The process of progressive discipline by employers did not always exist. Many employees with tenure and excellent job performance were terminated because of personal dislike from their supervisors. Before 1991, we worked under a dark cloud of fear, never knowing if we would have a job from one day to the next.
“The Civil Rights Act of 1991 made major changes in the federal laws against employment discrimination enforced by EEOC.”
Yet, we had those who recognized the opportunity to take a stand. No matter the cost they worked tirelessly for federal laws that protected employees against discrimination and unfair treatment. These forgotten heroes demanded from the government enforced laws that prohibited the practice of immediate termination without progressive discipline [exceptions were extreme infractions against company policy].
Seeking opportunities to help others is God’s expectation of all Christian believers.
To whom much is given, much will be required (Luke 12:48). If you have heard that line of wisdom, you know it means we are held responsible for what we have. If we have been blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, and the like, it is expected that we benefit others. https://law.utk.edu/2016/05/10/to-whom-much-is-given-much-will-be-required/
“He has shown you, O mortal, 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.” –Micah 6:8
Micah 6:8 is a clear, crisp, and simple summary of what God expects from you and me. These three things that matter so much to God are the three things God wants to see in us: justice, kindness, and humility. To act justly is to treat people fairly and respectfully. http://www.bible.com
Although it is against our naturally selfish hearts to seek opportunities that benefit others, we are committed to being like Christ. Every day we should pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal opportunities to witness and alleviate the suffering of those who need our help. Random acts of kindness do not fulfill our duty to God and humanity.
Our love for God ensures that we maintain our spiritual connection with our Heavenly Father through prayer and study of the Bible. We form a bonding relationship with Christ that produces a never-ending river of love that flows from His heart to our hearts. Pray for guidance and the humility to willingly accept your assignment to show the love and mercy that Christ gave to others throughout His life on earth.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” –Revelation 22:12
Prayer: God, we ask for forgiveness for having a mindset to seek after our desires. We pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the opportunities that fulfill our daily requirement of discipleship. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Knowing that Jesus is Love gives us the reassurance that in the storms of sickness, sorrow, and even in times of mourning from the death of loved ones, He is faithful.
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The high calling of living righteously every day and preparing for eternal life appears to be a source of conflict in our lives. With the demands of daily living, how can we look beyond our day and also prepare for life in the New Heaven and New Earth? Is it possible to achieve both simultaneously?
Has God set unachievable standards for those created in His image? Most worldviews are in opposition to God’s truth except one, Work Smarter, Not Harder. Let’s expand the concept from Work Smarter to “Live Smarter, Not Harder.”
When studying Creation, we learn that God has a systematic approach that ends in completion. His goal was to create the world. God did not multi-task when creating the world. No unfinished tasks had to be pushed to the next day. Humanity has been given a Divine Blueprint for how we are to live.
Divine Intervention: God’s ultimate goal is for us to receive the reward of eternal life. Human Effort: Our daily lives reflect the spiritual steps we are taking to live in harmony with God’s plan for us.
Sanctification is the lifelong journey of daily spiritual growth and development into the likeness of Christ. Our spiritual journey is a continuous struggle because our transformation requires the continuous acquisition of knowledge and wisdom through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, prayer, and study of the Scriptures. Still, many Christians reject God’s perfect plan for their lives to Live Smarter, Not Harder as reflected by their lifestyle.
Can you imagine having a friend who says to you, “I really hate technology and all the changes in this world because of it?” I would remain silent and with a giant wave of sorrow, accept that the relationship with my friend has just ended.
We look at others in disbelief who do not embrace advancements to make one’s life function at an optimal level of wellness. Life is dynamic–Change must and will happen whether we willingly accept progression or not.
God Requires Spiritual Progression: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11
Sadly, many Christian believers fall into the statistics of having a resistant mindset. We also choose to live harder. Exclusion of God and His divine plan for our lives places us in the same predicament as the transgressor [God says their way is hard]. The acceptance of a worldview of doing it our way not only proclaims that we do not need God, but we also develop a spirit of pride that deceives us into believing that we have the strength, knowledge, and power to plan, achieve our goals, and to resolve any adverse event that will happen in our lives.
