HOW SHARP IS YOUR AX?

 

If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success (Eccl 10:10). Manufacturing companies live and die by the ability of its designers, engineers, and staff to bring new products to market quickly. Yet for many organizations, a team’s capacity to turn promising ideas into new revenue is diminished because of fragmented business processes, a geographically dispersed workforce, and a lack of standards across the supply chain according to an industry expert on innovation in technology. We live in an information age where the level of knowledge is increasing at warp speed. The way you did things two years ago may not be the same way you do it today. The knowledge you have two years ago may not be adequate to compete in the global marketplace today. Businesses have gone bankrupt because they were not willing to change with the times. Have you seen a Polaroid camera lately? Do you know someone over sixty years old who chose not to learn about computers?  The world passes by such people because they are unwilling to "sharpen their ax." God calls every workplace believer to model four key attributes: 1) Excellence, 2) Ethics and Integrity, 3) Extravagant Love and Service, and 4) Signs and Wonders. The first quality of a Christian worker should be excellence. Excellence does not just mean the way we do our jobs, but it also means staying abreast of how we do our jobs. God desires to reveal His innovations in His creation. You will not compete in the marketplace today unless you make a commitment to stay abreast of innovation. This too is good stewardship. How is your "workplace ax"? Does it need sharpening? What are the areas in your working life that need to be sharpened? What innovation is needed to insure that you will be the "head, not the tail" in your workplace calling? Begin today to evaluate action steps you may need to take to have a very sharp "ax".

SECOND CHANCES

 ..."I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." Jonah 4:2

Have you ever gone through a time of disobedience with God? Jonah was a prophet of God who decided he didn't want to prophesy for the Lord. God wanted him to deliver a message to Nineveh to warn them against impending destruction if they didn't turn from their ways. Jonah had developed a hardened heart toward the people of Nineveh. He didn't really care if they repented or not; so rather than travel to Nineveh and deliver the message, he hopped a boat in the opposite direction. You probably know the rest of the story. He was eaten by a fish and spent a few days thinking about his decision.
There is a place where we all will obey. What circumstances must take place for us to become obedient? For some of us, it requires a good shakeup. For Jonah, it required a big shakeup because he was God's man to save 120,000 people. He was chosen by God to be used by God, and God didn't give up on him.
God understands our disobedient heart. He sees what we really are; yet He gives us second chances. God gave Jonah a second chance. He gave the people of Nineveh a second chance. It is a lesson of love from a heavenly Father who specializes in second chances. Have you blown it? Have you disappointed someone close to you? God is the God of second chances. All we have to do is acknowledge our waywardness. He will restore. He will give grace. Ask Him.

GOD'S DELAY IS NOT DENIAL

 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days (John 11:17).

Mary and Martha were very close to Jesus. The Bible says Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Mary was the woman who came and poured expensive perfume on Jesus and the disciples rebuked her. Lazarus, Mary and Martha's brother, had become terminally ill. Jesus was away in Jerusalem during the time of Lazarus' illness. After Jesus heard the news that Lazarus was ill, instead of running to the aid of Mary and Martha, Jesus waited two days. Lazarus died and was placed in a tomb. His response to the news was: "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (John 11:4). Jesus had to look beyond Mary and Martha's current grief in order to fulfill God's purpose for this sickness.
"When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home" (John 11:20-22). Mary was in deep mourning over the death of her brother. When she finally went to see Jesus, she immediately cried out to Him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
There was a pre-ordained plan for the purpose of Lazarus' death. But only Jesus knew this. Jesus healed Lazarus that day after being dead four days.
When we experience sickness and do not see a breakthrough, we can only seek Jesus for our healing and leave the outcome to Him. We must trust that He knows the answer to our need and the timing for its solution. There are times when we experience supernatural healing and other times that we simply do not know why Jesus chooses not to heal. In either case, our devotion to Jesus must not change.
God-delays are always pre-ordained for a greater purpose. If you find yourself in this place, bring your concerns to Jesus and leave them there. A day will come when Jesus will reveal His purposes in your situation. The psalmist said, "My times are in your hand" (Ps 31:14b). Jesus may have been four days late, but as is often the case, He was still right on time. Are you able to trust His timing?

YOU WERE MADE TO FLY

 

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised" (Job 1:21). Can a caterpillar fly? If you said, "No," you would be partially correct. Actually, a caterpillar can fly, but it must have a transformation first. The butterfly begins life as a caterpillar, a wormlike larva that spins a cocoon for itself. For weeks, the larva remains hidden within the cocoon as it undergoes metamorphosis. When it's time for the butterfly to emerge, it must struggle and fight its way out of the cocoon. We might be tempted to help this process by tearing open the cocoon - but that's the worst thing we could do. The struggle makes it strong and enables it to fly. Butterflies need adversity to become what God intended them to be. So do we. The Book of Job is the story of a wealthy and successful community leader named Job. He was a successful and righteous businessman with huge holdings of livestock and real estate. One day Satan came before God and asked him, "Where have you come from?" Satan replied, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." God said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Notice that God pointed Job out to Satan! God gave Satan permission to put Job through a trial of adversity. Job's herds were stolen, his servants were murdered, and all of Job's children were killed by a sudden tornado. Through his trial of adversity, he grows in strength, wisdom and faith. His entire perspective on God is transformed by his suffering. He was even accused of sin by his closest friends. We must get beyond the immature notion that God is interested only in making us healthy, wealthy and happy. More than anything, He wants us to be like Christ. And the road to becoming like Christ often leads through the wilderness of adversity. In order for the butterfly to fly, there must be a transformation process that is often developed through adversity.

