The Christian Working Woman

Epizody

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  Peace Under Pressure – 3 07.10.2026 3min

  Peace even when you’re under pressure: Do you think that’s possible? While it’s true that too much pressure is harmful, it’s also true that you cannot escape some pressure if you’re involved in anything at all. So, we need to know how to be peaceful even though we have stress and pressure in our daily routine. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3 that the person who intends to love life and see good days must seek peace and pursue it. You have to go for it. It doesn’t just happen. It comes when you pursue it. One thing I recommend is to take peace breaks. When you feel the pressure and panic start to crowd in around you, find some way to take a short break and pray for a few minutes. Get your mind refocused on Jesus. Then go back to face your situation, and you’ll discover unreasonable peace—that peace that passes understanding—flowing through you, even though the pressure is still there. Write Scripture verses on cards to help you to be peaceful, such as Isaiah 26:3: You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Put this card in front of you, on your screen saver or smart phone, and read it and re-read it several times during the day. That will help keep your thoughts where they should be; bringing every thought into captivity so they obey Christ. You could hum a good Christian song to yourself to get your mind refocused on the person who is your peace, Jesus Christ. You can do that while you’re talking to people, busily working on something, rushing on the job, or darting somewhere in your car. Right amid all that pressure, you can still know God’s incredible peace. Do you spend time with God early in your day, so you begin your day in a peaceful manner? Or do you begin most of your days in a hectic rush, getting up late, rushing yourself or your family? Remember this: Your day is won or lost in the morning hours. Take time early in your day to put on peace, and your peace is a person, right? Put on Jesus and his shoes of peace. Don’t leave home without doing that. And take some peace breaks during your hectic day. Those are good suggestions for staying peaceful in the midst of pressure.
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  Peace Under Pressure – 2 06.10.2026 3min

  Did you ever think about this: if you don’t feel pressured, you aren’t? Pressure is a state of mind. If you don’t think you’re under pressure, you’re really not, regardless of what’s on your plate to do. One of the most important concepts we can grasp in our Christian life is that we are what we think. Everything begins with our thought life, and that includes whether or not we feel pressured. I start to feel stressed when I allow myself to think about all there is to do, when I start to worry about next week’s deadlines, when I ponder long the “To Do” list that stares me in the face. “How will I ever get all this done?” I think. Then I convince myself there’s no way. And now the panic starts to rise, because I’m thinking about all I must do instead of just doing something. Remind yourself often that you can only do one thing at a time, decide what has the highest priority at this moment, and do it. Allowing those thoughts to hang around and bombard you with “Hurry up, you’ve got a lot to do,” or “You’re never going to get everything done at this rate,” just pours the pressure on yourself and keeps you from working at maximum efficiency. The good news is that pressure and peace are not exclusive. You don’t have to give up peace and calmness just because there’s some pressure on you. And peace is not passivity. Peace doesn’t mean you’re lying down in gardens, with bubbling brooks and birds singing. Peace doesn’t mean the absence of emails or texts or meals to cook or reports to finish. Peace is a state of mind; it begins with our thoughts. And our minds can be at rest in the midst of incredible activity. One good suggestion to stay peaceful in pressurized environments is to talk to yourself correctly. What do you say or think when you’re under pressure? “I’ll never get this done.” Or “I can’t do all this.” Why do you feed all that negative stuff into your head? Say instead, “Lord, by your grace I will survive this. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” You will be amazed at how much easier it is to handle stress when you talk to yourself in biblical ways, not in negative ways.
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  Peace Under Pressure 05.10.2026 3min

  One of the most common problems we all share is handling pressure and stress. I don’t know anyone who escapes it, do you? I want to talk about how to have peace amid stress and pressures of our lives. Now, I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t have pressure or stress in your life. Honestly, if you constantly lived free of pressure, you probably would not accomplish very much. Any time you start to get involved in anything, any time you decide to contribute something, any time you take on responsibilities, pressure and stress come. Pressure forces me to be organized and prioritize my time much better. And then, I really believe God uses pressure in our lives to teach us many things. Pressure teaches us to turn to him. Pressure makes us look up more often. Pressure keeps us aware of our need for him. Of course, there is such a thing as too much pressure, and we certainly need to be careful about that. God reminds me frequently that I can’t do everything, and there is a limit to the amount of pressure I should handle. One of the major reasons we are under pressure and stress is because we haven’t learned to say no, and we’re trying to be superwomen or supermen. You know, just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Just because there is something else to be done doesn’t necessarily mean you are the one who should do it, or it has to be done right now. Many of us try to be all things to all people, and it never works. Honestly, I have to admit that sometimes I put myself under pressure because I want the praise of people. I’m doing it for the wrong reasons. Remember this: You’ll never get enough applause from people to make you feel significant. Our self-worth must come from our relationship with Jesus Christ. If your superwoman wings are tired today, just stop and remember that God is not asking you to be a super-person. Perhaps that is why you’re feeling pressured and stressed. Let go of that superwoman pursuit and ask God to show you his plan for you and your day.
