Working for The Lord

Dr. Mike Business & Faith, Kingdom Paradigms , , ,


Colossians 3:22-24 (ESV)
 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.  Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

When God is the center of your life, everything changes. From how you view strangers to the management of your family, from how you select your values, to choosing your priorities, and from how you invest your time in what you study to the career you select, somewhere you will come to realize how much HE loves you and wants to share HIS life with you and others. You become HIS ambassador of HIS Kingdom, living out HIS way of life with others for HIS glory.

For most of us we will spend one-third of our daily life in our vocation. Whether it is a temporary job, a professional career, or a life-long calling, most of our waking hours will be associating with others in the marketplace. How we view the time and prioritize our values will directly impact how God’s Kingdom materializes around us.

When you realize God wired you with specific talents and now is morphing you into the character of Jesus Christ, for your sake and for the sake of others, your perspective of life and work changes. When you truly come to know God cares about the quality and impact your work has in the lives of others, your motivation increases a few notches.

All believers hold dual citizenship. We serve our God and HIS Kingdom as well as the country we live in. Our allegiance is first to HIM who owns everything and has given steward responsibilities for us to fulfill. Though our paycheck may come from an organization or person, the overall initiator of wealth is God. He is concern that you are fed, clothed, and have shelter. He is concern for your physical and mental health. He designed you to flourish. The world of economics is for you and I to enjoy his creation.

To believe God only cares for spiritual truth and not physical matters denies who God IS. HE created everything for us to share with HIM. This is HIS physical world. HE knows we need to eat and therefore wired certain people to excel at farming. HE knows we need shelter and therefore designed certain people with the naturally talents to build houses and buildings for the enjoyment of others. HE knows we need clothing for protection, so HE designed people who excel at making clothes for the sake of others. Every vocation which builds up others to flourish within HIS boundaries is to be held in honor and respected.

So, whatever your job, career, or calling remember you are serving our Lord who gladly wants to share everything HE has with you for your sake and for the sake of others. We are all stewards of HIS. Some may currently deliberately rebel against HIM. Others may ignorantly refute HIS leadership in their life, but others will acknowledge HIS authority in their lives and know who they are truly serving. Be wise and serve your Lord.    

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Copyright 2013-2019 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

What Does God Hate?

Dr. Mike Life Tools, Think About That... , ,


Proverbs 6:16-19 
There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him:
 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
 a heart that devises wicked plans,
    feet that make haste to run to evil,
 a false witness who breathes out lies,
    and one who sows discord among brothers.

Yes, God is love and expresses love. Yet He also disdains acts of unloving passion. Most of the time when the Bible speaks about God hating someone it usually means He removes His favor on someone. When someone acts opposite of love, He likewise looks at the act as uncharacteristic of His love. God’s way produces fruit for relationships to flourish. When we act outside of His character, we experience the effect of sin which is an action opposite of God’s nature.

So, when God hates certain actions, He knows the outcome produces harmful results which make it difficult for people to prosper within a community. When you look at these seven abominations through the eyes of God, their negative impact within a community is more easily recognized.

Haughty eyes are elsewhere written as the pride of life. It is viewing life from a superior attitude placing oneself in a godlike position. Pride comes before a fall. Pride led the angel Lucifer to become Satan. Pride blinds the self from seeing others from God’s point of view.

A lying tongue is the enemy of Trust. Trust builds strong relationships between people and nations. When trust is broken, justice is forsaken. When trust is broken, marriages crumble. When trust is broken, people fail to unite for a common cause which builds businesses, nations, and institutions for the common good.

Hands that shed innocent blood is destroying another person’s future and impact they have within their community. Life is sacred. When someone decides to murder another human being randomly to satisfy an inner evil desire, God hates. To destroy an innocent life is slapping God across the face in an arrogant manner. You are stealing from GOD when you take the life of another.

A heart that devises wicked plans is bent on destroying the life of others. Instead of building up others or helping others to flourish, this person focuses on lying, stealing, and destroying others for their personal reward. The impact of their actions on the community is irrelevant from their perspective.

Feet that make haste to run to evil are people who just love acts of destruction. Whether it’s a bar room brawl, a gang rape, or a drunken party, you will find them there. Instead of being the solution to a problem, they like to extend the problem.

A false witness who breathes out lies causes great harm in the judicial system. When lies allow innocent people to suffer, the nation begins to suffer. Again, trust is the backbone of all relationships. When trust is broken within the judicial system, the entire nation suffers.

One who sows discord among brothers creates an atmosphere of distrust and inward protection. When people work together knowing they have each other’s back, the team accomplishes more than when there is division and rivalry within the group. Gossip and bullying prevent the community from living up to its potential. Insecure leadership will not allow others to be more successful than themselves. But when leadership builds up and serves others to become more than themselves, the entire community prospers.

In summary, these seven things God hates and removes his favor from people who act in this manner. So, when one behaves in the opposite manner, you may expect God’s favor to be highly upon you.

When you walk humbly, speak the truth, save lives, make plans for others to also flourish, jump quickly toward activities that do good for others, speak loudly for justice, and build up your brothers and sisters with words and actions, you will experience seven things God loves to see. His favor will be with you.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Copyright 2013-2019 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Spiritual Riches

Dr. Mike Life in Christ , ,


Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…

Because we are included in Jesus Christ, we share with HIM a lot of blessings that we didn’t earn on merit nor receive by our obedience. God, by his amazing grace, before the foundation of the world, predestined mankind for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ.

When you read the first fourteen verses of the first chapter in the letter to the Ephesians by the apostle Paul, you obtain an overview of the gospel message. From redemption to forgiveness, from revelation of His will to His purpose of uniting everything in Christ, from learning His truth to being sealed by the Holy Spirit, you and I have personally been guaranteed an inheritance from God.  

No, you and I most likely will not gain material prosperity like the billionaires among us, nor most likely we will not gain celebrity fame, nor political power, nor the Nobel prize for academics. But we will gain today an inner peace and joy and love without the hassle of pursuing physical mountain tops.

Instead, we learn to walk and talk and dance with the God of ALL. He knows us, He disciplines us for our good, and He blesses us with His character and attributes. We learn to become more like Jesus who shares His chair at the table with us.

As God our Father gave Jesus all authority under heaven and over earth, Jesus himself gives us the opportunity to share in His work today. As He lives in us, and leads us, we listen, observe, and follow Him as He works in the lives of others around us. He gives us responsibility according to our gifts. We simply acknowledge those gifts and exercise them for His glory and kingdom.

Whether in the home, or at work, or in the community running errands, every person we meet, every task we serve, and every act we conduct, shows a small side of God to others. We know God lives in us, and we know the spiritual blessings we have received in the process, are not for our sole benefit but for the service of others. God’s riches are aimed to help everyone flourish.

So, if you are looking for something to be grateful today, thank your God for everything Jesus has done, is doing, and will yet do. Your rich blessings are solely because of Him.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2019 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved