Hello Team,
The following quote from article below caught my eyes:
"You almost have to hold back your natural gifting to ensure that God is the one who is guiding you. If not, you will not know if it is through your skill versus His hand that you are accomplishing the work."
Walking closely with God is a fine balancing act between utilizing my own skills while hearing God's instructions to use them correctly.
<><
yOOn
Presumption Versus Faith
Friday, July 29, 2005
by Os Hillman
The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. ~ 1 Chronicles 13:10
A life of faith often requires us to leave God's work alone. Responding to a need out of a desire to help move a vision along can be the greatest challenge for a Christian entrepreneur. There is a fine line between presumption and faith.
Uzzah learned that presumption could cost him his life. He was part of the crew that was to move the ark with the help of a team of oxen. When the way became rough, Uzzah responded in a natural way. He grabbed the ark to steady it. When he did, he was immediately struck down. God said it was forbidden to touch the ark. King David mourned the death of his servant and argued with God about this loss.
Walking with God in the workplace requires sensitivity to balancing our God-given talents and operating in the power of the Holy Spirit in and through our work life. A mentor once told me, "You almost have to hold back your natural gifting to ensure that God is the one who is guiding you. If not, you will not know if it is through your skill versus His hand that you are accomplishing the work." I find this the most challenging aspect of a walk with God in the workplace.
You can only grow in your understanding of this balance by being accountable to others in the process. By having other committed Christians walking close to you, they become the safety net to keep you from presumption and the deceit of the heart. God also gives godly spouses to help many in this area.
-- -- --
Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org To contact Os Hillman, click here. To book Os Hillman to speak in your city, click here. To request TGIF reprint permission, click here. Permission granted to forward this email in it's entirety to others at no cost.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Monday, July 18, 2005
Unlimited Potential
Hello Team!
Do you want to live the FULL potential God intended for your life? It may require your perseverance and hope. If you're experiencing some setbacks in your life, let's be encouraged by the story of Cyrus below and push onward while leaning on God.
<><
yOOn
- * - * -
Unlimited Potential
Monday, July 18, 2005
by Os Hillman
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. ~ Philippians 4:13
What might God want to accomplish through you in your lifetime? As a workplace believer, you may yet have your greatest contribution to society. Such was the case of Cyrus McCormick, born in 1809. Raised on a farm by an inventor father, Cyrus McCormick sought to invent a mechanical reaper to harvest wheat. His father's attempts at inventing a successful machine had failed until Cyrus, at 22, created one that worked. McCormick had to overcome many setbacks including the loss of his patent 14 years after his first invention. This opened up competition. Then, in 1837 he went bankrupt due to the bank panic of 1837. However, these setbacks did not prevent McCormick from achieving his goals.
He expanded his market by trying to sell his machine to European farmers in 1851. A long series of honors compensated for the lack of recognition and praise from his American compatriots. By 1856, he was not only a world figure but his factory produced more than 4,000 reapers a year.
McCormick was a committed believer. He lived during the time of D.L. Moody and gave $10,000 to Moody to start the Chicago YMCA in 1869. That building burned along with his Chicago factory in 1871. By this time, McCormick was over 60 and wealthy enough to retire. Before his death in 1884, he had given $100,000 to help open Moody Bible Institute. His son, Cyrus Jr., was to become the first chairman of the school's board. Cyrus McCormick was a devoted Christian who passed his faith on to his son who later met up with J. Pierpoint Morgan to become the first president of a combined reaper firm, the famed International Harvester Corporation. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 328-331.]
What might God want to accomplish through your life? Surely you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org To contact Os Hillman, click here. To book Os Hillman to speak in your city, click here. To request TGIF reprint permission, click here. Permission granted to forward this email in it's entirety to others at no cost.
Do you want to live the FULL potential God intended for your life? It may require your perseverance and hope. If you're experiencing some setbacks in your life, let's be encouraged by the story of Cyrus below and push onward while leaning on God.
<><
yOOn
Unlimited Potential
Monday, July 18, 2005
by Os Hillman
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. ~ Philippians 4:13
What might God want to accomplish through you in your lifetime? As a workplace believer, you may yet have your greatest contribution to society. Such was the case of Cyrus McCormick, born in 1809. Raised on a farm by an inventor father, Cyrus McCormick sought to invent a mechanical reaper to harvest wheat. His father's attempts at inventing a successful machine had failed until Cyrus, at 22, created one that worked. McCormick had to overcome many setbacks including the loss of his patent 14 years after his first invention. This opened up competition. Then, in 1837 he went bankrupt due to the bank panic of 1837. However, these setbacks did not prevent McCormick from achieving his goals.
