day 23: God's Seniority

Many businesses use seniority to determine rankings, privilege, pay, promotion, etc. Others use performance along with tenure. God pretty much throws the whole thing out the window and tells us that we are not to even worry about being important, and in fact the least of us here will the most important in heaven and vice versa. And you may wonder, how are we to reconcile that with the way that our work lives are structured where the only way to get more is to get ahead and that means getting ahead of others? You might be embroiled in this right now. You want that promotion and you are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Even if that means that you don’t play nice in the sandbox with your fellow co-workers. You may not be malicious about it, but sharing a little less information with the competing person or positioning yourself to catch the recognition when it is doled out; well that’s all part of the game, yes? Not according to Him. Jesus says in Matthew 19:30; “But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then”. What is Jesus saying to us? He’s telling us that when we are worried about progressing and becoming more important here (and taking all of the actions to get to that level of importance) that we are playing for the wrong prize and in fact, we are playing the wrong game all together. God doesn’t really care about whether or not we are a Manager or a Vice President (after having been a CEO, I think he really doesn’t care about that for sure…and that it’s one of the humorous things in life that we can strive to have the top position that is the hardest and most life-sucking position you can imagine) what He cares about is the type of person we are and how we are living and representing Him to others. Sure, God wants us to achieve and be blessed. The Bible is full of His promises to make our lives abundant but He doesn’t want us sacrificing our eternal standing to gain en earthly and temporal position. And really for sure, He doesn’t want us to let the lack of progress here get us down and stop the good works that can happen in us, regardless of our standing or position. So, if not today, sometime soon, you will be faced with “what do I have to do to get ahead here?” Think hard on the question and don’t let the answer be anything that will cause you to lose your humility and grace with which you work. If you do, then you are potentially losing out on God’s seniority ranking and the biggest promotions of your eternity.

Reference: Matthew 19:30 (New Living Testament)

day 22: Yeah, Work Is Hard Too

Yesterday I referenced Proverbs 12:24 and said that leadership demands hard work. Yes it does but let’s face it work is hard as a whole too and the sooner in our work lives that we accept this fact the better off we will be in finding how to realize joy and purpose from the work we do. Where did this work thing start and how did it get to where it can be a burden in our lives? Well, we can go back to the beginning when Adam and Eve got themselves thrown out of God’s Club Med and their idyllic garden spot. Beyond passing down sin to the rest of us, Adam bequeathed to us the curse of hard work. In Genesis Chapter 3 we get the blow by blow and the particular verses of verse 17 ("...I have placed a curse on the ground. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.”) and verse 19 (“All your life you will sweat to produce food, until your dying day”) are pretty grim. But, once you get over it and understand that work is always going to be hard and some days will be excruciating, and that it just comes with this human territory, then you can make sense of it and try to manage work life to more than just a struggle and sweat. Someone once said to me, “I don’t like gravity much either and I would prefer it wasn’t harder every day to get out of bed, but I have learned to live with it”. I like that attitude and I like the recognition that there are times in our life when our work will seem really difficult and the only thing we want to do is pack it in and run away. However, we can draw on the fact that it was all set up for us this way. Hard work was not something we created ourselves. It is not something that we are to shy away from or feel like we are being robbed of life because we have to do it or that we are somehow cursed or being punished or unfairly treated. It is part of our human experience and like gravity; it is something that if we can accept then from it we can make the most. My hope for you today is that you don’t head to the office with the feeling of resentment, or feeling burdened down, but instead that you take these feelings and convert them to a rational realization that the hard work you do today, and tomorrow, and the next day, is just all part of life and that there are blessings that can come your way from how you do your work and how others view your attitude and performance. Can today not be a great day that you feel uplifted with what you have in front of you? Sure it can!


