Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders, and the founder of the De Pree Center’s Flourishing in the Third Third of Life Initiative. Previously, Mark was the Executive Director of the De Pree Center, the lead pastor of a church in Southern California, and the Senior Director of Laity Lodge in Texas. He has written eight books, dozens of articles, and over 2,500 devotions that help people discover the difference God makes in their daily life and leadership. With a Ph.D. in New Testament from Harvard, Mark teaches at Fuller Seminary, most recently in his D.Min. cohort on “Faith, Work, Economics, and Vocation.” Mark is married to Linda, a marriage and family counselor, spiritual director, and executive coach. Their two grown children are educators on the high school and college level.
The Fear of the Lord is Your Treasure
Sometimes we avoid talking about “the fear of the Lord” because we don’t want people to be so afraid of God that they run away. Yet, by doing so we risk minimizing God’s awesomeness and neglecting God’s holiness. Isaiah 33 observes that “the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.” As it was for the Israelites, so it can be for us when we revere the holy God who is King of kings and Lord of lords.
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Be a Leader Under the Authority of King Jesus
If we want to be effective and godly leaders, then we will exercise our leadership under the authority of Jesus, the king who reigns in true righteousness. We will take our cues from Jesus, imitating his example and embodying his values.
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Is It Time For You to Turn Back?
Like the ancient Israelites, we can get off course and start heading in the wrong direction in life. When this happens, we need to turn back to the Lord, leaving behind all that is wrong so that we might walk in a right relationship with God.
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God Can Be Your Teacher
In difficult times it can feel as if God is absent. But, in fact, God is present not only to comfort us, but also to teach us. In adversity, we get better acquainted with God our Teacher.
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In Trust Shall Be Your Strength
When I face daunting challenges, I’m tempted to trust in myself and my strength. Isaiah 30 reminds us that true, sustaining strength comes from God. Even as we work, we must learn to rest in God and God’s faithfulness.
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Keep Your Heart Near to God
Being a Christian isn’t mainly a matter of doing and saying the right things. Rather, it’s having an intimate relationship with God through Christ. As you work today, let the Holy Spirit draw your heart near to God.
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Build Your Life on a Strong Foundation
When we build our lives on Christ, our “precious cornerstone,” then we have a sure foundation for everything, including our daily work and leadership.
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Clarifying Your Purpose in the Third Third of Life, Part 6
Clarity of purpose is essential for third third flourishing. That’s what the research says. And that’s what I keep hearing from people, again and again.
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How Will I Be Remembered After I’m Gone? Part 1
I recently attended a memorial service for a man I knew when I was young. It was a fine service, full of worship, gratitude, sadness, and joy.
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Workday Prayers: Praise God with the Products of Your Work
Psalm 150, the last of the biblical Psalms, urges us to praise the Lord exuberantly. In part, we do this by using the products of our work. Psalm 150 mentions musical instruments, all of which are made by human hands. But, by analogy, we can also praise God through other kinds of work if we offer it to God as worship.
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Workday Prayers: A Prayer for Humility
Psalm 149 reminds us how much God values our humility. According to this psalm, the Lord “adorns the humble with victory.” Centuries later, Jesus put it this way, “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matt 23:13). Thus, we are encouraged to be humble in all of life, including our work. In humility, we seek to build up others and glorify God, rather than promoting ourselves and being puffed up with pride.
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Workday Prayers: Praise the Lord Through Your Work
Psalm 148 calls upon all people – including rulers, young men, women, older people and younger people together – to praise the LORD. While we’re at work, we can pause for moments of prayer in which we praise God. But we can also let our work become praise as we do everything “for the praise of God’s glory” (Ephesians 1:12).
Read Post Workday Prayers: What Delights the Heart of God
We are naturally drawn to admire accomplishment. We love watching the Olympics, for example, because we get to see the finest athletes in the world perform with excellence. Though God values our giftedness and fruitfulness, God delights most of all, not in what we do, but in knowing us, in receiving our reverence and our hope. We give God joy when our hearts are devoted to the God who is devoted to us.
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Workday Prayers: Sharing in the Good Work of God
Psalm 146 celebrates the work of God, noting many of the ways God is at work in the world. The God who does so many wonderful things is the same God who has created us as workers so that we might share in God’s work.
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