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Discouragement @ Work

January 3, 2023

Devotions/Partners

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Philippians 4: 6-8 (KJV): “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.“

COMMENTARY: Today, are you struggling with discouragement? Discouragement means loss of confidence or enthusiasm. The reality is that in this fallen, broken world, life is difficult, painful and vexing. There are plenty of legitimate reasons for you and me to get discouraged. We all feel discouraged at one time or another, myself included.

APPLICATION: The core issue is what we do about it. If we allow discouragement to take hold and pollute our emotions, infect our thinking, diminish our motivation and take us down into the pit of despair, depression and hopelessness, then we’re allowing discouragement to erode our lives and the lives of those around us.

When I begin to get discouraged, I turn to this passage. We cannot ignore or deny the bad, the ugly or the evil. They’re real and dangerous. We must deal with them and do our part to address and overcome them with good. Remember, there’s also a great deal of beauty and goodness around us, and that God loves us. Count your blessings each day and be encouraged!

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Ephesians 6:18 (KJV), read The Center of the Gospel (Galatians 6:11–18) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Greed Isn’t Good

Devotions/Partners

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1 Timothy 6:9-10 (KJV): “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

COMMENTARY: One common stereotype of businesspeople (especially business owners and executives) is that they are “greedy.” Perhaps you remember the classic 1987 movie Wall Street. Actor Michael Douglas plays Gordon Gekko, who boldly declares that “greed is good.”

Wrong! In today’s Scripture passage, and others, the Word of God boldly declares that greed isn’t good. In fact, there is a downward progression that happens when people get greedy. Their idolatrous preoccupation with the acquisition and accumulation of wealth backfires. They FALL into temptations, traps, foolish and harmful desires. They WANDER from the faith. They PLUNGE into ruin and destruction. They PIERCE themselves with many griefs.

APPLICATION: You will hear a multitude of “voices” condoning greed and encouraging you to be greedy. These voices will tell you that greed is good. That greed is the best way to achieve success. That greed satisfies and leads to fulfillment. Whether you’re tempted to be greedy through your business practices or some form of illegal or legal gambling, the wisest thing to do is to run away from greed and run toward Godliness. Be a mature, Christ-exalting example for others to emulate. When you come to the end of your career or this life, you’ll be glad you did.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Philippians 4: 6-8 (KJV), read Understanding Life in Christ (Galatians 1:6–4:31) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Anger @ Work

January 2, 2023

Devotions/Partners

Ephesians 4:31 (KJV): “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.”

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COMMENTARY: All of us can look back on our work lives and recall moments when weren’t exactly “at our best.” Moments when we lost our composure. Perhaps an outburst of anger at another driver on the road. An outburst of anger with a supplier, co-worker, employee, manager, or member of the general public.

Fortunately, as I look back at my nearly 50 years in the workplace, I don’t have too many of these moments. But the ones I’ve had, I’ve regretted. In a moment of weariness, weakness, exasperation, frustration, exhaustion, or hunger, I’ve verbally lashed out in anger.

The word “anger” appears 229 times in the KJV Bible, mostly in the “Old” Testament. In reviewing these passages, I was surprised how many times “anger” is used in the context of provoking the Lord to anger. I didn’t make an official count, but I’d estimate about half the time. Other uses of anger pertain to interpersonal relationships, such as Esau with Jacob, Jacob with Rachel, Moses with Aaron, Eliab with David, and Saul with Jonathan.

The word “anger” appears just five times in the “New” Testament. Twice, it refers to Jesus’ anger over the hardness of Jewish hearts and the foolishness of Israel. The other three passages pertain to Christ-followers, instructing us to put off anger ourselves and for fathers not to provoke their children to anger.

APPLICATION: We all have “hot buttons,” myself included. One of mine is dealing with people whom I perceive to be unreasonable. People who constantly beat me up on price, have ridiculous project timelines or expectations, exhibit a consistently critical spirit, play nonsensical and manipulative political games, or operate in a perpetual state of chaos and crisis. Perhaps you can relate.

You know when you are starting to boil. You know it mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. You’re like a volcano on the verge of erupting. Like lava, angry words are seemingly coming up your throat, ready to spew out of your mouth.

At that exact moment, if you let Him, the Holy Spirit can give you divine self-control to restrain yourself and stop. At that critical moment, humble silence is golden. You never have to regret and ask for forgiveness for angry words never spoken. Put away that anger before it erupts!