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  Peace in Panic 03.10.2026 14min

  Peace in panic—you may be thinking that’s not so easy to do, and I totally agree. But think of it this way: When you and I face difficult, rushed, confusing moments and keep our “cool,” we have an amazing opportunity to demonstrate the difference Jesus makes in our lives. It was Rudyard Kipling who wrote: “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,” and he goes on to declare that then “yours is the earth and everything that’s in it.”1 Well, there I would disagree with him. For a Christ-follower when you can keep your head when everything is falling apart around you, then you will be a bold, strong witness to the power of God in you—and that is more attractive than words or sermons could ever be.    These times of panic, fear, and pressure are not just circumstances that happen to come our way, but rather they are God’s teaching moments in our lives. C. S. Lewis said that suffering of any kind is God’s “megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”2 I’m sure you can remember times of pressure and panic which caused you to finally look up—to recognize your need of God’s help and times when you learned to trust Jesus more and more.    Would you agree that the Christian life—our daily walk with God through all of life’s issues, good and bad—is about learning to trust God more and more? So often the Spirit of God whispers to me, “Mary, can’t you trust me?” When I’m at a loss for knowing what to do or falling apart because things aren’t going the way they should, that’s when I desperately need to trust God. Trust him that he has a plan, and it’s a good one; that nothing has taken him by surprise; that all things still work together for my good because I am his and I am his “called one.”    How many mornings I say to the Lord, “Lord, I really need you today.” Often I sing that great old hymn, “I need Thee, oh, I need Thee, every hour I need Thee.”3 There’s no doubt that times of pressure, of panic, or fear and worry help me see how much I need him. You too, right?    Jesus told us Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). When you and I start thinking about all we have to do tomorrow and the next day and the next, our mind goes into panic mode. The pressures build, and they are too much for us, because they are pressures from tomorrow. Jesus said we have enough to handle just for today.    But if we refuse to dwell on those fearful, worrying thoughts, the pressures of tomorrow won’t get to us.    One of the most important concepts we can grasp in our Christian life is that we are what we think. I find I bring on myself much of my own panic when my thoughts are totally out of control. Panic, pressure, confusion, fear—they all begin with your thought life. So, when there is no peace in your mind, in your life, stop and check out your thought patterns.     You see, if you can keep your mind peaceful, regardless of the hectic situation that faces you, you’ll have peace. You can have peace right in the middle of the panic! Isn’t that good news? You don’t have to give up peace just because you find yourself in the middle of a mess—as my good friend, Sharon, says: “a hot mess!”    Well, that’s nice to know, but how do we make it work? I have a sure fire, guaranteed formula for you. Ready? Here it is. When you’re feeling panic, worry, or fear, and you’re not feeling peaceful, stop and check out your thoughts. Take ten seconds and say to yourself, “I must refocus my thoughts so that I have peace.” And where do you refocus your thoughts? Here’s the secret—you won’t be surprised to learn that it’s found in God’s Word, Isaiah 26:3: You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.   Take some peace breaks; close your eyes, focus your mind on Jesus Christ and say to yourself, or out loud, if possible, “I want to be in perfect peace right now in the midst of this chaos, so I choose to focus my mind on Jesus Christ.” You may have to do it repeatedly, but that’s okay. It will teach you the important principle of replacing wrong thoughts with right thoughts.    In Ephesians 6 we are told that a key part of our spiritual armor is to wear the shoes of the gospel of peace. Why do you suppose we are told to put peace on our feet? You’d think it would be better to put peace on as a breastplate to cover your heart—peace in your heart. But no, we’re told to put peace on our feet.    Well, here’s how I look at it. Have you ever tried to get through a day wearing shoes that hurt your feet? Is there anything more miserable? Seems like you just have to quit if your feet are hurting, if the shoes don’t fit well.    Think about the boots people in the army wear. Those shoes are designed to be comfortable and do the job no matter what the conditions are. If you’re marching in the hot desert, those army boots keep your feet from scorching; in the snow, they keep them from freezing; on rocky, rough paths, they protect them from cuts and bruises. With those boots on, you’re prepared to keep going no matter what the circumstances are.    Well, when you wear the shoes of peace, you can keep going regardless of your circumstances. It’s the peace of God, which is described as passing all our understanding. Have you ever experienced that kind of peace, where you knew when you looked around you that you ought to be in panic mode, but instead you’re peaceful—incredible, unreasonable peace? When you wear the shoes of peace, you have peace whether it makes sense or not.    Wouldn’t it be a good idea to make sure you put on those shoes every day, especially when you’re feeling the pressure and the panic. Ephesians 2:14 says, For he himself is our peace. Peace is a person; it’s Jesus. Focus your mind on your peace, Jesus Christ.   You need to put on the shoes of peace each day. I mean, intentionally and verbally tell God you intend to wear the shoes of peace all day no matter what happens—or who happens—and ask him to remind you to put those shoes of peace back on when you step out of them. Make it a daily prayer, especially when you’re facing confusion and panic on the job.    Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:10-12 that the person who intends to love life and see good days must seek peace and pursue it. You have to go for it. It doesn’t just come like a blanket and settle upon you when all the circumstances are just right. It comes when you pursue it. Again, in Romans 14:19 Paul says, Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.    It won’t just happen. You have to discipline yourself to stop at those panic points and talk to yourself and to the Lord. Even in the midst of your workday, find a place you can get alone for one minute or five minutes for a peace break. Say out loud, “Lord, you will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is fixed on you. I choose to fix my mind on you. I put on the shoes of peace so I can keep going, regardless of what’s going on around me.”    Jesus is the supreme example of peace regardless of the circumstances. People were always crowding him, trying to talk to him, trying to touch him. He had a hard time finding any space or time for himself. He was constantly under pressure. But I notice that no matter how busy he was or how full the calendar seemed to be, he found time to be alone with God. I read something by R. A. Torrey once which I wrote in the front of my prayer manual and to which I frequently refer. Let me read it:    “Some people are so busy that they find no time for prayer. Apparently, the busier Christ’s life was, the more He prayed. Sometimes He had no time to eat, sometimes He had no time for needed rest or sleep, but He always took time to pray; and the more the work crowded the more He prayed.”4    Lots of times when our schedules get very full, and the panic starts to come in on us, the first thing we sacrifice is our time with the Lord. The days you choose not to spend time with the Prince of Peace, you’ve failed to go to the source of peace, to put on the shoes of peace, those are the days you have to face it all on your own. You put yourself out on a limb, all by yourself, and then you discover you’ve lost your peace, your assurance that God is in control.     What a silly thing for us to do as Christians. Here we have available to us the fountainhead of peace. Here we have the God of all peace ready to heal our frazzled nerves and bring calm in the midst of chaos. But foolishly we don’t go to him. We rationalize: “We’re too busy. He’ll understand. Something has to give.”     Well, that’s a very foolish economy. Believe me, this is a lesson I must continually re-learn. I remember one particular time when the pressures and deadlines were great that I minimized my prayer time for a few days. In his oh-so-gentle way, God showed me when I sacrifice prayer time to relieve pressures and stress, I do just the opposite. I increase my pressures and then panic sets in. He said, “Spend time with me, draw on my strength. You need me now more than ever, and I’ll take the remaining time and make it stretch to meet the responsibilities.”      Your lack of peace may be because you’ve sacrificed time with the Prince of Peace. Sorry, but it just won’t work. Like me, you’re going at it backward. Give God the time and see how he stretches it for you.    Probably the best testimony you and I can have in our hectic worlds is to demonstrate peace in the midst of panic and chaos. I told you about my friend, Janet, who came to know Christ as her Savior because she kept observing one coworker who was peaceful in a chaotic environment, and she decided she wanted what he had. She wanted peace. Are there people around you, where you work, who desperately need peace in their lives? They may never admit it or even recognize it, but when they see you at peace, regardless of what’s going on, they notice, and they want it, too.     We can point people to the One who brings peace, and one of the best ways to do that is to demonstrate peace which passes understanding in our daily lives. I trust you’ll make this a priority for yourself, and learn to put on the shoes of peace, to pursue peace, to have the peace of God evident in your panicked world. If you know Jesus as your Savior, then he is your peace, and he is always available to you, in every place. Start pursuing his peace every day—and all through the day—and find out what it’s like to know a great joy in your heart as you are peaceful when others are frantic! You’ll be Jesus to those around you, and that is the greatest joy you can know.  Sources: Rudyard Kipling, “If—,” in Rewards and Fairies (London: Macmillan, 1910). C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1940), 91.  Annie Sherwood Hawks, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” 1872. R. A. Torrey, How to Pray (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1900).
