Walking Out Who We Are Meant To Be At Work - BE STILL

"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

In the middle of the hustle and bustle of life as Christian women at work, it can be hard to catch your breath or keep your stress levels down, especially when the unexpected happens or you are in an unusually busy season.

I have found that the days where I start off being still before God in a time of reflecting on His Promises, resting in His Presence, and quietly listening for His promptings are the days where my faith is best put into action at work.

As we take a closer look at Psalm 46, we see a few clues as to why we should be still and know that He is God.

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging.

We see in the 3 verses above that when we choose God to be our refuge and strength, and turn to Him when we face trouble, we will not fear no matter what is happening about us.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fail. God will help her at break of day.

God is not only with His city but lives it alongside those who inhabit it, and the verse above reconfirms what we saw in verse one that God will always be her rescuer.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall. He lifts His voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done; the desolations He has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire.

We see in verses 6-9 that God is actively at work among the nations, speaking mightily, causing wars to end as only He can by breaking the weaponry and bypassing the defenses of the enemy being faced. Throughout the history of Israel, we see God come to the defense of His people over and over again in some pretty amazing ways!

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

And we end Psalm 46 with verses 10 & 22 which remind us that based on everything we have just read, God has not changed. He is still God, He will be exalted across the world, and He is always with us. So we can be still and rest in that knowledge, and in the safety we experience in His Presence as His daughters.

So how does that translate into our busy days in the workplace?

1. Reflect on His Promises - as we did in Psalm 46 today, spend time reading the Word and believing the same God who protects and provides for His children is the same today as He was yesterday, and will be tomorrow.

Make a list of the Promises which speak the most to you in this season. Keep it in the front cover of your Bible or your notebook, and refer to it every day, but intentionally do so during the more stressful seasons you are going through. This will remind you how He is consistent no matter what!

2. Rest in His Presence - after reviewing His Word, spend some time just being with God. Sometimes I will put on a quiet worship song, and rest in those moments. Not looking at what is ahead for the day, but at the God whom I am spending time with right now.

Make sure you are including this important time to just be with God when you are planning your quiet time. This can be hard for someone to get become accustomed to, so if you have never tried doing this before, begin with 5 minutes.

3. Quietly Listen for His Promptings - then bring your requests to God - your worries or concerns about the day ahead or your family/friends/staff. Once you have done that, pause to hear His voice in response.

Consider writing out your prayers and leave space under each request to write what You hear God speaking to you about it. This will also help build up your faith as you put a record together of your conversation with God.

Bringing This to God in Prayer:

God, help me to look to You first each day before I begin tackling my to do list. I want to learn to be still in Your Presence, become more grounded in my faith, and hear Your voice more clearly. May I rest in You no matter what I am facing, knowing that You are for me, with me, and my place of refuge when things are stressful. In Jesus' name, Amen.

May I walk out this concept of being still as a woman of faith in the workplace as I grow closer to You, God, and become a better worker in my workplace.

Karla Lees,

Christian Women at Work

Trust God for Courage for Your Journey - Part 2

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The Oxford Dictionary describes courage as the “ability to do something that frightens one.” It has also been defined as “the ability to undertake an overwhelming difficulty or pain despite the eminent and unavoidable presence of fear”. Women in our Christian Women at Work Bible Study recently defined it as “feeling the fear but doing it anyway,” “working in spite of the fear,” “stepping up to the challenge,” and “leaning on God when afraid and then being able to do what we are afraid of.”

In the workplace, as in life, we are regularly confronted with situations which make us fearful or uncomfortable, and we need courage to deal with them. We are also regularly presented with opportunities that can make us fearful or uncomfortable as we consider the decision we need to make and what the outcome might look like. Perhaps you are afraid to do something, but you know you should. You may be afraid to speak up about something, but you know you should.

Courage is the step needed to move from inactivity to activity in a fearful situation.

What is it you feel you should be doing but need the courage to do it? Take a few moments to honestly answer this question. Trust God for the courage to take this step, and make time to review what He says in His Word.

Taking This to God in Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that gives us everything we need to know about every situation. Help us to always turn to Your Word first for wisdom, guidance and encouragement. Please help us to understand what it means to be courageous. You have told us to be courageous and therefore we know we can be, because of You. Thank You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Below are 14 bible verses about courage. Over the next few weeks, consider reading 3 or 4 a week and record what God wants you to know. There will be certain things which will “stand out” to your heart, soul and mind as you read and meditate on them. At the end of this month, record what God has revealed to you and what your next step will be.

14 Bible Verses about Courage:

1. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

3. The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:23)

4. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7)

5. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ( Joshua 1:9)

6. “Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” (1 Chronicles 22:13)

7. David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. (1 Chronicles 28:20)

8. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.” (2 Chronicles 32:7)

9. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)

10. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

11. “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:24)

12. “When I said, “My foot is slipping,” Your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy.” (Psalm 94:18-19)

13. “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 23:12)

14. “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Courage application: What is the next step for you in your journey with God? Be specific as you write it down.

May God richly bless you as you turn to Him for courage. Have a wonderful month as you dedicate time to review courage!

Bonny, Christian Women at Work

Expressing the Fruit of the Spirit at Work through the foundation of LOVE

We have been taking a closer look at how we can best express the Fruit of the Spirit at work over the past several months, and are now wrapping up this series with LOVE.

Love is a huge aspect to the Bible, and I was initially overwhelmed at the thought of how to make it relevant for us in the workplace, until I read this version of Galatians 5:22-23.

“But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-23 TPT)

The love in these verses is God’s love, which is to be the base, or foundation, from which all the other fruit of the Spirit are to be expressed through. Just as His love is the motivation for all He does for us, so is that love through us to be the same.

Similarly, we see in 1 Corinthians 13 how our actions are essentially empty without that foundation of love:

“So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” (1 Corinthians 13:3)*

As Christian business women, we are to be motivated, and grounded, by His love, just as God is towards us.

You may wonder why I am discussing this last in this series on the Fruit of the Spirit. I often need to remind myself to keep the most important thing the most important thing, whether at home, or work. Making sure that all I am doing comes out of a motivation of love is worth a regular reminder, and I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit will bring that important truth to my mind every time I ask Him to.

As the Holy Spirit is a gift that we are given when we become His children, making sure we are remaining in close contact with Him will help us to ensure our foundation, and motivation, is His love. That way, His fruit will be expressed through our actions.

Love is best felt when it is seen in a variety of ways at work:

• Joy when sharing a victory

• Maintaining your peace and patience with a difficult client or supplier.

• Responding with kindness when you are upset or angry.

• Looking at and confirming the good in a staff person when doing their review, and delivering hard news with kindness.

• Faithfully serving your team and clients during a hard season.

• Keeping self control when you are pushed too far in a difficult conversation or situation.

Bringing this to God in Prayer

God, there are so many ways in which I forget that my every day motivation at work is to come from love. Your love to me, then expressed to those I work with. Would You reassure me of Your love on the days when I don't remember or feel it? Would You send Holy Spirit to remind me that I do not act alone, but as Your child, You are always with me to guide me and help me to respond in ways that both honor You and the ones I am serving. I acknowledge how much I need You, every moment of every day, and how grateful I am for Your constant love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

As we spend our days at work, serving and connecting with our coworkers, staff, and clients, may we continue to express His fruit - joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - from the mindset and foundation of love.

Karla, Christian Women at Work

*Read the full passage here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13&version=MSG