Monthly Archives: September 2016

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Work Week Devotion 09.25.2016

Proverbs 16:3

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV): Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.

Most of us like to have a plan. We have a goal and plan to get there. What do you do when life doesn’t go as planned? Do you throw up your hands in despair? Do you work harder to force your agenda even when it’s obvious that it’s not working? How many times have you had to look back, at best sheepishly, or at worst extremely thankful, that your plan was thwarted?

The key to God’s hand in your success is having His input from the beginning. Prayerfully set your goals. Commit your plans to the Lord. Work diligently, always seeking His leading. Be prepared to change the course even if it wasn’t in your original plan. Never forget that the One who establishes your plans has ways that are far better than ours.

All Knowing Lord, Thank you for having plans far better than we could ever imagine. Please send us reminders to seek Your will in our plans from the beginning and look for Your leading as we strive to achieve our goals. Please forgive us when we try to run ahead on our own. Amen.

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Make New Friends

Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold!

I think I sang this song in Girl Scouts approximately 782 times. Of course we all know this is true from a figurative standpoint. Friendships are more valuable than any precious metal, but did you know that it can be taken literally as well? In his book Thou Shall Prosper (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010, pg. 61), Rabbi Daniel Lapin has this to say about business and friendship: “Only by actively, perhaps even joyously, interacting with other people can the circumstances of wealth creation be set in place.”

Making friends to try and get something from people NEVER works. It is, of course, also obnoxious. Happily, the side-effect of genuine relationships is expanding business contacts. One of the things I love about having a practice and going to church in the same small-ish (it’s big enough for me!) town is getting to know people and support their business endeavors as they support mine. I wrote about that a little bit in “No Free Pizza!” https://www.smileservesucceed.com/no-free-pizza/ (which is probably my most popular post to date!) I have recently started seeing posts on Facebook encouraging people to share links to their small business to encourage keeping it local when Christmas shopping. I love seeing that!

Expand your circle. Care for people. Care about their well-being. Find ways to serve them and meet their needs. Do it because friendships make our lives fuller and richer. Do it because we were made for relationships. Enjoy the unexpected business rewards as they come.

Are you actively seeking out new, genuine relationships? Where and how?

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Work Week Devotion Labor Day 2016

The Importance of Rest

Mark 6:31 (NIV): Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

God made us to need rest. Rest renews, refuels and re-energizes us. It prevents us from being burned out and stressed out. It allows us to serve God and serve people with energy and passion that is not available when we stretch ourselves too thin. It gives us the physical and mental stamina we need to tackle whatever comes up at work or at home.

God ordained rest from the beginning. The all-knowing, all-capable Creator of the universe and life itself took time to rest. He established the Sabbath and feasts that made rest a law in the old testament. Imagine a culture where refusing to rest was punishable!

There are several reasons we don’t get the rest we require. We wear the title of “busy” like it’s a badge of honor. We say “yes” to too many things. We feel guilty when we slow down. We’ll rest tomorrow. We are called to emulate Christ in every way that we can. Jesus rested and so can you! The Bible gives several examples where Jesus rested, Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, John 6:15 and Luke 5:16 just to name a few. When was the last time you got some real rest?

Heavenly Father, You knew from the beginning that Your creation would need rest. Thank you for giving us a way to renew ourselves physically and spiritually. Please forgive us for neglecting this gift. Help us to remember how important it is to rest in You and open our eyes to those opportunities. Amen.