UNLIMITED POTENTIAL

 

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 What might God want to accomplish through you in your lifetime? As a workplace believer, you may yet have your greatest contribution to society. Such was the case of Cyrus McCormick, born in 1809. Raised on a farm by an inventor father, Cyrus McCormick sought to invent a mechanical reaper to harvest wheat. His father's attempts at inventing a successful machine had failed until Cyrus, at 22, created one that worked. McCormick had to overcome many setbacks including the loss of his patent 14 years after his first invention. This opened up competition. Then, in 1837 he went bankrupt due to the bank panic of 1837. However, these setbacks did  not prevent McCormick from achieving his goals. He expanded his market by trying to sell his machine to European farmers in 1851. A long series of honors compensated for the lack of recognition and praise from his American compatriots. By 1856, he was not only a world figure but his factory produced more than 4,000 reapers a year. McCormick was a committed believer. He lived during the time of D.L. Moody and gave $10,000 to Moody to start the Chicago YMCA in 1869. That building burned along with his Chicago factory in 1871. By this time, McCormick was over 60 and wealthy enough to retire. Before his death in 1884, he had given $100,000 to help open Moody Bible Institute. His son, Cyrus Jr., was to become the first chairman of the school's board. Cyrus McCormick was a devoted Christian who passed his faith on to his son who later met up with J. Pierpoint Morgan to become the first president of a combined reaper firm, the famed International Harvester Corporation. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 328-331.] What might God want to accomplish through your life? Surely you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

GETTING REFUELED

 

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35-36). How do you get refueled? When our cars run low on fuel, we simply drop by the local filling station to get more fuel. When our bodies are hungry, we feed them. How do we refuel our spiritual lives? We can learn from the example Jesus modeled in His life. In the New Testament we see that Jesus had a very demanding schedule. He traveled from town to town, often walking many miles between the towns. He spent a lot of time with people. As a speaker and teacher I can tell you that it is very draining to minister for extended periods. Your body and your spirit becomes fatigued. The day before the above scripture was recorded, Jesus had a full day of ministry healing the sick, delivering people from demons and walking to different cities (Mark 1:29-37). The following day it says Jesus got up before the sun rose and went to pray. The disciples were wondering where He was. When Jesus was on earth, He was fully man. Everything He did was based upon receiving specific directions and power from His father to do them. He was not operating as God, but as a human being with the same limitations you and I have. So, Jesus knew one of the key ways to refuel His mind, body and spirit was by spending time in prayer to His Heavenly Father. This is a critical discipline for every follower of Jesus if you expect to have power and victory in your Christian walk. We each need to find a solitary place to focus upon the Lord, His Word and His input for our lives. If this is not a part of your daily experience, why not start tomorrow with a few minutes of focused time of reading and prayer. You will be encouraged with the new spiritual focus you will have by making this a priority.

WHO SHOULD BE IN CHARGE?

 

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" (Prov 29:2, NKJV). We hear a lot these days about being "politically correct." It seems we must be sensitive to every group, no matter how that group might negatively impact our lives or violate ethical or moral laws. When God created the earth, he did not care what people thought of his policies. His policy was THE way! But his primary motive was not to control but to bless mankind, His creation. His nature was only good. In Jeremiah 9:24 we find God's nature described: "I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. He laid down rules in the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve to follow. As long as they followed the rules, they would reign over every living creature. They were representing the Creator in all aspects. God's government was being expressed through his creation in humans, nature and animals. He was and is the ultimate righteous ruler. God's desire was to extend this mandate across the earth through Godly leaders who could represent and legislate his Kingdom in all spheres of life. This is why He said in Deuteronomy 28:13,14: "The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom." God desires to raise up Godly leaders who can represent His interest on the earth. He has called you and me to be one of His representatives.

ALLOWING GOD TO PROMOTE

 

"So David's fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him" (1 Chron 14:17). We live in a day of self-promotion. Marketing firms are hired today to persuade others to view a person or situation in the way they want you to. There are millions of dollars spent annually by sports companies, personality agents, and marketing firms to create fame for their clients and products. They negotiate sponsorship deals and try to get the most money for the most exposure. The ultimate goal is fame and notoriety. There is a great danger in self-promotion. Self-promotion is trying to move from the place you are to a place ahead of where God may want you. It is not wrong to become famous, popular or desired by others as long as it happens as a fruit of your calling. However, when you begin to orchestrate things in an effort to inflate who you are for the sake of gain, you have crossed the line. David's fame was a result of his fulfilling his mission in life. When he failed, he repented. When he was successful, he acknowledged the Lord. Never do you see David exalt himself over the Lord. Yes, he made some selfish decisions that led to sin. But David could not be criticized for self-promotion. We all must carefully balance the difference between marketing designed to inform and educate versus promote and manipulate. Describing the true attributes of a product, service or person is good marketing communications. However, persuasion designed to inflate reality is witchcraft. Proverbs says, "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips (Prov 27:2). Following this principle will keep you from moving beyond God'smethod of promotion.

TEACHING VERSUS IMPARTING

 

"The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law" (Mark 1:22-23). "It is not enough to simply teach; you must also impart to others," said my mentor one day. One of the spiritual gifts God has given to me is the gift of teaching (Rom. 12:7). However, the Lord does not desire that teachers only impart knowledge to others. Knowledge alone will not empower others to be mature disciples of Christ. The people recognized there was something different about Jesus. He was a teacher of the law as a Rabbi. However, whenever He taught there was an authority that went beyond the conveying of information. He was imparting Truth through the authority of His life. His words impacted others profoundly. A Bible teacher who wants to have the greatest impact on those they teach should teach transferable life application from the scriptures that they have lived out personally. This is what gives you your authority to teach. I rarely teach a concept that I have not personally lived out and have an accompanying testimony. Paul believed and lived this principle as well: "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God" (1 Cor 2:1). Each of us has been given an authority to impart the message of the Kingdom to others. Some of us have a particular anointing that God uses in the lives of others. Ask God to reveal your anointing so you can impart it to others. When you study under a teacher make sure your teacher not only teaches, but also imparts the life-giving power of the anointing in their life!

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

 

"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matt 20:26-28). A rider on horseback, many years ago, came upon a squad of soldiers who were trying to move a heavy piece of timber. A corporal stood by, giving lordly orders to "heave." But the piece of timber was a trifle too heavy for the squad. "Why don't you help them?" asked the quiet man on the horse, addressing the important corporal. "Me? Why, I'm a corporal sir!" Dismounting, the stranger carefully took his place with the soldiers. "Now, all together boys - heave!" he said. And the big piece of timber slid into place. The stranger mounted his horse and addressed the corporal. "The next time you have a piece of timber for your men to handle, corporal, send for the commander-in-chief." The horseman was George Washington, the first American president. Whenever someone mentions your name does the word "servant" come to their mind? Jesus modeled servant-hood to twelve young men and changed the world. If you want to see others become servants you must model it yourself. George Washington was a great example of a Christian leader who was a great soldier and servant to those he led. No wonder God used this great servant to establish a new nation. Moses was also a great leader of men. The Bible says that Moses was the most humble man on earth. That is why God could use him to lead hundreds of thousands out of slavery into the Promised Land. Pray that God makes you a great humble servant leader of others.

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTH

 

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:4 Have you ever tried to do anything that you were not gifted to do? I am not a handy man. If there is a household project, like a plumbing leak or anything mechanical - forget it. God has not given me any "natural" gifts for such things.  I have a friend who can fix or assemble anything. It comes naturally to him, and he loves to help me. This same person looks at some of my abilities and marvels. We appreciate the gifts God has given to each of us. These differences have created a need for one another. God wants each of us to need one another. The Scriptures describe the Body of Christ in the same way. Each person is a member of His Body with gifts and talents designed to make His Body perform as a multi-talented group, all playing to the same tune. It is when one member is "out of tune" or decides he doesn't like his gifts, or decides to do something he is not designed to do that the orchestra begins to sound off key. Imagine if the parts of the human body decided they didn't want to fulfill their parts any longer. That body would no longer function effectively because one or more of its members were not performing the functions they were designed for. What has He equipped you for? What role has he called you to play in God's Kingdom? When one link in the chain is weakened, the whole chain is susceptible to breaking. God made it that way so that we could help that weak link. He made it that way so we would be forced to depend on one another. Are you being a strong link in the chain of God's Kingdom? Ask Him if you are fulfilling your role as He designed.

BAD ALLIANCES

"Woe to the obstinate children," declares the Lord, "to those who carry out plans that are not Mine, forming an alliance, but not by My Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting Me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge." Isaiah 30:1-2 Have you ever entered a business relationship with someone you knew you were not supposed to? Throughout the history of Israel, the people were called to come out of an old way of life. Egypt represented that old way; when things got tough, the Israelites reverted to what was comfortable. They always knew they could take a trip to Egypt and find what they lacked. Perhaps this was their reasoning: "If we can't get it accomplished under the new way, why not go back to the way we used to do it? At least we know we can get it there." When God calls us into a walk of faith, we can expect to be tested in this walk. If we enter into alliances that God has not ordained, it will only bring heartache. Such was the case for Israel. "But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame, Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace" (Is. 30:3). Beware what you perceive as an alliance that may advance your business. It may actually bring you great distress if God has not directed you to align it. Ask yourself what the motive is behind this possible alliance. Make sure that it is not based on fear or a quick fix. Get confirmation that God is leading you to make such an alliance. Then you will not end up in the way of Israel, experiencing shame and disgrace.