May 2008 devotionals
May 16, 2008
Sowing in Tears
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, May 16 2008
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5
The most difficult place to keep moving in faith is the place of extreme pain. Extreme pain, especially emotional pain, can
become immobilizing to the human spirit if it is allowed to overcome us. The psalmist tells us there is only one remedy for
overcoming painful circumstances that will result in joy. We are to sow in the midst of these times. You cannot do this if you
live by feelings alone. It is an act of the will. This act requires that we go outside ourselves in pure faith.
I learned this principle during one of the deepest periods of my life. I had lost much that was dear to me. A mature man in
the faith admonished me to reach out to others in spite of my own pain. "Invest in someone else," he said. I did not realize
what a place of healing and comfort that would become.
"He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:6). Pain
can become a source of joy if we take the first step by planting seed. There is a harvest that will come if we sow in the midst
of tears.
May 15, 2008
Overcoming Our Past
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, May 15 2008
"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah." - Judges 11:29a
We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of
alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease - these are all difficult
circumstances to overcome.
Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming
great in God's sight. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife, who
had bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any
inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was
cast away from his own family.
This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang.
As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites
made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off
those feelings of rejection from previous years.
"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to
the call God had on his life.
It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to
survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it
could not survive as a butterfly.
The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly
unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him
with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.
May 14, 2008
A Two-Way Relationship
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Wednesday, May 14 2008
"He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught." - Isaiah 50:4b
The prophet Isaiah describes his relationship to God as a relationship that has two-way communication. Have you ever felt
that your communication with God was only one way - you to Him only? Isaiah tells us, "The Sovereign Lord has given me an
instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.... The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not
been rebellious; I have not drawn back" (Is. 50:4-5).
The key to Isaiah's relationship with God lies in four important principles:
1. He had an instructed tongue. Isaiah had given over rule of his life completely to God's purposes.
2. He knew the word of the Lord, which allowed him to sustain and encourage others.
3. He took time to listen.
4. He did not flee from the tough assignments. He didn't shrink back.
If we are to be able to listen to God, we must follow the same principles. Knowing and spending time studying God's Word
allows the Holy Spirit to bring to mind His instructions for what He wants for us. Recently, I became very busy in my work and
other activities. It wasn't long before I felt distance between God and me. I had to make a conscious decision to carve out
more time alone to listen, study, and meditate on His Word. This is the lifeline for the follower of Jesus. When we begin to
lose the relationship, we are susceptible to becoming rebellious, going our own way. Invest your life in this relationship so
that you may continue to hear His voice and sustain the weary ones around you.
May 13, 2008
The Plans of Tomorrow
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Tuesday, May 13 2008
"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." - James 4:14b
A group of workplace believers meet at my office every week for fellowship, study, and prayer. One man attended our group
for several years. Jim was well liked and in good health. One Thursday he showed up as usual. The next morning I received
a call, "Jim is dead! He died in his easy chair last night!" Jim had no prior problems and there was no indication he was about
to go be with the Lord. Naturally, it came as a shock to us all.
Whenever things like this happen close to home, it brings us face to face with our mortality. A friend of mine said he was
challenged by someone to do an experiment. He challenged him to live his life for one year as if it were the last year he
would live. He responded to the challenge and did as proposed. It changed his life forever. He began to focus on different
priorities and people when he viewed life in these terms.
James gives us a perspective on viewing tomorrow.
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make
money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little
while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that" (James 4:13-15).
Life is fragile. Consider where you are investing your time and energies. Someone once said they had never heard anyone
on his deathbed say that he wished he had made more money in his lifetime or he wished he had made a certain deal.
Usually it is something like, "I wish I had spent more time with my kids." Ask the Lord to give you His priorities for your life.
May 12, 2008
A Fleeting Shadow
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Monday, May 12 2008
"Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." - Psalm 144:4
Every time I fly over a large body of water, I imagine opening the window of the jet and pouring out my coffee into the
immense body of water below. I imagine the time that I spend on this earth compared to eternity is no more than that cup of
coffee. The incredible size of the ocean compared to one small cup of coffee is what our life is like compared to eternity.
Why then do we invest so much in temporal pursuits when we know that our investment here can have so much impact on
our eternity? It is the great paradox of human behavior, especially for Christians.
