This morning, as I glanced through the topics in my inbox, I saw a daily devotional from the Purpose Driven Life entitled Bring Pleasure to God. Rick Warren began his message by quoting "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23 NIV). My interest was immediately piqued because, for the past month, I have been studying Colossians with a friend and have attended lectures, covering this book of the Bible, presented by Rev. Dr. James Wilson and Dr. Creasy. I was heartened to see how Rick Warren underscored some of the points that had been presented by Dr. Creasy and Rev. Dr. James Wilson.
Each of these Bible scholars used the analogy of how walking with God is similar to being in love and how your love for that person is reflected by how that person transforms your life. However, as wonderful as being in love can be, our walk with God needs to be so much closer. In fact, our relationship with God needs to transcend any other relationship that we have here on earth. As our walk with God deepens in intensity, we yearn to serve Him with all of our being.
Everything we do during our daily life, including work, should be done for the glory of God. Every type of "work" that we do throughout the day is done to glorify Him. Work, then, takes on a new meaning. Menial tasks are no longer seen in a demeaning way. If we model to the children and teens in our life the manner in which all work should be performed, they, in turn, will begin to see their function as workers in a totally new light.
The following links will lead you to lessons designed to help children and teens understand the Biblical meaning of work and its relationship to their walk with Jesus.
Preschool Sunday School Lessons - Growing for Jesus - Lesson 1
Don't Be Lazy - Grade School
The Teaching of Proverbs on Work - Teens and Adults
Showing posts with label Christians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christians. Show all posts
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Introduction
The idea of writing a Christian blog first occurred to me about a year ago when a fellow Christian gave me one of the most precious birthday gifts that I had ever received. I was given a copy of the book, David. This all-in-one book and journal, written by Christian author Beth Moore, chronicles the struggles and triumphs of King David. By using Beth Moore’s book and studying 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, I clearly learned how God often used discipline and pruning in an effort to help David literally see the Light. By studying the life of David, I was forced to revisit some of my own difficult struggles.
I found the journaling to be very cathartic, as I reviewed what spiritual progress I had made since December 2006. Each day as I wrote down my entry into the journal, I became increasingly aware of some areas in my life that needed more attention. Each day, I could feel myself growing, again, as a Christian.
A family member experienced a stroke occurring just days after my own serious accident. The surgeon informed me that my right hand would not ever look normal if I declined a complex surgical procedure. Furthermore, he believed that I would lose a great deal of movement and function in the affected hand if I elected not to have professionals to perform the healing.
Because of some serious medical conditions, I was advised by a cardiologist not to have the surgery. I was told that there was a chance that I could suffer ill effects or even death. Since I was not dealing with a life threatening injury, I was allowed the time to pray for a few days about the situation. Ultimately, I trusted God that he would see me through and I would accept the outcome. I fully realized that I could be left with a deformed, partially functioning hand. However, I was willing to accept the outcome.
Miraculously, with the help of a caring, brilliant orthopedic surgeon and an equally gifted, compassionate rehabilitation hand therapist, the affected hand, today, is extremely functional without any marked deformity. The hand therapist told me at one point that I must have had angels watching over me, as she had never seen such a miraculous healing occur, given the severity of the injury.
I knew, at the time, that my family and friends were praying for me. Indeed, I was blessed to have some special friends, and a caring pastor, who helped me through that period. I also know that God placed each of the special health professionals in my path. God was and is the master healer, and he used the prayers and selected professionals to perform the healing. As we know, after everything is said and done, God is always in control.
Up until 2006, my walk with Jesus was good, but not great. I had been a Christian years before 2006. However the series of events that occurred from early December 2006 through January 2007 literally transformed my spiritual relationship with God. Christ’s presence in my life became all encompassing.
In March 2007, I knew that I could no longer sit on the sidelines. The time had come for me to truly reach out and use whatever spiritual gifts God had given to me for the benefit of God’s kingdom. I was overwhelmed with the healing that God had performed in my life and the healing that was taking place with a member of my family.
I knew that I had to recommit myself to Christ. My next step was to take a spiritual inventory to learn what gifts I could give. In the Spring of 2007 after taking these steps, I began to reach out and be used in different ways. Mainly, God has used me behind the scenes in teaching settings. At times I have been used as a catalyst. I have also been given opportunities to share my faith, but God has chosen the time and the people.
My hope is that the information provided here will be helpful to parents and teachers who are searching for ways to inject their Christian faith into the reading, social studies, science, literature, art music and other curriculum for children.
I found the journaling to be very cathartic, as I reviewed what spiritual progress I had made since December 2006. Each day as I wrote down my entry into the journal, I became increasingly aware of some areas in my life that needed more attention. Each day, I could feel myself growing, again, as a Christian.
A family member experienced a stroke occurring just days after my own serious accident. The surgeon informed me that my right hand would not ever look normal if I declined a complex surgical procedure. Furthermore, he believed that I would lose a great deal of movement and function in the affected hand if I elected not to have professionals to perform the healing.
Because of some serious medical conditions, I was advised by a cardiologist not to have the surgery. I was told that there was a chance that I could suffer ill effects or even death. Since I was not dealing with a life threatening injury, I was allowed the time to pray for a few days about the situation. Ultimately, I trusted God that he would see me through and I would accept the outcome. I fully realized that I could be left with a deformed, partially functioning hand. However, I was willing to accept the outcome.
Miraculously, with the help of a caring, brilliant orthopedic surgeon and an equally gifted, compassionate rehabilitation hand therapist, the affected hand, today, is extremely functional without any marked deformity. The hand therapist told me at one point that I must have had angels watching over me, as she had never seen such a miraculous healing occur, given the severity of the injury.
I knew, at the time, that my family and friends were praying for me. Indeed, I was blessed to have some special friends, and a caring pastor, who helped me through that period. I also know that God placed each of the special health professionals in my path. God was and is the master healer, and he used the prayers and selected professionals to perform the healing. As we know, after everything is said and done, God is always in control.
Up until 2006, my walk with Jesus was good, but not great. I had been a Christian years before 2006. However the series of events that occurred from early December 2006 through January 2007 literally transformed my spiritual relationship with God. Christ’s presence in my life became all encompassing.
In March 2007, I knew that I could no longer sit on the sidelines. The time had come for me to truly reach out and use whatever spiritual gifts God had given to me for the benefit of God’s kingdom. I was overwhelmed with the healing that God had performed in my life and the healing that was taking place with a member of my family.
I knew that I had to recommit myself to Christ. My next step was to take a spiritual inventory to learn what gifts I could give. In the Spring of 2007 after taking these steps, I began to reach out and be used in different ways. Mainly, God has used me behind the scenes in teaching settings. At times I have been used as a catalyst. I have also been given opportunities to share my faith, but God has chosen the time and the people.
My hope is that the information provided here will be helpful to parents and teachers who are searching for ways to inject their Christian faith into the reading, social studies, science, literature, art music and other curriculum for children.
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