going well. We must not forget to meet God in those moments too; celebrate with Him, and thank Him. That pleases Him.

Even if you don’t have a place of wilderness in your home, choose a place where you can meet Him regularly. Soon that place will become like a sanctuary, where you go and rest in God. You need to be aware of God’s presence in everything you do and include Him in your daily life. You also need time alone where you give Him your undivided attention, where you can talk to Him without interruptions and listen to His heart. This is the only way you will be able to accomplish what He’s called you to do. When you are refreshed spiritually you are better able to focus on your work and experience more success in your job.

Pray Fervently - Ask God First

Pray Fervently - Ask God First. The end of year and beginning of a new one can be sometimes overwhelming at work. If we add to that the holidays and anything else that is going on in our lives we end up over loaded and burnt out. Today I want to encourage you to pray fervently and ask God for help first, before you get to the point of feeling overwhelmed. Ask Him to give you the grace to get through the mountain of things you have in front of you and He will help you. Today’s devotional encourages us to seek Him first and pray fervently. Enjoy!

Go to God First and Pray Fervently
#158

James 5:16
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has a great power and wonderful results (NLT).

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (KJV).

When we become born again we are made righteous by the grace of God. He listens to our prayers and responds.

Whenever you have a need of any kind, pray first. Ask God for wisdom, grace, strength, favor, peace—whatever you need—and He will help you. Always examine your heart to make sure your motives are right. Then pray with fervency from your heart, not casually, but with passion. The Bible tells us it is that kind of prayer that has power and brings wonderful results.

In your job, when your workload is overwhelming, pray for God to help you by multiplying your time and giving you ideas to become more efficient. When you are out of balance and work has taken over your life, ask God to help you prioritize your priorities and bring you back to balance. Don’t leave prayer as your last option because nothing else worked. Go to God first and apply this principle to every area of your life.

Generosity in the Bible

Generosity in the Bible. Today I want to encourage you to give of yourself to others. Sometimes we think if we don’t have a lot of money then we are not able to give to others. But giving is not only about monetary help it is giving of yourself from your heart. Today’s devotional encourages us to give in many other ways so we can obtain heavenly rewards right here on earth.

Give of Yourself Generously
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Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 (NLT)

Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.

We usually interpret passages like this one to mean we should give money, generously but I believe it’s referring to giving of ourselves. God gave gifts to all of us we can share with others. The Bible tells us to give and we will receive. How we treat others, we will be treated. Basically, we reap what we sow in every area of our lives.
In the workplace we have daily opportunities to give of ourselves to others. We can help our co-workers, our boss, or customers with our time, ideas, experience, knowledge, and our love. Sometimes we show people we care for them just by listening to them and treating them with respect and dignity.

This passage also tells us to divide our gifts among many. Our gifts are for us to share with everyone that crosses our path. I believe God puts people in our lives for a purpose. Some people are in our lives one time, and we have a one-time divine appointment. Other people, He puts in our paths for a long time or forever. He connects us with the people He knows we can help and we can receive help from them.

Therefore, treat the people He has given you with His love, and you will receive your reward right here in this life as well as in heaven.

Fairness in Leadership

Fairness in Leadership. If you are in a leadership position at work, you will encounter difficult situations at time regarding fairness. What is fair treatment across the board? How do we know we are treating everyone the same under similar circumstances? Today’s devotional talks about being a fair leader and reminds us what the Bible says about fairness in leadership. Enjoy!

Be a Fair Leader
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Deuteronomy 1:16 (NLT)

I instructed the judges, “You must be perfectly fair at all times, not only to fellow Israelites, but also to the foreigners living among you.”

Moses gave the instructions above to his judges when he appointed them to help him rule God’s people. If you have a position of leadership at work, you must also be fair to all your employees. Sometimes Christians may favor other Christians at work because we are brothers and sisters in Christ. However, the Bible tells us we are to treat everybody the same—Christians and non-Christians. We will always have to interact and live among people from various cultures and religious backgrounds. Instead of feeling righteous and superior to them, we must have the compassion of God and be a witness. One way to show them the love of God and being a witness is by being fair.

In addition, from the legal standpoint, we have to comply with the laws protecting all employees. But we need to go beyond that. There are subtle ways in which we can show favor for some people over others and that is also wrong. Verse 17 says, “When you make decisions, never favor those who are rich; be fair to lowly and great alike.”

Examine your heart to ensure you are being fair with everybody in all you do and at all times—especially if you are in leadership.

