The Christian Working Woman

Episod

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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? Do you have other people praying for you on a regular basis?  Abiding. Jesus asks us to abide in him, and he will abide in us. He tells us he is the vine, and we are the branches. In this abiding, we will bear much fruit. (John 5:4-5) Jesus also tells us that apart from him we can do nothing.   If in abiding we can bear much fruit, this means we can bear true joy! Remember, joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit.    How have you assessed your abiding? Be encouraged! If you are reading this message, this means you long for Christian encouragement. While this is not a substitute for any of the other forms of abiding, may it be a reminder to pick up your Bible, find community, and pray!   It is in this place that you learn about your true identity and citizenship. As we all sojourn here, may we encourage one another as we look toward what our hope is ultimately in—the eternal life which God has promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2) and the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   I pray today you are filled with a peace that surpasses all understanding, joy that fills you from head to toe, and a hope for things to come! May you be able to say, “What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel!” 
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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.
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  A God View of Our Work 14.09.2026 3min

  Presented by Lauren Stibgen Why do we talk repeatedly about work-life balance? It seems like a problem we cannot solve in our current connected society. I mean, we are always “on”. But why? What is creating urgency? The statement alone suggests the tension people feel about work and life, but why have we separated these two words? Life has taken on a definition it was never intended to hold. Here’s what I mean. According to the dictionary, the word life has almost 20 different uses, but all of them encompass the state of being. For example, when talking about a biography of someone, you say it is about their life. A biography is about someone personally and professionally, about their family and accomplishments, hobbies and all. Fragmenting work life, personal life, family life, and social life surely creates tension! So, you can’t have a work-life balance, but you can have a balanced life! The book of Ecclesiastes has me thinking about a balanced life. Why do we feel this tension? And what does work have to do with it? It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with (Ecclesiastes 1:13b ESV). This verse alone suggests the inherent tension we feel as human beings about the business we are busy with! And sometimes that business is work business and other times it isn’t. For example, you may love your job and have a wonderful time each day with your colleagues but then return home to be a caregiver, which is very stressful. You see, “work” is defined as physical or mental effort directed toward producing or accomplishing something. And God created us to work! We start to feel the true tension of this work when our underlying motivations about it aren’t what God would want for us. I really think becoming more attuned to God’s views on our work can help us relieve some of the tension we feel in life! Having this view can bring us into a better balance of life. After all: What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:3 ESV)
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  Check Your Meters! 12.09.2026 14min

  Don’t you wish we had some kind of meters we could look at that tell us “Your energy level is down to minus ten. Take a break!” Or “You are at the end of your emotional meter—you’re going to start saying and doing things you will regret. Get some rest.” Or “You’ve been working too long at this, and you’re out of new ideas; your creativity meter is below zero. Give it a break!” Maybe then we’d stop trying to do everything, be everything others want us to be, and please everybody!   The truth is, we do have very good guidelines—meters if you wish—to give us this information. We have to make the right choices that keep us from going into overdrive, into burnout. We have to learn how to keep ourselves replenished! And those guidelines are found in God’s Word—in his truth.  As long as we keep our meters where they should be, we're able to give of ourselves to others, to do what we have to do, to meet needs and expectations. But when the wells start to run dry and we try to take water out of a dry well, we are fast entering burn-out territory, and our effectiveness in all we do suffers greatly!  I'm beginning to realize I need to check my meters frequently, because I tend to push myself too much. God has given me a strong body and a high energy level. There are so many needs I see all around me, and I want to be involved and make a difference. I often come up with new ideas as to what could be done. But I have to learn that if I want to be effective in the long-haul, to be running smoothly next year, and the next and the next, I have to make certain I don't run down the engine this year.  An article I read puts it so well. In essence, it says that at some point, we have to accept that our to-do list won’t get finished today, and that’s ok. It’ll still be there tomorrow. Choosing to protect your health matters more than pushing through years of nonstop, exhausting busyness.  That's smart thinking. How can you and I be certain we are doing today the things that will enable us to run the entire race and not burn out? Well, I think we need to learn how to read our meters, know when they're running low, and know what we have to do to re-supply them. I have put together what you might call a Check-up Form, asking myself probing questions to help me read my physical, emotional, and spiritual meters.   I'd like to share that with you, as you may find it helpful. First, ask yourself:   How is your physical meter doing?  We're made up of body, soul, and spirit, and each has an effect on the other. So, if my physical body is running at less than optimum, that will affect my spiritual and emotional condition quite dramatically.    Here are some key areas to check on your physical meter:  Am I getting enough rest?   Sleep deprivation can cause the blahs. Some symptoms of sleep deprivation are falling asleep in the middle of the day while sitting at your desk. Or finding it almost impossible to keep your eyes open at a meeting or at church.   