Does your business life have an overall ministry objective to it? This does not mean we must be constantly involved in
"Christian activity." It only means that we should be about what God has called us to do with the motive of being obedient to
this mission. Do not let the worries and cares of this life keep you from having an eternal impact on the lives of those you
meet each day. Satan has a way of keeping our focus on the problems of today rather than the spiritual opportunities before
us. He is master of the urgent, not the important.
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
May 7, 2008
Changing Besetting Habits-The $10 Challenge
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Wednesday, May 07 2008
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." - John 8:34
"I hate being late," my friend lamented. "It has been a problem for me all my life."
"Do you really want to change that?" I asked.
"Yes, I do."
"All right. Every time you are late to work or anywhere else where you have committed to be at a particular time you must
give me $25."
"No way!" my friend responded. "I would go broke! But I will do $10."
"All right, $10 it is. It has to be a large enough amount of money for it to hurt your pocketbook."
"Believe me, that will hurt," my friend said. About a month later my friend found great motivation to be on time to every place
she had to be. In the first week, I got only $10 from my friend. The next week, $20. The third week, nothing. By the fifth week,
my friend had changed a lifelong habit that had hindered her all her life. In order for my friend not to be resentful of me for
the money she had to give, we put it in a jar to be given to some other Christian cause. This ensured my motive was only for
her best interest.
Some might be reading this now and say it is legalism. For my friend it was freedom. For the first time she had some means
of changing a behavior that had caused her problems in relationships and her own work habits. Psychologists tell us that it
takes 21 days to form a habit. So, if you need to change some habit, you need to be actively engaged in that new behavior at
least 21 days. My friend needed help to change a habit she didn't like about herself. It took another individual to hold her
accountable, and it took a potential loss of something to provide the added incentive.
A successful businessman was experiencing a difficult marriage. When counseling the couple over dinner one night, a
friend of mine noticed that the man often criticized his wife. After further counsel it was determined the man simply could
not love his wife. My friend asked him if he truly wanted to see change in his marriage. When the man said he did, my friend
said, "Every time you criticize your wife you must agree to give me $100." This man was well-off and needed substantial
incentive to change his behavior. After the man rebelled and retorted, he agreed in front of his wife. A few weeks later a
report came back that things were changing. This man did not want to write any checks to my friend. Although it was a
competitive game to the man, it was also yielding some positive changes in his marriage. He began to acquire the habit of
avoiding criticism of his wife, which was killing her spirit.
What are the habits that keep you from becoming all that God may want you to become? Do you desire change enough to be
accountable in a way that it costs you something when you fail? Ask a friend to hold you accountable in an area that needs
change. You will find new freedom as you conquer old besetting habits.
May 6, 2008
The Value of Words
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Tuesday, May 06 2008
"And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your
'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." - Matthew 5:36-37
Imagine for a moment that you are living in Jesus' time. It is before Jesus has begun His public ministry. He is a carpenter in
your local town of Nazareth. You have asked Jesus to make a table for you. You're on a deadline and you must have it in a
week. You agree on the price of $100 for the table and the date of one week for completion. A week later you arrive to pick
up the table. You lay your money down on the table and Jesus says, "Mr. Johnson, I am sorry but the table is not ready. I ran
into complications. Also, I can no longer honor the price I gave you. It is now $150 instead of $100."
Two years later you hear about this same Jesus who is preaching to the local townspeople. How are you going to view this
Jesus? You probably won't give much credence to His message because of your personal experience. Our lives have an
ability to reinforce the message we stand for, or they can violate it and make it totally ineffective. This literally happens all
over the world in different settings with Christian workplace believers. Our message becomes ineffective because we have
not done what we said.
I know people who, when they tell me they plan to do something, I can expect them to follow through about 50 percent of the
time. I am sure you have had the same experience. Words and commitments are made with little meaning behind those
words. However, I know others who will follow through almost every time. The only time they don't is when something falls
outside their control. I quickly learn whose words have substance behind them.
There are times when we are unable to perform or deliver what we promised due to outside influences. The key to turning
these potentially negative circumstances into a witness for Christ is communication. If we are unable to pay a bill on time,
we must communicate with those we owe and make a good faith effort to resolve it within our means. In these cases, God's
purposes are being performed as well if we seek to do the right thing.
Do your words mean anything to those who hear them? Do you make commitments and fail to follow through on them? What
would others say about how you follow through? Ask the Lord today to show you how you are doing in this area. You might
even want to ask three people who are the closest to you how you fare in this area.
