Encouragement to Use Your Gifts

Today I was thinking of the many gifts that God gave each one of us and asked myself the question if I’m using all the gifts He gave me. Sometimes I feel I’m doing my best and other times I feel I’m not doing enough…

I would like to share with you a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that challenges us to use our gifts. Enjoy!

Are You Managing Your Gifts?

# 170

Matthew 25:15 (NLT)

He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities—and then left on his trip.

This is the story of a master who entrusted his gold to his servants. In this story Jesus states two things clearly: 1) He gives something to every person to manage on His behalf while He is gone, and 2) He gives these responsibilities according to every person’s individual abilities. Nevertheless, to Him it is equally important that every person manages what He gives to their best of their ability.

The first step you need to do in order to manage God’s gifts in your life is recognize the gifts come from Him. He gives both natural gifts, as well as spiritual gifts, to every person He creates.

The second step is to be grateful for what you have and don’t compare your gifts to anybody else’s. Don’t be proud and ask God why He only gave you this or that or so few while He gave all these other gifts to somebody else. You don’t have the right to ask. He has, however, the right to give whatever He wants to whomever He wants as the Creator.

The third step is to develop each and every gift He gave you. This is “investing” and “growing” His gold.

Finally, we are to live our lives as if He, our Master, is coming back today to ask us how we managed what He entrusted us with. Our goal should be to hear His words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (Matthew 25:23 NLT).

Life Balance - A Daily Struggle

Today I want to share about life balance because we keep forgetting about how important it is to keep it on a daily basis. Every time someone asks us to do something new, another meeting, another task or commitment, it could be the one thing that tips us over to be out of balance.

Because I am passionate about helping non-profit organizations –especially those who are doing the God’s work in the world and truly changing people’s lives—I struggle to choose which organizations to work with. In addition to time, I also struggle with the financial part. They all need money to fund their causes and since I have limited resources, how am I to choose? What I've been doing is praying about these choices and asking God to give me direction as to where to spend my time and money. I encourage you to do the same and wait on God to direct your steps.

The devotional I chose to share with you today is from my book, Devotions for Working Women. It reminded me to strive for balance in the three key areas of my life: physical, emotional, and spiritual. I hope it will encourage you to seek God to help you balance your life in all the various aspects.

Balancing Your Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Life Is Crucial

Isaiah 40:29 (NLT)

He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.

How often do you feel tired, worn out, and weak? This would be a great verse to memorize and repeat on those days. We all experience physical, emotional, and spiritual weariness in our lives. Some days we may just be physically tired, but we move on because we are not mentally or spiritually exhausted. Those times we just need to rest, go to bed earlier that night, take a break from work, or simply change activities.

Dealing with emotional weariness is more difficult because when we are emotionally exhausted, it also affects our physical well-being. In those times, we also need to rest, do some exercise to relieve the stress, and spend time with the Lord. Just being in His presence will refresh our minds.

Spiritual burnout is the most dangerous because when we stop fighting in the spirit, everything else stops and dies away. Remember, we are first of all spiritual beings that live in a human body. Just as our body needs rest and food, our spirit does too. If we are spiritually starving, we will die spiritually.

We must avoid burnout in any area, but most importantly, we must avoid it in these three areas (physical, emotional, and spiritual) at the same time. In order to avoid that situation, we must have balance in our lives. Balance starts with a daily prayer asking the Lord to help us balance that day—one day at a time.

Put God in control of your life—every area and every moment. Spend time with Him. He yearns for that time. You will then be refreshed in every area. “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (v. 31).

How Are You Spending Your Time?

It’s been a few weeks since I wrote the last time. With work and family I only have Saturday mornings to write. The last few weekends I have been away from home on Saturday mornings so I wasn’t able to connect with you. This takes me to the topic I wanted to share with you about today—time.

