The Apple or the Orange: The Professionals Bible

 

We are not Robots. We all have the ultimate freedom - the freedom of choice.

“Thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee” (Moses 3:17).

As did Adam, we are also free to choose between good and bad and live our life the way we choose to. These choices reflect both in our professional and personal lives. I can choose to make good decisions or bad decisions for both. 

God has given us this gift of free will, the freedom to choose. Why? Because He would have us as His children, not as His slaves or robots. God created humanity in the image of Himself and called them to partner with Him in expanding his creation. But partnership requires trust, so God trusted us and gave humanity the freedom to choose. 

So, we can either choose to work and live with God, following His wisdom or we can choose to live our life, according to our minds and heart. Sadly, humans often make the choice to trust their own wisdom over God’s, and our own understanding while making choices.  Like Uriah Heep said (in Choices) " we all make our choices, Like a blind man feels his way.....". Come to think of it, that is exactly what we do, because we do not have a vision of the future nor can we change the past. 

But those who do consult God in their business or personal life, do eventually end up with the right choice. So how do we do that? 

Ask yourself these two questions as you consider decision-making - 

• When did you last seek God’s wisdom regarding any choice you were faced with AND gave God time to revert to you? 

• How often could you or perhaps should you, seek God’s wisdom? 

If we do that, we are not only growing in wisdom through biblical values or advice, we are also creating wisdom-building moments in our business and into our life. This is the key to our growth as a leader at home or at work. 

Now how do we do that? The question is - Do I really trust God with this problem or this choice? Or are we doubtful we may not like His answer. 

Today, the choice we have is not between a good decision or a bad one. The Choice always is this:  a Bad decision or God's wisdom. 

The moot question is do we really believe Him and trust Him in ALL aspects of our life? A lot of us will be surprised by an honest answer. 

And if we do believe and trust Him, then let's believe in this verse as well and make that choice.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" 

The Leap of Faith: The Professionals Bible

 

Sometimes, challenges can lead us to complete inactivity and paralyses. We do not know what to do or where to go. This is not new. Read 1 Samuel Chapter 14 to see what I mean.

Saul was paralyzed and sort of gave up fighting the Philistines because they outnumbered him and had superior war technology.  

But while he sat under a tree in dejection, surrounded by his six hundred men, Jonathan decided to take some action. He reasoned with himself and his armor carrier, in complete logic built on his faith in God's promises, on why and how he could possibly defeat the Philistines alone, only assisted by his armor carrier. It is worthy to note that the carrier did not flinch from his duty, and supported Jonathan verbally and in action.

From all human aspects, Jonathan took a leap of faith, supported only by his belief.

How many times are we faced with similar hopeless situations and succumb to inaction like Saul?

Jonathan lays out the perfect example of battling our own fears, by going ahead with complete trust in God. In time of trouble, we all have our confidantes and armor men, and if they are believers, their support is all the more powerful. But above all, it's God we should trust and take that leap of faith, not blindly but following Godly wisdom as Jonathan did.

This story has a very engaging analyses and can be found here https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-samuel-14/ and I would really urge everyone to read this.

The Professionals Bible: The Leap of Faith

Sometimes, challenges can lead us to complete inactivity and paralyses. We do not know what to do or where to go. This is not new. Read 1 Samuel Chapter 14 to see what I mean.

Saul was paralyzed and sort of gave up fighting the Philistines because they outnumbered him and had superior war technology.  

But while he sat under a tree in dejection, surrounded by his six hundred men, Jonathan decided to take some action. He reasoned with himself and his armor carrier, in complete logic built on his faith in God's promises, on why and how he could possibly defeat the Philistines alone, only assisted by his armor carrier. It is worthy to note that the carrier did not flinch from his duty, and supported Jonathan verbally and in action.

From all human aspects, Jonathan took a leap of faith, supported only by his belief.

How many times are we faced with similar hopeless situations and succumb to inaction like Saul?

Jonathan lays out the perfect example of battling our own fears, by going ahead with complete trust in God. In time of trouble, we all have our confidantes and armor men, and if they are believers, their support is all the more powerful. But above all, it's God we should trust and take that leap of faith, not blindly but following Godly wisdom as Jonathan did.

This story has a very engaging analyses and can be found here https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-samuel-14/ and I would really urge everyone to read this.

The Professionals Bible: Can I be trusted?

 Today's Reading - 

Genesis 1 and 3 and Luke 16 1-13

We trust God, maybe in totality, but a question we need to ask ourselves is this: can God trust me?

