David understood one of the essential qualities of a leader, as we see in 2 Samuel 23:3. Anyone who wants to lead well must fear the Lord. When we talk about fearing God, we are not talking about a wrong kind of fear. We are talking about the reverential fear that causes us to bow in His presence and even to prostrate ourselves before Him and say, “My God, there is none like You; Whom shall I fear? If You are for me, what can man do to me?’

The apostle Paul wrote something in Galatians 1:10, He said, “Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).”

We know Satan firsthand uses rejection to prevent us from going forward with the call of God on our our lives. Have you ever been attacked with rejection? The devil uses this very effective tool to keep us from making progress.

How many of you have gone to the bank to get a loan for your business and were turned down? Wanted more money to expand? Wanted to hire a few more people? How many people were skeptical when you told them you were starting a business, or joining a partnership with someone, or told you all of the reasons why they failed in business and why you would too? It’s very difficult to go on when you are being rejected by someone you love and care about or others who have the power and ability to help but do not buy into your vision. I know what that feels like when you take the leap of faith and do what you believe you have been called to do. I shudder to think what I might have sacrificed had I bowed down to the pressure and the weight of rejection. Everywhere I went for help they told me no, or I didn’t qualify, but thank God I didn’t give up.

Have you ever been in a situation when the devil leveled an attack against you at the same time when God was trying to promote you into the next level of what he has for your life?

Anyone who is going to do the will of God must have more fear of God than of man. We all want acceptance and for others to support our dreams. It takes courage to live your dreams. And you have to be willing to lose everything to do it. What does that mean? The trials and storms of life will come. They must. Do you stay and fight for the dream and the desire that you believe God has placed on the inside of you, or do you turn in defeat because it’s just too hard?

Anyone who is going to do God’s will must remember what Jesus told His disciples: “A servant is not greater than his master…If they persecuted Me, they will also persecut you” (John 15:20). He was saying, “If they reject you, in effect they are rejecting Me.” I believe the Lord takes it personally when people reject you because you are trying to do the right thing. He knows how you feel about being rejected, because He felt the same thing. He is your Vindicator; your reward comes from Him, and you must reverentially fear and honor Him more than anything or anyone else.

As you have made the decision, for God I live, and for God I die, know that God is equally commited to the promise as well. Romans 8:31,32 “What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] [Ps. 118:6]

32 He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?

God approved of you before anybody else ever got a chance to disapprove. Do not spend your time playing it safe in the illusion of a down economy (because millionaries are being made everyday, banks are still giving corporate execs million dollar bonuses) don’t buy into the hype! Safety is very comfortable, but it may keep you from God’s perfect plan for your life.  If we want to continue to succeed in this environment, our focus must be customer focus coupled with outstanding customer service. Not because it will keep your customer and repeat business, but if you never see them again, the honor and privilege is in being in a position to serve.

Trust His Word and keep your heart willing and ready to obey. Be willing to try new things, especially if it is something you have never done before. You will find throughout your life that God regularly calls us out of our comfort zones and into new places of faith and growth in Him.

On the way to your destination, enjoy the journey.

Linda Dillard

Founder/CEO & Relationship Strategist for Power In Progress, LLC & Creator of the “CEO Method”

Why does it always take a tragedy to wake us up out of our unconcious state of selfishness before we are willing to help one another? Apparently, Hurricane Katrina was not enough for us to sustain a long lasting commitment to love one another as we love ourselves.

The US has no Interest in Haiti

How unfortunate it is that it took a devastating Earthquake in Haiti before the world woke up. What amazes me is that Haiti has been an impoverished country for many years. The fact that the United States has no vested interest in Haiti in terms of what it can get from the people or country of Haiti is irrelevant. Why must God get our attention by allowing such mass destruction to occur?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

I have often wondered why bad things happen to good people? It’s sad to know that we have all contributed in some way due to our mass consciousness of caring about self only.

In 2 Corinthians 9:10-12 (amp), “And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifest istself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. [Isa. 55:10; Hos. 10:12]

11 Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.

12 For the service that the ministering of this fund renders does not only fully supply what is lacking to the saints (God’s people), but it also overflows in many [cries of] thanksgiving to God.”

God will provide us a seed to sow

In times like these, it’s easy to withhold seed because we are uncertain if we will have enough. But a seed can never multiply and bear fruit until it has been planted. Whenever we invest in God’s people at home or abroad, we can rest assure that God will continue to provide seed for us to sow, and those in whom we sow seed will cry out to God with thanksgiving.

I say to the many of you who were like me before I read this passage, there is so much money and aid needed for these hurting people, how will I know if my seed will be used for that which it was intended?

What’s your motive?

 Well, we can thank God that he does not judge our outward appearance but our heart and our motives. Whether our seed ever gets to where it is intended, God will still honor our heart to give and you will be blessed. For those who misuse the seed, and cause even more suffering because of their lack of integrity, God is in control of that as well. So give, so seed.