He expanded his market by trying to sell his machine to European farmers in 1851. A long series of honors compensated for the lack of recognition and praise from his American compatriots. By 1856, he was not only a world figure but his factory produced more than 4,000 reapers a year.
McCormick was a committed believer. He lived during the time of D.L. Moody and gave $10,000 to Moody to start the Chicago YMCA in 1869. That building burned along with his Chicago factory in 1871. By this time, McCormick was over 60 and wealthy enough to retire. Before his death in 1884, he had given $100,000 to help open Moody Bible Institute. His son, Cyrus Jr., was to become the first chairman of the school's board. Cyrus McCormick was a devoted Christian who passed his faith on to his son who later met up with J. Pierpoint Morgan to become the first president of a combined reaper firm, the famed International Harvester Corporation. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 328-331.]
What might God want to accomplish through your life? Surely you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org To contact Os Hillman, click here. To book Os Hillman to speak in your city, click here. To request TGIF reprint permission, click here. Permission granted to forward this email in it's entirety to others at no cost.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Our Work versus Our Value
Hello CM Team,
Thank you so much for all of you who stayed in town to "run" the ministry this past Sunday!
My family attended the Saddleback Church and two of my children went through the same format (although the topic was not the Driving Force) because our Driving Force is from that church. They thought it was cool to see the same stuff.
I'm including a short article below for your food for thought & Spirit. Here is an excerpt:
See you tonight then,
yOOn
- * - * -
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
by Os Hillman
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ~ Genesis 2:15
Man was created to have seven basic needs. Each of us has a need for dignity, authority, blessing and provision, security, purpose and meaning, freedom and boundary, intimate love and companionship. When we go outside God's provision to meet these needs, we get into trouble.
Every man has a need to work and gain satisfaction in caring and seeing something come from his efforts. Many of our basic needs are derived from our work; it was one of the first acts God did for man in the Garden of Eden. He gave him responsibility to care for and work the Garden. God knew man needed to be productive. He needed to gain satisfaction from his work.
The danger of this is when we allow our work to be our complete source of purpose and meaning in life. This leads to a performance-based life. A performance-based life says, "As long as I perform in my work, I am acceptable to myself and others." This is a subtle trap for all of us. It can lead us to become workaholics if we are seeking acceptance through what we do. Sometimes this can be on a subconscious basis.
Our value must be centered in Christ, not in what we do. If we lose our job or our business, this should not devastate us if we are centered in Him. It will certainly create difficulties, but God is the orchestrator of all the events in our lives for His purposes. Even difficult times have purposes.
Today, ask the Lord if you have a proper balance in your work life. Is Christ the central focus? If you work long hours, ask yourself why. You might discover that God may not be the central focus.
Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org To contact Os Hillman, click here. To book Os Hillman to speak in your city, click here. To request TGIF reprint permission, click here. Permission granted to forward this email in it's entirety to others at no cost.
Thank you so much for all of you who stayed in town to "run" the ministry this past Sunday!
My family attended the Saddleback Church and two of my children went through the same format (although the topic was not the Driving Force) because our Driving Force is from that church. They thought it was cool to see the same stuff.
I'm including a short article below for your food for thought & Spirit. Here is an excerpt:
The danger of this is when we allow our work to be our complete source of purpose and meaning in life. This leads to a performance-based life. A performance-based life says .... (read below for more)
See you tonight then,
yOOn
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
by Os Hillman
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ~ Genesis 2:15
Man was created to have seven basic needs. Each of us has a need for dignity, authority, blessing and provision, security, purpose and meaning, freedom and boundary, intimate love and companionship. When we go outside God's provision to meet these needs, we get into trouble.
Every man has a need to work and gain satisfaction in caring and seeing something come from his efforts. Many of our basic needs are derived from our work; it was one of the first acts God did for man in the Garden of Eden. He gave him responsibility to care for and work the Garden. God knew man needed to be productive. He needed to gain satisfaction from his work.
The danger of this is when we allow our work to be our complete source of purpose and meaning in life. This leads to a performance-based life. A performance-based life says, "As long as I perform in my work, I am acceptable to myself and others." This is a subtle trap for all of us. It can lead us to become workaholics if we are seeking acceptance through what we do. Sometimes this can be on a subconscious basis.
Our value must be centered in Christ, not in what we do. If we lose our job or our business, this should not devastate us if we are centered in Him. It will certainly create difficulties, but God is the orchestrator of all the events in our lives for His purposes. Even difficult times have purposes.
Today, ask the Lord if you have a proper balance in your work life. Is Christ the central focus? If you work long hours, ask yourself why. You might discover that God may not be the central focus.
Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org To contact Os Hillman, click here. To book Os Hillman to speak in your city, click here. To request TGIF reprint permission, click here. Permission granted to forward this email in it's entirety to others at no cost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)