This is a personal question and needs to be probably asked by each of us of ourselves.

Unfulfilled vows, so small we may have forgotten. Unkept promises to God and to fellow man, misuse of resources provided by employers, friends, or God Himself, are all indicators of untrustworthiness. 

Man has a white washed memory, that is, we tend to forget things which are not convenient, even though we had committed to them. So it is not easy to remember. When we ask of ourselves, in complete honesty, we need to make the effort and remember where all we committed such acts of omission.

In the professional world, the hallmark of quality is simply doing what we have promised to do. But do we ? Do we do personal stuff on the employers time? Do we use official resources for personal work? Do we use God given talents for His use or do we just ignore them. Do we while away official time?

Like the steward or the manager, we have been entrusted with some resources, by our employers, by God, by friends etc. What are we doing with those resources?

Biblical management: Can commandments be personal?

Deuteronomy 11:13-16 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

I think the most heard of principles and religious laws would be the 10 commandments. In fact there are 613 commandments in the OT. Somewhat impossible to follow isn't it? And the Jesus summed them up into 2 and made life so much simpler.

The quoted verses somehow indicate blessings for those who follow His commandments as mentioned. Going further, one wonders if there are commandments or expectations God has from us personally? And the answer is yes. 

The simple truth is that if we are to follow what God wants (11:13) we need to overcome things in our own life to be able to succeed. We need to overcome human weaknesses, follies and habits, all of which stop us from following and obeying and more than anything, which are impediments for us to live the life we are supposed to. These become stumbling blocks for us. Roadblocks as well.

These personal changes themselves are as important as the commandments as listed, because they cause our disobedience.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28  says

Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:

And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

Biblical Management: Creativity.

Did you know "Management" is another word for "Stewardship"? As part of this concept, today we would like to highlight the importance of "creativity" as part of management as well as stewardship. 

Creativity is not something new. It was there from the beginning of the world. Adam was made from no preconceived design. He was created. Creativity is inherent in humans, in varying degrees. Being that we are made in the "image" or spirit of God, the ultimate creator, Creativity is our humanness, our best bet against ourselves.

When used for good, creativity helps us at home and at work. Our gifts and abilities are unique to each of us, and they reflect a God just as extraordinary.

When we have created something, don't we feel the pleasure and satisfaction of that creation? God must feel the same way, though on a much higher scale.

Today God wants us to hone and use our talents - for our use and His. Can you think of all your resources and make something beautiful out of them? Can you think of how your talent can be used by God? 

God created us for a plan. Think of ways of how we can excel in that plan. He may have given us a job, or a business or a ministry and it is our duty to excel in it. We could use it to solve one of the many problems that surround us; we could use it to reduce someone's poverty, get someone a job, make life easier for a senior we may know or simply to serve in the community or church. All this apart from our job which sustains us. Creativity knows no bounds. 

Going forward, let us not take our inherent creativity lightly or of no importance. It's God given and it is our duty to use it and grow it. 

Exodus 35:31-32 ESV says - 

And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze....

Biblical Management: An Introduction

We are happy to announce that starting tomorrow, we will be introducing work life concepts, principles and practices from the Bible, for individuals - whether students, professionals, home carers et all. 

A common notion that exists is that our professional and spiritual lives are separate. This is not true. many do not know that Biblical teachings can be practiced in our work lives as effectively, helping us to grow in both.

So do watch this space from tomorrow where we will draw on teachings from the world bestselling Book - The Bible, reflecting on our work life, whether at home or in the office. 

Stretch towards the Light

 

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path..."

Epipremnum aureum – a tropical vining plant, in the Araceae, found in Northern Australia through Southeast Asia into China, Japan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan , also known as money plants are very popular indoor plants in these countries. Like all plants, they need water and sunlight.

Recently, one made a strange discovery: a money plant in the room, next to the windows, turned and strained its stems and leaves towards the window! We turned its direction and in a few days it turned back towards the light.

At least to us, this was a strange phenomenon. What was obvious was that the plant would strain to get life, from the sun and get energy through the process of photosynthesis, which is the process by which plants get life and spread oxygen for our benefit. 

What gives us life? Food and water, yes, but like what the sunlight was to the plant, Gods word is for us. It converts negativity into positivity, fear to hope, love to hate. Light is used to symbolize God, faith, and holiness throughout Scripture. As Christians, we are called to not only walk in the light but to be the light for others. Use these Bible verses to gain a better understanding and interpretation of the positive notion light has in the Bible.