Time is a very hard concept to explain. We all have the same amount of time yet most of us wish we would have more of it. God created the days to have a certain number of hours, which is what we have decided to call the time intervals that occur during one day. How we choose to spend our time is the key question we each have to answer. Once time passes, we cannot regain it. We cannot reclaim it or reproduce it—ever.  When there are important events in the lives of our loved ones, if we don’t attend, it’s gone. We missed it. We were not there for that person we love.

I have been meditating a lot about the concept of time, how I personally choose to spend my time, and how I can regain some time. I am gaining time by stopping some activities and spending more time with God and the people I love. However, it’s not been easy. For example, I am often asked to serve on non-profit boards and to volunteer to do certain activities. Because of my passion to help non-profits and to help people be successful, I have had to establish a simple process to help me decide which activities to choose. If the non-profit does not align with my personal life’s mission, I gracefully decline the offer. If the non-profit or ministry falls under areas within my personal mission, then the decision is much harder. My next step is to prioritize and only choose one or two at a time. When a board term is over or the volunteer activity is done, then I choose another one.

I also struggle when I have family or friends over at our house. I want to keep up with the cleaning and picking up dishes and putting away food. Then I realize I’m not spending precious time with my family or friends that are at my home visiting. I have decided to set my urge to clean aside and leave it all behind to spend that time with my loved ones. The satisfaction I have experienced by doing this the last few gatherings far exceeds the satisfaction of seeing the house clean and picked up while our guests are still in the house.

I encourage you today to look for opportunities to stop some things you’re doing to regain time and spend it with your loved ones—doing the things that really matter. Make sure you include God in “the people you love and want to spend time with.” He is waiting and longing to spend that time with you too!

Reach Out to Jesus

 It is hard to encourage others when they are going through deep suffering in their lives. But we must not give up in doing so because we may be the only ones reminding them that God does love them even while going through suffering and trials. We need to remind our loved ones that through it all, God is still in control even when we don’t understand why things happen.

This past week, a good friend of mine reminded me that Jesus endured the worst death that any human being has ever endured. It was the worst evil that the enemy could have done to anyone. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death. He defeated evil forever so we could have eternal life with him in heaven. What Jesus did was the biggest good that humanity could ever experience. These two events changed the course of humanity and they were both planned by God in order to save us all from eternal damnation. How can a loving God plan his only Son’s horrific death? Because God sees everything from the eternal perspective and He loves us all. He sacrificed His Son to gain humanity in return. God saw the whole picture at once because He is eternal and because He sees everything as one big plan.

Today, I want to share one of the devotionals from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that will encourage you to reach out to Jesus in your suffering. I also encourage you to reach out to your friends that are there for you during this difficult times.

Jesus Is Ready to Help Us in Our Suffering

# 313

Hebrews 2:18 (NLT)

Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.

Why is it that sometimes when we go through trials and temptations, we don’t go to God first? Our tendency is to figure things out on our own first. Jesus went through every kind of suffering and temptation anybody could ever go through in their entire lives. He became a human being so he could experience real life, real suffering, and real temptations. He died for us and went to hell for three days to declare His victory over evil. He conquered death and overcame suffering and every kind of temptation. He did it so he could be there for us when we experienced those things.

Jesus is always waiting for you to call on Him and ask for help. If you are going through trials at work, at home, or with your physical body, run to Jesus. He has the answers. He will help you and meet you where you are because He understands and loves you.

Are You Religious or Are You a Christian?

I used to get offended when people would tell me that I was “religious.” I choose to not get offended anymore because I now know that most people don’t know the difference between being religious and simply being a Christian. The dictionary describes the word religious as someone that is concerned with religion, a person exhibiting religion, or someone associated with a religion. Jesus was not happy with the religious leaders because they were proud of knowing religion but in their hearts they didn’t love God. Paul says in Romans 2: 23 (NLT) “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.” Paul also says in Romans 5:9 (NLT) “And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment. For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.”

I am not a religious person, I am simply a Christian. What does that mean? Simply that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. He is my friend and I have a personal relationship with Him. I LOVE Jesus and I will forever (literally – for eternity) be grateful to Him for dying on the cross for my sins so I could have eternal life with Him in heaven. There is nothing that I can do nor will ever be able to do to repay Him or to earn salvation. It is a gift. And we can only obtain it through faith by God’s grace.