Happy New Year - Advice for Happiness

Happy New Year - Advice for Happiness. As we start a brand new year we usually get excited about all the things we want to get accomplished. Most of us start very motivated but as time goes by for some reason we lose the enthusiasm when we do not see instant progress. One of the areas we all pursue is happiness. The world leads us to believe that money can bring us the happiness we want. But we must remember that the only way we can obtain true happiness is through God. Today’s devotional reminds us that God, not wealth, brings true happiness. I wish you the best and Happy New Year!

God, Not Wealth, Brings True Happiness
# 347

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NLT)
Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!

I Timothy 6:10 (NLT)
For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil.

Almost every person, if not everybody, desires to have money in this world. Many buy lottery tickets, gamble at casinos, hope to have a rich relative leave them a large fortune as inheritance, or dream of being a successful business owner. There is nothing wrong with having money or wanting money to live a good life, provide for our families, and help others. But the moment we start loving money, our hearts’ motives may change and money may eventually replace God’s place in our lives. Money has the ability to attract us to it, attract us to the things of the world, and to take us away from God. I believe the main reason money has that ability is because it can give us all the things of the world to a point where we think we no longer need God.

Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 (NLT) say, “Being wise is as good as being rich; in fact it is better. Wisdom or money can get you almost anything, but it’s important to know that only wisdom can save your life.” Wisdom takes us to the tree of life. It takes us to God where we find abundant life here on earth and eternal life in heaven. I believe wealth is a gift from God, but we must be mature in the Lord to handle and manage it for Him. It takes great effort not to get attached to money, but there are ways we can do it. When we put God first in our lives, dedicate our hard work to Him, and use our financial wealth to further His Kingdom, He entrusts us with material wealth. Giving, instead of hoarding, is the key.

Therefore, seek God with all your heart, not money, and give to wherever God leads you knowing He will never ask you to give what you don’t have. Then you will find true happiness.

We Need Rest

We Need Rest. Every year during the holidays our lives get busier than they usually are and additional stress comes on. Today I want to encourage you to take time to rest. Rest does not necessarily means sleeping (although we do need to sleep more). It means to just slow down and make time to read a book or watch a movie or do an activity that refreshes you. It is different for all of us. This devotional reminds us that rest is a gift from God and that He wants to enjoy it.

Rest Is a Gift from God
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Hebrews 4:9-10 (NLT)
So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world.

Exodus 23:12 (NLT)
“Work six days, and rest on the seventh. This will give your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It will also allow the people of your household, including your slaves and visitors, to be refreshed.”

Did you know God commands us to rest? He created us to be able to work six days and rest the seventh. He Himself gave us the first example in the Book of Genesis when—after spending six days creating the entire universe—He rested on the seventh. If God wanted to rest, what makes us think we don’t need to?

Unfortunately, we don’t allow ourselves to rest enough. We keep going and going until there is nothing left of ourselves to give. We push until we burn out physically and spiritually. Our bodies and minds need rest. Proper rest refreshes and strengthens our body; it reenergizes our minds so we can think clearly again. Not only that, when we clear our minds from the daily pressures and stresses of life, the Lord can speak to us in order to refresh, renew, and strengthen our spirit.

We can experience a special peace and rest in God—but only when we obey and do His will. Rest is a blessing and a gift from God. Are you getting enough of it?

Humility - a Rare Character Trait

Humility - a Rare Character Trait. Humility. This is a character trait that is not a requirement in job descriptions… but it should. The workplace is full of proud people. Employees feel they are entitled to the big salaries, fancy titles, and the corner office without thinking what it really takes to earn those things in a person’s career. In addition to working hard, making a lot of sacrifices along the way, and having the right experience and education, it also takes humility. Today, I want to share a devotional that reminds us to be humble, gentle, and patient. Enjoy!

Be Humble, Gentle, and Patient
# 29

Ephesians 4:1-2 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

In this verse Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus, and he is begging them to live a life worthy of their calling. We are all called to serve Him in a special way. But in order for us to walk in the will of God, in our calling, we must be humble, gentle, and patient with one another. These are rare character traits in the business community and the workplace. God cannot use us if we are proud because in our pride we become deceived, rude, and impatient. Gentleness is another rarity these days. People don’t treat each other gently, but abruptly. Our lives have become so busy we don’t have patience to wait for anything, help somebody in need, or just love people.

Have you realized that you have been called by God? I encourage you to strive to be a humble, gentle, and patient woman so God can use you to the fullest.

Let's Be Thankful for This Day

Let’s Be Thankful for This Day. This week was Thanksgiving week and I want to encourage you to have a thankful heart. Thank God for everything you have and for everything He has done for you. Sometimes we take Him for granted and forget that He is the reason we are alive to begin with. Today’s devotional encourages us to be content wherever we are in our lives. Enjoy!