When you go long periods with less than adequate sleep, your body may adjust and you keep going, but eventually it catches up, and you find yourself living in sleep deprivation mode. That takes more than one night's good sleep to replenish. They tell us we need seven to eight hours of sleep at least four nights a week. Are you getting that?  What are my eating patterns and habits?   If you always eat on the go, lots of fast-food meals, skip meals often, go without breakfast regularly, or have an unbalanced diet, you're bound to be harming yourself physically. You may not think of it this way, but your eating habits are a spiritual matter, and if you know you should eat differently and don't, that's not just a bad habit, that's sinful. We're quick to denounce drug and alcohol as harmful and sinful to our bodies, but poor eating habits are equally bad.   I find it easy to rebel in this area. God has to continue to convict me that what I put in my body is important to my service for him, and I'm going to be accountable for that. Maybe you need to get serious about eating right.  Do I exercise regularly?   All the evidence is in to tell us that regular exercise is absolutely essential to good health. Without it, your physical meter is going to run low. Have you put exercise in your schedule yet? Please don't neglect this.     Is it time for a physical check-up?   Those regular dental and doctor maintenance visits are important. We can avoid many serious problems with early detection. God expects us to use whatever technology and expertise is available to us to monitor our bodies carefully and make certain they're in the best shape possible.    Many people today are consumed with their physical well-being because they are totally self-focused. But as Christians, our motivation is far more important and eternal. Our bodies are the temples of God's Spirit, and we need to keep that in mind. To honor the presence of God’s Spirit in our bodies, we should want to keep them in the best condition possible    How is your emotional meter doing?  Now, the second meter we want to check is our emotional meter. This is one we often ignore. Lots of people are pretty good at checking their physical meter, and others watch the spiritual one closely, but we forget about our emotional meter. There are certain things which drain us emotionally, and we're often unaware of those. Then we find ourselves emotionally empty and wonder what's wrong.     Here are some questions to find out if your emotional meter is running low:   Do you often cry for unexplained reasons?   If you find yourself in tears frequently and there doesn't seem to be a reasonable explanation for them, it may be a sign you're emotionally depleted. Now, for sure, sometimes tears are good—happy tears and sad ones. God created our tear ducts, so there’s no need to be ashamed of crying, and they are there for good reason. But if you are often crying out of emotional burnout and you can’t exactly say why, that could be because your emotional meter is running on empty.    Do you find yourself easily angered and testy with people for no good reason?   This is an important gauge for me. I know I'm getting low emotionally when I get angry over very small things. When was the last time you were really angry? Was it out of control and harmful? Those are good signs your emotional meter is running low.    Do you continually think about running away or getting away from everything or everybody?   Now, we all naturally think about leaving it all behind occasionally, but if you find yourself daydreaming about it daily, it's probably a sign your emotional reservoir is low.     Do you find yourself vulnerable to moral temptation that usually is not a problem?   For some people, this can signal that your emotional tank is dry, when immoral thoughts and temptation seem to attack you.    Do you resent having to give of yourself to other people, even your family and those you dearly love?   If you frequently find yourself hoping that your children, mate, or some other close person in your life won't want to talk to you or ask you to do something for them or with them, check out that emotional meter. It's running low.    Is there a financial problem in your life?   When you are under severe financial pressure, it can surely deplete you emotionally. There may be changes necessary in your spending habits. And if you're not giving God his share, that is undoubtedly a major factor in your financial woes.     These are some suggested questions to help you determine where you are emotionally. You may have other questions that apply to your emotional well-being, different from these. But the important thing is, do you often check up on your emotional well-being?     If not, you should. And when you find these are running low, remember you need to take the needed time to replenish them. I don't think there is one way we all use to fill up our emotional tanks; it will vary for each of us. For me, some quiet time, some non-people time is one thing I need. Time when I don't have to talk or listen.     Another way to replenish the emotional tank is to do something totally unrelated to your daily routine. I remember going home for a holiday and my dear nephew asked me to speak at his church. I said, "Todd, I'd love to, but for this week, I'm not going to be The Christian Working Woman." There are times we just have to get away from the normal routine and do something totally unrelated to our normal daily duties. And that’s true even if you love what you normally do.    That's true for all of us. How often do you mentally and physically remove yourself from your daily routine and responsibilities so you can replenish your emotional tank? Don't feel guilty about needing to do that. Mothers and fathers need to get away from their children for a while. We need breaks from our jobs, our church responsibilities, even the things we love the most. If you never get away from it, you'll run your emotional tank dry. And that getting away has to be complete mental separation, not just physically getting away. Can you leave your job behind at the end of the day? It's important that you be able to do this.    How is your spiritual meter doing?  Now, the last meter you need to check regularly is your spiritual meter. Here are some questions to find out where you are spiritually:    Is there any area in your life where you know you're disobeying God?   Known disobedience in a Christian's life will always lead to despair. Hanging on to some known sin in your life will keep you spiritually dry, even the small things that don't seem important. If God's been dealing with you about something, it's important, and nothing short of obedience will solve that problem.    Are you spending daily structured time in Bible reading and prayer?   I've talked about this so much,...