Paul says in Romans 10:8-11 (NLT), “Salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is the message we preach—is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, ‘The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.’ For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”

So today I encourage you to take that step and invite Jesus into your heart. The letter from Paul to the Romans is one of the best books to understand the message of salvation so I encourage you to read it. Having Jesus as your friend will help you get through the struggles of life. I will leave you today with what Paul said to the Romans in Chapter 5:3 (NLT), “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.” When bad things happen to you, remember that God did not cause them nor allowed them, but He will be there for you and help you get through them.

Are You in Pursuit of Your Calling?

I have talked to several people in the past few weeks about finding their calling in life. It seems to me that a lot of people are realizing earlier in their lives that they need to leave a legacy other than just success but of significance. I feel privileged to lead a program called The Master’s Program for Women here in the Twin Cities that addresses the issues of finding and pursuing one’s calling, success and significance. The program was created by Bob Shank about 20 years ago for men business leaders. Then the program was adopted for women about 13 years ago. I love this program because it is a three-year journey that takes into account your whole being and every aspect of your life. You can learn more about it at www.themastersprogramforwomen.org.

God created every person with a unique calling that only that person can do. That calling is separate from our “generic” callings of being a parent, a spouse, a brother or sister. It’s beyond that. It’s unique to each person based on their gifts, talents, and abilities. God uses all of it as a package and has a plan for each person to fulfill their calling.

If you don’t know what your unique calling is, I encourage you to pursue God and find out then do it! The pursuit takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of soul searching in addition to prayer. It’s never too late to start!

Are You All In? Jesus was.

A friend of mine asked me the question: What does it mean to be ALL IN? In other words, how do we know that we are 100% into God, that we are following Jesus daily, and that we are living 100% all in for God? As I pondered for weeks, I was finally able to describe in words what I believe to be “all in” means and then what it means to me.

Being ALL IN is a matter of the heart. It is complete surrender to God in every area of your life. When you are all in, from the heart, God’s love will overflow and be poured out into your life. When you are all in, words are not necessary, people will know. The first sign is the love of God being manifested to others through you. It is you loving on people just because they are children of God. It’s first pursuing the discovery of your calling and then pursuing the calling itself throughout your life.

So, what does it mean to ME to be ALL IN? Because I believe it’s a matter of the heart, I believe I am all in and God knows it because He knows my heart. I have made a commitment to live for God the rest of my life. I have chosen to give my life to Jesus every day. I may not feel like I’m all in some days because my flesh takes over and I don’t behave like a person who’s all in. However, just because that day I don’t feel like I’m all in or I may even feel I’m “out,” God knows my heart and sees my struggle to live for Him despite my flesh that leads me to sin. It’s a daily walk. I am committed to pursue my calling and to use all my gifts for God during my life here on earth. I live with the awareness that today may be my last day and that’s why I have the sense of urgency to fulfill my calling.

Today is Saturday, April 19th, 2014. Yesterday was Good Friday. The day Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Today is a dark day because it represents when Jesus went to hell for us so we didn’t have to. But tomorrow is a new day. We celebrate His resurrection and that He defeated death. It’s the promise that we all hope to receive when we die and go to heaven to be with Him for eternity. Jesus was ALL IN! He came to earth with one mission only—to save us. In order to fulfill His mission, He knew that we would have to endure the death of the cross. But He also knew that after three days He would rise again and His mission would have been fulfilled. We are His reward.

