• His joy. Our strength.

  • The future is as bright as God’s promises.

  • Let your light so shine.

  • Praise is the heart of worship.

  • Where God is, love is. (1 John 4:7-8)

Anchor

User-friendly devotionals with audio

  • 29 Apr

    Little Things and What Truly Matters

    By Christian 

    Recently, I have slowed down quite a bit, and in doing so, I am learning to take time to notice and ponder the little things that happen to me on a regular basis. It’s been like having an “extra eye.” It’s hard to pinpoint when this started or even if it was always there, but this has been a major change for me, as in the past, I have always been very “work oriented.”

    A few days ago, I had to take some clothes to a seamstress who runs a tiny store in our area. I was between appointments, and as I was on my way there, I heard the Lord’s voice, “Ask her how she is—and then listen.” So, I did.

    This opened the door for her to unveil the pain she has been feeling relentlessly in both knees for the past couple of months. She added, “It is getting worse and worse.” She is in her 60s and, combined with limited exercise and long hours sitting at her sewing machine, something had snapped and both meniscuses had ruptured.

    We talked. I listened. And I closed by saying, “Sometimes things happen so we realize how fragile we are as humans and how much we truly need our Father’s help and healing. We’ll pray for you!”

    I told my wife about this woman and we decided to pop in together so Cristina could talk with her and share practical advice and spiritual support, which she very much appreciated. I saw our Father’s hand in what had happened to my clothes, which created a window so we could discover her pain and struggle and bring her a bit of relief—most of all the assurance that she is loved and appreciated. It also showed me the importance of being present and not having a strict “agenda.”

    As a child of God, as His ambassador, my calling is always in the forefront, to be there for the souls He brings across my path, no matter what errand I might be out on. That is my true reason for being alive.

    I have the blessing to have my son Patrick (22 years old) still living with us. From time to time, I drive him to his metro stop so he can get to his job. It gives us some time together, and even though some mornings I feel like sleeping in, I look forward to those 15 minutes. We don’t always talk or may only have a brief exchange, but it means so much to both of us. This is one more confirmation that life is now, living in the moment!

    On the way home, I sometimes pick up bread for our team. I treasure and look forward to the few minutes of talking and exchanging kind, faith-building words with the lady at the counter, the man from Bali working in the background, and even other clients waiting to be served. I can see they are happy to see me; they feel like they matter and are important, because they are. From time to time, I leave them with a copy of the Activated mag, pointing out some articles that inspired me.

    I also always pop in the nearby flower shop for a few moments to greet the lady working there. We exchange a few words, and I generally leave her a copy of the latest Activated mag.

    This morning, while walking back to my car, I stopped to have a few words with a middle-aged couple who were pushing a stroller. I had never met them. I could see their minds were filled with thoughts and to-do lists for the day, but then, before we knew it, we were chatting, smiling, and sharing a few uplifting words from our Father. This brought them back for a few minutes to the moment, the present, what truly matters. I said, “When you look at your son, it is like seeing a glimpse of what heaven is like.” It seems that peace filled their souls for an instant as they smiled.

    Driving home I felt as if I were in a cloud of peace. This is when a story from the life of Saint Francis came to mind:

    St. Francis of Assisi one day said to several of his followers, “Let us go to the village over the way and preach.” As they went, they met a humble pedestrian who was greatly burdened. Francis was in no hurry and listened carefully to his tale of woe.

    When the village was reached, Francis talked with the shopkeepers, spent time with the farmers at their fruit and vegetable stalls, and played with the children in the streets. On the way back they met a farmer with a load of hay, and Francis spent time with him. The morning gone, the group reached the monastery from where they had set out in the early morning.

    One of the followers, who was greatly disappointed, said to Francis, “Brother Francis, you said you were going to preach. The morning is spent and no sermon has been given.”

    And the saintly Francis replied, “But we have been preaching all the way.”

    Most of my life has been geared to and focused on my accomplishments—building works and projects, teaching, witnessing, and being very much on the front line. There is nothing wrong with these activities in themselves and surely there is a time for that, but as I’m aging, I can see how I was a bit off balance, which caused me to neglect some things that were also important. I am reminded of what Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthian church: “And yet I will show you the most excellent way” as a lead-in to the “Love Chapter” (1 Corinthians 12:31–13:3).

    This reflection was born out of my growing awareness that life is not only about grand achievements, but also about the quiet, often-unnoticed moments of each day, about understanding what truly matters—being present, attentive, and available to the people God places in my path. I am rediscovering that my primary calling is not to do things for God but to be His love to the world.

