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A Bowlful of Tears
Scripture regularly associates God with joy, exuberant joy... But joy is not the only emotion connected to our relationship with the living God. Sadness also shows up in Scripture. In Psalm 80:5, for example, the psalmist laments: “You have fed [your people] with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.”
What’s Your Passion?
I have had the jobs that are passion-less rituals of meetings and projects and lunches and annual reviews and disappointing but acceptable raises and days filled with mindlessness. That kind of work has its positives (hello, benefits), but never enough to make me want to jump out of bed in the morning. Maybe you’ve had a job like that, too. Maybe you’re in one, now? If so, maybe it’s out of necessity, and I think there’s something to that. But I do hope and pray for passion, too.
Vocational Gratitude: Redemption
As we celebrate this Advent Season, reminded again of Jesus’ coming into the world, I want to reflect on the distinctive vision and driving force behind God’s incarnation in Jesus Christ. What was the mindset that Jesus brought to his work in the world? And, what might that say to us about our work as leaders?
An Unexpected Reason for Truth Speaking
The more I feel connected to you, the harder it will be for me to lie to you. The more I share life with you, the more I am encouraged to be open with you. The more I experience our unity as members of Christ's body, the more I will be committed to speaking the truth that is in Jesus so that you might grow in your faith and so that we might grow up together in the body of Christ.
Your Work and God’s Glory, Part 2
Today I’d like to wrap up some recent reflections on work and God’s glory. In the last two installments of Life for Leaders, I’ve been suggesting that one of the main ways we are able to glorify God is through our work. I didn’t make this out of whole cloth. I found it in Genesis 1-2, where God creates human beings so they might work in the world. If God made us for work, then we can honor and glorify God through working.
Further Reflections on the Inner Work of Jesus
As we do the inner work required of leaders, the story of the temptation of Jesus reminds us of how Scripture makes such a difference. Not only does the Bible reveal to us who God is, who we are, and what we’re called to do, but it also helps us see into our own hearts and minds. When we face temptations that would take us away from our best work, God will help us do the inner work that enables us to clarify our true identity and calling.
The Greatest Commandment: Living an Integrated Life
If the Parable of the Sower is about how to listen faithfully, today’s Scripture is the foundational text of what we are to hear. Mark Roberts has written a series of Life for Leaders devotionals on Jesus’ quotation of this text and how it might relate to our work as leaders. I want to add to Mark’s reflections from my own perspective.