Years ago I read the book The Case for Christ, A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence of Jesus, by Lee Strobel. If you haven’t read that book, read it! If you are still skeptical about the reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection or have any doubts or medical questions, read this book! On pages 196-204, Strobel interviewed a doctor who explains step by step the process of the crucifixion and how Jesus died on the cross—all explained in medical terms. For example, did you know that the pain Jesus experienced when they pierced his wrists and feet with the nails had no word so they had to create a new one—excruciating? It literally means “out of the cross.” Did you know that Jesus, in fact, sweat blood the night before of the crucifixion? The medical term is called hematidrosis, which happens when a person is in “extreme psychological stress.” Did you know that Jesus actually died of cardiac arrest? I didn’t. At the end of the interview, Strobel asked the doctor one final question: Why did Jesus go through this? The doctor replied with one word, “love.”

Everything that the Bible says to describe Jesus’ death is true and has a medical term as well as a scientific explanation. I read these pages almost every year to remind myself of what Jesus had to go through for me. Each time I read it I weep in gratitude knowing that Jesus did it for me. And He did it for you too!

So, to end on a happy note, let’s celebrate together that Jesus is indeed alive and He loves us with a love that goes beyond our comprehension. A love that endured the cross.

Understanding Faith

I would like to continue sharing about faith from my post last week. I decided to read the whole book of Hebrews again because it has a lot to say on the subject of faith. There are three things I would like to share with you today.

First, let’s remember what faith is. Hebrews 11 1 says, “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.” There are a lot of things that we hope for in this life. I often pray and ask God to help me not to focus on (and thus hope for) the things of this world. I want to hope for the things of His world, the Kingdom of God. Then I can be assured that I will get those things. I hope that all my family is saved and that someday when we are all gone from this earth we will continue our lives together in eternity. I also hope my friends that I love so much choose to have Jesus in their hearts so I can spend eternity with them as well. Having this hope is the only thing that gives me peace when one of my loved ones goes home to be with God before me.

The challenge I see is that every person must choose on their own if they want to follow Christ or not. However, I want to encourage you to never lose hope and to continue to have faith that your loved ones will be saved. I truly believe that God hears our prayers about our loved ones coming closer to Him. Sometimes He arranges situations and allows circumstances to happen so people stop what they’re doing and give their lives to Christ. The time it takes and the timing for every person is different so we need to simply continue to pray.

The second thing I wanted to share is about waiting for those promises and what we hope for. Hebrews 11 lists several men of faith that came before us such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Further down on Hebrews 11:13 it says that, “All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth.” When these men of God realized that they were not of this world, then having faith that God was going to come through became easier. Furthermore, they had the revelation that some things they were not going to see during their lifetime here on earth. They knew, however, that they would see them later in eternity when they met God in heaven.

The third thing I want to share with you today is found in Hebrews 11:39, where it says that, “All of these people we have mentioned have received God’s approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can’t receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race.” My interpretation of this passage (and I don’t claim to be a Bible scholar) is that what all the people before us started through their faith we have to finish. “We” here means all of us that came after them and those who will come after us until Jesus comes again and the prize for which Jesus died (all of us) will finally be realized.

I hope reading today’s blog will inspire you to continue praying for all your loved ones. Never give up! God is always in control.

A Question of Faith and God's Love

I was recently asked this question: “How is it that you have so much faith in your God?” At first, I wasn’t sure what or how to respond so I prayed before answering since this conversation was happening via text. The only response I received was to love on my friend, to show her the love of God through me loving her. I told her I was going to attempt to answer via text but that the reason was actually simple. I have so much faith in God because I LOVE God. I love God because I know that He loves me and I told her I also know that He loves her too. Because I love God then I trust Him and I trust Him because I know Him.

I basically responded the same way as if the question would have been in regards to a person because it would be the same progression of events. When we get to know a person, we learn to trust them (or not for that matter). Once we trust them we learn to love them and then we have faith in them as a person. We have faith that they will do what they said they would do. We have faith (or believe) that that person also loves us back. We believe that person wants the best for us and we have complete confidence in that person. Of course, we are human beings and thus break that confidence or trust many times in our relationships. God doesn’t. He never breaks His promises to us.

The concepts of faith in God and the love of God for us are difficult to understand for an unbeliever but I thought this was the best way I could respond to my friend. These concepts are a revelation to our hearts that we accept by faith and the best place to start is to learn that God is love and that He loves us. How do we show others that God loves them too? By us loving them – just like Jesus did.