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  Praying At All Times – 5 02.10.2026 3min

  I’ve been challenging you to become intentional about praying at all times about everything. Just talking to God all day long. He’s with you at all times, so why not take advantage of that and talk to him at all times. One of the difficulties we have with praying at all times is that our lives are full of distractions, and in the last few decades, that has become an increasingly real issue. In addition to praying with our eyes wide open through our entire day, busy or not, we do need times when we put the distractions aside and turn them off while we communicate with God. It is not uncommon for me to work on my computer at home. It’s there, all my work is there, so I am often found sitting in my home with a computer in my lap, working or surfing the internet or texting or something. When my husband was alive, he would begin a conversation with me, which I would catch maybe halfway through because I was distracted by my computer. And he often said, “Can you just put that away for a minute so I can talk to you?” I wonder how often God thinks the same thing about me. “Mary, can you just put those distractions aside long enough to give me your full attention and talk to me and listen to me?” Honestly, I think we have to be even more proactive in guarding and keeping our prayer time with God than in former days because there are so many gadgets all around us, making noise, interrupting our thoughts, demanding our attention. A few years ago, our pastor challenged us to turn off all electronics for three days. Unless our work demanded it, we were asked to turn off televisions, radios, computers, smart phones, all the things that demand so much of our attention in a normal day. Let me tell you, it was not easy to do at first. The silence was deafening. But those who took part in this agreed that we came to love the quietness and it reduced our stress. Of course, it gave us more opportunities to communicate with the Lord, to recognize his presence, and keep the conversation going with him. So, praying at all times is learning to pray in the midst of our busy lives, in crowded places and public arenas. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, it is learning to pray: in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:18).
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  Praying At All Times – 4 01.10.2026 3min

  Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray at all times with all kinds of prayer for all people. So, to do this, we have to learn to pray with our eyes open, wherever we are. In her book, Praying with Eyes Wide Open, Sherry Harney says, “When we pray with our eyes wide open, our time with God is limitless.”[1] God invites us to be with him, consciously aware of his presence, at all times, and that means whether we are in a quiet place alone, standing in line at the grocery store, driving to work, or singing praise songs at church, we are able to directly and personally connect with God. And God delights in our presence. Zephaniah 3:17 says: The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Don’t you love that thought—the God of the universe rejoices over you and takes great delight in you? So, when you choose to be in his presence throughout your day—verbally or silently—he’s very pleased. Let me give you some examples of ways you can pray at all times with your eyes wide open. While you are at work, take those short opportunities you have for prayer. When you walk down the hall, pray for the people you work with. When you’re sitting in a meeting, pray for those in authority over you. When you’re talking to a customer or client, send up a silent prayer for wisdom and care for that person. Here are some other suggestions. When you watch or listen to the news, most of which is not good, pray for those in the news. For example, the news is usually full of all kinds of tragedies. Just stop and pray for the people involved. Instead of griping about our government leaders pray for them even as you listen to the news, with your eyes open, silently or out loud, if you can. If you don’t like the way your organization is headed, or you’re upset at something your boss has done or said, or some new policy seems wrong to you, instead of participating in the office gossip, just pray about it as you perform your work. If you’re concerned about a situation at your church, maybe about something the leadership is doing, just pray about it every time it comes to your mind. That’s a lot more helpful than criticizing and complaining, don’t you think? Praying at all times is not mission impossible. It is totally doable, provided you set your mind to pray throughout your day, talk to the Lord who is there with you, and just let prayer be a part of your daily flow of life. Then you’re going to pray much more than you do now. [1] Sherry Harney and Kevin G. Harney, Praying with Eyes Wide Open: A Life-Changing Way to Talk with God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2017).
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  Praying At All Times – 3 30.09.2026 3min

  Are you happy with your prayer life? Do you pray as much as you know you should or wish you could? I believe when you learn to incorporate prayer into your daily lifestyle, your prayer time and effectiveness will increase greatly. Here’s how it works to pray continually. You must become intentional about practicing the presence of Jesus. That means, you must determine to be aware—at all times and in all places—that because you are a Christ-follower and have been born again, you are surrounded with the presence of Jesus all day, every day, 24/7. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you have him with you at all times; the problem for us is we all too often don’t recognize or acknowledge his presence. For example, let’s say you have a really close friend or family member—that person on this earth closest to you. You are with them as often as possible, and when you are with them, you communicate. You share the problems and issues of your life, but you also share the joys. You laugh together; you cry together; sometimes you’re just silent together, but that person’s presence is there with you. This is not a perfect analogy, but just consider that Jesus is your best friend, your closest companion, your confidant. And, unlike earthly companions, he is with you 24/7. You’re never away from him. So, if you are aware that he is there, what are you likely to do? You’re going to talk with him, right? Whatever is happening to you in your day, you’re going to share it with Jesus. When you need help or guidance, he’s right there to show you the way. When you see something beautiful, he loves you to share that experience with him. When something makes you laugh, he laughs with you. When sorrow fills your heart, he cries with you. This is the meaning of praying continually—praying at all times. As you develop awareness of his presence, then boldly and confidently talk to him throughout your days—all days, everywhere. Just simply take advantage of your privilege of praying in the flow of life, and as you learn to do this, you are learning what it means to pray without ceasing. You never cut off the communication with Jesus. You don’t have to say “Amen,” meaning this is the end of my prayer time, and I’ll come back later. You just keep the conversation going all the time. And the good news is, you can pray with eyes open or closed, by yourself or in a crowd, out loud or silently. Prayer is not limited by any of our usual prayer routines; we can truly pray continually, and what an incredible blessing and privilege that is.