     “Life is not about the destination, but about the journey” has become more than a cliché for me. It’s something I truly believe, manifested by the way I live my days—being less focused on my objectives and goals and more aware of the journey itself, the immediate moment, the present, so as not to lose track of what truly matters.

  • Apr 27 Washing the Disciples’ Feet
  • Apr 24 The Hidden Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut
  • Apr 21 The Call to Remember
  • Apr 20 What Is Faith?
  • Apr 15 It Was Never Just About the Well
  • Apr 14 Triumph in Times of Testing
  • Apr 13 The Parable of the Two Debtors
  • Apr 10 How to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life
  • Apr 7 Why Thoughts Matter
   

Directors’ Corner

Faith-building Bible studies and articles

  • 28 Apr

    The Life of Discipleship, Part 10: Our Work Life

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    Most people throughout the world will spend a significant percentage of their lives at work, which will generally be carried out in a workplace setting, though in today’s world the workplace may also be a virtual one. Clearly work—whether it is in a secular setting or in a Christian missional one—will occupy a large amount of our time for much of our adult life. In many cases, this will entail working with people whose belief system and worldview may differ from ours. So as Christians, how do we integrate our work life into our discipleship?

    Let’s start by looking at what the Bible has to say about work.

    Scripture generally presents a positive view of work. Before sin entered the world, God instructed Adam and Eve to work when He said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion” (Genesis 1:28). “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).

    Doing work isn’t part of the fallen human condition, but rather is something that is part of God’s “very good” creation (Genesis 1:31). In the book of Genesis, God’s creation of the world is referred to as His work. “On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done” (Genesis 2:2). We also see that the fourth of the Ten Commandments makes reference both to not working on the seventh day, the Sabbath, and to working on the other days of the week. “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:9–10).

    From the beginning of His creation, we see that God ordained work as part of His plan for human flourishing, which Timothy Keller expressed as follows:

    The book of Genesis leaves us with a striking truth—work was part of paradise. One biblical scholar summed it up: “It is perfectly clear that God’s good plan always included human beings working, or, more specifically, living in the constant cycle of work and rest.” ... It was part of God’s perfect design for human life, because we were made in God’s image, and part of His glory and happiness is that He works, as does the Son of God, who said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17)…

    Though Jesus’ twelve apostles left their nets after meeting him (Luke 5:11), we later see them continuing their trade of fishing. We see Paul continuing to work as a tentmaker while he worked as an evangelist. These are not men who meet Christ and stop their “secular work” or who dial back their intensity and passion. Instead, what forever changed was the disciples’ relationship to their work. Jesus gave them the big picture; in fact, he was the big picture. He very deliberately called them to a kind of fishing beyond their fishing: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people” (Luke 5:10). In other words, he was coming to redeem and heal the world, and he invited his disciples to be part of this project. Now they had an identity and significance untethered to their job or financial status. So they could walk away from it (if that was called for), or pick it up again, or approach it in a different way from before…

    Work is one of the ways we make ourselves useful to others, rather than just living a life for ourselves. Also, work is one of the ways we discover who we are, because it is through work that we come to understand our distinct abilities and gifts, a major component in our identities… As an extension of God’s creative work, the Christian’s labor has its orientation toward God himself, and we must ask how it can be done distinctively and for his glory. As an extension of God’s providential work, our labor has its orientation toward our neighbor, and we must ask how it can be done excellently and for his or her good.1

    In the New Testament, we find positive references to work. For example, we read that the apostle Paul worked as a tentmaker at times during his missionary journeys (Acts 18:2–3). Elsewhere, Paul made reference to his example of doing “hard work” to supply his own needs and those of his travel companions (Acts 20:33–35 NIV). In Ephesians, he wrote of the importance of work in saying: “Rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28).

    When writing to the church of Thessalonica, Paul emphasized the importance of believers supporting themselves by working. “Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12). In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul called on the church to imitate his example of working, and he went on to “command and encourage” the believers “to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” (2 Thessalonians 3:7–12).

    Of course, not all work is compensated financially. One of the most important jobs in the world is that of a parent and homemaker, even though such work is not paid employment. Volunteer work is also very important, where people generously donate their time to help others, such as through their church or other organizations. Missionary work is a tremendously important task which is often done on a volunteer basis and is often dependent on the donations and support of others. Many dedicated Christians are called by God to devote their lives in service to Him as they share the gospel on their mission field or work in humanitarian aid projects while not receiving a regular salary for their work.

    Whatever work the Lord leads us to—whether paid or unpaid—as believers we are called to be a good representation of Jesus and our faith to others. Whatever our everyday work may be, may we do it as unto Him, for His glory. “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

    Why Work?

    When we consider how much of the average person’s life will be devoted to work, this raises the question: Why did God give humans work to do?