God has been working in my heart lately and showing me how to love others. I feel the love of God in my heart ready to be poured out into the people I come in contact with. It is a feeling I have not had in the past. It is easy to love our family and dear friends but to start loving strangers and people I have not seen or met before, just because, is new to me. I think it’s because when I see people as children of God and not as people I don’t know, the perspective changes and now I can see people through the eyes of God and mercy and compassion flows along with His love.

This experience confirms to me that the main way God loves people is through each one of us. We are the conduits to God’s love to the world. I want to conclude with a Scripture from Hebrews that I read this morning. Hebrews 6: 10-11 (NLT) “For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.”

God Cares and Direct Our Steps

Today I was wondering about being in the right place during this time in my life. It is something I often ponder on because I’m always torn between doing my full-time work and also doing full-time work for God’s Kingdom. How can I do both? What is the secret to not feeling guilty for working in the world versus only doing God’s work? Or is the key to finding the balance having a job that perfectly aligns with my calling in life? Would I feel fulfilled and guilt-free then?

Since I don’t know the answers to these questions, I thought of sharing this devotional with you today from my book Devotions for Working Women. This devotional reminded me that God cares and directs every one of my steps, no matter where I am in my life’s journey. I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy!

The Lord Indeed Directs Our Steps

# 319

Proverbs 20:24 (NLT)

How can we understand the road we travel? It is the Lord who directs our steps.

Sometimes we wonder what we are doing on the path we are on. We wonder: why are we in this job? Did we choose the right career? Other times, when we ask God for direction, we are not very happy with His answer. We want Him to agree with our plans instead of us being open to His direction. But we must trust His guidance because He promises us “the steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalm 37:23 NLT).

God really cares and is interested in every single step we make in our lives. He does plan and orders our steps. He knows the things to come to our lives in the future, so He prepares us and gives us the grace to handle them. When we give Him control of our lives, He prepares the way, opens doors that no man can shut, and closes doors He knows are not for us. There will be times when we will not want to take some of those steps, but we must. We can go through doors and walk on water as Peter did with Him. He is our strong rock and safety. He is our light that illuminates the way we need to go. His Word is the lamp unto our feet. With His Word, He guides us every single step, and we follow by faith, believing in our hearts that He loves us.

It is okay if we don’t understand every step we make. The Lord knows what those steps are, where they will take us, and how many we can handle at a time. There are many things in this life we will not understand until we meet our Creator face to face and spend eternity with Him. There are other things we don’t understand right now, but He will reveal to us later when we are ready.

Don’t worry about understanding the road you are on. If you are with the Lord, He is in charge, and He indeed directs your steps.

Dealing with Your Grief

True friends go through different experiences together. You could say that they “experience life” together in many ways. True friends laugh together and also cry together.

If you recently experienced the loss of a loved one, know that your true and closest friends are suffering with you. You are not alone. Your true friends want into your heart and be there with you while you go through the grief. So I urge you to reach out and share your suffering with your close friends and family—those you know that truly care for you. Just as your true friends want you to share your good news when you get a new job, get engaged, are expecting a baby, receive a promotion or anything else that is good in your life, they also want to be included in your life when something bad happens.

Today I want to encourage you to seek out God and remember that He will get you through your grief and distress. I would like to share a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that will encourage you to continue your race while you hang on to God and share your life with your true friends.

Dealing with Grief and Distress

# 94

Psalm 31:9 (NLT)

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. My sight is blurred because of my tears. My body and soul are withering away.

During the course of our lives, we experience times of great distress and situations when we feel we are withering away from grief. Losing our job can create great pain for us because our work is a major part of our lives. Yet the loss of a loved one could be much more impacting in our working life. When we lose someone to death like a child, our spouse, a parent, or a close friend, it creates a wound in our heart that only God can heal. Divorce, separation, or a child leaving home prematurely can also be as catastrophic.