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (KJV), read Godliness With Contentment Is Great Gain (1 Timothy 6:3-10, 17-19) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Criminals @ Work

Devotions/Partners

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2 Corinthians 7:1-3 (KJV): “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.”

COMMENTARY: If anyone in the world should relish freedom, it should be Christ-followers.

If you study the writings and principles of the USA’s founders, you’ll discover that the founders understood that the freedom they sought is not unlimited. Absolute freedom is chaos, anarchy and insanity. Our founders knew that, for our nation to survive and thrive, it’s essential that our citizens consistently practice “freedom with responsibility.

We don’t talk about it much in Christendom, but the reality is that there are businesspeople (some of whom are or claim to be Christians) who abuse their freedom; who do not practice “freedom with responsibility.” Unlike the Apostle Paul’s example in this passage, some citizens are white collar or blue collar criminals. They have little if any conscience or internal moral compass that guides them in what’s right or wrong. They blatantly and deliberately deceive, manipulate, corrupt and defraud others and leave a painful trail of destruction in their wakes. Shame on them!

APPLICATION: Don’t abuse the freedom you have in Christ! Don’t trample on it! Don’t take advantage of this enormous and precious freedom, bought at such a high price, and turn it into license for bad, ungodly and abusive behavior. You are here to be salt and light, Ambassadors for the King of the Universe. With that comes a great opportunity and a great responsibility.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Ephesians 4:31 (KJV), read Understanding Life in Christ (Galatians 1:6–4:31) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Cleaning Up Your Wreckage @ Work

Devotions/Partners

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Luke 19:8 (KJV): “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”

COMMENTARY: Here in New England, the past ten years have been brutal to our forests. Between freaky ice storms, excessively heavy snowfalls, droughts, gypsy moths, rare tornadoes, tropical storms and various blights, sections of previously serene forests and streams now look like battle zones. For example, I recently hiked on a trail that led down a steep ravine with a bubbling brook and moss-covered rocky waterfalls. However, the enormous natural beauty of the scene was completely overshadowed by fallen trees and branches everywhere. “Someone,” I thought to myself, “should clean this up and restore the area to its original beauty.”

That got me thinking about wreckage we cause at work, that we never bother to clean up. Instead, we move on, leaving the debris and damage control for others to cope and struggle with.

For example, think of the financial wreckage that people and organizations cause when they don’t pay their bills. You could flippantly say, “Oh, it’s no big deal; they can write it off.” Wrong! You have a moral obligation to pay your bills, period. That’s called integrity. Whether someone can write off an unpaid debt isn’t the core issue; besides, many businesses can’t write off losses. The monies you were supposed to pay them have a direct and immediate impact on their sustainability, cash flow, profitability, ability to meet their payroll and honor their commitments to suppliers, banks, landlords, tax authorities, owners and investors.

Wreckage at work comes in more forms than just money. It comes in the form of bullying, foul speech, bad attitudes, laziness, lying and deception. It comes from a lack of attention to detail and quality. It comes from broken or tarnished relationships with owners, managers, employees, customers, suppliers. It comes in the form of a tarnished public reputation. It comes in the form of workplace violence, theft and destruction of company property. The list goes on and on.

APPLICATION: When I hear someone say, “Sorry, that’s business,” I cringe. That phrase is indicative of the internal guilt that someone feels for doing (and justifying) something they know is intrinsically wrong. If you have caused workplace wreckage, be sensitive to the convicting inner voice of the Holy Spirit. Be eager to apologize, seek forgiveness, repair, restore and make restitution for the damage that you have caused.

If you really love the Lord and love your neighbor as yourself, you cannot carelessly leave a mess for others to deal with. Be a mature Christ-follower and take personal responsibility for the wreckage that you have caused. Maybe you can’t make complete amends, but you should sincerely try. Even if the wreckage happened years ago. If you obey Him, you will glorify Him through your change of heart–like Zacchaeus did in today’s Scripture passage.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about 2 Corinthians 7:1-3 (KJV), read The Encouragement of Praise (2 Corinthians 7) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Macro- and Micro-Creativity @ Work

Devotions/Partners

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Psalm 33:3-9 (KJV): “Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

COMMENTARY: Looking at the competitive landscape, what advantages do you and your organization possess that can help you to survive and prosper in the days ahead? One advantage, perhaps under-utilized, is “creativity.

