A Thankful Heart

Dear Friends,
Today I write to you with a thankful heart. Sometimes we don’t know why things happen at work but they all happen for a reason and the Lord can use any circumstance to do something good for us. This past week was very intense at work. There were some major organizational changes that affected me directly but by the end of the week I got promoted with the titles that better reflect my current role at the bank. I would like to share with you one of the devotionals that talks about giving all the glory to God—always. He is the One we need to thank for everything we have. Enjoy!

Give God All the Glory—Always
# 291
Psalm 115:1 (NLT)
Not to us, O Lord, but to you goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

During our working lives we will have triumphs and victories we celebrate. Some examples include being promoted, moving to a particular area within our company, being recognized publicly for our accomplishments, obtaining a degree, etc. It can be anything that brings glory to ourselves. In those moments, we have the opportunity to become proud or to give all the glory—all of it—to God.

How do you stay humble when everything is going well and you’re on top of the world? By getting on your knees at home in front of the Lord to thank Him, by recognizing that He is the reason of your success, knowing that without Him you are nothing, by doing everything you do as unto Him, and by not forgetting Him.

Give God the glory for everything you are, everything you have, and everything you do on a daily basis. He deserves the glory because of His unfailing love for us and His faithfulness.

Do You Need Wisdom Today?

Dear Friends,
Daily we encounter situations at work where we need to make important decisions. Sometimes it is hard to determine what’s the best course of action and when is the best time to act. It is in those times when we need to seek God and His wisdom. Today I want to share with you a devotional that encourages us to do so. Enjoy!

Seek God’s Wisdom
# 358

Proverbs 2:6-7 (NLT)
For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity.

Each day at work we encounter numerous situations that require us to make decisions. Many of these decisions can be challenging. In fact, sometimes we struggle with knowing when to act and when to make the correct decision—at the right time. However, when we seek God’s wisdom, He grants it to us as a gift. Once we ask, we must remember to stop and listen for His response. As we gain His knowledge and understanding, things become clearer and we know what to do. When we walk in His wisdom, we become women of integrity, with no hidden agendas.

Therefore, when people ask you why you are so wise, don’t forget to give the glory to God.

Give Your Burdens to Jesus

Dear Friends,
Do you sometimes feel you can’t go on anymore? Do you find yourself burdened with all the worries of your daily life, work is stressful, and you have a lot going on in your life? Today I want to share with you one of the devotionals from my book that encourages us to give all our burdens to Jesus. When we do that, we will find rest and will have the strength to go on. Blessings!

Give Your Burdens to Jesus and He Will Give You Rest
# 100
Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

As working women, we may often feel weary. Sometimes our burdens are so heavy we can hardly make the next step. This is a scripture we need to get a hold of and personalize. Let’s give our burdens to Jesus. He is there for us. He wants to take them. God is pleased when we give our burdens to Jesus because that act tells Him we trust Him and believe in Him fully.

Our rest starts in our spirit and soul. Jesus promises us that rest. When we have rest spiritually, we have peace, and that peace eliminates the stress of our burdens.

Praise God for your job and thank Him for the grace and strength He gives you to do all that He has called you to do on a daily basis. For those of you who are single working moms, don’t despair. You are not alone, and Jesus wants to help you carry your burden. Jesus tells us in verses 29 and 30, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”

New Year – New Ideas

Dear Friends,
As we start the New Year and get going with our jobs, it is always good to take account of what we do at work. Do you have old procedures or processes that need to be revised or improved? Do you do things just because that’s how they always did them in your company before you started working there? If that’s the case, a New Year is always a great opportunity to change old ways and create new ways of doing the old. This will not only help you improve efficiencies in your company but will also help you to get excited about your job again. Today I want to share with you a devotional that talks about being open to new ideas. Enjoy!

Be Open to New Ideas
# 262

Proverbs 18:15 (KJV)
The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Successful people are always looking for new ideas and how to improve current processes. No matter what you do or where you work, always look for new ideas. Welcome change and be open to doing things in a new way. You can transform an old job into a brand new one just by implementing new ideas and ways of doing things. The New Living Translation version of this verse says it this way: “Intelligent people are always open to new ideas. In fact, they look for them.”

Make an effort to be more open. Ask God for new ideas to implement in your job and in your business. When you get the ideas, implement them (if it’s within your realm of authority) or seek the appropriate approval. If you are a manager, always be open to your employees’ ideas. They will be grateful you considered them even if you don’t end up implementing them.

Always Do What’s Right

Dear Friends,
As you may know, I’m completing a B.A. in Business Management through Bethel University’s College of Adult Learning program. My next class is on Ethics and, as I was doing my first assignment, it made me think of how we all behave at work on a daily basis. My assignment was for me to define the words “right” and “wrong” in my own words (without looking them up in a dictionary or asking anybody, just what I thought the words meant). Of course, we all know what right and wrong is but today I wanted to share with you one of the devotionals from my book that talks about always doing what is right. Enjoy!

God Gives Us the Grace to Always Do what Is Right
#107

Psalm 84:11-12 (NLT)
For the Lord our God is our light and protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right. O Lord Almighty, happy are those who trust in you.

When we first come to Christ, we move from living in darkness to living in the light. As we grow in the knowledge of God, the Holy Spirit teaches us all truth. As we become mature Christians and have a revelation of what is right and wrong, we have the responsibility to do what is right—always.

Doing what’s right on a consistent basis and on our own strength is difficult, but we can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Bible promises the Lord withholds “no good thing” from those who do what is right. In the workplace, we must make a decision to always do what’s right regardless of the consequences—even if it includes losing our jobs. We have to trust God in every situation to give us the wisdom necessary to handle it correctly. We must trust Him to protect us and give us grace.