Learn to Be Content
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Philippians 4:11 (KJV)
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

When parents have a thankful child, they want to bless him or her. God, just like a parent, wants to bless us even more because it pleases Him when we are thankful.

Thank God every day for all the gifts and talents He gave you. Thank Him for all He’s done for you, starting with what Jesus did to save you. Thank Him for where you are right now in your life. Even though circumstances may not look good at the moment, thank Him in advance for helping you and delivering you from adversity. Learn to be content in whatsoever circumstance (situation or season in your life) you are while continuing to press toward the next mark He gives you.

Sometimes you may not be happy with your current job. Learn everything you can while you’re there, thank God for the job you do have, and press on and prepare for a new job. Sometimes God keeps you in a place just to be a witness to somebody or just because you’re the only light that can shine for Him in that environment. When you are content, you have peace and joy and you are indeed a light to shine for Him.

Let's Remain Humble

Let's Remain Humble. Humility is a character trait we don’t find very often in people. Somehow as we become successful we may have the tendency to lose the humbleness we started our careers with. But if we all recognize it is God who helps us be successful to begin with and that He is the one who provides the opportunities, then our hearts can remain humble. Today’s devotional encourages us to be humble so we can all fulfill our mission in life. Enjoy!

We Need to Be Humble to Fulfill Our Mission
# 84
Philippians 2:4 (NLT)

Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.

It is easy to get wrapped up in our own lives and forget what everybody else is doing. When we focus on ourselves only, we don’t notice the needs of those around us and may miss opportunities to help and minister to them. But the moment we focus our attention on others, we recognize their needs and think of ways to help them. This help can be in any way such as helping a friend at work or a neighbor with her kids. It doesn’t matter what it is, what matters is that we have a genuine interest in our hearts to help others.

God’s help to people comes, most of the time, through other people. When we are willing to help others, we become available for God to use us. As He blesses other people through us, our need to be useful and to have a purpose is also met.

Our attitude should be like that of Jesus. “Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross” (vv. 6-8). Jesus accomplished His mission. He was humble and was only interested in others, so God rewarded Him with the highest reward—a special place in heaven, to the right hand of the Father.

The same way, we have a mission, and, in order to accomplish it, we must be humble like Jesus and focus on others. When we are done with our race, God will reward us too.

Seek Advice from Others

Seek Advice from Others. Throughout our working days we make countless decisions without asking anyone else. But sometimes we encounter a decision that is more difficult and that can have deeper consequences if we make the wrong choice. Today’s devotional encourages to seek advice from others to help us make the right decisions.

Seeking Advice Is Vital to Success
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Proverbs 15:22 (NLT)
Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.

Often times we think we can do things alone and we don’t need advice from anybody. God encourages us to work in teams and with many counselors to be successful.

Don’t be too proud to seek advice when you are faced with a difficult situation at work or when you are given a new project to manage. Ask God for direction as to whom to seek advice from and who should be part of your team. Different people bring different opinions and experiences to the table that can help you succeed. If you are a business owner, consider a team of professionals (counselors) to help you in your business planning.

God Cares for Us

God cares for us. It is hard to trust God when things are not going well at home or at work. But today I want to encourage you to trust Him no matter what; trust Him through your circumstances; trust Him while you go through the situations you’re in right now; trust Him just because He is God and He loves you. Today’s devotional reminds us that God cared for us since before we were born. Let’s not forget that!

God Cared for Us Since the Moment He Created Us
# 176
Psalm 71:6 (NLT)

Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you!

Some people are not introduced to the Lord until later in life. Other people are introduced to God’s love at birth. And yet others are born into Christian homes, but choose to reject the things of God or simply ignore them. No matter who we are, He has always cared for us all. From the moment He created us in our mother’s womb, He, God our Father, first loved us.

God patiently and lovingly waits for us to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This means we accept His love for us and take the first step toward our daily walk with God for the rest of our Christian lives.

Knowing that God loves you and cares for you is a personal revelation in your heart. Your parents and friends can only tell you about God and their experiences, but in order for you to have that revelation, you have to experience Him yourself. The more you seek God, the more you will get to know Him and have a revelation of His love for you.

When you walk and live your life in the revelation of knowing He loves you, people around you are going to desire what you have. Those are opportunities to show them the love of God. Your workplace will always provide you with such opportunities.

Success and Balance

Success and Balance. One of my good friends just got a big promotion so I did two things: 1) I congratulated her and 2) I started praying for her to have wisdom in her new job and for balance in her life. Part of being friends with others is not only to be happy for them when they get promotions and successes but also to encourage them to have a balanced life. She will now have to make many decisions both at work and at home so she can have time for her family and also be successful at work. But she can do it with the help of God and with the support from her friends. I encourage you to do the same. When your friends get promoted to new jobs and responsibilities, congratulate them but also pray for them. This devotional talks about walking in wisdom. Enjoy!