Reference: Genesis 3:17-19 (New Living Testament)

day 21: Leading Is Hard Work

Are you a leader at work or wanting to become a leader? In the work world we are in today everyone has a chance to be a leader of something at some point or another. If not a defined leadership role within the company, there are always task forces, improvement projects, group exercises, committees, representation opportunities, etc., to lead. I have been in the middle of the argument about whether leaders or born or made so many times that when it comes up now, I just stand to the side. It’s not an argument worth leading. :)

However, there are some truths about leading that one should know before they decide to take on a leadership mantle and one of them is that leadership is hard work and it takes the willingness to work hard at it if you want to be any good and succeed. Proverbs 12:14 calls it like it is; “Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave”. Now, I don’t think that we need to take it literally that if we don’t work hard we will be enslaved, but what the verse is saying is that if we work hard we can become a leader and to be a leader we have to work hard. And, we have to work harder to become a leader than how hard we will work when we are not in a leadership position. Why I think this is an important lesson is that there are lots of people who feel like leadership is a right instead of an earned privilege and as such they are not willing to do the work that needs to be done and is expected from those who are being led. Have you ever served on a committee where the leader didn’t work hard enough at it, so much so that is was painfully obvious? What happens? More often than not someone else has to pick up the slack and fill the leadership void. When that happens no one feels good about it and ultimately everyone suffers. Today may be a day that you are offered the opportunity to lead. If you choose to do so, know that you will be asked to work hard at it and give it your all. That is what we are supposed to do. And if we do it, then we again set an example of how it is to go above and beyond for others and to go the “extra mile”. Leadership is a privilege that is so many times worth accepting and stepping up to the challenge. My hope for you today is that if you choose to accept the privilege that you go into it with both eyes and arms open and you give it all that you have! There are others who are counting on you to do so.


Reference: Proverbs 12:24 (New Living Testament)

day 20: It’s Not Just About Planning

I am a planner. I learned a long time ago from my Mother that planning ahead makes lots of things go easier. She once told me when I was a kid, “if you lay your clothes out the night before tomorrow will go a lot smoother”. I have never forgotten that lesson so I try and plan as far ahead for things as I can so if something goes awry in the meantime, I have some time to make a course direction or change of plans. However, I have learned that planning is only half the equation. We can plan until the cows come home but then the curve balls of life and uncertainties that come with the day to day can cause us to be blown off-course. It happens all the time and we are caught wondering what happened and what could we have done to have better had our plans succeed. Proverbs 16:3 helps us out here. That verse says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed”. Here is another of those proverbial promises that we are given. I find this an especially strengthening verse because it doesn’t say that we should just commit our plans to the Lord and He will have them succeed. No, it says, “Commit your work” to find the success in our plans. What we do for a living takes on an even greater purpose and importance when we realize that God has His hand in what we do at work. Some people I talk to think this is really stretching it. They say, “What does God really care about the job that I do, when I don’t much care for what I do myself?” You see, that is the point. We are to care and we are to take pride and we are to commit our work to God so that we can be the best representative of the type of work He would do if He was doing the job that we are. The impact we can have on others when they see us taking pride and putting in above and beyond efforts is a walking and living testimony of how He wants us to live our lives. We are given the promise that our planning will succeed if we go the extra step and commit our work to Him. That is if we step back and say, “Lord, what I have been given to do, I will do with all I have to bring glory to you and to reflect as much of you through me and my work as I can, and I commit my work to you” then the plans we have laid out in front of us will and can be achieved. This kind of promise should make all of us want to look at our work through a different and more positive lens. Think about today whether or not you have truly committed your work to God and if you haven’t then see if you can commit today, or things that you are going to do today, to Him and then step out of the way and allow Him to fulfill the promise that will be forthcoming.


Reference: Proverbs 16:3 (New Living Testament)