May 5, 2008
When God Seems Far Away
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Monday, May 05 2008
"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" - Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if
He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our
lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might
discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness"
(Job 30:26).
When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become
heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls
never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through
understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or
appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us
countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there
because He does not rescue us from the circumstances. He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more
like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will
learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.
May 4, 2008
Impossible Tasks
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Sunday, May 04 2008
"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" - Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if
He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our
lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might
discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness"
(Job 30:26).
When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become
heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls
never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through
understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or
appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us
countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there
because He does not rescue us from the circumstances. He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more
like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will
learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times
May 3, 2008
Our Labor in the Lord
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Saturday, May 03 2008
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:58
There is a paradigm shift going on among a remnant of workplace believers today. That paradigm shift is a focus on using
our business and work life as a platform for ministry versus a platform solely for material success. There is a remnant of
workplace believers throughout the world today who understand their birthright in the workplace is to reflect Christ fully in
and through their work. It is reflected by a commitment to use their resources and skills to provide a product of excellence
with the overall motive to affect people for Jesus Christ. The difference is that these individuals have an overriding ministry
objective to their work.
When the apostle Paul tells us to fully work unto the Lord, he does not mean we must be working as missionaries in
"full-time Christian effort." He understands that all of life is holy and sacred to God. If our motive is to serve God where we
are, then our labor "in the Lord is not in vain."
As you begin your work today, ask God if you are working with the primary motive of reflecting His life and character through
your work on this day. Let nothing move you from this motive being central to your activity. The Lord will reflect His power
and leading in and through your life when this becomes your primary motive.
May 2, 2008
Ability Versus Availability
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, May 02 2008
"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear
Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love." - Psalm 147:10-11
Do you ever feel so skilled in what you do that you require little help from others? Perhaps you may feel that you are more
skilled than any other in your field. Does God need your skills and abilities in order to accomplish His purposes on this
earth? The answer is NO.
One thing God does not need is our skills and abilities. However, He does give us the privilege to exercise our gifts and
abilities for His service. That service may be as a computer technician, a secretary, an ironworker, or even a lawyer. God
calls each of us to our vocations to work unto Him. To believe that He needs our skills to accomplish His mission on earth
would be to lower our understanding of an all-encompassing and all-powerful God. The psalmist tells us that His pleasure is
not in our strength and ability, but His pleasure is in the attitude of the heart. It is what we find in the heart that helps
determine whether ability is translated into availability. You see God is looking to and fro throughout the earth for a man or
woman who is fully committed to Him. A man or woman who is committed to fearing the Lord and placing his hope in His
unfailing love is the person God seeks to support. "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen
those whose hearts are fully committed to Him" (2 Chron. 16:9a). When our agenda becomes His agenda, we can expect God
to fully support all that we do.
If we want to see our skills and abilities multiplied a hundredfold, then we must make them completely available to His
service. Where are the opportunities in which God is calling you to be available to Him? Next time someone asks you to be
involved in some activity, before you say yea or nay, make sure you check in with the Master of our decisions to ensure that
your gifts and talents are being used, as He desires.
May 1, 2008
Being Given Over to Death
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, May 01 2008
"For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake.... So then, death is at work in us, but life is at
work in you." - 2 Corinthians 4:11-12
It is the great mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Death gives life. Jesus' death on the cross gave life. The death of a
vision brings new vision. The death of a seed gives new life. It is the central focus of God's requirement for experiencing
Him--death. When Jesus extended us an invitation to experience salvation and a relationship with Him, it came with a great
cost, our very lives. Yet what we don't realize is that until we relinquish our total lives, we really aren't living at all. Without
this death we will continue to strive, manipulate, and fret over every detail of life. It is when we finally say, "Yes, Lord, I am
Yours completely," that we experience real freedom for the first time. This is the only time when Christ is fully seen in and
through our lives. Christ describes our lives as vessels - vessels for Him to be revealed in and seen by others.
How is your vessel today? When people look inside, will they see a life that is dead to all things, save the life of Christ
revealed? In the workplace, we are faced with challenges each day that seek to instill fear and control at every turn, but
Christ says He wants to live through your life in the workplace. He wants to reveal Himself to your fellow workers today.
However, He can only do this if our vessel is free of ourselves. Ask Jesus what things must die today in order for Him to live
completely in and through you.
