Marcia Malzahn's Blog

Working with Others

marciamalzahn — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:14:38 +0000

Dear Friends,
What do you do when you continually reach out to someone and they don’t respond? I like to build relationships with my co-workers – my employees, peers and superiors. When my attempts to build friendships are not reciprocated I have a hard time not taking it personally. But what if that person has a different personality and they don’t “need” to have friendships at work? How do I respond? Well, I have thought about it and I will continue to be myself and reach out with no expectations of any kind of return. I think that is what God would want me to do. Today, I would like to share a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that reminds us to be humble, gentle and patient, with others.

Be Humble, Gentle, and Patient
# 29

Ephesians 4:1-2 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

In this verse Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus, and he is begging them to live a life worthy of their calling. We are all called to serve Him in a special way. But in order for us to walk in the will of God, in our calling, we must be humble, gentle, and patient with one another. These are rare character traits in the business community and the workplace. God cannot use us if we are proud because in our pride we become deceived, rude, and impatient. Gentleness is another rarity these days. People don’t treat each other gently, but abruptly. Our lives have become so busy we don’t have patience to wait for anything, help somebody in need, or just love people.

Have you realized that you have been called by God? I encourage you to strive to be a humble, gentle, and patient woman so God can use you to the fullest.

You can purchase Devotions for Working Women at www.amazon.com.

Pursue God’s Wisdom in 2012!

marciamalzahn — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:18:44 +0000

Dear Friends,
Today is the last day of 2011! It was a great year for some and it may not have been so great for others but we are here today ready to start the New Year. One of the things I will pursue more in 2012 is God’s wisdom. The years ahead will be difficult to navigate with the current economic environment. The current situation of our country affects us directly both in the work environment as well as at home. We will need God’s wisdom to make the right choices. For example, if you’ve been thinking of changing jobs or careers, you will need to decide if now is good timing or if you should wait. Ask God for His wisdom to help you decide. Another example could be if you’re thinking of purchasing a new home and selling your current one. Is this a good time considering the housing market? Ask God for wisdom on what to do. Today, I want to share the devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that encourages us to pursue the wisdom of God. Happy New Year!

Pursue Wisdom with All Your Heart
#355

Proverbs 1:23 (NLT)
Come here and listen to me! I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise.

In Proverbs 1:20, Wisdom cries out on the streets looking for people and can’t find anyone who is willing to listen and become wise. God wants to pour out His Spirit of wisdom upon us but we have to desire it. We have to search for it and appreciate it like the most valuable treasure we could ever find or have. Wisdom is a treasure because it is by wisdom we understand what it means to fear the Lord, and we gain knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:5 NLT).

The Bible exhorts you to “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:2-4 NLT). Therefore, make an effort like never before to pursue wisdom. Seek it more than your career, job, or business.

You can purchase Devotions for Working Women at www.amazon.com.

Devotions for Working Women – on Kindle now!

marciamalzahn — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:45:28 +0000

Dear Friends,
I am pleased to announce that my book Devotions for Working Women is now available on Kindle version at amazon.com. You can purchase it by going to www.amazon.com and search for Devotions for Working Women and you’ll see both the hard cover and the Kindle version of the book.
Enjoy!!

Continue to Be Thankful

marciamalzahn — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:10:04 +0000

Dear Friends,
Every day that goes by I feel more thankful to God for what He has done in my life. I am thankful for all the relationships I have starting with my husband, my son and daughter, the rest of my family, my friends, and my co-workers and business colleagues. It feels good to have successful relationships with the people we love but the most important relationship we must have is with God. When I feel close to God and stay connected to Him through prayer and meditating on His Word, all the other relationships improve. Today I want to share a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that talks about being thankful to the Lord. Enjoy!

Being Thankful Truly Honors God
#285

Psalm 50:14, 23 (NLT)“What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.” “…But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

Psalm 51:17 (NLT)
The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.

The people of Israel used to give many offerings to God to obtain forgiveness for their sins. Many people turned this into a tradition with no true meaning or repentance from their hearts. God has not changed today. He has been and will always be, interested in one thing—our hearts. He just wants us to be thankful to Him for everything He has done for us, starting with salvation. What a gift! We must thank God daily and every moment for it. Giving thanks from the heart is what He’s after—a broken and repentant spirit willing to be changed, forgiven, and loved by God.

With today’s lifestyle we all try to do too much. Sometimes we commit ourselves to serve in work committees, kids’ activities, and even church activities—some out of guilt and sense of obligation. These activities may be good, but before we commit to anything new, we must make sure it will not take away time with the Lord. It is better to spend that time with Him than to be occupied with one more thing to do. We honor God by having a thankful heart and spending time with Him.