Our job and our responsibility is not to judge others for what they are or are not doing, our only responsibility is to make sure we are doing what we are suppose to do. We serve a God that never slumbers or sleep, and he is always on top of his game. Let our business be a reflection of how we are, not just who we are. Whether your are providing aid to Haiti, or giving your left over food from your resturant to a shelter, orphanage, or a parent who waits table and would welcome the extra food to feed their family, when you have a need, sow a seed.

So take heart my sister, my brother; Love thy neighbor as thyself (Mark 12:31).  In so doing, the recipient of this goodness, kindness, and charity will cry out to God in thanksgiving. 

Be Inspired,

Linda Dillard
Founder/CEO Power In Progress, LLC
Relationship Strategist

If someone asks what you do, how do you answer? Normally people give a job title or a brief description of their work. Rarely does anyone answer that they work for Christ, unless perhaps they work in ministry or as a missionary. Consider, however, that each Christian is urged in Ephesians 4:1 to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” Paul is asking believers to take up a lifestyle that reflects Christ in every respect, including the work that they do.

It’s unfortunate that many Christians view their work life as separate from their spiritual life. During the Reformation of the 16th century, Martin Luther made the case that the shoemaker working at his bench was doing God’s work just as much as the priest in the church. It is by our actions out in the world, particularly on our jobs where we spend so many hours, that Christ is made known to others.

Whatever your chosen occupation, your everyday work can indeed by sacred work. If you provide an honest day’s work for your pay, market a product at a fair price, do a job that improves the lives of others, or just plain insist on treating others honestly and respectfully, then you can consider yourself as working for Christ. In this modern, complex world, jobs unsuitable for Christians do exist. However, most modern career fields are excellent opportunities for doing God’s work.

When you head to work, consider yourself heading off to work for Christ. Your every action and word reflect your divine boss to your co-workers. Even in work environments where open discussion of your faith is unwelcome or against company policy, you still have the opportunity to work for Christ. In fact all your words are worthless, if your actions don’t back them up. Colossians 3:17 reminds us that whatever you do in word or deed, “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

The next time you’re asked what you do, consider answering that you work for Christ as an accountant, a salesman, a nurse, a teacher, a waitress, a student or whatever your current occupation.

(all scripture references taken from the New American Standard Bible)

You might be an avid churchgoer or you might attend when things go wrong but have you ever just stopped and asked yourself, “Just what is a Christian?” If you listen to the media these days, you will get all sorts of viewpoints of what a Christian is. You will get viewpoints of Christians being good, kind, caring people to those who do not give the faith a good name.

Yet one thing is for certain, there is an inconsistent view among non-Christians as to what a Christian is and it could be because many Christians themselves do not fully understand what it means to be a Christian. It is important that a Christian understands just what it means so as to live their lives as an example to others. Let’s look at this further.

A Christian is Not Perfect but Follows a Different Path

A Christian is not a perfect person but rather a forgiven person. Yet all too often, some Christians think that since God always forgives, they can keep sinning because the blood of Jesus Christ will cover their sins from past to present to future. I’m not a Bible scholar but when I read my Bible, It’s clear to me that there has to be a repentant spirit when one comes to seek salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Repentance means that a person heading in the wrong direction turned one day and begin heading in the right direction—following Jesus and seeking God’s will. It means that the person’s affections changed from Godless to seeking God. It means that one day a person began to have a relationship with God whereas before there was none.

Repentance will Have Evident Works

Read Acts Chapter 19. You’ll see that as the Apostle Paul went around casting out demons in Ephesus, there were others who were trying to do the same but were not doing so under the power of God. They were using other magic and sorcery spells to try to achieve the same result until a demon in one person said enough and proceeded to violently beat upon them. This one event caused many to openly confess that they were wrong in their ways and burned their Godless scrolls and turned to follow the true God’s ways. This was repentance and this is what the world sees in true Christians. You will see evident works along with consistency.

A Christian is Called to Reflect the Light

A Christian who is truly seeking to advance the Kingdom of God is doing so in such a manner as to direct focus from himself or herself and towards the light which is Jesus Christ. Now what does that mean? Well, a true Christian has a desire to tell others about Jesus Christ who is the light of the World. A mirror, if pointed just right, will redirect and reflect light from one source to a target and it can be adjusted by shifting it in different directions.

It is best explained in the Bible by this passage in 1 John 1:5-6 (KJV): ⁵This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth

A Christian is representative of that mirror that reflects the light. By a Christian’s actions and words, unbelievers can be influenced and directed towards the light.

Actions Sound Louder than Words

Notice both actions and words are mentioned and actions should be given priority over words. Words are cheap and meaningless today. You see politicians get up on television and mention God to get elected yet you see them get into all sorts of trouble due to immorality or unethical behavior. Actions not only speak louder than words but scream louder than words when it comes to a Christian because the world watches this group very closely.