Like the plant, we need the word of God to live and grow. And not only that, like the plants spread oxygen which is our mainstay, we will spread the outcome of His word to the world around us, through the way we live, work and treat people around us.

In Matthew 5:16, the verse states the following: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

But we need to make the effort and stretch towards the word. Stretch Towards the light.

The Bottom of the Pyramid

For many economists and marketers the concept called Bottom of the Pyramid is like the ultimate market. Essentially it demonstrates that the least economically enabled people are the vast majority located at the bottom of the pyramid. As you go up the pyramid towards the apex, economic power starts increasing with the most powerful at the top of the pyramid.

It is interesting that the Son of God, sitting at His right hand, chose to be born into a family at the bottom of the pyramid of those days. How do we know this? When Mary had to make the offering for the atonement after the birth of Jesus, according to Leviticus 12:6–8, she could choose between a lamb, pigeons and turtle doves, which were the cheapest and affordable by the poor. Mary chose pigeons, as described in Luke 2:22–24 where Luke explicitly says that Joseph and Mary take the option provided for poor people (those who could not afford a lamb; Leviticus 12:8), sacrificing "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Leviticus 12:1–4.

Cornelius a Lapide comments on Mary and Joseph sacrificing a pair of turtledoves: "...because they were poor; for the rich were obliged to give in addition to this a lamb for a holocaust. Although the three kings had offered to Christ a great quantity of gold, still the Blessed Virgin, zealously affected towards poverty, accepted but little of it, that she might show her contempt of all earthly things. The couple offered two turtledoves or two pigeons (Luke 2:24) presumably because they could not afford a lamb.

The question which comes to mind is: why was the Son of God, placed into a poor family? Throughout His ministry Jesus referred often to the poor.

There are some very logical reasons for this self accepted poverty. 

A. Acceptance in and with the masses at the bottom of the pyramid
B. The poor totally depend on God.
C. He connected to them in a way that He otherwise could not have

And finally His mission statement in Luke 4:18. When Jesus stands before the synagogue and announces he will bring good news to the poor, he is effectively saying that he will give them the opportunity to make choices with their lives, to overcome economic depression, oppression and fear they lived in. He is also talking about the poor in spirit -  people who are beaten by life. 

Today Jesus asks us to help Him in His mission: reach out to a brother who needs help. Feed the hungry. Support the broken hearted. Bring cheer to the hopeless. Let the world see His light in a follower of Jesus.

His mission is ours as well. They will know we are Christians by our love. We don't have to preach Jesus' gospel. We have to live it first.

The Secret Disciple

* Picture credits: The Chosen

Read John Chapter 3 

John 3 is a very familiar chapter to most Christians which talks about a very senior Pharisee named Nicodemus. While John 3 has many teachings for us, one question that does come up is who was Nicodemus? Was he a follower, believer, enemy or what? Being a very senior Pharisee, one does wonder about his interest in Jesus.

Nicodemus did believe in Jesus but his beliefs were safely hidden away in the night. It was only after Jesus death that he came into a public demonstration of his faith and belief.

Sometimes one wonders, are we like Nicodemus? Do we practice our faith in safe privacy in the dead of the night? Do we get too carried away with our professional duties, professional friends and other worldly demands and Jesus takes a back seat while our other priorities take the driver's seat?

Sadly I think it does happen that Jesus becomes a guest in our life, relegated to the night, when no other priorities take importance.

We learn a big lesson from Nicodemus. Like us, he did not deny Jesus. Like us, he believed in Him. Yet he did not acknowledge Him in the light of day. But, one day he did, when he could not hide his faith and belief any longer. 

And that is how Jesus calls us. He does not force us to convert our thought process but He gently changes us. He knows an instant conversion may not be a lasting one, it's a slow, laborious thought and life change. The only true qualification Nicodemus had was that he was truly seeking God. And that is the qualification we too need. To earnestly seek Jesus. Everything else follows.  

By the time of Jesus's crucifixion, Nicodemus had grown bold enough to publicly reveal what he now believed. His older habits and adherence to the Passover laws took a backset when he tended to Jesus dead body, thereby becoming unclean and unable to participate in the Passover meal, according to the Mosaic law. (Numbers 19:11).

At one point in time Nicodemus realized that his professional position in the Sanhedrin and his position in society did not matter at all. What mattered was Jesus. 

When religion is out of fashion (which it normally is) there are many "Nicodemites" and "Josephs". But though they came by night, Jesus bids them welcome, and  encouraging good beginnings, although weak. Like Nicodemus, may we all go through that change and seek to  become true believers.