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  Praying At All Times – 2 29.09.2026 3min

  What is the right way and time to pray? The Bible says we should pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers. And it also admonishes us to pray continually or without ceasing. Well, you may be thinking, how in the world can anyone pray on all occasions without ceasing? Seems like it’s mission impossible. Well, that’s true if prayer for you means you must be in a certain place with a certain posture and say certain words. On one of my trips to Rwanda, I spoke to the women about praying with eyes wide open and encouraged them to learn to keep a conversation going with God throughout the day. One woman gave a testimony the next day and said she always thought you had to be in church to pray. She didn’t know she was allowed to pray at any other time or in any other way. “But,” she said, “now I know I can pray while I’m working or walking or whatever I’m doing.” She was so delighted to have this new freedom to pray at all times. As I mentioned, we traditionally close our eyes and bow our heads to pray, but there’s no requirement in the Bible for this posture in prayer. In fact, you won’t find any reference to closing your eyes to pray. Now, there are good reasons at times for us to close our eyes and bow our heads in prayer, but that is not a requirement. Therefore, praying at all times or praying continually might not truly be impossible if we can pray at any time, in any position, and in any place, wouldn’t you agree? Consider this, if prayer is limited to certain postures and places, then our prayer time is very limited. But if you can pray with eyes open, silently or verbally, anywhere and anytime, then you are much more likely to expand your prayer life and spend far more time in the presence of God. We just need to develop a new attitude toward prayer and determine to keep a conversation going with God throughout the day, as you stand, sit, drive, run, work, lie down—whatever! I want to encourage you to practice praying with your eyes open. Pray at all times in your day. Talk the God throughout your day. Sometimes those prayers will be silent ones, sometimes you can verbalize them out loud, but either way, you can learn to let your automatic response to any situation be one of prayer. Just talk to the Lord about it.
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  Praying At All Times 28.09.2026 3min

  You know, sometimes following biblical directives can seem like mission impossible, and one of those is found in 1 Thessalonians 5, where it says we are to pray continually. Did you ever wonder how in the world you could do that? How can you pray continually and still keep a job or sleep or do anything else? Some translations say pray without ceasing or pray at all times, but any way you look at it, it doesn’t seem possible. And that passage goes on to say this is God’s will for you. So, it’s God’s will that we should pray continually, but we don’t know how we can do that. What does it mean? Surely God knows we must do other things, yet, there it is: Pray continually. Pray without ceasing. I highly recommend Sherry Harney’s book, Praying with Eyes Wide Open. It’s a very helpful book, and I’ll be sharing some of Sherry’s thoughts with you.[1] When you think of praying, what comes to your mind? Do you see prayer as a time when you must be quiet, either sit or kneel, close your eyes and bow your head? Does it seem almost sacrilegious to open your eyes when you are praying or when someone else is? Is prayer to be reserved for those specific times in a day—or a week—when you can get in the right position and the right frame of mind for prayer? If that’s how you see prayer, then praying at all times or praying continually will continue to be an impossibility. Did you know the Bible gives no specific directions about your posture or the state of your eyes when you pray? You won’t find any references in the Bible demonstrating that people are praying with heads bowed and eyes closed. In fact, you’ll find many times when prayer was often given standing up, with arms outstretched toward heaven. We have passages that speak of God’s people praying in the midst of a battle, while shepherding sheep or on a journey, in public and private places. In John 17:1 we read that: After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed. We see where Solomon spread his hands out toward heaven as he prayed, and David lifted up his hands. The apostle Paul exhorted us to pray with holy hands lifted, as we read in 1 Timothy 2. And often the apostles laid their hands on people as they prayed for them. So, I want to encourage you—and hopefully equip you—to see how you can pray continually, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. [1] Sherry Harney and Kevin G. Harney, Praying with Eyes Wide Open: A Life-Changing Way to Talk with God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2017).
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  Avoiding the Work-Life Balance Trap 26.09.2026 14min

  presented by Jennifer Miller Lately, I’ve been thinking about work-life balance and the traps in thinking we get tangled up in regarding this. I know not everyone has my bent or personality, so maybe this doesn’t apply to you, but one of my greatest traps in thinking about work-life balance is my desire for a formula to follow.   I really just want someone to sit down and say, “Okay, Jennifer, here is your perfect schedule. If you follow this plan, everything will work out and be balanced. Spend this much time in the Word each day, this much time each month having family fun, serve in church in this ministry every other week, meal plan like this, and use this perfect planner to make all your dreams a success.”   There are many voices out there who promise the perfect formula for a meaningful life. Often, they have great tips, but no matter what I try, I leave frustrated because there are too many formulas and none fit perfectly.   This frustration has led me to resonate deeply with Matthew 22:34-40.   Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  To give you a little context, this story comes after several questions that have been posed to Jesus in order to trap him. The religious rulers of the day are fed up and feel threatened, so they work to trap him in his words so people will see he is not worth following.   The only problem is every time they ask him a question, he answers it so well that his following only increases, adding to their frustration. So, here the Pharisees are pondering: What question would totally trap Jesus? And here is the question they come up with: What is the greatest commandment in the law?  Now when I read that, I’m left wondering, why is that such a tricky question? I can think of a lot of hot button topics that would be harder to answer in our day, but at this time, this was a very divisive question. The Pharisees’ whole mission was to uphold God’s rules, all 613 of them from the Torah. They cared so much about keeping those rules that they made another set of rules to help people keep God’s rules.   But there were other groups who disagreed about which rules were most important. So, asking Jesus to pick a rule would automatically offend some group. Now what does this have to do with you and me? I often come to God in prayer burdened by all the items I have on my to do list—all of the good things I want to get done, all of the amazing ideas I’ve heard other people do to have joy and satisfaction—and I sit looking at all these little pieces feeling overwhelmed and overloaded. Like the Pharisees, I tend to focus on all the to-dos. I like rules, I like formulas, and I can come in prayer in a sense praying, “Just tell me what to do today, Jesus.”  How does Jesus respond to this question? Jesus did 2000 years ago what AI is only now beginning to do today. Maybe you have benefitted from AI’s ability to sort through massive amounts of information and quickly provide a summary of the most important parts. Well, in a sense, Jesus does something similar. He knew every law God had ever given, and from all the information in the Law and from knowing God personally, he sorts through all that information and gives a perfect and succinct summary of God’s requirements.    Jesus says all God calls us to can be summed up as “love God and love people.” In fact, he says all the other commands hang on these two. That is an interesting picture, isn’t it? Imagine that you work in a clothing store and are given 613 coats. Your boss tells you to display the coats on a front wall, and you just stare at each and every coat. There are so many—it’s overwhelming! How can you possibly manage them? But then a coworker comes and installs two massive rods into the beams of the wall. These rods are strong and can support the weight of the coats, so all the coats can be hung and displayed from them.  