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  Busyness: A Biblical Perspective – 5 11.09.2026 3min

  What does God think about your busy life? I wonder if you have some bad habits that are making matters worse, causing you to be unnecessarily busy, eating up your time and keeping you from doing all the good things God wants you to do. Here are some of those things that can exacerbate our busyness: Poor time management. If you’re not good at managing time, here are four things that will help you: Whatever you have to do today that you don’t want to do, do it first. Believe me, this will help you immensely. If you tend to put off what you don’t want to do, then it piles on you. You will be amazed at how it will free your mind and energy to know the thing you didn’t want to do today is already done! Eliminate as many interruptions as possible. If others interrupt you frequently, think of ways to minimize it. More importantly, stop interrupting yourself. Stay on task. Set goals for yourself, give yourself rewards for staying on task—whatever you can do to eliminate interruptions will save you much time. Finish one job before you start another, if possible. Jumping from one task to another always wastes your time. If you can finish one thing before starting another, you’ll eliminate a lot of “start-up time.” Always have a plan for your day in writing. Whether you use a to-do list, a calendar, your smart phone or computer—when you make a plan for your day, with some sense of priority and time frames, you will see great improvement in the use of your time. Procrastination A simple cure for procrastination is this: “Do it right and do it now!” If you have to do it, don’t put it off. Living by this simple principle will bring remarkable changes in your life. Negative attitudes Get rid of them! Negativity drains your energy and slows you down. Paul wrote to the Philippians that we are to rejoice in the Lord always. That leaves no time for complaining, griping, and being negative. How does God feel about your busyness? Are you busy for the right reasons? Has busyness become a point of pride for you? Do you set appropriate boundaries on your busyness? Do you stay busy to avoid confronting issues in your life that need to be changed? Is your busyness an obstacle to your spiritual growth? I hope these thoughts will cause you to think twice about your own busy life.
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  Busyness: A Biblical Perspective – 4 10.09.2026 3min

  If you’re very, very busy, it could be because it’s your way of avoiding some issues in your life that need to be addressed. We’re asking the question: How does God feel about my busyness? Maybe you need to ask yourself:  Do I stay busy to avoid issues that need to be confronted? I know how easy this is to do, because I did it for ten years. During this period many years ago, I was running from God’s control in my life. I wanted to be in charge. So, my lifestyle was not what it should be, and I knew it. But I didn’t want to face it; I didn’t want to relinquish control of my life. I just kept busy. I made sure every minute was filled with some kind of activity. Every weekend, every evening—if I didn’t have anything to do, I found something. I got involved in all kinds of activities simply to stay busy. That way I didn’t leave time to think; I didn’t allow quiet moments when the convicting voice of God’s Spirit could get to me. It didn’t really work. I was under conviction the whole time, but busyness became my escape mechanism to avoid confronting the sin in my life. What a foolish thing to do. We can’t hide from God, no matter how busy we are, and eventually we must face ourselves. If you’re staying busy because you don’t want to hear what God has to say to you, let me urge you to give it up. God wants only good things for you, and you don’t even realize how heavy your burden of guilt is until you get right with God, accept his forgiveness, and turn the controls back over to him. One final question to ask yourself about your busy schedule: Is my busyness an obstacle to my spiritual growth? Are you too busy for time with God? Is that what falls through the cracks when the schedule gets heavy? I believe this is one of Satan’s best tricks to pull on us—to keep us so busy we convince ourselves we just don’t have time to read our Bibles, develop a meaningful prayer life, get to know God better. If you’re too busy to have a consistent daily time with God, you’re too busy. That’s for sure.
