“I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB) God has only good plans for your life. He never has, and he never will have bad plans for you. Yet, many people miss God’s plan for their lives because they don’t trust God. Instead, they decide to follow their own plan, which leads to hopelessness and pessimism in the end. The more you understand God’s goodness, the more hopeful you’ll be—because hope is anticipating God’s goodness. The only reason you have real hope is because God is good; without God’s goodness, there’s no rational reason for hope. King David said in Psalm 27:13-14, “I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord” (NASB). Everything God does for you, through you, to you, and in you is because he is good. God’s goodness in your life is never based on how good you are; it’s always based on God’s character, not yours. Are you fighting discouragement, doubt, or despair? Then, take your eyes off your problems—and get your eyes on all the good things God has done in your life. You can even write them down and make a list! You’ll be amazed at all you come up with, and it will serve as a reminder to you in the days ahead. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV). What does God’s goodness in your life look like? It looks like his blessings of sustenance, balance, resilience, guidance, confidence, assurance, influence, inheritance—and so much more. He makes all of this available to his children because of his grace and his good character. That gives me hope—and it can give you hope today too!
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“The quality of each person’s work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that Day fire will reveal everyone’s work; the fire will test it and show its real quality.”
1 Corinthians 3:13 (GNT) God wants to use your job to make you more like Jesus. But learning Christ-like qualities such as responsibility, character, and love is never easy. To learn those things, you have to respond to people the way Jesus would—and that can be particularly difficult at work. So why should you make such an effort to become like Jesus in your job? First, because God is going to evaluate your work one day. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:13, “The quality of each person’s work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that Day fire will reveal everyone’s work; the fire will test it and show its real quality” (GNT). Everything you’ve done in your career eventually will be seen—because Christ is going to inspect it on the day of judgment. On that day, everyone’s work will be tested by fire to show the character and quality of what each person has done. So much of your work may be done without anyone seeing or watching—but God knows. He is watching, and you will give him an account for your work, no matter how menial it seems. You don’t have to always get it right. And you certainly don’t have to be the best. But you do have to work as if you’re doing it for Christ—because you really are. Second, you should try to become more like Jesus in your work because God is going to give eternal rewards for whatever is done in love. Hebrews 6:10 says, “God is fair. He won’t forget what you’ve done or the love you’ve shown for him” (GW). You need to remember that verse every Monday morning. God is not going to forget how hard you work, how you give your best, and how you show love in his name. Your work matters to God. One of your purposes in life is to become like Christ. And your job could be one of the most important ways God teaches you to be responsible, to develop character, and to love others. And it could be one of the most significant ways he uses you to bring others to him. “I think you ought to know, dear brothers, about the hard time we went through in Asia. We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. We . . . saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for he can even raise the dead.”
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (TLB) Everyone experiences problems at work. But sometimes those problems keep growing to the point that they become overwhelming, and you feel like they’re about to swallow you up. What do you do then? You do what Paul did when he was overwhelmed. Remember, Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and he traveled throughout the world to share the good news. He says in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, “I think you ought to know, dear brothers, about the hard time we went through in Asia. We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. We . . . saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for he can even raise the dead” (TLB). When you’re experiencing a problem at work that is so overwhelming that you think you’re going to hit the wall, you need to do three things. First, turn the problem over to God through prayer. You can say like Paul does, “God, I’m overwhelmed. I feel helpless. I’m confused. I feel like I’m not going to make it through.” Cry out to God and surrender the problem to him. Second, make sure you’re in a small group. In the 2 Corinthians passage, the word “we” is used six times, and the word “us” is used twice. When Paul was going through an overwhelming circumstance in his job, he was not alone. Like Paul, you need fellow believers you can count on. Specifically, you need to have a small group of friends who will study the Bible with you every week, pray with you and for you regularly, and encourage you when you’re going through a tough time at work. Third, remember that God uses people at work to teach you how to love. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 16:14, “Do all your work in love” (GNT). At work—and in every area of your life—as you learn to get along with other people, you’re actually learning how to love. And learning how to love is what life is all about. What are some practical ways to learn to love at work? Treat your coworkers how you want to be treated in your job. Show your coworkers that loving them is more important to you than any job skill. And, no matter how difficult work gets, be mindful of loving others like Jesus. Remember, when work gets overwhelming, you should pray, lean on your small group, and do all your work in love. “Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.”