Self-reliance always produces the loss of the spiritual benefits we receive from having a relationship with God. Instead of enjoying the peace and contentment that comes from the Triune God [God, the Father, God, Jesus the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit [who has an angel army to serve humanity], we transition into the dark side of life where worry, insecurity, anxiety, and discouragement reside.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Opposition to God results in spiritual blindness–we cease to see the purpose of serving and obeying God. Nor is it a priority for us to have a relationship with Jesus and to have the characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit. Abiding in Christ and producing fruit that prepares us for the transition from this earthly life to one of immortality in the New Heaven and New Earth are no longer our desires.
Created in the image of God with a dependency on His Divine Intervention throughout our lives is God’s unchangeable plan. Dualism arises when our views are in opposition to God’s righteous standards. The spiritual conflict caused by doing things our way creates a growing chasm between us and God.
“O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” –Jeremiah 10:23
The time will come when our plans or solutions fail. When our lives begin to fall apart, we usually resort to the emotional responses of anger, disappointment, and despair. Why is it so easy for us to blame God for the negative outcomes that come from our decisions? Have you ever thought that it’s just too hard to serve God? Do not give in to your emotions, with God, we are never alone!
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33
Without God, the rapid progression of life easily places us into the spiritual dilemma of mismanaging our daily lives and the loss of our reward for eternal life. We need Divine help every day! The dependency of humanity on God was designed to bring us through the vicissitudes of life and ensure that we receive the strength and power from the Holy Spirit to live for today and to prepare for eternal life simultaneously.
““And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” –Revelation 22:12
Live every day with the joyful expectation that Jesus’ promise of Revelation 22:12 will be fulfilled. The challenge is to overcome the spiritual warfare of self-seeking desires that prevent us from total reliance on Divine Intervention. Still, how do we bridge the gap that exists between accomplishing the tasks of living for today and preparing for eternal life?
Humanity requires help! We were created to have a forever relationship with God. Jesus knows that our journey is filled with struggle. The reality is that life with Jesus is meaningful and filled with accomplishments. Let God sustain your life! Go ahead and give every burden to Christ. The practical way to do that is by praying for Divine help and guidance in the routine activities of your life as well as the challenges.
Peace and joy are the gifts we receive when we willingly surrender to His will and plans which are custom-made for every person.
How deep is your level of commitment to God? Are you willing to surrender Your will in obedience to God? Each morning, take at least 15 minutes or more to have meaningful worship with our Heavenly Father. Approach God with a spirit of gratitude and confess your need for Him. Ask for the anointing, wisdom, and discernment from the Holy Spirit upon your life.
Time with God allows the Holy Spirit to give you the spiritual blessing of the Divine strength to endure, persevere and overcome for today and eagerly look forward to your reward of eternal life.
Prayer: God, we need You. We ask for the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'” –2 Corinthians 12:9
Focusing on ourselves or our circumstances produces fear and cancels our faith and dependency on the power of Christ. Pride is the seed from which the sin of self-reliance grows. Self-reliance rapidly infiltrates the heart producing the thorns of anxiety, worries, and mental and spiritual instability. Our spiritual outlook changes as we become weaker from the weeds of insecurity and hopelessness that ultimately destroy our faith in God. Although the answer to our dilemma is simple, we are functioning on emotions that leave us feeling overwhelmed. As we try to figure things out, nonexistent faith makes us forget that we have a Savior waiting to help us.
Jesus Christ is Our Foundation–Jesus forewarned us of self-reliance’s consequences: “You can do nothing without me!” Surrendering ourselves to the Vine prevents keeps us nourished with strength, empowers us to face opposition, and binds us closer to Christ. We remain confident as His strength permeates our hearts and soul. Every day, pray to receive strength from our only Source, Jesus Christ.
When I greeted the cashier, we immediately started chatting about the joy of retirement which led me to believe that she was only working part-time and happily enjoying a life of bliss. But then she expressed the agony of working six more years to reach full retirement age. The atmosphere created by her words of hopelessness threatened to produce a doom-and-gloom conversation.
Looking at her prematurely aged face, I thought about having a job in mid-life that required eight hours of constant standing, never-ending customer interaction, and produced mental and physical exhaustion by the end of the day. I knew this would be my only opportunity to provide uplifting words of hope to combat her heavy burden of despair.
I eagerly expressed the benefits of taking early retirement at 62 with the ability to work if the monthly income did not exceed $1700. As we chatted, God’s divine intervention kept other customers from choosing her checkout line. As she placed my items in the bags, a bright smile and the words, Thank you, now, I have something to look forward to in life produced happiness in two women who would probably never see each other again. Leaving the store, I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the opportunity to alleviate her mental suffering. Yes, as I walked away, I felt happy.