Over the decades of my career, I’ve been amazed by the creativity of some people and organizations. For example, one of my all-time “heroes” is Walt Disney. Growing up, I’d watch the Wonderful World of Disney on television on Sunday nights. I’d see Disney movies. During the summer of America’s Bicentennial in 1976, I worked for the Entertainment Division of Walt Disney World and went through what later turned into Disney University. Creativity was ingrained in the culture, and it oozed in every way, from the “macro” (big picture) to the “micro” (details).

Creativity is the ability to create rather than imitate; to cause what did not exist to exist. Historically, America’s culture of freedom has bred creativity and innovation. The capacity to be creative comes from the Creator; we’re made in His image, so we are by nature, inherently creative. However, in our fallen, sinful condition, not all creativity is good. Just think of criminals who can be very creative, but they foolishly and wrongly apply creativity in harmful, destructive and evil ways.

As Christ-followers, we’re adopted children of the Creator with His Spirit dwelling within us. This Holy Spirit is the source of 100% “good” creativity. Therefore, to abound in good creativity, it’s wise for you and me to be full of the Holy Spirit. He can make us supernaturally innovative, flexible and adaptable to change in ways that are constructive and beneficial for ourselves and others.

APPLICATION: Through the Holy Spirit, Christians in the workplace should be the most creative business owners, executives, managers, and employees on earth. As God’s creativity flows in and through us, we can prayerfully apply it and be pioneers, causing others to imitate us.

As you seek to be creative and pioneering, let me share a word of caution: Creativity that isn’t controlled by the Holy Spirit can become overheated, impulsive, impetuous, impatient, easily bored or unreasonable. By the same token, you don’t want to inhibit and restrict the flow of creativity. With Spirit-led creativity, there’s a healthy balance.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Luke 19:8 (KJV), read Taxing Issues (Luke 19:1-10; 20:20-26) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Lady Slippers @ Work

Devotions/Partners

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Esther 2:15 (KJV): “Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.”

COMMENTARY: During several recent hikes in the hilly, thick woods of Connecticut, I have come across beautiful Lady Slippers — rare and unique flowers that tend to grow alone. In the midst of all of the other abundant plant species, Lady Slippers stand out because they are so peculiar, colorful and uncommon.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, you will find men and women who are specially and unusually gifted, anointed, called and favored by the Lord. One such person is Esther. If you will, she was a human “Lady Slipper” whom God placed at just the right place, at just the right time, to rescue the Jews from persecution and death.

APPLICATION: Today, the Lord still creates, equips, raises up and uses special people for His divine purposes, in His way and time. This applies to workplaces, too. These people are not hard to spot, as they tend to stand out just as Lady Slippers do. God has placed them in your work life to be a blessing.

In today’s hyper “equality-sensitive” culture, we may grimace at the thought that God raises up special people, but He does. We may resent and be jealous of the “Lady Slippers” in our lives, but our thoughts and feelings don’t change reality one bit. We are not all equal in gifting, anointing, calling and favor. If there are Lady Slippers in your life, thank God for them, pray for them and support them!

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about Psalm 33:3-9 (KJV), read Book 1 (Psalms 1–41) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

The “J” Vaccine @ Work

Devotions/Partners

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John 3:16 (KJV): “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

COMMENTARY: Today, “vaccine” is one of the most common words that we hear each day, in the news and at work, home, church, and elsewhere. Here in Connecticut, we rank among the top five states, based on the percentage of people who have been vaccinated for Covid-19. However, Connecticut ranks 44th in vaccinations for a much worse virus. Only about 13% of the state’s population has received the vaccine for this virus, leaving 87% dangerously exposed. To compound the problem, this virus is something that 100% of us have. We inherit it from our parents.

You could call it the “SN” virus–or Sin Nature Virus. And it’s nasty! In fact, the whole world is messed up because of it. Without a vaccine, every one of us is destined to spend eternity in hell. Ouch! That sounds harsh and shocking, but it’s true. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

You could call the vaccine for this Sin Nature Virus the “J” vaccine. Not the J&J vaccine, but the Jesus Vaccine. It wasn’t developed by a man-made lab. It isn’t manufactured by a man-made religion. It was conceived and made by God Himself. As the Scriptures declare, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

APPLICATION: When you receive the Jesus Vaccine, your sins are forgiven. You receive the gift of eternal life in heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Are you interested in taking this vaccine now? Click here. http://www.christatwork.org/freegift.html