That is what Jesus says about these two commands to love God and love your neighbor. Instead of giving a formula ranking each command in order, Jesus gives us two principles that guide all of life. It is as if God has given us two secure and strong hooks that everything else hangs on. All the other commandments hang on these two.   When we think about all the things in life we want to do or feel pressured to do, it is like 613 coats scattered on the floor, but Jesus comes and says, “Look, focus on just two things—loving God and loving others. Hang the to-dos of your life on these, and all will be well.”   The life you have been called to live is a life of love. That is the priority Jesus gives. Even good things like your job or serving in church or caring for your home, if they are not hanging from the hook of love, they do not please God. Whatever we do must be rooted in love. Isn’t it amazing how Jesus lifts our eyes off the million and one things we have on our plates, and gives us two things to focus on? That’s more manageable. It’s not that all the tasks of life suddenly disappear, but they are rightly hung on the greatest pursuit which is love.  So, let’s take a moment to ponder what this means for your daily life and mine. What does it mean to love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind? I think the key word here is all. This love for the Lord should encompass all of who we are. This loves shapes all we do, say, think, and choose.    Now you may be thinking, sure, I love God, but that is a feeling. How does it actually affect my schedule? How you choose to spend the time you are given reveals the priorities of your heart. As you think about your schedule, does it reflect that you love God above all else? That he is the #1 priority in your life? Do you carve out and guard time to commune with him each day through listening to his voice through his Word and responding to him in prayer?    While your love for God is not limited to the time you spend with him in this way, choosing to actively commune with him is a marker of healthy love. The nourishment and love we receive from him is then meant to fuel how we live every minute of the day. Whether you are working, making dinner, meeting with a friend, cleaning the house, or putting a child to bed, your love for God affects your work. It gives it purpose and direction.   The second hook Jesus gives is directly linked to the first. If you are loving God with all of you, you will love your neighbor as yourself. In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus redefines your neighbor to be anyone you encounter. Think about the circle of relationships God has given you. The closest circle is your immediate family, and generally speaking, they should be the focus of your greatest care and energy. Think for a moment, what would be the most loving thing you could do for your husband this week? Or for your kids? Or for your closest relationship? Prioritize that.   Then keep thinking about the circles in your life. Think of the people you come in contact with at work, at church, in the neighborhood, friends. Prioritize who God has given to you to love most in this season and think about how your time should reflect that love. You know, we cannot be all our husbands, kids, friends, family, and acquaintances need. That is the Lord’s job, not ours, but we can respond to the specific call to love others in practical ways.   These two commands to love God and love others are not just vague ideas. Jesus lived them out perfectly. His ministry was all about loving God through obedience and proclaiming his glory and loving people by serving, healing, encouraging, and liberating. But the most striking example ever provided of loving God and loving others was seen at the cross.    There Jesus demonstrated his love for the Father by following his plan obediently even to a torturous death, and Jesus demonstrated his love for the world by taking the punishment of sinners upon himself to bring salvation. This is the kind of love that is a life-giving, sacrificial, total, the hold-nothing-back kind of love, and Jesus calls you and me to this as well.   As you consider your time, what is the priority? Is it love? Would you join me as I pray for us to be marked not by worldly success and productivity but by love?    Dear Lord, we come to you now and lay all of our tasks and responsibilities at your feet. You have made us finite beings with limitations. As we seek to use the time you have given, may we prioritize loving you and loving others for the glory of your name. Amen.   
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  Traps We Can Fall Into – 5 25.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Jenn Miller I want to explore the thought that “boundaries are bad.” Now, I don’t mean the boundaries that we choose for ourselves—I like those boundaries because I am in control of them! But what about boundaries in life that I’m not in control of, that I don’t choose? Maybe being a caregiver for an aging parent limits your time and resources. Maybe a physical condition keeps you from certain types of activities. Financial need might require you to work more and limit your ability to serve in an area of interest. These “boundaries” often derail the plan we had set and can be disappointing. But Psalm 16:5-6 provides encouragement. It says, Lord, you have assigned to me my portion and my cup, you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. So, this psalmist paints a picture of the Lord giving him a God-ordained lot. Picture a yard with a fence around it. Just like a plot of land is portioned out and the boundaries of it are marked, the Lord in his wisdom has given you and me a lot. Psalm 16 says this lot is secure. It has set boundaries that are good, the psalmist even goes so far to use the word “pleasant,” and that this set amount leads to a delightful inheritance. God in his perfect and loving wisdom has placed certain limits in your life for your good. These boundaries are not meant to harm you but to serve as guardrails to lead you to the specific work God has for you at this time. That doesn’t mean I just resign myself to the hard things of life and never seek change. Of course not, but it does mean that I can humbly, and even joyfully, accept what God allows in my life at this season because I know it has been filtered through the hands of my Father who loves me. What unique and specific boundaries has the Father allowed in your life? Take a good look at your lot and thank God for it. For now, it is the means to guide your time, energy, and talents toward what the Lord desires you to pursue.
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  Traps We Can Fall Into – 4 24.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Jenn Miller A proverb that always causes me to pause when I read it is Proverbs 14:1: The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. For any woman who is married, has children, and is working, there is a constant pull for how to use the minutes of the day. A trap in thinking I can fall into is that my family really doesn’t need me that much. After all, my husband is a competent adult and my children are getting older and more independent. Surely it is okay to focus more of my attention on other things than my household, right? While there may be seasons where a working wife and mom is needed less in the home, Proverbs 14:1 cautions us that the wise woman builds her house. This is a present continuous verb. It doesn’t say "built" in the past and is now done or "will build" again in the future, but it paints a picture of a woman consistently looking to the needs of her family and continuing to build her home. Building is constructive and productive. This woman is attentive to her family’s needs and works to meet them. Now contrast this with the foolish woman. With her own hands, she tears down her house. Isn’t that sobering? The Bible cautions you and me that if we are not careful, we can actually tear apart our homes and families. Certainly, active sin can tear down a house, but so can neglect. This could come through laziness, but it can also come through pursuing other meaningful work to the point where the family is neglected. I have been guilty of this. There have been times when needs from extended family or ministry commitments have absorbed so much energy that I have very little left for my family. Here is the truth: your family needs to be a higher priority than your job. After your relationship with the Lord, your family should be offered your best attention, energy, and devotion. If this is convicting to you, take time to consider what a focus on building your home could look like. Maybe you initiate a walk around the block with your husband after dinner to check in on how he is doing. Maybe you schedule 30 minutes during the week with each child to enter their world and do something they like. Maybe you are more intentional during mealtimes to ask good questions or read Scripture together. In this season of life, how can you actively build your home? May the grace of the Lord sustain us as we continue to pour ourselves out for the good of our families.