You can purchase Devotions for Working Women at www.amazon.com.

Thanksgiving

marciamalzahn — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:12:21 +0000

Dear Friends,
This week was Thanksgiving week. I hope you spent time with your family and enjoyed a wonderful meal. During the busy holidays it is easy to go on without stopping to thank God for all the things He’s done for us. Today I want to encourage you to make time to meditate and be thankful to God for everything He’s given you and for what you have. Today I would like to share with you a poem I wrote on Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving
Today is a beautiful day
God created this day for you and me
For us to say thanks and to worship Him

Today is a special day
As we are to remember why we are here
The reason is to give thanks

Today we pause and reflect
We stop and give thanks
To the One who loves us so much
That He sent His only Son

On this day we realize
How much God does for us
Every day, every hour, because He cares

A grateful heart is what He wants
Just pure gratitude from the heart
The thanksgiving that flows from inside
And it overflows to the ones around

A whole day is dedicated to say thanks
In the midst of a world that is ungrateful
We stop and take the time to be thankful
For everything He has done in our lives
For sending His Son to die
All God wants is our hearts

So today thank God for His blessings
For His love and for all His gifts
Be thankful and enjoy life
And you will bless Him back

Dealing with Fear

marciamalzahn — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 20:57:22 +0000

Dear Friends,
There are so many things that can make us fearful to a point of becoming paralyzed. I have been dealing with a situation at work where I have to remember the scripture God gave us to not be fearful on 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) “For God hath not give us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” My fear is to not be able to get everything done on time with end of year deadlines and the increase workload. We must trust God that He will provide for us both at work and at home. In the workplace He will equip us with the employees who will support us and will help us do everything that has to be done regardless of the market or if we are short staff. At home He will equip us with our family to help us get through whatever situation we are facing. Today, I want to share a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that encourages us to not be fearful.

God Has Not Given Us the Spirit of Fear
#110

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

What Paul is telling Timothy in his second letter applies to us today. The enemy will attack us with fearful thoughts every day. Every time we encounter fear, we must fight it back and rebuke it standing on this passage. This is a great promise we must not forget. The power we have been entrusted with is the same one that raised Jesus from the dead, no less. Ephesians 1:19-20 (KJV) says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”

The love we have been given is the very love of God—the love that can do all things. The self-discipline (a sound mind) is what we need to follow Jesus every day, to say no to our flesh and yes to our spirit. Our spirit responds to God’s Spirit, our flesh doesn’t until we make it. Remember this truth the next time you are in fear.

You can purchase Devotions for Working Women at www.amazon.com.

Take Time To Be Thankful

marciamalzahn — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:02:33 +0000

Dear Friends,
Every day we have an opportunity to be thankful to God for everything He has done for us. Today is no exception. Take some time to thank Him for your life. No matter what you are going through, if you have God with you it will be better than going through it alone. Today, I want to share the devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that encourages us to be thankful. Enjoy!

God takes Pleasure in Our Thoughts about Him
#293
Psalm 104:34 (NLT)
May he be pleased by all these thoughts about him, for I rejoice in the Lord.

While meditating on the Lord’s goodness, I started naming all the things He is to me, and to all of us, if we let Him. After many words that came to my mind I soon ran out of English words to call Him. Then I read this passage and wondered if He is pleased when we think of Him in those terms and the answer is, absolutely! What earthly father doesn’t enjoy and is not pleased in knowing that his children think good thoughts about him? Imagine then, how much more it pleases God when we meditate on Him, on His person, and His attributes.

I encourage you to think of words, adjectives, and descriptions of God and what He is to you, and write them down. You can get started by saying He is your loving Father, your Savior, your teacher, your friend, your helper, your encourager, your cheerleader, your hope, your source of life… When you think these thoughts about Him, He will be pleased and you will be blessed.

You can purchase Devotions for Working Women at www.amazon.com.

Planning – Are You Afraid to Do It?

marciamalzahn — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:41:28 +0000

Dear Friends,
Are you a planner? Or do you let life happen to you? Do you see your future and see yourself where you want to be? Or you see your future filled with uncertainty and fear because you have no idea where you’ll be or what you’ll become as a person? Some people are better planners than others which could be attributed to personality types. However, we all should make an effort to plan our lives as best we can and then trust God to help us bring it to pass. Today I want to share with you a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that reminds us to not be afraid to plan and to trust God along the way. Enjoy!