Walk in Wisdom
# 364

Proverbs 28:26 (NLT)
Trusting oneself is foolish, but those who walk in wisdom are safe.

As we grow in our careers, gain experience at our jobs, and become more successful because of our hard work and commitment, we will have the temptation to trust ourselves too much. The Bible says it is foolish to do so. First, we cannot forget it is God who gave us all the gifts and talents we have. Secondly, He is also the One who gave us the opportunities to succeed. So let’s not forget to give Him the glory for all of our successes. Thirdly, when we walk in His wisdom we are safe because we know we are doing what He told us to do. God’s wisdom is beyond our comprehension, and He will grant it to us when we ask Him for it. Part of being successful is having God’s wisdom in our lives.

It Is Okay to Plan

It Is Okay to Plan. Every year companies prepare for the following year and make plans for their future. We, as individuals, should do the same. Planning is not lack of faith, it is wisdom! Today I want to encourage you to plan your future. Make plans for what you want to achieve in your life and always include God in your plans. He will help you get there!

Don’t Be Afraid to Plan
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Proverbs 3:21-22 (NLT)

My child, don’t lose sight of good planning and insight. Hang on to them, for they fill you with life and bring you honor and respect.

Many Christians nowadays don’t plan for the future, thinking Jesus is coming soon. They view planning and preparing as lack of faith. But that mind-set is not wise. We are to live our lives as if Jesus is coming today, spiritually speaking. Until He comes, we are to occupy, multiply, have dominium of, and steward God’s creation. The Bible says to not lose sight of good planning and insight, for they will fill us with life. When we don’t plan, we are choosing to let things happen in our lives and lose control. We are to plan good plans with God’s wisdom and guidance. Lack of planning brings uncertainty and fear. Planning brings peace, certainty, security, honor, and respect.

If you are a planner, those who watch you will see you as a wise person. Then you’ll have an opportunity to share your wisdom and where it comes from. Proverbs 2:11 (NLT) says, “Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.” “You can lie down without fear and enjoy pleasant dreams” (Proverbs 3:24 NLT).

By planning all aspects of your life, you take control of your life and responsibility for your actions. But it also means you choose to give that control to God and let Him guide you. With God as part of your planning, you can’t go wrong because you have God’s will for you as your plan. And even though the enemy may try to change and confuse those plans, the Lord will give you wisdom “and you will know how to find the right course of action every time” (Proverbs 2:9 NLT).

Don’t be afraid to plan. Ask God for the wisdom to help you. Plan your life with the main purpose of bringing glory to Him.

Do Not Stop Running Your Race

Do Not Stop Running Your Race. Today I ran a 5K and I feel great! My first goal was not to finish first – just to finish. My second goal was to finish in 30 minutes and I finished at 28:50 so I am satisfied. While I was running I kept asking God to help me to not stop and to give me the grace, strength, and endurance to finish my race. Even though there were other people running alongside me in the race, I felt this was my own personal race. It was me against the clock. I didn’t care if I passed others or if they passed me. I ran at my own pace, where I felt I could make it. It was a place where I felt I was pushing myself beyond the normal but it was not so hard that I could not make it. In the end, I felt God’s help throughout the time I was running and I was encouraged to do it again.

Today I want to share with you a short devotional that reminds us that the source of our strength and peace is the Lord. I encourage you to keep running your own race in life. Enjoy!

The Lord Is Our Source of Strength and Peace
#139

Psalm 29:11 (NLT)
The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.

God is so powerful! He used His power to raise Jesus from the dead. The Holy Spirit gives us that same power, which is the source of our strength. This is one of the many benefits we have as children of God. We are weak but made strong in the Lord. He gives us the strength we need on a daily basis to fulfill the calling He has given us. He also blessed us with His peace that surpasses all understanding. The peace of God cannot be found in this world because it can only come from Him. Peace is another great benefit He gives us because He loves us.

When the stress of life with work and home responsibilities is getting to you, stand on His promise and go to the source of strength and peace—God.

Plan and Do It!

Plan and Do It! Do you ever find yourself planning for something you want to do in your life but it never seems to be the perfect time to do it? If God put some desires in your heart (for example, make a trip to visit special friends that live far away, finish your college, or volunteer at an elderly facility), don’t wait until it’s too late. Plan and just do it. We should plan and then let God help us get it done but we must start the process by making the first step. Today I want to share with you a devotional that talks about planning and having faith in God to get it done. Enjoy!