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  Traps We Can Fall Into – 3 23.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Jenn Miller Is it possible to lead a full life and consistently rest? I think many women agree they need rest and long for it, but it seems elusive like an unattainable dream. There have been times when I have sacrificed to take time away for self-care only to come back more anxious and stressed by the time lost. Does rest come from a spa day or vacation? What is rest and how do we get it? Self-help books and podcasts tend to focus on physical and mental rest strategies that give our finite bodies time to slow down. These are good things, but there is a deeper, more satisfying rest we are made for which only comes through Jesus. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus gives a precious invitation. He says: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Are you weary? Jesus has a special word for you. He says, “Come to me.” The promise of rest is embedded in coming to him. I love how Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.”[1] But what does coming to Jesus for rest actually look like? It means prioritizing relationship—carving out time to spend with Jesus in his Word and prayer. But there is another important facet. Verse 29 says, “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.” A yoke is a frame fitted over an animal or person to direct their work. Let me just tell you, there are a lot of yokes in this world. I like to think I’m a free individual who makes my own decisions, but when I honestly consider it, I see a yoke of perfectionism, of seeking to please others and wanting to live up to others' expectations, of needing to fix all the problems around me. What yoke are you under that guides how you live and work? Every yoke we wear is a harsh taskmaster—except one. Jesus invites us to unburden ourselves of every other yoke and instead take his, which he promises in verse 30 is easy and the burden is light. What yoke do you need to replace today? Come to Jesus and live under his authority and guidance for your life. May we find our true rest only in him. [1] Augustine, Confessions, trans. Henry Chadwick (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), Book I, chap. 1.
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  Traps We Can Fall Into – 2 22.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Jenn Miller What is your definition of a good day? We are considering traps we can fall into regarding work and life. One of the traps I’ve noticed is that I believed a successful day was dependent on how productive I had been. Do you love check lists? I do! There is something so satisfying about crossing an item off a list. It brings a sense of accomplishment. Conversely, seeing a list of uncrossed items at the end of the day can feel defeating, like the day was wasted. I especially felt this when I had my first child. Try as I might, every task I started was interrupted. My to-do list was never finished, and the type of work I was mostly doing (nursing, changing diapers, washing clothes and dishes, and trying to console my crying baby) did not have a ring of importance or success. I longed for the productivity and success my career offered. A few years ago, a speaker came to my church and asked, “What is your definition of a good day?” How would you answer that? Answers that came to my mind were things like, “Nothing interferes with my plans. Everyone gets along and there is no conflict. It is easy and enjoyable. And of course, everything on my to-do list gets done.” But then he asked, “How would God define a good day for you?” Now that is a very different question. Most likely it would be a day where there is recognition of my need for him, a day filled with repentance and humility. A day where his plan for me (even though it often interrupts my plan) is accomplished. To be honest, those are often hard days, the ones I would choose to skip. Micah 6:8 describes succinctly what the Lord desires. It says: He has showed you oh man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. This is in a sense the Lord’s to-do list for you. It is harder to check off because it is on-going, but in these he delights. The next time you feel yourself frantically working to accomplish the tasks you have set for the day or feeling defeated when you don’t, consider what the Lord has actually called you to. The world will tell you, “You are only as valuable as what you produce.” But your value is rooted first and foremost in the blood Jesus spilled on your behalf. As you seek the Lord’s kingdom and embrace his call, you will find a much truer success than anything this world offers.
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  Traps We Can Fall Into 21.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Jenn Miller The concept of achieving balance between work and personal life has captivated our culture because it seems like everyone is struggling to achieve it. Do you find yourself struggling to balance all life holds? I think it’s fair to say that most women in the Western world feel like there’s just not enough time in the day. Why is that? Part of the problem is that untrue beliefs have crept in and added unfair burdens. Let’s consider the mindsets that can trap us as women into feeling like we cannot manage the life God has called us to. The most common trap is the belief that you can have it all. You know the lie—it expects you as a woman can have a successful full-time career, be a devoted wife and mom, keep an immaculate home, cook only the healthiest family meals, serve regularly in church, keep workout routines, always look fresh and put together, and have that calm and sweet demeanor like it’s all no big deal. I’m tired just thinking about that list, but many of us feel the weight of these expectations, and I’m here to tell you the truth. Here it is: You cannot have it all, sister! You were never meant to. God created you and me as finite human beings with a limited time each day, with physical needs for rest and sleep and food, with a limited emotional, mental, and relational capacity. And you know what? Those limitations are not bad! They are God-ordained. Hear this truth and let it be a balm to your heart—God does not call or expect you to do it all! Isn’t that good news? Instead, Scripture counsels you and me to continually be discerning, to continually come to the Lord and seek out his plan and his priorities. Where is God calling you to invest your time and energy? As you wrestle with this question, Psalm 25 provides a wonderful posture in which to come in prayer. Verse 1 says: To you, oh Lord I lift up my soul. The Lord is the one we ultimately answer to. Would you lift up your soul to the Lord in order to discern where he is calling you to use your time and energy and where he is not? Verses 4-5 provide a wonderful prayer as a guide. It says: Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. In the midst of hectic days and crazy schedules, may you and I center our hearts on God our Savior, seek his plan, and hope in him alone.