These events change our lives forever, and it is in those moments that grief can settle into our hearts. It is normal to go through a grieving period, but we cannot stay there too long because it is deadly for us just as David said in verse 10, “I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Misery has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.”

Even though we never forget tragic or sad events, we need to move on and let go of the grief and pain. We must continue the race God has set for each one of us and finish it. There are two things we need to do. First, just as David never gave up trusting God and kept running to Him for protection and comfort, we have to trust God that He will help us and lift us up. “So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” (v. 24). Secondly, we need to do what Paul did. He said to the people of Philippi, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).

Stay on Your Path

Last weekend, a good friend of mine lost her husband. Today was the funeral and I am heartbroken. There are so many questions unanswered, and why we sometimes lose the people we love, we may never know until our turn comes to join Jesus in heaven.

Today I want to encourage you to follow your own path in life. Despite the circumstances and experiences you go through during your journey here on earth, there is a specific path that God wants you to follow—a unique path He created for you.

It is my prayer that you discover your own path and that you stay on it. God will give you the grace to do it. Today’s devotional from my book, Devotions for Working Women, will remind you to stay on your unique path and will help you reach the Promised Land God has reserved for you.

Stay On Your Path

# 250

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (NLT)

You must obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

I believe the words of encouragement Moses told the people of Israel still apply to us today. If we break down this verse into smaller pieces, we can see the first thing to do is to stay on the path. This means don’t divert to the right or to the left. Don’t look back either, only move forward on the path “that the Lord your God,” not anybody else, not your parents, not your spouse, not your boss, or your friends, has “commanded” you. God commands a path for each one of us that we must follow and obey.

It is also important to know that God is into details, as verse 32 clearly states. His path for each person is very detailed—to our every moment here on earth. The key is for us to know the details of His plan and then to obey and act in faith on every detail and step He asks us to do.

We all miss details on a daily basis because we are human. But, that’s okay. God is merciful, and He helps us through the Holy Spirit and forgives us when we repent from our heart.

Even in this messed up world, there is a Promised Land for you that you can only enter with God’s direction and protection and by your faith and obedience. Your ideal job is part of your Promised Land. Don’t give up. Stay on your path.

Surviving Tragedy

What do you tell a friend who just lost her husband today? How do people recover from losing a loved one? Once someone, who had lost a 14 year old son on his 14th birthday, told me that “You never recover. You simple learn to cope.”

We all go through terrible experiences during the course of our lives and I believe we can share those experiences with others to help them get through these situations. But ultimately, we need Jesus in our hearts in order to survive these life changing and hurtful events.

Today, I want to share a devotional from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that brings hope to you if you are going through one of these situations in your life.

I Will Not Be Shaken!

# 124

Psalm 16:8 (NLT)

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

When you know in our heart that the Lord is with you, you have a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is the peace of God working in you so you are not shaken.

There are certain life events that can shake you, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of your job, divorce, or living through a natural disaster. If you find yourself living through any of the above situations, know that God is with you. He is right beside you, walking through it with you. He is holding your hand and lighting the way when it’s dark all around you. He is your comforter, your helper, your hope, and the one who loves you more than anyone on this earth.

The Lord Jesus is your Rock. Building your house on the Rock means you build your life based only on the truth of God’s Word. It is doing always what’s right and knowing the foundation is the love of God. Everything He does in your life is founded on His amazing love. In fact, the whole plan of salvation is based on His eternal love for you and desire to be with you forever.

When you build your life, your house, on Him, you will not be shaken when the storms of life come. Your house will stand. When the storm is over, you will still be standing on Him and His Word. It doesn’t matter what it looks like on the outside or around you. You will know where you stand because of what you believe.

Remember these words when you go through a storm in your life. Hang on to the Lord, and you will not be shaken.

Simply Trust Jesus

Every time I have a busy week with lots of commitments, I get a stressed out and wonder how I’m going to get it all done—and do a good job at everything I committed to do. The Lord reminded me this morning to give it all to Him and to trust Him—completely. That means to have no doubt and to have complete confidence in Him and that He will help me get through whatever I have going on in my life at the time.