Sowing in Tears
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, May 16 2008
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5
The most difficult place to keep moving in faith is the place of extreme pain. Extreme pain, especially emotional pain, can
become immobilizing to the human spirit if it is allowed to overcome us. The psalmist tells us there is only one remedy for
overcoming painful circumstances that will result in joy. We are to sow in the midst of these times. You cannot do this if you
live by feelings alone. It is an act of the will. This act requires that we go outside ourselves in pure faith.
I learned this principle during one of the deepest periods of my life. I had lost much that was dear to me. A mature man in
the faith admonished me to reach out to others in spite of my own pain. "Invest in someone else," he said. I did not realize
what a place of healing and comfort that would become.
"He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:6). Pain
can become a source of joy if we take the first step by planting seed. There is a harvest that will come if we sow in the midst
of tears.
May 15, 2008
Overcoming Our Past
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, May 15 2008
"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah." - Judges 11:29a
We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of
alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease - these are all difficult
circumstances to overcome.
Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming
great in God's sight. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife, who
had bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any
inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was
cast away from his own family.
This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang.
As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites
made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off
those feelings of rejection from previous years.
"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to
the call God had on his life.
It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to
survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it
could not survive as a butterfly.
The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly
unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him
with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.
May 14, 2008
A Two-Way Relationship
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Wednesday, May 14 2008
"He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught." - Isaiah 50:4b
The prophet Isaiah describes his relationship to God as a relationship that has two-way communication. Have you ever felt
that your communication with God was only one way - you to Him only? Isaiah tells us, "The Sovereign Lord has given me an
instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.... The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not
been rebellious; I have not drawn back" (Is. 50:4-5).
The key to Isaiah's relationship with God lies in four important principles:
1. He had an instructed tongue. Isaiah had given over rule of his life completely to God's purposes.
2. He knew the word of the Lord, which allowed him to sustain and encourage others.
3. He took time to listen.
4. He did not flee from the tough assignments. He didn't shrink back.
If we are to be able to listen to God, we must follow the same principles. Knowing and spending time studying God's Word
allows the Holy Spirit to bring to mind His instructions for what He wants for us. Recently, I became very busy in my work and
other activities. It wasn't long before I felt distance between God and me. I had to make a conscious decision to carve out
more time alone to listen, study, and meditate on His Word. This is the lifeline for the follower of Jesus. When we begin to
lose the relationship, we are susceptible to becoming rebellious, going our own way. Invest your life in this relationship so
that you may continue to hear His voice and sustain the weary ones around you.
May 13, 2008
The Plans of Tomorrow
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Tuesday, May 13 2008
"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." - James 4:14b
A group of workplace believers meet at my office every week for fellowship, study, and prayer. One man attended our group
for several years. Jim was well liked and in good health. One Thursday he showed up as usual. The next morning I received
a call, "Jim is dead! He died in his easy chair last night!" Jim had no prior problems and there was no indication he was about
to go be with the Lord. Naturally, it came as a shock to us all.
Whenever things like this happen close to home, it brings us face to face with our mortality. A friend of mine said he was
challenged by someone to do an experiment. He challenged him to live his life for one year as if it were the last year he
would live. He responded to the challenge and did as proposed. It changed his life forever. He began to focus on different
priorities and people when he viewed life in these terms.
James gives us a perspective on viewing tomorrow.
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make
money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little
while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that" (James 4:13-15).
Life is fragile. Consider where you are investing your time and energies. Someone once said they had never heard anyone
on his deathbed say that he wished he had made more money in his lifetime or he wished he had made a certain deal.
Usually it is something like, "I wish I had spent more time with my kids." Ask the Lord to give you His priorities for your life.
May 12, 2008
A Fleeting Shadow
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Monday, May 12 2008
"Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." - Psalm 144:4
Every time I fly over a large body of water, I imagine opening the window of the jet and pouring out my coffee into the
immense body of water below. I imagine the time that I spend on this earth compared to eternity is no more than that cup of
coffee. The incredible size of the ocean compared to one small cup of coffee is what our life is like compared to eternity.
Why then do we invest so much in temporal pursuits when we know that our investment here can have so much impact on
our eternity? It is the great paradox of human behavior, especially for Christians.