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  Balancing Hope and Joy 19.09.2026 14min

  presented by Lauren Stibgen The seasons are changing again, and it is hard to believe that kids have returned to school. I have seen so many social media posts about preparing kids for school from elementary to college. Moms lamenting about lists, waking their kids up on a schedule, and trying to balance this with work and other commitments. Trying to get into a new season of balance.    The reality is our lives are full of these changes no matter the season and no matter the reason. When it comes to seeking balance in work and life, part of our problem is separating the two things to begin with. The fact is all of life is some type of work, whether we are on the job receiving a paycheck, at home with family, or even volunteering.    Change and disruption happen by the moment in our lives. Change can be good and change can be difficult. Change can be expected and unexpected. Sometimes we make choices to change and sometimes we don’t.     I think this is why the Bible refers to life as a sojourn, a temporary stay or visit in a place that is not our permanent home. The turmoil this life causes is well characterized in 1 Peter 2:11, Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul (ESV).    Repeatedly, the Word reminds us this world is not our home. Ephesians 2:19 states, So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (RSV). We are fellow citizens and saints as members of God’s household. But what does this look like, and how can we use this citizenship and membership to bring our lives into a better balance today?   First, let’s consider what brings us out of balance with this citizenship we have as believers. What did Paul mean in 1 Peter 2 when he mentions the passions of the flesh waging war against us?   These passions of the flesh can show up in any of our work, at home or on the job, and we need to be aware of how these things are creating the lack of balance we perceive. I would sum up these passions of the flesh with one short word—sin. God’s Word has many verses that summarize these sins both in the Old and New Testaments, but the verses in Galatians 5:19-21 specifically mention the flesh.   The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.    All this wages war on our citizenship and is often a root cause for feelings of imbalance in our life whether we are in control or not. There are words from this list that are very present today. I want you to ask:   What rivalries am I a part of? At work, in my family, or in my community?  Where am I causing dissent or division? Am I causing strife at work?  Am I jealous of someone or what they have?  Am I striving for significance in my life?  Have I been angry in the last week to the point of yelling?  What am I thinking about so much that it has become an idol to me?    Again, you may not be the cause of some of these things that wage war on your flesh. For example, maybe someone has caused division at work, and you are an unfortunate recipient of the backlash. Perhaps you have some rivalry in your family that you are not choosing but someone else is. Maybe someone is jealous of your achievements and is acting out because of this.    You see, this is why chasing balance here in this world can never happen, but we can shift our focus on our citizenship and as fellow members of the household of God. This shift can help us feel more in balance when the world seems to work wildly against us—you know, the part about waging war. While the word war seems dramatic, I want you to remember that even Jesus told us that in the world we will have tribulation. (John 16:33)    I love the other side of the promise Jesus has in John 16:33. He promises that in him we will have peace because he has overcome the world! He tells us to rejoice and be glad because our reward is great in heaven. (Matthew 5:12)    Nehemiah 8:10 tells us to not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is our strength! Psalm 16:11 states that God makes known to us the path of life and that in him is the fullness of joy!    Jesus is peace. We can have joy in the presence of the Lord, and with him is the fullness of joy! Personally, when I am worn out from all that life is handing me, I tell my husband or close friends, “I just want peace.” It feels like a beautiful stillness and a place where all the things in this world cannot reach me. It is full of light and joy! The truth is I already have these things because I believe in Jesus Christ and through him, I have a home in heaven with God the Father. This good feeling of joy that is my strength needs my focus and attention. That’s why we are commanded repeatedly in Scripture to rejoice in the Lord! (Philippians 3:1 and 4:4, Psalm 118:24).    When I really want this peace and joy, I start by acknowledging where it comes from because I cannot produce it on my own. True joy is found in the filling of the Holy Spirit. In fact, joy is a fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. So, to find Jesus and experience his peace, hope, joy, and the rest of the Spirit’s fruit, I need to be giving the blessed Trinity my time.    When was the last time you took 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to heart?    Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. A verse from Philippians 1:12 has been rolling over in my mind for a few months now. Paul writes, Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. It really got me to think about my circumstances; both the highs and the lows, the good and the bad. God uses all of this to advance the gospel, but do I allow this?    It is easy to rejoice when things are easy—when we celebrate, receive a promotion or a raise at work, or welcome a new child into our family. But what about a posture of rejoicing even when we are experiencing the opposite?  In James 1:2-3 we are told to Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. This is echoed in Romans 5:2-5:   ...through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Can I take this posture of rejoicing in my suffering, knowing these times will produce endurance, that endurance will produce character, and this character will produce hope?   Like many of you, I work in a high-pressure job. The demands change and, with many personalities, priorities shift. The team can feel the demands of the moment. There are more times than I can count in the last few years when I have heard, “You always stay so hopeful” or, “I don’t know how you work through all of this”.    Now, this does not mean I am not real about the trials I face, but what I have found is some of the suffering has produced an endurance that has truly changed my character. I am able to stay consistent, hopeful, and caring for my colleagues. Seeing people how God would see them.    My favorite conversations are the unexpected ones. During a difficult moment one day, I chose to walk away for a few minutes. I needed a refocus on my mindset and take some space to tell the Lord how I needed him to help me with my words and patience. Honestly, I was frustrated and on the verge of tears. After a few minutes, a colleague followed and asked how I deal with things. My reply was that honestly without my faith in God, I truly wouldn’t be able to some days. What followed was a beautiful conversation about faith and Jesus that was so unexpected, but I can truly say that what has happened to me has served to advance the gospel.   In this moment, I was not rejoicing, but I was thinking about my flesh—more specifically, how I didn’t want my flesh to create a situation of “waging war” through hasty words. And I chose to seek the Lord in prayer. What followed was joy.   Keeping any balance in life as a follower of Jesus Christ is dependent on how focused you are on remembering that your time here on earth is a sojourn. You are on a journey, and you really don’t know how long this journey will last. Think about your heavenly home as a member of God’s family.   Your ability to find this joy, peace, and hope starts with your practice of abiding. How are you staying firm and steadfast in your relationship with Jesus? Is Jesus the center of your life or just someone you think about on a Sunday during church?   As you evaluate all the aspects of your life, where does Jesus fit into your job, your relationships, your health and wellness, your goals? Do you have a lens of biblical wisdom on all these matters, or does the Word of God sit on a shelf in your house? Do you own a Bible?   How often are you reading God’s Word or deeply meditating on it? After all:   For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope (Romans 15:4). Are you in a Bible study or small group? Do you have faith-filled friends who love Jesus like you do?    What about prayer? How much are you talking to God?...