Don’t Be Afraid to Plan
# 343
Proverbs 3:21-22 (NLT)
My child, don’t lose sight of good planning and insight. Hang on to them, for they fill you with life and bring you honor and respect.

Many Christians nowadays don’t plan for the future, thinking Jesus is coming soon. They view planning and preparing as lack of faith. But that mind-set is not wise. We are to live our lives as if Jesus is coming today, spiritually speaking. Until He comes, we are to occupy, multiply, have dominium of, and steward God’s creation. The Bible says to not lose sight of good planning and insight, for they will fill us with life. When we don’t plan, we are choosing to let things happen in our lives and lose control. We are to plan good plans with God’s wisdom and guidance. Lack of planning brings uncertainty and fear. Planning brings peace, certainty, security, honor, and respect.

If you are a planner, those who watch you will see you as a wise person. Then you’ll have an opportunity to share your wisdom and where it comes from. Proverbs 2:11 (NLT) says, “Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.” “You can lie down without fear and enjoy pleasant dreams” (Proverbs 3:24 NLT).

By planning all aspects of your life, you take control of your life and responsibility for your actions. But it also means you choose to give that control to God and let Him guide you. With God as part of your planning, you can’t go wrong because you have God’s will for you as your plan. And even though the enemy may try to change and confuse those plans, the Lord will give you wisdom “and you will know how to find the right course of action every time” (Proverbs 2:9 NLT).

Don’t be afraid to plan. Ask God for the wisdom to help you. Plan your life with the main purpose of bringing glory to Him.

You can purchase Devotions for Working Women at www.amazon.com.

We Need to Learn to Trust God

marciamalzahn — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:21:44 +0000

Dear Friends,
Trusting God is difficult. Why? I believe it is because it’s easier to trust the circumstances—which we see—versus trusting God—whom we do not see. Sometimes we can believe He does miracles far away and have a hard time believing He can do a miracle for us, no matter what that is. That is why the Bible tells us to not trust our own understanding. Instead, we are to seek God’s will and He will then direct our paths. Today, I would like to share a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that reminds us to trust God daily. Enjoy!

Trust in the Lord Daily
#328

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.

Life is a daily fight; therefore, we must trust the Lord with all our heart all our days. When we depend on Him for everything we do, we are putting our trust in the hands of the Master, the Creator of the universe, our God the Father. Only when we trust Him we realize His wonderful plan for our lives. In fact, when He places His perfect will in our hearts, it becomes easy to follow every step He puts in front of us.

In the workplace, trust God that you are in the right place and that you are there for a purpose. If you find yourself in a difficult situation at work, trust God to direct your path on a daily basis. Just think how much Jesus trusted God while He went through the process of the cross!

You can purchase Devotions for Working Women at www.amazon.com.

Are You Willing to Change?

marciamalzahn — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:38:08 +0000

Dear Friends,
Many times I find myself having a hard time dealing with a situation or a person. I first believe the problem is other people or circumstances and many times that is true. However, other times, the problem is me—my attitude toward the situation or that person. When I’m in those instances I seek God with all my heart to help me understand what’s going on. He always gives me the revelation and insight of the situation and then helps me fix the problem or gives me the grace to get through it. Part of our daily walk with Christ is our willingness to change our hearts and our willingness to follow Him now. We need drop everything that keeps us away from God and our lives with Him. Today, I want to share a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that reminds us to have a willing and obedient heart. Enjoy!

Do You Have a Willing and Obedient Heart?
# 223
Matthew 4:20, 22 (NLT)
And they left their nets at once and went with him… They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

After Jesus started His ministry He began calling His disciples. In verse 20, Jesus called Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew. They left what they were doing (their profession and job) to follow Jesus at once.

Then Jesus found two other brothers, James and John, and they immediately left their boat (again their jobs) and their father (their family). The key words here are “at once” and “immediately.” The question to us is, are we ready to leave everything behind for Jesus if He asks us to do so? Part of our preparation to fulfill the calling of God in our lives is the willingness to leave our current lives behind and follow Him. It is to leave behind old habits, friends, family, homes, jobs, careers, etc. for His sake.

The Lord doesn’t usually ask every person to leave everything behind for His cause. But He does ask us to leave those things that will keep us from being close to Him and prevent us from fulfilling our calling. Leaving things behind to follow God is our choice daily and in every area of our lives.

The other key is obedience. Are we obeying God at once, or are we doing things when it’s convenient or not at all? Willingness and obedience are critical to our success in fulfilling the calling of God in our lives.

You can purchase Devotions for Working Women at www.amazon.com.