    Part of being creations made in God’s image is the ability to reflect His creative activity. When we make things, such as baking a loaf of bread, building a shed, or developing a computer program, we are creating something that didn’t exist before. Such work reflects God’s attributes in other ways as well, such as wisdom, strength, patience, and knowledge.

    While all of nature manifests God’s glory, such as the plant and animal kingdoms, the creativity of human beings manifests His glory in vastly different ways. Only humans create, invent, and innovate. The ability of human beings to do creative work points to our being created by God in His image. As humans, we can create value. When we do productive work, we add to the total value of things that exist for the benefit of humanity.

    Another important aspect of work is that it can give us an inherent sense of worth and self-respect, while also providing a means for us to be a testimony to non-believers (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12). This is partly why when people are laid off from work and can’t find another job, or when they can’t work because of illness or injury, they find it so difficult. Not having productive work can bring frustration due to being unable to do what God has made human beings to do—to be engaged in productive work and thereby support themselves as long as they are able.

    Most Christians are not engaged in full-time church or mission work but rather are employed in secular workplaces, often working alongside or under non-Christians. This was also the case in the early church, when Christians were a small minority who worked in a predominantly secular world. However, they clearly were witnesses in their workplace and contributed to the rapid spread of Christianity. In fact, religious historian Kenneth Latourette proposed that, “The chief agents in the expansion of Christianity appear … to have been … men and women who earned their livelihood in some purely secular manner and spoke of their faith to those whom they met in this natural fashion.”2

    The apostle Paul considered that believers were placed in jobs that God had called them to. “Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him” (1 Corinthians 7:17). Whatever job a believer is working at (provided it is not unethical or immoral), that is a situation to which “God has called him,” at least for the time being. God may call them to another occupation later, but while they are called to a particular job, that is their assignment.

    Whatever workplace we find ourselves in, as Christians we are called to be honest, trustworthy, and people of integrity, and faithful witnesses wherever possible. Believers are called to be a testimony of Christianity, an example of Jesus in whatever situation they find themselves, “so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Titus 2:10 NIV). While we may not always be able to freely share our faith in the workplace, we can always find ways to be a living example of our faith, as the following article excerpts highlight.

    Your Mission Field

    God never intended Sunday worship to be divorced from Monday work. Your job, your calling, your daily responsibilities—these are all places of discipleship and disciplemaking. Colossians 3:17 reminds us: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

    Every spreadsheet. Every email. Every meeting. Every repair. Every delivery. Every meal prepared... Done with His joy. Done by His grace and in His Name. We often think sacred work happens in churches or ministries. But sacred work happens in every vocation when it’s done for God’s glory and the good of others…

    Your work is not accidental. It is not “secular.” It is deeply sacred when surrendered to God. The world needs people like you—deeply rooted in Christ, living faithfully and joyfully wherever God has placed you. When you serve others for the sheer joy of being used of God to do good on behalf of someone else, you are part of a global choir singing of the goodness of God in your actions.

    Let your workplace become your mission field. Let your daily tasks become acts of worship. Let your industry be a space where God’s goodness shines through your integrity, humility, and hope. Because when you do, we see it happen: the sacred invades the secular. And that’s where the kingdom of God quietly enters the world—one task, one conversation, one life at a time.—Dan Miller3

    Doing Evangelism in the Workplace

    If the average person spends at least eight hours on work five days of the week, then in the span of a year, this adds up to 2,080 hours a year in the workplace setting and community. Even if this number is half of this, that’s still a lot of time.

    If done properly, there is one foundational reason that all of us should be seeking ways to share our faith wherever God has placed us: we have been called to share our faith by the very God we acknowledge is Lord. I won’t go into all the scriptures that call us towards a gospel witness in both word and deed (e.g., Acts 22:14–15; Acts 4:20; Matthew 28:19). What I will say is that evangelism, when done in the proper way and the proper setting, is of utmost importance if we are to see God’s kingdom grow and more people come into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

    However, far too many in the church simply don’t know how to be a good gospel witness in the workplace. We either don’t know how to get faith conversations started, or we don’t know how to continue them in an appropriate manner once the door has been cracked open for us. The key to effective evangelism in the marketplace is at the very minimum five-fold:

    Work with excellence. Colossians 3:23 calls us to work hard as unto the Lord. No matter the workplace, we are first and foremost working for an audience of One. And when we work in such a way, we build a foundation of witness to those around us.

    Have integrity. Having integrity means being honest and having strong moral principles and convictions. What people see is what they get. We are salt and light in the workplace; we don’t cut corners or do sloppy work. In this way, we model after Jesus, who provided the character model we need to have as we seek effective gospel witness.