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  A God View of Our Work – 5 18.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Lauren Stibgen You truly can’t take it with you. I am sure you have heard this statement before, but do you live it? Let’s face it, no amount of accumulation of things, titles, or achievements here on earth can be taken to your heavenly home. How much are you thinking about the past and about the future rather than focusing on just this moment? All this overthinking can lead to feelings of an out-of-balance life and will steal the joy from the moment you are in. This mindset can be difficult. With the ever-present noise and connectivity of our culture, how can you refocus on the present? Job 33:4 reminds us: The Spirit of God has made us, and the breath of the Almighty gives us life. Pause a moment and think about the wonder of your life, and who gives it to you. Do you wake up each day with gratitude for the wonder of the breath in your lungs? Think about this­—you do not have any control of your breath. You can’t earn your breath. You can’t work for your breath. It is a gift that powers your body, which is equally wonderful. If you like scientific variables, a statistical analysis performed on the probability of your unique individual self being born is calculated as 1 in 400 trillion. (Ali Binazir[1]) While I am not a proponent of measuring what God creates, this human statistical analysis gives you an idea of how amazing you are! I can hear you almost saying to me, but Lauren the moment I am in right now it isn’t filled with joy or peace or happiness! Understandably, if you are in a season of unexpected loss of a loved one, illness, job loss, you probably want to know when you will move past this time. This is why I have brought the focus down to the gift and wonder your life is! Finding gratitude and a moment of centering on this can help you truly know that God created you for a reason. He created you as a one of one. And, as a follower of Jesus Christ, he chose you as part of his royal family. Pray: God, thank you for the breath in my lungs! Thank you for creating me in your image and loving me so much that I know Jesus Christ as my Savior. I am thankful to be part of your royal family, and I rest in this today. So many things can bring our lives out of balance, but God can help root us in his truths that bring us peace. [1] Binazir, Dr Ali. “Are You a Miracle? On the Probability of You Being Born,” Huffpost, August 16, 2011
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  A God View of Our Work – 4 17.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Lauren Stibgen What consumes our thoughts can often lead to a life that is truly out of balance. You know, too much of a good thing can stop becoming a good thing when it is causing you to feel like you don’t have balance. “In the United States, achievement is life’s defining commandment: ‘Thou shalt make something of thyself.’ You are what you achieve.” This quote from Everything is Never Enough, by Bobby Jamison[1], sums up how our culture runs. What have you achieved? More importantly, how is this being measured? Achievement can be about the accumulation of things that never fill. Achievement can also be about what you achieve at work in the form of a title, salary, or even about the freedom of being a founder of your own company. Again, promotions, raises, and even entrepreneurship are not inherently bad things! Perhaps this is even what God has planned for you. However, when running towards this achievement takes the place of God in your life this is when the trouble begins. Are you making something of yourself without giving glory to God? Colossians 3:23-24 tells us: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Are you working for the Lord when you are working towards achievement? Can God say, well done good and faithful servant, or is your striving more about the recognition you will receive from colleague or others in your sphere of influence? What about patterns of self-indulgence? We can self-indulge in almost anything. From food to alcohol, to dining out when we don’t have enough money to overspending on any one item, we have the tendency to self-indulge. Sometimes we can focus so much on these things that we cause ourselves more stress in having to work harder to feed our needs for self-indulgence. If you think about any one thing more than you think about God, this has become an idol in your life. God wants us to achieve everything he has in store for us, and he wants us to enjoy the good things he has created! But he wants us to enjoy him first! Pray: God, help me to have the right attitude about achievement. Lead me in the paths you have for me. Help me, Lord, to enjoy what you have allowed and to give you glory in all things. [1] Jamison, Bobby. Everything Is Never Enough: Ecclesiastes' Surprising Path to Resilient Happiness (WaterBrook, 2025)
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  A God View of Our Work – 3 16.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Lauren Stibgen If you always want more, you will never enjoy what you have. Have you ever thought about that? Is your striving for more causing an imbalance in life? What leaves you wanting more? Then I saw that all toil and skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor (Ecclesiastes 4:4a ESV). If envy is driving you to work more, to earn more, to have more, you need to pause and reflect. What enjoyment will you have with something if the reason you are working for it stems from envy? In fact, once you achieve this thing you may gain something even worse than the envy­­—pride. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18 ESV). Achieving anything that causes you to feel pride leads to fleeting satisfaction. Ecclesiastes further warns: He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income, this is also vanity (Ecclesiastes 5:10 ESV). Earning a good income and trying to better yourself is not inherently wrong, but if your toil is for the wrong reasons, you simply will never be satisfied. Perhaps you are working more hours to save for something that you need. Or, maybe you are trying for a promotion that comes with an increase in pay. Where is this desire coming from? If it comes from a genuine place, where you are not comparing yourself to others or continually chasing for more, this is not necessarily bad. It is when you are always needing more and more. Or when you are striving to keep up with other people. Hard work is valued by God when it works for his kingdom. Think of the Proverbs 31 woman. She buys and sells and rises when it is still night. She provides food for her household and for her maidens. Her lamp doesn’t go out at night but she opens her hand to the poor and the needy (Proverbs 31:18,20). Hard work to gather more for yourself will never fill, but hard work that will give to the glory of the Kingdom will always feel good. We are called to see the needy and love. Think about what you are working for today. Are you striving because you are coveting? Pray today! “Lord, change my heart. Help me to see where I am striving for material things that will never fill. Help me to see how I can use my time, treasure and talent to give to those you care about the most.”
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  A God View of Our Work – 2 15.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Lauren Stibgen Are you working from a place of fear? I don’t want you to think about work as the job you are paid to do. Think of work as anything requiring your physical or mental energy to produce something. So, as you are trying to work, is fear an underlying feeling? I know we could all describe the feelings surrounding fear which could include worry and even grief. Physically, fear can cause us to feel the tension we desperately want to release. Are you having a hard time sleeping? Does your heart race at thoughts of something you are working on? Do you get headaches? Perhaps you are afraid of failing at something. Is there a new skill you are trying to master? Maybe a project is looming with a deadline you feel like you will miss? Is there a threat of layoffs at work? Maybe you are afraid of losing your job. Or are you spending too much time at the office and are afraid of losing connection with your spouse or children? Perhaps a new hire has started at the office and is receiving a lot of attention. Are you afraid of losing ground with your colleagues or boss? All of this is life tension! And it is all rooted in our thinking, or rather our wrong thinking, about a situation. I am not saying it is easy, but the Word of God is clear. We are not to be fearful or afraid. God calls us to a deep faith and reliance, trusting in him for everything. This includes our work. In Isaiah 41:13 the word says: For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” When fear is creating unhealthy tension, think about God being with you. He is there to help. And, if we fear anything, God is the one we must fear (Ecclesiastes 5:7b ESV). The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes12:13 ESV). When you are fearful, turn that fear of worldly things to fear of the Lord. Ecclesiastes tells us this is our whole duty! Fear God and follow his commandments. One of his commands is that we don’t fear because he is there to intercede on our behalf. Cry out to the Lord in prayer. It can be simple, “God, hold my right hand. I am afraid. I know you will help me.” Proverbs 14:27 reminds us: The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.