Does your business life have an overall ministry objective to it? This does not mean we must be constantly involved in
"Christian activity." It only means that we should be about what God has called us to do with the motive of being obedient to
this mission. Do not let the worries and cares of this life keep you from having an eternal impact on the lives of those you
meet each day. Satan has a way of keeping our focus on the problems of today rather than the spiritual opportunities before
us. He is master of the urgent, not the important.
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
May 7, 2008
Changing Besetting Habits-The $10 Challenge
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Wednesday, May 07 2008
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." - John 8:34
"I hate being late," my friend lamented. "It has been a problem for me all my life."
"Do you really want to change that?" I asked.
"Yes, I do."
"All right. Every time you are late to work or anywhere else where you have committed to be at a particular time you must
give me $25."
"No way!" my friend responded. "I would go broke! But I will do $10."
"All right, $10 it is. It has to be a large enough amount of money for it to hurt your pocketbook."
"Believe me, that will hurt," my friend said. About a month later my friend found great motivation to be on time to every place
she had to be. In the first week, I got only $10 from my friend. The next week, $20. The third week, nothing. By the fifth week,
my friend had changed a lifelong habit that had hindered her all her life. In order for my friend not to be resentful of me for
the money she had to give, we put it in a jar to be given to some other Christian cause. This ensured my motive was only for
her best interest.
Some might be reading this now and say it is legalism. For my friend it was freedom. For the first time she had some means
of changing a behavior that had caused her problems in relationships and her own work habits. Psychologists tell us that it
takes 21 days to form a habit. So, if you need to change some habit, you need to be actively engaged in that new behavior at
least 21 days. My friend needed help to change a habit she didn't like about herself. It took another individual to hold her
accountable, and it took a potential loss of something to provide the added incentive.
A successful businessman was experiencing a difficult marriage. When counseling the couple over dinner one night, a
friend of mine noticed that the man often criticized his wife. After further counsel it was determined the man simply could
not love his wife. My friend asked him if he truly wanted to see change in his marriage. When the man said he did, my friend
said, "Every time you criticize your wife you must agree to give me $100." This man was well-off and needed substantial
incentive to change his behavior. After the man rebelled and retorted, he agreed in front of his wife. A few weeks later a
report came back that things were changing. This man did not want to write any checks to my friend. Although it was a
competitive game to the man, it was also yielding some positive changes in his marriage. He began to acquire the habit of
avoiding criticism of his wife, which was killing her spirit.
What are the habits that keep you from becoming all that God may want you to become? Do you desire change enough to be
accountable in a way that it costs you something when you fail? Ask a friend to hold you accountable in an area that needs
change. You will find new freedom as you conquer old besetting habits.
May 6, 2008
The Value of Words
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Tuesday, May 06 2008
"And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your
'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." - Matthew 5:36-37
Imagine for a moment that you are living in Jesus' time. It is before Jesus has begun His public ministry. He is a carpenter in
your local town of Nazareth. You have asked Jesus to make a table for you. You're on a deadline and you must have it in a
week. You agree on the price of $100 for the table and the date of one week for completion. A week later you arrive to pick
up the table. You lay your money down on the table and Jesus says, "Mr. Johnson, I am sorry but the table is not ready. I ran
into complications. Also, I can no longer honor the price I gave you. It is now $150 instead of $100."
Two years later you hear about this same Jesus who is preaching to the local townspeople. How are you going to view this
Jesus? You probably won't give much credence to His message because of your personal experience. Our lives have an
ability to reinforce the message we stand for, or they can violate it and make it totally ineffective. This literally happens all
over the world in different settings with Christian workplace believers. Our message becomes ineffective because we have
not done what we said.
I know people who, when they tell me they plan to do something, I can expect them to follow through about 50 percent of the
time. I am sure you have had the same experience. Words and commitments are made with little meaning behind those
words. However, I know others who will follow through almost every time. The only time they don't is when something falls
outside their control. I quickly learn whose words have substance behind them.
There are times when we are unable to perform or deliver what we promised due to outside influences. The key to turning
these potentially negative circumstances into a witness for Christ is communication. If we are unable to pay a bill on time,
we must communicate with those we owe and make a good faith effort to resolve it within our means. In these cases, God's
purposes are being performed as well if we seek to do the right thing.
Do your words mean anything to those who hear them? Do you make commitments and fail to follow through on them? What
would others say about how you follow through? Ask the Lord today to show you how you are doing in this area. You might
even want to ask three people who are the closest to you how you fare in this area.
