James 1:2-4, 9, 17
A lot of James is based on general behavior. That is, it's not work-specific like many of the passages that I've tried to post about. Even so, there are so many work-related lessons in this short book that I could not pass over these general statements. For example, James 1:2-4 talks about patience in suffering. James is writing to Christians who are suffering because of their faith. Perhaps you have suffered in your workplace because you are not willing to stoop to the level of others around you or because you have a higher ethical standard than others. Hang in there.
James 1:9 talks about being ok if you are in humble positions. Regardless of what your job is, work at it with all that you have. Take pride in where you are. Life is not about possessions and status.
Or what about James 1:17? Every good gift is from above. Think about that last promotion you received. Did you thank God for it? Or did you chalk it up to your intelligence and talent (who gave you those?)?
I'm going to use the next few posts to discuss some of the lessons for work that I see in James.
Showing posts with label Gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gifts. Show all posts
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Using Our God-Given Talents
Exodus 35:10 ff
There's something else that's remarkable about the description in Exodus as God gives instructions regarding how the Israelites are to build his Tabernacle. Not only did God give talents to the people to do the work well, they used those talents for His glory. Exodus 36:2 describes the people as eager to get to work. Exodus 35:25 says that the women who were gifted seamstresses were sewing for the project. As I think about Christianity in the workplace, what I think about is using our God-given talents for his glory. Whatever your talent is, how can you use it in such a way as to glorify Him? And I don't think that has to mean only in a church or on Sundays. Those are included, of course, but I think we can be glorifying God with our talents in a variety of contexts (which of course is the point of this blog).
There's something else that's remarkable about the description in Exodus as God gives instructions regarding how the Israelites are to build his Tabernacle. Not only did God give talents to the people to do the work well, they used those talents for His glory. Exodus 36:2 describes the people as eager to get to work. Exodus 35:25 says that the women who were gifted seamstresses were sewing for the project. As I think about Christianity in the workplace, what I think about is using our God-given talents for his glory. Whatever your talent is, how can you use it in such a way as to glorify Him? And I don't think that has to mean only in a church or on Sundays. Those are included, of course, but I think we can be glorifying God with our talents in a variety of contexts (which of course is the point of this blog).
God-Given Talents
Exodus 28:3
cf Ex. 31:1-11; 35:30-35; 36:1ff
As you look at the people around you, you probably see a lot of different skills. As I write this, the NBA finals were not that long ago, and the World Cup just ended. Those athletes have incredible skills to get to the top of their respective sports. I listened to a fantastic speaker today, someone who seemed gifted in speaking in front of a large group. Yesterday, I listened to the radio and heard several remarkable singers, accompanied by elite players of various instruments. You may not fall into any of those categories, but we all have special talents, special gifts from God. That's important to recognize--our talents are given to us by God. In Exodus 28, God is directing Moses regarding priestly clothes. He describes that He has given the skilled artists a "spirit of wisdom." In chapter 31, God describes more explicitly that He has "filled [Bezalel] with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts."
So two lessons here. First, God has given you your talents. Don't fail to acknowledge him. As you accomplish great things in your workplace, never fail to recognize that those accomplishments are from God, wholly and completely from Him. Your victories are really His victories. Second, there will always be those who are talented differently than we are. Our temptation may be to look at them with envy, but doing that is basically criticizing God's choice of talents for our lives.
cf Ex. 31:1-11; 35:30-35; 36:1ff
As you look at the people around you, you probably see a lot of different skills. As I write this, the NBA finals were not that long ago, and the World Cup just ended. Those athletes have incredible skills to get to the top of their respective sports. I listened to a fantastic speaker today, someone who seemed gifted in speaking in front of a large group. Yesterday, I listened to the radio and heard several remarkable singers, accompanied by elite players of various instruments. You may not fall into any of those categories, but we all have special talents, special gifts from God. That's important to recognize--our talents are given to us by God. In Exodus 28, God is directing Moses regarding priestly clothes. He describes that He has given the skilled artists a "spirit of wisdom." In chapter 31, God describes more explicitly that He has "filled [Bezalel] with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts."
So two lessons here. First, God has given you your talents. Don't fail to acknowledge him. As you accomplish great things in your workplace, never fail to recognize that those accomplishments are from God, wholly and completely from Him. Your victories are really His victories. Second, there will always be those who are talented differently than we are. Our temptation may be to look at them with envy, but doing that is basically criticizing God's choice of talents for our lives.
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