    Seek discernment. The Book of Proverbs is a great place to start when we consider the importance of wisdom... We must always first be seeking the voice of God as we navigate faith in the workplace. We must be wise in knowing the how, when, why, and who of gospel witness in the marketplace. If we don’t, we not only jeopardize our jobs, but possibly even the winsomeness of our witness.

    Listen to God’s voice. We must follow God’s promptings and let the Holy Spirit guide us into conversations. Without a foundation of prayer and the spiritual discipline of listening to God and His Word, we are but clanging cymbals or noisy gongs.

    Get going! Once we sense God calling us into deeper conversations, we must follow Him into those sometimes hard places. We must walk—sometimes run—into relationships with a commitment to take the long road if need be, to be a friend and confidant.—Ed Stetzer.4

    As believers, we are called to live out our discipleship in every sphere of our lives, including our work lives. As Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23–24 NIV).

    As His ambassadors, we are called to convey Christ’s message and to conduct our lives in ways that show God’s love for the people we encounter at work and everywhere we go. In every aspect of our lives, we are to be “imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1). Every part of our lives is meant to be consecrated to the Lord; every place we find ourselves is a mission field, filled with people in need of the Savior or in need of learning more about their faith and growing in their discipleship. May our lives be an example of His unfailing love for every person He places in our path.

    Thoughts to Ponder

    If God came into the world, what would he be like? For the ancient Greeks, he might have been a philosopher-king. The ancient Romans might have looked for a just and noble statesman. But how does the God of the Hebrews come into the world? As a carpenter.—Phillip Jensen

    Christians should be aware of … the purpose of their work in the world. ... We are to see work as a way of service to God and our neighbor, and so we should both choose and conduct our work in accordance with that purpose. The question regarding our choice of work is no longer “What will make me the most money and give me the most status?” The question must now be “How, with my existing abilities and opportunities, can I be of greatest service to other people, knowing what I do of God’s will and of human need?”—Timothy Keller

    I’m frequently asked how to be a witness in the workplace or with our family members or roommates. First, our colleagues must see that we are honest, truthful, reliable, that we don’t engage in gossip and that we encour­age and praise our colleagues’ achievements—even in a very competitive workplace. … If they see in our behavior unselfish service, kindness and patience, it will have an impact in drawing them to consider Christ.—Rebecca Sayers

    What the Bible Says

    “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17 NIV).

    “The LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful” (Deuteronomy 16:15).

    “You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:34–35 NIV).

    A Prayer for the Workplace

    Heavenly Father, Thank You for the job You have given me, for the opportunity to represent You to all those I work with today. May I be sensitive to Your leading, satisfied in Your provision and secure in the knowledge that You are with me through every challenge I may face today…

    Give me the desire to put my whole heart into each task today, doing it as work done for You, and not merely for my boss. Don’t let me forget that my real reward comes from You, since You are actually my employer.

    Please encourage and support my fellow coworkers. Meet them at every point of their need. Strengthen their relationships at work and in their homes. Give me patience, and the grace to show respect and appreciation to everyone I work with today. May You be the light of my life, the guide of my steps, my anchor in every shifting wind. I ask this all in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.5

    1 Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work (Dutton Books, 2012).

    2 Kenneth S. Latourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity (Harper, 1944), 1:230.

    3 Dan Miller, “Bringing the Sacred into the Secular: A Call to All Vocations,” Forgodsfame.org, June 19, 2025, https://www.forgodsfame.org/blog/2025/06/19/work-as-worship.

    4 Ed Stetzer, “Amplifying Evangelism—Doing Evangelism in the Workplace,” Christianity Today, March 29, 2016.

    5 Scott Burnett, “Prayer for the Workplace,” Outreach Canada, March 19, 2024, https://outreach.ca/Blog-Original/Blog-Detail/ArticleId/5392/Prayer-for-the-Workplace.

     

  • Mar 17 The Life of Discipleship, Part 9: Discipling Others
  • Mar 3 1 Corinthians: Chapter 15 (verses 37–58)
  • Feb 17 The Life of Discipleship, Part 8: Sharing Our Faith
  • Feb 3 1 Corinthians: Chapter 15 (verses 20–36)
  • Jan 20 The Life of Discipleship, Part 7: Serving God by Serving Others
  • Dec 16 1 Corinthians: Chapter 15 (verses 1–19)
  • Dec 2 The Life of Discipleship, Part 6: Love for Others
  • Nov 11 1 Corinthians: Chapter 14 (verses 26–40)
  • Oct 28 The Life of Discipleship, Part 5: Seeking First His Kingdom
   

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1 and 2 Thessalonians
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