Our part is to not compromise our beliefs but rather to trust in God. His part is to protect us and be our light. He is our “sun and shield” (v. 11 KJV).

New Year’s Resolution

Dear Friends,
As we start a New Year, instead of making the same resolutions we’ve all done in the past such as losing weight or working out, let’s make a new resolution—to acquire a life-long learning attitude. We not only need to be learning more of the things of God to make it in this world, but we also need to learn more in our jobs and industry. Like the author in one of my management books said, “The more you learn, the more you earn.”

Today, I want to share with you one of the devotionals from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that talks about how we can achieve this goal. Enjoy!

Acquire a Life-long Learning Attitude
# 260
Mark 4:25 (NLT)

To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.

Jesus encouraged His disciples to always be open to listen and continue to learn from Him because the higher their desire was to learn, the more they understood. On the contrary, people who don’t care or listen to the things of God drift away and forget even the little they know.

To be successful in the corporate world and our personal lives, we need to become life-long learners. This is true in the natural as well as in the spiritual area. We cannot grow in our spiritual journey with God if we don’t spend time learning from Him and are not open to His daily teaching to us. Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, is willing to teach us how to live our lives and be successful in every area.

Jesus said those who are open to His teachings will receive more understanding because the things of God are understood with the spirit, not with our human minds. When we open our hearts to learn about the things of God, our spiritual understanding is illuminated and we receive revelation—the moment when we “get it.”

Purpose in your heart to be open to a life-long learning attitude both professional and spiritually. This will ensure a well-balanced successful life here on earth.

Let’s be Thankful

Dear Friends,
Well, Christmas is over, just like that! Here in Minnesota we had over a foot of snow and it looks beautiful. Even though the snow storm caused many people to change plans for the holidays, I hope you enjoyed being with loved ones and were able to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today, I want to encourage you to give thanks to God for all you have, your family and friends, your job, and everything that God has given you and done for you. Below is one of the devotionals from my book that talks about Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Burst Out in Thanksgiving
# 286

Psalm 28:7 (NLT)
The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

What a promise this is to us! In this verse, David is telling the Lord how much he trusts Him—with all his heart. We must follow David’s example of trust and thankfulness. For all the little and big things the Lord does for us on a daily basis, we ought to be bursting out in thankfulness.

You have much to thank God for. When you are feeling down (and we all have those days), just start thanking God by faith. After a few minutes, and a few things you say to thank Him, His Holy Spirit will fill you up with joy. That joy will start expanding in your heart until you are ready to burst.

Thank God for your job every day. If you are in transition, thank Him for the right job He has for you. We are to be women of thankful hearts.

Celebrating Christmas

Dear Friends,
Well, Christmas is already this week. Today I just want to encourage you with the message from my Devotions for Working Women book. I wish you a Merry Christmas!

Jesus Did It All
# 125
Isaiah 53:3 (NLT)
He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.

Do you know the man the prophet Isaiah is talking about? His name is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Since we humans messed up and gave Satan control over this earth, God came up with a plan to bring us back to Him. It is the plan of salvation God gave to Jesus to fulfill when He was on this earth. It is a simple plan that humans complicated. God sent His only begotten Son to save us and for all who believe to have everlasting life. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we accept salvation. We restore our fellowship with God the Father.

The following verses complete the story. “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we may have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they lead him away to his death…But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and fill him with grief… He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins” (vv. 4-11). If you haven’t given your life to Jesus yet, it is never too late. Today is your day!

Pray for Balance Daily

Dear Friends,
During these busy holiday times it seems the days get shorter and the list of things to do gets longer. It is hard to give the every day things to God and ask Him for help to get us through each day. But when we do, I believe, God stretches our time supernaturally and somehow we manage to get it all done. Today I would like to share with you one of the devotionals from my book that talks about praying for balance. Enjoy the time with family and friends during the Christmas time!

Balance Is a Daily Prayer
# 1

Psalm 119:133 (NLT)
Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by any evil.
Psalm 25:4 (NLT)
Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow.

With so many important things in our lives to manage, we long for balance. Balancing our lives is a daily prayer. With God’s guidance, our personal discipline, and careful planning we can achieve balance in our lives. In His Word we not only find the truth, but also the strength and wisdom needed to help us complete and accomplish all God has called us to do.

When we pray we have to ask for the balance we need—on a daily basis. His Word says in John 16:24 (NKJV), “Ask, and you will receive.” Just as we ask God for our health, our jobs, or for wisdom, balance is a precious gift, but we can only achieve it by working together with God.

Therefore, ask Him to help you balance your daily life, and once He shows you the path you should walk, be sure to follow His lead.

How to Keep Our Priorities Straight

Dear Friends,
With all the things we have going on in our lives it is sometimes difficult to choose our priorities. I often find myself prioritizing my priorities! In those times, I have to slow down and go back to the basics by asking myself a simple question: What does God want me to do now? Today, I would like to share with you one of the devotionals from my book that talks about our priorities in life. Enjoy!

Keep God at the Top of Your Priorities
# 6
1 John 5:21 (NLT)
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

The King James Version of this verse says, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” With so many things this world offers us, we have to be careful and guard our hearts at all times from things that have the potential of taking God’s place in our hearts. We all have desires and dreams we want to pursue in our lives. Most of them are placed by God in us. However, even when those desires and dreams are from God, we have to be careful they don’t occupy our entire life. These dreams can become our idols if that’s what we pursue day and night and if we spend all of our resources on them. Things that can move us away from God are not only natural things such as money, success, fame, popularity, hobbies, or even our children; they can be also our desires, dreams, and our idols (including people we idolize). In other words, anything that takes priority over God in our lives can become our idol.

To refocus, always go back to the Word. Matthew 6:33 (KJV) says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” The key is to put God first in your life. Everything else falls into place after Him.