May 5, 2008
When God Seems Far Away
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Monday, May 05 2008
"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" - Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if
He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our
lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might
discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness"
(Job 30:26).
When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become
heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls
never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through
understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or
appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us
countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there
because He does not rescue us from the circumstances. He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more
like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will
learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.
May 4, 2008
Impossible Tasks
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Sunday, May 04 2008
"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" - Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if
He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our
lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might
discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness"
(Job 30:26).
When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become
heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls
never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through
understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or
appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us
countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there
because He does not rescue us from the circumstances. He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more
like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will
learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times
May 3, 2008
Our Labor in the Lord
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Saturday, May 03 2008
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:58
There is a paradigm shift going on among a remnant of workplace believers today. That paradigm shift is a focus on using
our business and work life as a platform for ministry versus a platform solely for material success. There is a remnant of
workplace believers throughout the world today who understand their birthright in the workplace is to reflect Christ fully in
and through their work. It is reflected by a commitment to use their resources and skills to provide a product of excellence
with the overall motive to affect people for Jesus Christ. The difference is that these individuals have an overriding ministry
objective to their work.
When the apostle Paul tells us to fully work unto the Lord, he does not mean we must be working as missionaries in
"full-time Christian effort." He understands that all of life is holy and sacred to God. If our motive is to serve God where we
are, then our labor "in the Lord is not in vain."
As you begin your work today, ask God if you are working with the primary motive of reflecting His life and character through
your work on this day. Let nothing move you from this motive being central to your activity. The Lord will reflect His power
and leading in and through your life when this becomes your primary motive.
May 2, 2008
Ability Versus Availability
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, May 02 2008
"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear
Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love." - Psalm 147:10-11
Do you ever feel so skilled in what you do that you require little help from others? Perhaps you may feel that you are more
skilled than any other in your field. Does God need your skills and abilities in order to accomplish His purposes on this
earth? The answer is NO.
One thing God does not need is our skills and abilities. However, He does give us the privilege to exercise our gifts and
abilities for His service. That service may be as a computer technician, a secretary, an ironworker, or even a lawyer. God
calls each of us to our vocations to work unto Him. To believe that He needs our skills to accomplish His mission on earth
would be to lower our understanding of an all-encompassing and all-powerful God. The psalmist tells us that His pleasure is
not in our strength and ability, but His pleasure is in the attitude of the heart. It is what we find in the heart that helps
determine whether ability is translated into availability. You see God is looking to and fro throughout the earth for a man or
woman who is fully committed to Him. A man or woman who is committed to fearing the Lord and placing his hope in His
unfailing love is the person God seeks to support. "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen
those whose hearts are fully committed to Him" (2 Chron. 16:9a). When our agenda becomes His agenda, we can expect God
to fully support all that we do.
If we want to see our skills and abilities multiplied a hundredfold, then we must make them completely available to His
service. Where are the opportunities in which God is calling you to be available to Him? Next time someone asks you to be
involved in some activity, before you say yea or nay, make sure you check in with the Master of our decisions to ensure that
your gifts and talents are being used, as He desires.
May 1, 2008
Being Given Over to Death
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, May 01 2008
"For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake.... So then, death is at work in us, but life is at
work in you." - 2 Corinthians 4:11-12
It is the great mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Death gives life. Jesus' death on the cross gave life. The death of a
vision brings new vision. The death of a seed gives new life. It is the central focus of God's requirement for experiencing
Him--death. When Jesus extended us an invitation to experience salvation and a relationship with Him, it came with a great
cost, our very lives. Yet what we don't realize is that until we relinquish our total lives, we really aren't living at all. Without
this death we will continue to strive, manipulate, and fret over every detail of life. It is when we finally say, "Yes, Lord, I am
Yours completely," that we experience real freedom for the first time. This is the only time when Christ is fully seen in and
through our lives. Christ describes our lives as vessels - vessels for Him to be revealed in and seen by others.
How is your vessel today? When people look inside, will they see a life that is dead to all things, save the life of Christ
revealed? In the workplace, we are faced with challenges each day that seek to instill fear and control at every turn, but
Christ says He wants to live through your life in the workplace. He wants to reveal Himself to your fellow workers today.
However, He can only do this if our vessel is free of ourselves. Ask Jesus what things must die today in order for Him to live
completely in and through you.