Ephesians 3:20 (TLB) Real change requires knowing God’s truth, cleaning your spiritual house, and honest community. And, like anything to do with spiritual growth, real change requires faith. In other words, you have to believe that you can change, with God’s help. How does God help you to change? There are two primary ways. He can transform you by his Spirit living in you and with his Word, the Bible. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (TLB). What is the biggest thing you want to change in your life? No matter how big it is, it’s not too big for God. Maybe you’ve tried and failed to make the change on your own. That’s because you never were meant to change alone. You change with God’s power. And how do you get God’s power? Through faith. God supplies his power in response to your faith in him. Philippians 4:13 is a familiar verse, but the Amplified Bible says it in a way you may not have heard before: “I can do all things [which he has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything . . . through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” With the power of Jesus Christ, you can do anything God has called you to do. His power was infused in you when you became his follower. If you want to change, then you need a can-do attitude—not a big ego about what you can do but a big faith in what God is able to accomplish in and through you. Jesus said in Matthew 9:29, “According to your faith let it be done to you” (NIV). You get to choose how much you change. You get to choose how much God blesses your life. You get to believe in faith that God can help you make the hard changes. “No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:25 (GNT) Real change requires honest community. There are some things that you will never be able to change on your own. You’re going to need people in your life for support—specifically, a small group of people who will be transparent and authentic with you. Sometimes in a football game, a player is so big that no opposing player can pull him down on his own. In the same way, some of the challenges in your life have to be team-tackled. That’s when you need a small group—but not just any group of people. Your small group should be made up of a few people you can talk with about your weaknesses and problems—all your hurts, habits, and hang-ups. That kind of intimacy doesn’t happen right away. When you first start a small group, you get together regularly. Then, over time, you begin to trust each other and develop a safe environment. Those people become the friends who can help you change when you can’t change on your own. Ephesians 4:25 says, “No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ” (GNT). When you pretend to be someone you’re really not, you waste an enormous amount of energy. You may sincerely want to grow in Christ and to work on your weaknesses. But to do that, you have to be honest with your small group about who you really are. That kind of honesty is essential for spiritual change. If you could change on your own, you would, but you can’t—so you don’t. You need other people! One thing that keeps most people from being honest is their desire to look good. Your desire to look good often takes precedence over being good. And it becomes a hurdle to spiritual growth. But in a small group of other believers, you’re safe just to be yourself. Then you can grow together and make the hard changes you couldn’t make on your own. “We must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.”
Hebrews 12:1 (GW) Real change requires cleaning house. If you’re one of those people who can’t find the motivation to get your physical house clean, then cleaning your spiritual house may seem like a bigger task. But this is where you need to use your best energy—because God wants you to spend your life becoming more like him. And becoming more like him sometimes requires you to make difficult changes. The Bible says it like this: “We must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up” (Hebrews 12:1 GW). To decide what you need to clean in your spiritual house, you just have to figure out what needs to change in your life. Ask yourself questions like: What is slowing me down? If you want a healthy body, then maybe you need to keep healthier food in your house or create a meal plan. Or maybe you need to commit to regular exercise, even if you start small with 15 minutes a day. If you want a healthy mind, then you may need to unsubscribe to some magazines or block some channels. You may just need to delete some apps or put healthier boundaries around your screen time. If you want a healthy schedule, then you need to decide what’s most important to you. Then you can eliminate some less-important activities—sometimes even good ones—so that you can focus more on what matters most to you. If you want a clean heart, then you need to spend time in prayer, asking God what you need to confess and then confessing those things. This can be the most difficult step of spiritual cleaning. Through confession, you’re recognizing and rooting out sins that cause unhealthy habits throughout your spiritual house. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:22, “Get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires” (GNT). It’s time to clean house—but it’s not a one-time practice. Just like you have to regularly clean your physical home, you need to make a habit of asking the hard questions to identify what spiritual rooms need a good cleaning. Then, with God’s blessing, you get to work. “[Moses] kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”
Hebrews 11:27 (NLT) Many people suffer from prolonged pain, whether it’s chronic physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, or financial pain. Maybe you’re experiencing extended suffering, and you feel like you might have to endure it for the rest of your life. There are different tests God gives you to grow your character, and this is another one. It is the “How Long” test, where you ask, “How long, Lord?” The Bible tells how Moses had incredible persistence. He put up with enormous pain in his life. He endured significant criticism and conflict. He had every right to say, “How long, Lord?” Hebrews 11:24-26 says, “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward” (NLT). Moses gave up everything that many people spend their lives trying to achieve—fame, fortune, pleasure, possessions, and position. But he let them go because he had put his faith and identity in God. He trusted in God’s promises, even as he was mistreated along with God’s people. He thought that being disgraced for the sake of Christ was worth more than the treasures of Egypt—because “he was looking ahead to his reward.” Faith is continuing to persist without knowing how long you’ll need to hang on. And sometimes that’s very difficult. So how do you continue in faith when you are suffering? How do you develop endurance? How do you handle prolonged pain? You do what Moses did: You get close to God and stay connected so you can hear from him. Moses had a burning bush through which God talked to him. But you don’t need a burning bush because you have the Bible. Everything God wants to say to you is in the Bible. For you, God won’t say it through a bush or write it in the sky—because he already wrote it in a book. Stop looking for a vision. Instead, start looking for a verse in God’s Word. Knowing God’s revelation, instructions, and promises will give you the ability to pass the How Long test when you’re going through prolonged pain. Like Moses, keep your focus where it belongs. The Bible says that Moses “kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27 NLT). If you keep your eyes on your pain, you won’t be able to look up. But if you keep your eyes on your Savior, you’re going to walk through difficulty with his grace. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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