Today,  I read a devotional from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that reminded me to trust and have faith in Jesus so I want to share it with you too. Enjoy!

Have Complete Confidence and Faith in Jesus

# 310

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.

Finish What You Started. Your Plans Can Succeed.

Do you have projects, plans, or dreams that you’ve been working on but never seem to have the time to finish? Well, now is the time to finish them! Today, I want to encourage you to finish what you started and offer your work as unto the Lord. He will help you. Last weekend, I finished my second book and now I’m working on publishing it.

I want to share one of the devotionals from my book Devotions for Working Women that reminds us that our plans can succeed. Enjoy!

Your Plans Can Succeed

# 283

Proverbs 16:3 (NLT)

Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed.

We all have plans we want to realize and be successful in executing. The King James Version of this verse says “commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Every one of our plans starts with a thought, an idea. When we commit our lives to God it includes our work and every area of our lives. When we commit our work unto the Lord, He will help us realize those plans and our thoughts will be established. Our plans will succeed.

Therefore, remember to commit your work to the Lord on a daily basis.

His Thoughts Are Not Our Thoughts

This week I have been reflecting on “my ways” versus “God’s ways” for my life. Sometimes we make plans for our lives and we are sure that those plans are what God wants for us. But when those plans don’t manifest the way we expected, then we get confused. Were we wrong with our plans? Or should we wait until God’s perfect timing, which is usually not ours? I don’t know what the right answer is but I do know that God’s plans are better than ours. Here is a scripture that helped me in a recent situation. Isaiah 55: 8-9 (NLT) “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

I also want to share with you one of the devotionals from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that will encourage you to wait on the Lord.

Wait Expectantly on the Lord
# 143
Psalm 5:3 (NLT)
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

David’s plea to the Lord was a daily act of faith. Every morning he talked to God and made his requests known to Him. He then waited on God and expected Him to listen to his prayers and answer them. We often treat God as a magician. We tell Him what we want and expect Him to respond immediately, like magic! We don’t wait patiently on Him. Other times we pray to God and don’t even expect Him to hear or answer our prayer. Then we get discouraged and stop asking altogether. We lose our faith in God. Both extremes are wrong. We are to ask God to meet our needs and wait expectantly as David did.

When we wait on the Lord we put our faith, hope, and trust in Him. This act blesses God. He then gives us the grace we need to wait until His answer manifests. We must learn to wait patiently because His timetable is not ours. He knows what’s best for us and that includes the right time. When His timing comes, He will give us a solution better than any we would have thought of on our own.

If you need change in your workplace, a new boss, a different job, or want to change fields, wait expectantly from the Lord. Expect to receive whatever He thinks is best for you, not just what you asked Him for. Once you give your request to Him, sincerely believe in your heart that He will answer your prayer and thank Him in advance for the answer.

Remember God's Grace

Has there been a time in your life when you felt the world was against you because you did the right thing? Sometimes doing the right thing will have consequences that are painful. In those times, you will need to remember that God is still there with you and will give you the grace to go on. Today, I want to share a devotional from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that reminds you of God’s grace so you can do the right thing—always.

God Gives Us the Grace to Always Do what Is Right
# 107
Psalm 84:11-12 (NLT)
For the Lord our God is our light and protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right. O Lord Almighty, happy are those who trust in you.

When we first come to Christ, we move from living in darkness to living in the light. As we grow in the knowledge of God, the Holy Spirit teaches us all truth. As we become mature Christians and have a revelation of what is right and wrong, we have the responsibility to do what is right—always.

Doing what’s right on a consistent basis and on our own strength is difficult, but we can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Bible promises the Lord withholds “no good thing” from those who do what is right. In the workplace, we must make a decision to always do what’s right regardless of the consequences—even if it includes losing our jobs. We have to trust God in every situation to give us the wisdom necessary to handle it correctly. We must trust Him to protect us and give us grace.