We Plan. God Makes the Conditions Perfect.
#167
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NLT)

If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.

How many times we want to make a move, a change in our lives, and we don’t because the perfect conditions are not there? We wait just a little more, one more day, one more thing to put in order, and many times we miss opportunities because we waited too long. In real life, we will never have the perfect conditions to make a step, to obey God by faith, or to make a change in our lives. We have to learn to take risks in faith and in wisdom.

Many people confuse being in faith with lack of planning. They have a “God will take care of me” attitude and don’t want to do their part. That is foolish. For example: if you want to get a new job, don’t quit the one you have in faith and then start looking, unless you can afford it financially. In my opinion, that is not faith. It is being irresponsible. I want to clarify that there may be circumstances where you may have to quit your job cold due to extreme circumstances like sexual harassment. But in most cases, you need to plan your exit.

Examine yourself. Take inventory of your skills, keep your network of contacts alive at all times. Research, plan, plan, plan. Planning is not lack of faith. It is wisdom. However, there comes a time when you are done planning and revising your plan. You turn your plan over to God and take the step. You plan with His guidance and do your best. Then let Him take care of the rest, and He will make all the conditions become perfect to allow you to make the move.

Decisions and Choices

Decisions and Choices. Making decisions is part of our daily lives. We cannot avoid the responsibility. Every decision and choice we make has consequences and some of them affect the rest of our lives. Therefore, we need God's wisdom to help us decide and make the right choices. This devotional will help you through the process of decision making. Enjoy!

Be a Decisive Woman
# 336

James 1:5 (NLT)
If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent you asking.

Making decisions is an everyday occurrence in the business world. We, as Christian women and as leaders, must be decisive. God gives us some clues to help us confirm we are making the right decision. The most obvious one is that we have peace. Many times during the process of decision making, some things just don’t feel good. We don’t have inner peace. That is a signal that we might be making the wrong decision.

Colossians 3:15 (NLT) says, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.” God can confirm your decision through people or in other ways, however, peace is the main way He chooses to use. Follow the peace in your heart and trust God that He will give you the right answer when you need it.

Basic Requirements for Leaders

Basic Requirements for Leaders. Today I want to share with you on the topic of leadership. This devotional talks about basic traits that leaders must have in order to lead others according to Bible principles. If you are thinking of moving into a position of leadership, part of your training is to know what God says about leadership. Enjoy!

God’s Basic Requirements for Leaders
# 214

Exodus 18:21 (NLT)
But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.

This is the first instruction on how to be a good leader that God gave to Moses. In order to be a leader, God required four basic characteristics:

1) Be Capable: We must possess some level of skill to lead a group in the various areas of business.

2) Be Honest: We must be honest people, always doing what’s right, and being truthful.

3) Fear God: We must fear, honor, and revere God; this is a lifestyle.

4) Hate bribes: We must not accept bribes under any circumstances.

Our main interest and focus should always be to serve those under us by leading them to the best of our ability and with the wisdom of God by the Holy Spirit. Christian working women are called to be leaders in one way or another. The most basic leadership task is leading people to Christ by our example.

Ask God to help you cultivate these character traits in your life so He can use you as a leader in His Kingdom.

Holiness - a Word We Seldom Hear

Holiness - a Word We Seldom Hear. Today, I just want to share with you a devotional that talks about holiness. These days that is a word that is not talked about much or practiced at all. But the Bible says we are to be holy. Becoming holy is a lot of work for us humans but Jesus is there to help us one day at a time. Enjoy!

God Helps Us Become Holy
# 190

James 1:21 (NLT)

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.

When we accept Jesus in our hearts, we are going to spend the rest of our lives getting rid of filth and evil things. But that’s okay. God never asks us to become holy overnight. He knows it is a lifetime process, and He knows we can’t do it without His daily help. When we humbly accept the message of salvation, we accept we are sinners and that only with God we can do all things—including becoming holy and living a holy life.

The first step in becoming holy is asking God to reveal to you the areas you need to change and clean up. Even though we all have many areas, don’t worry, He won’t overwhelm you by giving you a long list. Instead, He, in His great love, will only give you a few areas at a time to work on. He will give you the faith, patience, and grace to help you change each one. In the workplace, take notice of the little things you could change such as treating everyone with respect, not becoming angry easily, and helping others when you see the need.

God is sensitive and merciful, He will change you little by little, taking care of every wound and healing you in the process. He will mend your heart from every hurt. He will forgive every sin that made you dirty and will make you clean as white snow (Isaiah 1:18 KJV). He will save your soul.