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  Busyness: A Biblical Perspective – 3 09.09.2026 3min

  Someone has said, “There is always time to do God’s will.” Certainly, that has to be true. What God has given us to do we will have time to do, provided we know how to manage our time well and are disciplined in our work habits. Here’s the next question we need to ask ourselves: Do I set appropriate boundaries on my busyness? Did you ever realize Jesus knew how to say, “That’s not my job”? In Luke 12 we read where a man asked Jesus to be a judge, and Jesus said, in effect, "That's not my job.” I’m sure this man figured Jesus was the right person to settle this argument between him and his brother. But Jesus told him he was not called, nor did he intend, to become an earthly judge in human affairs. He was not unkind about it, but he certainly was direct. In Mark 1:35-38 we see another occasion where Jesus disappointed some people. The whole town had gathered to hear Jesus, and his disciples were most anxious for him to come and please this crowd. But Jesus said no to his disciples because he said he must go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come. No doubt he disappointed his disciples and the crowd, but Jesus stayed focused on his mission. He knew how to set boundaries and refused to try to please everyone. I used to think if I was everything I should be, everybody would be happy with me and I'd be able to please everyone. But when I realized Jesus set boundaries and said, “That’s not my job” when necessary, it freed me to know I too could set boundaries. Just because someone asks you to do something doesn’t necessarily mean you should do it. For many of us saying no is very difficult. That's because our worth as a person is too much based on what others think of us. When we are dependent on the opinions and affirmation of other people to feel good about ourselves and what we're doing, then we are at their mercy. We're going to jump through their hoops, trying to be super people, to gain their approval and therefore feel we're okay. If you haven’t learned how to set biblical boundaries in your life, I urge you to take this matter under consideration. There are some good Christian books on the topic, and it will be well worth your time to find out when and how you should be setting boundaries on the busyness of your life.
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  Busyness: A Biblical Perspective – 2 08.09.2026 3min

  Are you busy? Your response is likely to be “Are you kidding? Who isn’t busy?” I want to ask some questions to help us determine what God thinks about our busyness. The first question I asked was, “Are you busy for the right reasons?” Here’s the next question to ask yourself: Has busyness become my identity? Do I take pride in my busyness? Some years ago, I recognized this was true of me. I found my self-worth, in part, in staying very busy, accomplishing lots of things, and having people notice. Often I would hear, “How do you do all you do?” I would take pride in knowing people noticed how busy I was. For the most part I was busy doing things in ministry, doing things for Jesus, but far too much of my motivation was to get the praise and admiration of others. That was who I was. As God’s Spirit revealed this spirit of pride to me, I began to pray that God would deliver me from being addicted to busyness. I truly believe it can become an addiction when we are driven to keep going and stay busy because that’s who we are! We have built our worth on our accomplishments instead of on Christ. One way you can tell if this is your problem is to notice how much you talk about how busy you are. Do you wear your busyness like a badge of honor, a point of pride? You may be doing good works, the good things God put you here to do, but if your busyness is all about you instead of pure service to the Lord, then you need to pray about this. Ask God to deliver you. Not from doing the good things he wants you to do, but from that sense of pride and identity based on your busyness. I’ve noticed we are prone to play one-upmanship. You know what I mean. We say, “Hi, how you’re doing?” and the other person gives a litany of how busy they are. Then we reply with our own list, as though we’re trying to prove we’re busier than the other person. And on it goes. Subtly, without realizing it, we’ve taken on a spirit of pride in how busy we are. I hope you’ll ask yourself this question: Has busyness become my identity? and be willing to let God change that attitude in you, if necessary.
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  Busyness: A Biblical Perspective 07.09.2026 3min

  Let’s talk about a topic all of us, both men and women, are very familiar with—and that is busyness! We are all busy, aren’t we? When was the last time someone told you they didn’t have enough to do? No, we connect significance with busyness, and most of us either boast or complain about how busy we are. But what does God think about our busyness? I want to address five questions about our busy schedules, to help us determine how God thinks about it. Our first question is: Am I busy for the right reasons? We must look at what we’re doing and make sure we are doing what God wants us to do. For sure, doing what God has put us here to do will keep us busy. Ephesians 2:10 says: For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. We are here, as God’s people, to do the good works he has planned for us. We are to be busy doing those good works. God doesn’t honor laziness or wasting time. But one of the traps we can fall into easily is staying very busy for the wrong reasons. When I was a staff member in my church, getting volunteers to fill all the needs of a local church was a constant challenge. So often when we ask someone to take on a job, we hear the list of excuses why they can’t do it. Admittedly some are legitimate; I don’t believe we have to say yes to every request that comes our way. But far too often the reason people aren’t available is because their lives are filled with things of no eternal value. For myself, I love being busy; I get bored easily if my plate is not full. But I also know I can easily fall into the trap of trying to do too much and not being busy for the right reason. Are you willing to honestly ask yourself this question: Am I busy for the right reasons? Make it a matter of prayer; write all your commitments and responsibilities on paper, and then one by one ask God, “Is this one of the good works you put me here to do?” That is how we get serious about doing God’s will and ridding our schedules of the things God never intended for us to do.
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  Are You Tired? 05.09.2026 14min

  You know, when you’re tired, it’s reflected in your voice, in your face, in your body language, in your attitude. It affects all areas of your life. So, it is something to consider and by God’s grace to control in our lives. Otherwise, you can find yourself on a not-so-merry merry-go-round! First, let me assure you it's okay to be tired. It’s not necessarily a sin. Jesus was often tired while he was here on earth. You remember when he went to sleep on the boat and a terrible storm didn't awaken him? He was tired. Have you ever been tired from traveling? You may see travel as exciting, which doesn't sound like hard work, nonetheless travel can be very exhausting. We read in John 4 that Jesus was tired from a long journey. He understands that kind of tiredness. Sometimes having a lot of people around is tiring, isn't it? As much as I enjoy being with people, speaking and getting to know new people, I find that after a time of being surrounded with people, I'm tired—not of people, just mentally and physically tired. I think there is abundant evidence that Jesus frequently grew tired from having so many people crowding around him all the time. He also grew weary from dealing with people who were not always so easy or pleasant to deal with. You can hear the exhaustion in his voice in Matthew 17:17: “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” I think, like us, he was just tired of the hassle that people sometimes brought into his life. I'm not sure which is the most tiring—physical or mental exhaustion. But it's for sure that as long as we are in these earthbound bodies, we will be tired and weary at times. Jesus was tired in body often and also tired mentally, just like you and me. It's good to know that Jesus understands our tired bodies and minds, because he experienced all it while he took the form of man here on earth. He sympathizes with our weaknesses and the limitations we face. Just knowing that helps me a lot. Jesus was tired from bodily exhaustion because he was continually involved in giving his life for others. Giving of yourself to others’ needs is tiring, both physically, mentally and emotionally. Is that why you're tired today? Have you been doing and giving to others so much that you're truly tired from it? That's to be expected when you are a caregiver and a servant of others. Jesus calls us to a life of service, that’s true, but he also understands it is tiring. You remember how exhausted Elijah was after his victorious encounter with Baal, where he performed mighty miracles of God and defeated the enemies. He was so tired, he wanted to die. You should expect to be tired and weary after a spiritual high. Maybe God has been using you in an unusual way, and you've seen God's blessings on your life. Remember after those times to expect to feel tired and weary. There are many occasions in Scripture where we see the disciples tired. They were so tired that sometimes they fell asleep at inappropriate times. Our physical bodies have limitations, and we must understand and accept that they will be tired. But it’s important to consider if you are tired for the wrong reasons. Have you been trying to be all things to all people lately? That's exhausting and you can never succeed. Perhaps you've taken on jobs God never intended you to do, and you're tired from trying to do too much. Maybe you're trying to do everything to total perfection. Perfectionists are usually very tired people, trying to prove something to themselves and to the world by being perfect all the time. Lately God has been quietly showing me that there is only one Savior in this world, and it is not me! I cannot solve other’s problems or concerns, as much as I may want to. Does that strike a chord with you? Are your overhelping and rescuing