Category: Work

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Time Alone with Him…

It’s been a long time since I wrote.

I have been too busy running and running, trying to finish this and that – so muddled up that even while praying, my mind was distracted with things to do.

Blogging also kept getting postponed.

God has been prompting me during the last week to get things in order. So finally, today I was able to focus. My time with God this morning was more fruitful and helped me analyse my feelings and see the futility of messing up my mind with insignificant concerns. They can wait. Time with and for God are more important. The rest can wait and happen as and when they should.

Surprisingly, the article below that I read today is also about time alone with God and reminded me about my priorities and how more focussed time will help God do His work in me.

When I prayed today, I realised how much I had missed this time with God where my mind was for Him rather than running wild about pending work issues. I used to feel so content every morning after my time with God, assured that He is in charge.

Dear Lord, thank you for reminding me that it's time I got myself back into my well organised life starting with my time with you focussed on you alone so I can listen to your guidance. Thank you for the peace and assurance you give us. Thank you for bearing with me during my quick prayers, during times when my thoughts were elsewhere during prayer time. Thank you for holding on to me when I seemed distant. I don’t know what I would have done if you had just let me go in my own way without your support and prompting. Thank you so much Oh Lord Jesus!

Have You Ever Been Alone With God?

When they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples. MARK 4:34

Our Solitude with Him. Jesus does not take us alone and expound things to us all the time; He expounds things to us as we can understand them. Other lives are parables. God is making us spell out our own souls. It is slow work, so slow that it takes God all time and eternity to make a man and woman after His own purpose. The only way we can be of use to God is to let Him take us through the crooks and crannies of our own characters. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We do not know envy when we see it, or laziness, or pride. Jesus reveals to us all that this body has been harbouring before His grace began to work. How many of us have learned to look in with courage?

We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves, it is the last conceit to go. The only One Who understands us is God. The greatest curse in spiritual life is conceit. If we have ever had a glimpse of what we are like in the sight of God, we shall never say — “Oh, I am so unworthy,” because we shall know we are, beyond the possibility of stating it. As long as we are not quite sure that we are unworthy, God will keep narrowing us in until He gets us alone. Wherever there is any element of pride or of conceit, Jesus cannot expound a thing. He will take us through the disappointment of a wounded pride of intellect, through disappointment of heart. He will reveal inordinate affection — things over which we never thought He would have to get us alone. We listen to many things in classes, but they are not an exposition to us yet. They will be when God gets us alone over them.

From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

It is not what a man does that is of final importance, but what he is in what he does. The atmosphere produced by a man, much more than his activities, has the lasting influence.

Wisdom from Oswald Chambers, From Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L

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Am I humble enough?

[Christ Jesus] made himself nothing.

Philippians 2:7

While reflecting on the devotional below from Our Daily Bread, I remembered the time when my pride led to a lot of stress at work especially when I was working in Kuwait.

I had this feeling that I was better than some of my colleagues who were given greater consideration due to their nationality. This made it difficult for me to accept insignificant work from them which were not suitable to my post, but I was forced to do since that was the work culture there.

At other times, I generally had a feeling that I was good at work and did not consider some of my colleagues capable of doing as well.

This attitude led to a lot of mental stress and complexes. I did not need to think like that. I could have done my work as I would have done for God and ignored any other issues. I could have also considered that all of us have something positive given by God irrespective of our differences.

Even now, I have the habit of arguing thinking that I am right when it is equally possible that the other person is right.

Our Lord Jesus humbled Himself so much for us when He had all the power in the world. He had no ego, pride or issues when He was mocked at and crucified.

When He humbly accepted His situation, how silly it was for me to stress over such petty issues.

Thank you Lord for showing this to me. Help me to change my attitude and to be humble always.

As the American Revolution concluded with England’s improbable surrender, many politicians and military leaders maneuvered to make General George Washington a new monarch. The world watched, wondering if Washington would stick to his ideals of freedom and liberty when absolute power was within his grasp. England’s King George III saw another reality, however. He was convinced that if Washington resisted the power pull and returned to his Virginia farm, he would be “the greatest man in the world.” The king knew that the greatness evidenced in resisting the allure to power is a sign of true nobility and significance.

Paul knew this same truth and encouraged us to follow Christ’s humble way. Even though Jesus was “in very nature God,” he “did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2:6). Instead, He surrendered His power, became “a servant” and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death” (vv. 7-8). The One who held all power surrendered every bit of it for the sake of love.

And yet, in the ultimate reversal, God exalted Christ from a criminal’s cross “to the highest place” (v. 9). Jesus, who could demand our praise or force us to be obedient, laid down His power in a breathtaking act that won our worship and devotion. Through absolute humility, Jesus demonstrated true greatness, turning the world upside down.

REFLECT & PRAY

Thank You, Jesus, that in Your most destitute and (seemingly) disgraceful moment, You demonstrated Your true power and greatness.

By Winn Collier