Christlike

One way that helps guide me as a Christian is to be like Christ (which is what “Christian” means anyways). You will also know this by “What would Jesus do.” A minister portrayed it to us very well one evening in church. He said, “I could never picture Jesus riding on a white horse through Marlboro Country and I could never picture him being silent if a cashier gave too much change back.” Jesus gave us a fine example of Christianity but we have to ask him to come into our hearts first and we must change our direction towards Him in order to be a true Christian.

Further Reading

What’s So Great about Christianity

Dinesh D’Souza. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2008, Paperback, 368 pages, $9.04

Many young Christians just starting out in the work force and fresh out of college will find themselves working in a place that they would rather not stay too long. You’ve heard of these places. They are known among your colleagues as the “sweatshop.“ The sweatshop is that place where the pay and working conditions are not the greatest. It is that entry-level job right out of college. The trap the Christian falls into many times is saying that this job in the sweatshop is not God’s will and use that as an excuse to justify poor performance. But did you know that this job you’ve been given by God could be exactly his will and how your future goes depends on how you perform today?

God Uses the Sweatshop

Think about Joseph in the Old Testament. If anyone got treated unfairly by mankind it was Joseph. But his sweatshop experience of serving his masters in prison after being unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife is an example for all of us to follow.

Do it Even if you do not like it

Take a look at this scripture here from the Bible:

Matthew 21:28-32 (KJV)

28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

The first guy didn’t like it and voiced it too. But when he had a change of heart due to a repentant spirit, he went ahead and got it done. The other just lied and said he would do it but didn’t. Ask yourself which one is the poor testimony?

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

Do it as unto the Lord. The verse in Ecclesiastes 9:10 make it very clear how you are supposed to work:

Ecclesiastes 9:10 (KJV)

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

It Shows Your Boss Something Different

You have to remember never to compromise your Christian standards but when your boss is directing you within in the limits of your Christian convictions you should listen to him or her and follow directions. This is especially true in a sweatshop as your boss typically hears all of the complaining from the other employees.

Now, just because you are compliant, does not mean that your boss will suddenly subscribe to Christianity. He or she might even find your compliant reactions a little odd when compared with others. And you don’t need to go overboard with it either. Remember that is God who does the work to change your boss’s heart towards faith in Jesus. You are commanded to do God’s will and be the best employee you possibly can so that you will be faultless before your boss and represent Christianity well.

The title probably draws your attention as you might be heading to college or recently graduated from college and entering the work force. You are career-minded and want to start it off right and be very successful at it. But before you embark on your career journey, you should know what the most important career is. You should know about the career that rarely offers second chances if you fail at it. And, you should know about the career that contributes the most to others for their future careers. That is the career of being a family person. It is the career that you must focus on first and put your other career (accountant, lawyer, nurse, etc.) second.

Be a Family Person

I say “family person” as a general term to refer to husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and adult children. Family person does not necessarily only deal with marriage or parenting. The term also refers to the child who grew to an adult and still has relationships with his or her parents and grandparents. The career of being a family person is a very critical and important one that most employers have very little concern for (in spite of what they say)

Many People Put Family Second and Career First

You’ve heard it before: “Family first.” Yet so many young people in their early adult years ignore it either because of fear of their boss or an overwhelming desire to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as possible.

I attended a funeral a couple of years ago for a friend I had known for quite a few years. In his 50s, he came down with cancer and died in a short time despite efforts to treat it. He was a friend and we also shared the same profession. During the funeral, many got up before the audience and told their stories. His children, now in their teenage years, got up and told us stories about their adventures with their dad. But not one person got up before the audience and told stories about his career pursuits or vocational achievements.

Few will talk about your career when you die

And guess what? When you die, few will talk of your career at your funeral too. No, they will talk about how you shared time with them, how you shared happy and sad moments with them, and how you helped them when in need. Take a moment and try to view off in the future and think about how that will be. What would they say about you at your funeral?

So what if your boss makes demands on you that consistently rob you of time with your family? What do you do? Quit? I’m talking about demands that have been going on for quite some time and give no indication of letting up (not just the occasional overtime).

“You can always get another job but you only get one family.”

A wise, aged, man told a young professional who was working all kinds of hours that, “You can always get another job but you only get one family.” And, he continued on to say, “No one has respect for a ‘yes’ man.”

His point is that you only get one chance at this family thing and you need to set boundaries and limits with your employer. Your most important “career” is to take care of family whether it is being a dad, or a mom, or an adult child taking care of your aging parents. These are the things that after your relationship with God matter first. Taking care of your family pleases God. And if you lose your job because of an employer who is unreasonable then consider this verse from the Bible:

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

To put it simply: God wants you to take care of your family. That is his will without a doubt. Do his will in this area and he will take care of you as the verse says. Someday, you will look back and not have any regrets having made a decision to put the family “career” before your professional career.