inclinations running on overdrive? It can happen even when your motivation and intentions are good. Our culture is in fast forward mode. Everything about us is geared for speed, and that is very tiring. You would think with all our modern conveniences today, life would be easier for us, and we'd be less tired. But it isn't true, is it? Our time saving technology seems to have made us more tired. And then, let’s face it, sometimes we are the guilty party, don’t you agree? Do you find you are often your own worst enemy because you unnecessarily push yourself too far, too often. I remember when my daughter was a teenager, and we had chosen some new wallpaper for her room. It was lovely, and it was my intention to install the wallpaper that day. As I found myself rushed and stressed because I had decided it must be done that day, my daughter simply said, “Mom, we don’t have to do it today.” I remember that moment because it was a new thought—to just stop and say, “I don’t have to do this today.” I had set an unnecessary and unrealistic expectation of myself, causing unwarranted stress for my daughter and me. When you're tired because of unrealistic expectations and pressures you put on yourself, it's time to ask, “Why am I imposing these unrealistic expectations on myself?” Perhaps you need to take a red marker and get rid of a few items on your schedule. It's easy to get our priorities confused, and that is very tiring. When you get the cart before the horse, you'll find yourself in burn-out mode quite easily. Someone has said, "There's always time to do God's will," and I think it's true that God would never ask of us more than our bodies and minds can do without going into overload and burn-out. But when we confuse our priorities, it causes weariness and exhaustion. Let me say to you again what I so often have to say to myself: God has not called you to be a superwoman or superman. He is not asking you to do everything and do it perfectly. When Jesus was here on earth, he refused to do many things asked of him. He knew how to say "no." Do you? There's one principle which we see throughout Scripture that we need to understand, and that is that God has ordained periods of rest for us. The Old Testament law ensures that people took one day out of seven for absolute rest. He established the Year of Jubilee, when every seven years the land would be rested for one full year so it could refresh itself. God knows we must have periods of rest for tired bodies and minds. How about it? Have you been neglecting those needed rest periods? You may think you don't have time for them, but the truth is, you can't afford to neglect them. If you don't make certain that your body has one in seven days to refresh, you're going to discover you're always tired. Another thing I notice in Scripture is we have to allow others to help us. In Exodus 17, we see a moment when Moses got tired. He was holding up his arms as the people of Israel fought the Amalekites. As long as he held up his arms, they won, but when he lowered his arms, the enemy won. However, Moses got tired trying to keep holding up his arms. So, we see in verse 12 that Aaron got on one side of Moses and Hur on the other, and they held his arms up for him. Moses had a job to do for God but he needed help. He grew tired doing God's work. I have to confess that sometimes I have a wrong perception that I can abuse my body and ignore my needed rest as long as I'm doing God's work. But God is teaching me his principles of needed rest apply, even when we're involved in ministry for him. God wasn't asking Moses to do it all by himself. He sent needed helpers alongside him. Maybe you're trying to do it all by yourself today, and you need to ask for help. Or you might need to volunteer to walk alongside someone in ministry and tell them you'll be glad to hold up their arms. Two principles about being tired: We must have rest periods—the equivalent of one day in seven—and we must share the workload. Many hands make light work, and how true it is that when we share the load, it's so much easier. I know when I'm tired, I need encouragement. When someone is tired, that is not the time to offer advice or criticism or start making plans for the future. It is a time to simply encourage. So, I want to give you some encouragement. First, let me read a poem that really encourages me: Dear child, God does not say today, "Be strong;" He knows your strength is spent; He knows how long The road has been, how weary you have grown, For He who walked the earthly roads alone, Each bogging lowland, and each rugged hill, Can understand, and so He says, "Be still, And know that I am God." The hour is late, And you must rest awhile, and you must wait Until life's empty reservoirs fill up As slow rain fills an empty upturned cup. Hold up your cup, dear child, for God to fill. He only asks today that you be still.1 Grace Noll Crowell Are you tired and weary today? Just turn your empty cup to God. Admit your weariness; that's a good place to start. And then start searching your mind, your schedule, and your lifestyle to see if you are causing some of this tiredness unnecessarily. Are you trying to be a super-person? Are you trying to do everything to total perfection? Have you never learned how to say "no"? Do you have some confused priorities which contribute to the problem? Are you always in rush mode? How about those rest periods? Do you make certain that you have times of rest for your body and mind? Take a good look at these areas in your life and confess to the Lord anything that needs to be changed. Then turn your empty cup up to him and ask him to fill it for you. Remember, he understands what it's like to be tired; he's been there, and he knows how to refresh you. And nothing can fill that cup like God's Word, so let me give you some priceless treasures from the Bible right straight to your tired body and mind: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,...