Are you interested in how you can share the Good News about this Jesus Vaccine with co-workers, customers, suppliers and others in the workplace? Click here. http://www.christatwork.org/images/NCAW_4_Tips_on_Sharing_Salvation_with_Co-Workers.pdf

Personally, I received the Jesus Vaccine on Saturday, June 8, 1985 in the Jonathan Edwards Room at the Ramada Inn in East Windsor, Connecticut, and I’ve never regretted it. What’s your story? Please share it by reply email. dcrandall@ChristAtWork.org

Joyfully yours,

Drew

“Layers of Green” @ Work

December 12, 2022

Devotions/Partners

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2 Peter 1:5-8 (KJV): “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

COMMENTARY: Here in the rocky hills of northeastern Connecticut (USA), spring still hasn’t completely sprung, but as I hike the local trails, I’m watching new life gradually and sequentially sprout up in vibrant layers of green. It’s like a painter who keeps adding new splashes of green to a giant outdoor, 3D canvas, eventually completing a wonderful new masterpiece.

During a local hike on Sunday afternoon, the deciduous trees were still barren, but along the streams, skunk cabbage (which is a really bad name; the plant doesn’t deserve such a bad rap) was gloriously emerging, adding a beautiful green dimension to the wetlands and streams. The reason why it’s called skunk cabbage is that if you break the surface of the leaves, it smells a little “skunky.” In reality, skunk cabbage has some fascinating features and purposes. For example, as it begins to pop out of the ground in late winter, it creates its own heat and melts surrounding ice and snow. It is also very important early-spring food for black bears who have just come out of winter hibernation. Can you imagine what a delicacy it must be after not eating for months?

APPLICATION: When your faith in Christ comes alive, the Lord wants you to grow in Him for a lifetime. As the days of your life pass, and you are continuously nourished by streams of living water from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, the Lord wants you to mature and show various “layers of green.” Layers of new, abundant life.

If you will, in today’s Scripture passage, faith could be construed to be the early-stage “skunk cabbage;” the first layer of green that He wants you to show, followed by other layers of green such as virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. As these various layers of green blossom inside of you, your knowledge of Christ will not be barren or unfruitful. You will be a living canvas radiating with life-giving greenery, a living testimony and blessing to all with whom you come into contact at work and elsewhere. Praise God!

Joyfully yours,

Drew

Acquainted with Grief @ Work

December 10, 2022

Devotions / Partners

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Isaiah 53:3 (KJV): “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Hebrews 12:2 (KJV): “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

COMMENTARY: Palm Sunday, March 28 marks the start of the 22nd annual Joy At Work Week sponsored by Northeast Christians At Work. Since our first event in 2000, our mantra has been “Your Glow Should Show Who You Know.”

As a Christ-follower, if you really believe what you say you believe–that through God’s amazing grace through faith in Jesus, your sins are forgiven, you’ve received the free gift of eternal life in heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit–then you should be the most joyful employer or employee at your workplace. A consistently grumpy Christian at work is a contradiction of terms.

APPLICATION: Lest you think that being joyful at work is some kind of whimsical, naïve, idealistic fairy tale pipedream, being joyful at work doesn’t exclude you from being acquainted with grief. It doesn’t give you a free pass from sorrow, pain, distress, frustration and discouragement. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be despised, persecuted or rejected. It doesn’t mean that you won’t experience suffering. But throughout the journey, you will still have joy inside as you abide with the Lord and look forward to spending eternity with Him.

If Jesus was acquainted with grief and suffering and we are His disciples, then WE will also be acquainted with grief and suffering. Don’t let grief in your workplace rob you of the joy the Holy Spirit can and wants to give you. As His joy shines through you, it will be a vibrant testimony to the co-workers, customers, and suppliers with whom you work.

Joyfully yours,

Drew

For Further Exploration

For further exploration about 2 Peter 1:5-8 (KJV)， read Depending on God (James 1:5–18) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Called To Work

Author: design

Discouragement @ Work

For Further Exploration

Greed Isn’t Good

For Further Exploration

Anger @ Work

For Further Exploration

Criminals @ Work

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Cleaning Up Your Wreckage @ Work

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Macro- and Micro-Creativity @ Work

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Lady Slippers @ Work

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The “J” Vaccine @ Work

“Layers of Green” @ Work

Acquainted with Grief @ Work

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