Our part is to not compromise our beliefs but rather to trust in God. His part is to protect us and be our light. He is our “sun and shield” (v. 11 KJV).

Listen to Constructive Criticism

This past year the organization where I work experienced significant growth. The company went from 30 employees to 43 and the year before another five were added to the team. So, in two years the company grew in number of employees by 72%. This growth had an effect on all the employees who were with the organization since inception and those that joined the team along the way during the previous six years.

Bringing new people to an organization from all different backgrounds can create sometimes culture shock to the ones that have been with the organization for several years before. The company has to go to through an adjustment period, roles are reassigned, responsibilities are switched or increased, and everyone is affected one way or another. During the process, people’s feelings can get hurt and criticism can occur.

Today, I want to share a devotional from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that encourages us to discern between positive criticism and negative criticism. Once we make that determination, we can grow from what we learned during the process and move on. Growing an organization can be very exciting but, at the same time, it can be an opportunity for the enemy to come in and try to destroy us.

Listen to Constructive Criticism and Grow
# 351

Proverbs 15:31-32 (NLT)
If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject criticism, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

Nobody likes to be criticized. There are two kinds of criticism: constructive and destructive. We must learn to discern if we’re getting one or the other. If you know the person who is giving you the correction as someone who loves you and cares about you, then accept it as constructive criticism. Learn from it, thank them, and move on.

On the other hand, if the criticism comes from someone who hardly knows you or is ill intentioned, then drop it and move on. If you are not sure, then ask God to help you discern and confirm the correction.
It is wise to accept constructive criticism. God will put people at work sometimes to help you develop in your career. He will also send people in your family or friends to help you mature. Don’t get offended and blow them off. Take these opportunities to grow in understanding.

Give Your Burdens to Jesus

If you are going through one of those seasons in your life when you feel burdened by everything you have going on, I encourage you to give them all to the Lord. He is waiting with open arms to receive you with all your luggage. He will take up your burdens and carry them for you. The devotional for today will remind you that Jesus will take care of you.

Give Your Burdens to the Lord
# 302
Psalm 55:22 (NLT)
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

How often do you feel burdened to the point of giving up? Most of us feel the burdens of life to be overwhelming at some point during our lives. The Bible tells us to give our burdens to the Lord for He will help us carry them. He cares for us and is always willing to carry us through every situation.
Anything can become a burden when there is no grace. But through His grace we are able to handle the trials of life and overcome difficult situations. Giving our burdens to God means we trust Him fully. It means we know He loves us and He will never abandon us.

Your work should not be or become a burden to you. If it is a burden right now, ask God what His will for you is, what your next step should be, and to help you carry your burdens. He will not let you fall. Remember, with Jesus, the yoke is easy and the burden is light (Matthew 11:30 KJV).

Always Do what Is Right

This year is almost over and usually, during these last days, we take time to reflect on what we did (or didn’t do) during the past twelve months.

During this past year, I had a situation in the workplace where I had to stand up and do what is right despite the fact that my reputation was on the line. In the end, everything turned out fine and I didn’t have to compromise my belief in always doing what’s right, regardless of the consequences.

Today, I want to share this devotional from my book, Devotions for Working Women, because it will remind you to always do what is right. God will always be there with you. Happy New Year!

When We Do what’s Right, We Are Righteous as Christ Is
#207
1 John 3:7 (NLT)
Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it is because they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.

Doing what is right consistently is difficult. In the workplace, we are confronted daily with situations where we need to decide to do what is right—no matter the cost. Many of us compromise the truth and not do what is right mainly for fear of losing our jobs. Very few women who work don’t really need to work. Therefore, when our job is on the line, what do we do? According to the Bible, we are always to do what is right—no exceptions.

When we do what’s right, we are righteous as Christ is. We will have to trust God with all our heart that He will protect us and provide for all our needs. Our job is a need and, therefore, He will provide it for us. We have to believe and trust that He will never leave us nor forsake us—especially when we are doing what is right.