Where do you stand? Are you included in the 14% of the population who is very happy? Sadly, many believers are very unhappy with their present circumstances. How did we progress from thanking God for His abundant blessings to an internal state of dissatisfaction? We have embraced the worldview that produces unhappiness–to always be discontent.
Many have offered little resistance to society’s prevailing drive for the pursuit of happiness. The competitive edge is to always strive for more–we agree that enough is never enough!
God’s Standard: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
For the faithful, God always gives us the necessary provisions to sustain our well-being. Despite the satanic warfare of natural disasters and humanity’s continuous destruction of the planet earth, God has allowed the abundant beauty in nature to remain steadfast. Truthfully, our Heavenly Father always provides for the righteous. Most believers are well-fed and have financial stability.
Why do we constantly desire more things for ourselves? Our discontent reveals our perception of God. Instead of focusing on the blessings received from the open windows of heaven, we begin to view God as a restrictive God who controls humanity. When will God give us a successful career, a new home, a luxury vehicle, or a husband or wife? With a driving passion, we take the necessary steps to satisfy our heart’s desires.
Our feelings place us in a heightened mental and emotional state of living for the pursuit of happiness. We become fixated and strategize to obtain our desires by any means necessary. There are repercussions, the loss of peace, joy, and contentment. Even more devastating, our disobedience completely severs our relationship with God. Eventually, we obtain our desires, but the giver is not God.
Why would God withhold from us what others so easily obtained? God’s thoughts will never be our thoughts. We were created to worship Him in our earthly lives and have immortality forever.
“Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7). God’s purpose for humanity is to worship Him.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12). The New Heaven and New Earth will be the forever home of faithful, righteous, and obedient believers.
Still, does God select only certain people whom He blesses with the things that produce happiness? “…that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).
In studying The Creation, it is evident that God withheld no good thing from Adam and Eve. The problem is that we cannot think beyond our present state of existence. The home or vehicle that we desire requires long-term financial stability, and the prospective husband or wife with whom we desire to make a lifelong covenant does not love God first and foremost nor do they desire to live eternally.
Would God bless us with tangible items or a marriage partner just to make us happy? In His Omnipotence–knowing the beginning to the end, place all of your faith and trust in God’s answer of no. If we do not receive the things that we think will make us happy then be confident that God’s objective is to save our souls.
Our pursuit of happiness will always overshadow the reason that we made a covenant vow with Jesus, to do the Father’s will. Never forget that we are servants of the Most-High God who are promised peace and joy in this life and the life to come. The fleeting happiness of this earthly life is on the verge of ending. Our King of Kings and Lord of Lords is coming to give us an eternal life of happiness.
Desire happiness? “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'” 1 Corinthians 2:9
Prayer: God, we have lost our way. We need Your help to get us back on the Path of Righteousness. In Jesus’ Worthy name, we pray. Amen.
Distractions—The Enemy that Always Wins Devotional Reading
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. –Psalm 90:12
Think of your plans and goals for yesterday, how well did you do? Did you accomplish the tasks according to their priority on your to-do list? What did you do with the leftover time? And did you fall asleep with peaceful thoughts from the joy of your accomplishments?
The War of Distractions
The questions are pertinent because we are involved in an intense battle of strategic spiritual warfare intended to make us lose everything God has planned to bless us with now and eternally. As one contemplates the busyness of life, we have grown accustomed to accepting distractions as a natural element that rightfully belongs in our lives.
Distractions are often hidden from plain sight. Always have a million things on the to-do lists or make promises to help because you can’t say no without feeling guilty? Distractions make us waste valuable time from our lives that we can never retrieve.
Distractions make us lose the ability to dream, and prevent us from developing our spiritual gifts and natural talents. Nor can we receive the blessings from using our God-given spiritual assignment to tell others of the love of Jesus Christ because Distractions rob us of the life-giving sustaining power of God.
Distraction Alert!!! The Covert Strategy of Multitasking is a Manmade Concept!
Biblical references prove that God is Completion. Let us look at the story of Creation. In six days God used a systematic approach for the completion of His work for that day. The affirmation “And God saw that it was good.” is repeated four times. There were no thoughts about manipulating tomorrow’s schedule to squeeze in the things that were not completed in the day’s 24-hour cycle of time.
