Seek Him: At Christmas and Always

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:1-2)

Do you have a loved one living far away? When my daughter lived in another country and returned home for a visit, I would head to the airport well before her plane was due to arrive. Even though I knew it was too early for her to walk through the gates, I would eagerly search for her face. Even though there were hundreds of people around me, I was seeking only one face - my daughter's. When I finally saw her, I would jump with delight and rush to be at her side.

As I reflect on my joy at seeing my daughter, I am reminded this Christmas season of the wise men who traveled to seek the Lord. It reminds me of my own journey of seeking the Lord, and how I apply it to my daily life. Am I regularly seeking Him? Am I eagerly seeking Him?

What does it mean to seek His face? Seeking the Lord means seeking His presence.

"Presence" is commonly translated as "face." We are to "seek His face." We are to focus our attention and our hearts on God. We are to take time during our day to be conscious of Him. Even in our day's busyness and work stresses, we have many opportunities to be in His presence. We must be focused on looking for His face in all situations. We can still concentrate on seeking only His face among the busyness of life and those around us, just like when I was at the airport seeking only my daughter's face.

Seeking His face is so important, and especially poignant, at this time of year. Even though we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we can be so busy "doing things" that we are not truly reflecting on the Lord or seeking His presence. We may be so busy buying gifts, we are not truly reflecting on the gift of salvation He has given us. During this Christmas season, I pray that you will eagerly seek His face in all the joy and busyness of this beautiful season.

Below are some questions to consider as you journey, like the wise men, to seek Him. 

1. Do you seek to be in the Lord's presence over your day? Take time to think about what this means and how you can consciously seek His face during your day. 

"Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9:10)

2. Is the Christmas season bringing any concerns? When worry or anxiety appears, seek His presence and comfort. 

"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

3. During the joyful and busy Christmas season, are you taking time to be in His presence?

Reading God's Word is one great way to be in His presence as you turn your attention and heart to Him. 

"I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands." (Psalm 119:10)

4. Don't you love to be in their presence when you love someone? Seek God's presence with love and in prayer throughout your day. Seek to be with Him in your everyday conversations and activities. 

"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always." (1 Chronicles 16:11)

5. Do you know that the Lord looks down on you to see if you seek Him? 

"The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God." (Psalm 14:2)

Bringing This to God in Prayer:

Lord, thank You for this beautiful season when we are reminded "the wise men still seek Him." Thank You for always being with us, and for helping us to consciously seek Your presence. Guide us to focus our attention and hearts on You. Help us to eagerly and always seek Your face. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

I pray God richly blesses you during this joyful Christmas season, as you seek His presence and seek His face with all your heart and soul. May we all focus on Christ as we seek His face during the season which focuses on Christ.

Merry Christmas!

Bonny, Christian Women at Work

Expressing the Fruit of the Spirit at Work: Self-Control

As we continue our monthly series on the fruit of the Spirit, instead of starting in order, I decided to tackle the fruit which I believe is one half of the foundation of the Spirit’s fruit, self control.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

(Galatians 5:22-23)

In the dictionary, self-control is defined as “the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behaviour, especially in difficult situations.” (Oxford Languages)

Another definition from Merriam Webster, “restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires” effectively shows the three areas in which we may need self control - impulse control, emotional control, and movement control.

As Christians, we are to emulate God’s characteristics as we navigate life, as we ask Him for His strength and Spirit's help in every problem we encounter.

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control.”

(2 Timothy 1:7)

When we take a moment before acting in a stressful or difficult situation, we make room for the Holy Spirit to calm us enough to respond vs react. In this way, we can act in such a way that our impulse is curbed, our emotions are paused, and we move forward in the way in which God guides us.

When we exercise self-control instead of reacting in the workplace, we reflect God’s character and release it into the situation.

“Whoever is patient has great understanding,

but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”

(Proverbs 14:29)

Taking This to God in Prayer:

God, when I find myself facing situations at work which are stressful, help me to remember to invite Your Holy Spirit to guide me before I react. May You assist me to keep my emotions in check, tame the initial reaction on my tongue, and remind me not to leap into react mode. Instead, help me to implement the self-control You offer to react in a timely, professional and honouring manner. Thank You that You love to come alongside me in every situation in which I may find myself, as You guide me into the action which will give You the most glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

As this upcoming holiday season picks up speed and brings additional stressors in every area of our lives, especially at work, may we choose to respond with self-control as we bring God into each situation.

Karla Lees,

Guest Blogger, Christian Women at Work

Resting at Work: It is Possible! Part 3

How was your past week at work? Were you able to remember to rest in Him even during hectic times?

I am so glad our memos over the past two weeks have centered on resting in God, as it was definitely something I needed this week, for illness caused us to be short-staffed at my workplace.

If you are an employer or manager, you will know that, ultimately, the responsibility lies with you to ensure the business continues running smoothly, calmly, and efficiently. That means you often need to step in. I found myself turning to God first thing in the morning to rest in Him to gain the energy and clarity to deal with another extra-busy day, and again in the evening to rest in Him at the end of a hectic day. I was again reminded of how God often prepares us for hectic, complicated, or stressful situations through the Bible verses we read, sermons we listen to, or discussions we have. Have you also found this to be true?

As we think about difficulties we are having or tough decisions we need to make, we can look at what the Lord says about rest and take the following steps:

1. Go to God: Remember God’s promise when we take the action step of going to Him when we are tired and overloaded: He will give us rest. Our job is to go to Him. I would like to add the recommendation of doing it sooner rather than later. To have it as the first resort: not the last resort. Matthew 11:28-29

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

2. Seek His Presence eagerly: Remember God’s promise when we take the action step to seek His Presence. He will give us rest. He tells us to “eagerly seek Him.” Our job is to schedule time, like an important meeting, to be in His Presence. God is our dwelling place, and we can find rest in His presence.

“All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.” (2 Chronicles 15:15 )

3. Learn from Him: Remember God’s promise when we take the action step to learn from Him: He will give us rest for our souls. Our job is to open our hearts and mind to learn from Him.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

4. Rest in Him and have peace: Remember God’s promise when we take the action step to rest in Him. He has told us we will have peace when we rest in Him. This is another blessing when we rest in Him, another gift from Him when we acknowledge His promises. And that is the opportunity to have peace during a storm. A supernatural peace that goes beyond all human understanding.

“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” (Isaiah 32:18)

Taking This to God in Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the rest only You can provide. This coming week, as we go through our workday and are confronted with difficulty, stress, and/or challenge, please give us the wisdom to remember our first action step is to choose to be in Your presence. In that way, we can experience rest for our souls and the peace that only You can provide as we seek to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Have a wonderful week as you continue to rest in Him, as He has promised.

God Bless!

Bonny, Christian Women at Work