“God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” Genesis 1:5
Our concept of time is out of sync with God’s time. Sunset is the beginning of a new day. In the evening, say a prayer, and ask God to give you the wisdom to change your present routine. Develop one or two realistic goals before you go to bed. Be specific by placing a one or two-hour-time parameter that you will complete during your daytime hours.
Eliminating distractions requires courage and discipline! Stand your ground against all distractors. Perform an honest self-evaluation. Are you embracing distractions? If yes, then admit that you are working against yourself and take aggressive steps to remedy the situation.
The Restorative Benefits of Completion–“A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.” Proverbs 13:19
When our lives are out of sync with their natural order, we will never enjoy the blessings of peace and joy that come from making accomplishments. King Solomon says that accomplishments are sweet to the soul, indicating the spiritual aspect of completion. We do not find peace in tranquil locations nor achieve optimal mental, emotional, and physical health without following God’s plan for the human beings He created in His image.
The Journey to Complete Spiritual Restoration includes the Challenge of Overcoming Distractions
“Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.” Psalm 27:11
We have a choice to make. Eliminate the struggle caused by oneness—we have Divine Intervention available. God’s promise to never leave us or forsake us is lifelong. Yes. God is a God of Completion. When Jesus created us in their image, He knew the forever dependency that was required to sustain humanity.
Stopping the repetitious cycle is possible! Do not live in misery because of Satan’s spiritual warfare of distractions. Let go of your learned thought processes from the influencers who can do nothing but give misconstrued advice. Let go of habits and people who constantly introduce suffering into your life. Satan uses the familiar to keep us overwhelmed.
Embrace God’s Righteous Standard of Completion to overcome the Enemy of Distractions. God Always Produces Victorious Overcomers!
“I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said, ‘You are My servant.’ I have chosen and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10
God created us to live on this earth in the peace and prosperity that comes from receiving His abundant blessings. Our willingness to have a heartfelt relationship with Christ not only gives us joy, contentment, peace, and happiness, but we also receive knowledge and wisdom from the Holy Spirit to live productive and structured lives. Created in His image, we receive the power to achieve completion of the tasks to maintain a life of spiritual equilibrium.
Prayer: God, we desperately need Your help. Please reveal the distractions that prevent us from making accomplishments and having the daily joy that comes from completion. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?'” John 5:6
The well-known story of the man at the Pool of Bethesda has been analyzed, critiqued, and given various explanations of why the man didn’t simply answer, yes, to Jesus. Still, Jesus told him to rise, take up his bed and walk. And the man obeyed. The man has another encounter with Jesus who clarifies that being made well involved more than his ability to walk. Spiritual healing was Jesus’ ultimate goal in the once-lame man’s healing journey.
Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” –John 5:13
If we focus only on the lame man’s healing of his physical ability to walk then we do not understand Jesus’ primary spiritual healing mission for the human race. Jesus’ second encounter with the man at the temple reveals that our hearts are His primary concern. The desperately wicked heart requires rescue and healing from the always-present disease of sin. The healed man was told to sin no more or something worse would happen. Our minds may naturally think of another illness worse than paralysis, yet, consider the loss of the man’s reward of eternal life.
Yes, receiving spiritual healing is contingent on our intentional rejection of sin. The first response of praying for the daily renewal of our covenant vow with Jesus places us in the right standing to be recipients of His love, grace, and mercies. The human effort of surrender and obedience keeps us on the Path of Righteousness where we begin and maintain an intimate heart-to-heart relationship with Christ.
The question is, Do you want to be made well? places us at the Spiritual Crossroads that requires a definitive answer to God. Truthfully, many believers do not desire to be made well because to be made well requires giving in and giving up everything for Jesus Christ.
One could never imagine that a believer would answer, no to Jesus’ question. The inner battle of surrender versus disobedience is our daily cross to bear. Hitting the roadblock of indecision [which is a decision] happens because of giving in to the full pursuit of one’s desires. Our life must align with God’s will. There is no leeway or compromise in our intimate journey with Jesus.
Without surrendering to God’s Conditions of Participation, we repeat the actions of the rich, young ruler who desired salvation on his terms. Sadly, with modern believers, there is a clear difference between us and the young ruler, although we turn away from the Spiritual Journey we do it without feelings of sadness or remorse.
Christ alone has the power to heal and transform our hearts into His likeness–Sanctification, the lifelong journey with Jesus is continuous. It will last up until the day of Jesus’ Second Coming. Read Philippians 1:6.
“What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. Psalm 116:12-13
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
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