day 19: Working Our Way Up

Have you every felt like you are in a job or doing a task that is “below you”? Many times in my career I was faced with working with people who didn’t feel like they had to do jobs to ready and prepare themselves. They just thought that they should be able to move directly into a bigger role because they were confident that they had the skills and potential to be successful. But, in most cases, that is not the way it works. The way it works, is that you are asked to “work your way up” and are given experiences and jobs that will prepare you for the bigger ones in the future. This doesn’t sit well with a lot of people and I would venture to say that all of us at one time or another question why it is that we have to wait or clear hurdles to get to the next level. Many times it is for experience and wisdom. While it may appear on the surface that the job grade above us doesn’t look all that hard and for sure, if our boss can do it (said with sarcasm) we can do it too, the fact is that experience is important. Sometimes it is experience that comes from just doing it and knowing the difference between how to do it well or not, or sometimes it is real knowledge that contributes to an ability to be successful. There are many Biblical examples of people being prepared for what it was in life they were to achieve. One of the best examples is found in Psalms 78: 70-72. In this passage we succinctly are told that King David was chosen to be King but not before he had learned as a boy to be a successful shepherd so that he had the skill to shepherd men. Verse 72 says about David; “He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands”. One of the greatest men, leaders and warriors of all time had to do his time in one of the lowliest of jobs as a shepherd so that he could learn how it was to be a skillful leader of men. One could wonder how successful David might not have been if not for the lessons learned in the pastures and hills of Israel. We will all feel at some point as though we are being held back and having to be taught something we don’t feel necessary to learn. In those times, might we not be better off remembering that we are being prepared for something bigger and better and if we allow ourselves to have the learning heart of King David, then we will make the most of the experience and get the most from the learning.


Reference: Psalms 78: 70-72 (New Living Testament)

day 18: Quick and Slow

I once worked with a person who never listened and only talked and usually was the first and last person to talk in a conversation andhe would fill in the middle too. Fact is he was slow to listen and quick to talk. And, we all knew it, adjusted to it, and at the end of the day, didn't like it. He missed out a lot on what others had to say along with their thoughts and ideas. Over time others became so conditioned to never getting a word in otherwise that they stopped bringing up ideas or original thoughts. Meetings became nodding up and down sessions and before long it just wasn't worth it to even try harder with this person. Add on top of it that it didn't take much to light his fuse and have him go off on a tirade. As you can imagine when it got that way no one really wanted to listen to what he had to say either so everyone would basically tune out. I always felt bad for this guy because he missed so much from others and his words became of no impact to others that even when he had something great to say, his words were just lost. We are given in the letter of James a lesson to be just the opposite as the person I have described. James says in Chapter 1, verse 19 - 20; "My dear brothers, take note of this; Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for anger does not not bring about the righteous life that God desires.". To bring about the righteous life God desires we are to control ourselves and our anger and a way to do that is to be quick to listen and slow to speak. I know I have experienced on many occasions that when I start to get frustrated or angry with someone or something that has happened at work, that it was because I just didn't listen to everything that was being said and/or I jumped right into the middle of the conversation and tried to take it over from the person was trying to explain. Just a second or too more and little slower on the words out of my mouth and the situation may not have escalated. But, too quick to talk and too slow to listen will get you in trouble lots of time and can end up in an ugly and angry place. We know that patience is a God thing. It is a gift that we all can learn to practice. As you enter into this day, pray that you can speed up the listening, slow way down the talking and be so slow to anger that it never even materializes. And if you can do this today, you can know that you are walking in the path of righteousness.

day 17: The Big Give: A Samaritan @ Work, part 3

This is the third of a three part entry learning from a session I attended given by Dr. John Hull about the Good Samaritan story (found in Luke 10:25-37). What I am attempting to do is take this lesson and put it to work at work.


After the Good Samaritan made the choice to stop what he was doing, risk his reputation, and dirty and bloody himself all for the help of another, he then made even a larger decision when he decided to bring the man that needed help back into town and share the resources of transportation (a donkey), a bed, clothes and money to get him back on his feet. And most of all, all of this took the most precious resource that any one person has, his time. At work we are not often faced with having to reach into our own pockets to help others, but we are asked all the time to share a budget we have or cut back on our own needs to help out someone else. There are times when we know that helping someone else and giving of our resources is absolutely the right thing to do. There are other times when someone else on the team or in the company is without transportation to and from work and it may be out of our way but we know the right thing to do is offer to give them a ride. And more often than not in the workplace, what someone really needs from us is that precious resource; our time. Making the time to just sit and listen to someone as they tell of their struggles and challenges with their boss, a co-worker, or a project, can be invaluable to them. In the office any of these, or all of these offerings to another person may not seem like a lot to give of ourselves for someone that is hurting, but I can tell you for sure, that when others see someone else give of their time for them, it is perceived as a big give on their behalf. They know that you, and other people are busy. But what is important is that we know that if we are too busy to give ourselves to others who are hurting, then we are just too busy with the wrong things. If the Good Samaritan had been too busy, or not willing to give of himself, then another man may have died. Thank our good Lord that most of us will never face a moment that is that acute. However, are we not being asked to show that same level of compassion and giving in the everyday world we live in, in the everyday work that we do?

Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)

day 16: Pain Points: A Samaritan @ Work, part 2

This is the second of a three part entry learning from a session I attended given by Dr. John Hull about the Good Samaritan story (found in Luke 10:25-37). What I am attempting to do is take this lesson and put it to work at work.

Yesterday, I pointed out the importance of being able to face reality and showing compassion with a fellow co-worker who has been beaten down. In order to face that reality, we must be able to recognize when someone else is hurting and then reach into their hurt or pain and find a way to touch them at the point that can help them become better. Words like pain and hurt are not ones that are often heard in the workplace unless someone has suffered a physical injury. However, I would say that the workplace is one of the most dangerous battlefields for the attack and potential destruction of someones ego, pride and self-worth, which are pains and hurts that can far surpass physical issues. So, to be a Good Samaritan at work before we can act, we need to be able to recognize and identify when someone is in pain. This is not hard if we slow down for a moment and listen and watch those around us, putting ourselves aside for a moment. There are tell-tale signs. Some are subtle. You can see it in someones energy level, how fast they are to answer or slow to give a response, how they react to questioning or challenging, how they respond or don't respond to the opportunity to take on more, the willingness or lack of willingness to present to others their ideas, and the list can go on and on. Other signs are more visible. You can see open frustration, throwing in the towel, or using words that are either words of defeat and resignation or words that are defensive and protective. Regardless of the signs, it will be apparent that there is pain and hurt under the surface. And as those who want to follow the lesson of the Good Samaritan what are we to do? The Good Samaritan, when he did his act of kindness was not afraid to reach with his bare hands and pick up the dirty and bloody man from the side of the road. He most likely dirtied his own clothes as he propped us and helped the broken man walk back into town. Fortunately for most of us we don't have real blood at work, but figuratively it can feel the same. For us to really reach down and help someone else we have to be willing to dirty ourselves and be willing to get some of that blood on our own hands. It means that we may need to stand up for someone else, or take on a part of their work for them for a time frame for them to dig out of the hole they are in. It means getting dirty and taking a risk for a fellow co-worker. It means reaching into their pain and hurt and putting ourselves on the back burner. It means that the other person can feel and know that you are saying to them, "it is not about me, it is about you". If we can dig deep within ourselves and find a way to make our work about others and not always about ourselves and we are willing to reach to others to help them through their struggles, regardless of the dirt we may have to take on ourselves to do so, then we can be the Good Samaritan at work and be more purposed in the work that we do.


Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)

day 15: Facing Reality: A Samaritan @ Work, part 1

I recently attended a Men's Retreat at my church and was fortunate to hear the teaching of Dr. John Hull, President of an organization called InJoy. John spoke on a number of topics but one that struck me was a session that he did on the well-known story of the "Good Samaritan" (found in Luke 10:25-37). As I sat and listened and took notes from his talk, "Strength and Power of Compassion", I was hearing how this story, which I have heard so many times and is a common term in our everyday language when someone helps someone else, is so very applicable to our work lives. I am going to break down into three parts what Dr. Hull spoke about and relate it to how it is that we can conduct ourselves at work and make our work environment better for others, more purposed, and better for ourselves. This is part 1: Facing Reality.

We all know the story of the Good Samaritan and how he helped the beaten, robbed and near death Jewish business man as the man had been been traveling on a dangerous road. Two other people, a Priest and Levite, had seen the naked man lying on the side of the road and had passed him by and had not helped him. The Samaritan, who as a people were not friendly to the Jewish people, which makes the story that much more powerful, not only stops to help the man but instead but goes above and beyond to then take him with him and ensure that he gets what he needs to recover and get back on his feet. Like any of us, the Samaritan had to have stopped and weighed the consequences and ramifications of his decision to help the hurt man, before he stopped and stooped over to help him up to his feet. What was going through his mind had to be things like, "what is this going to look like to my friends, family and co-workers if I help this guy?", "how much time and/or money is this going to cost me?", "what if this guy deserved the beating and I am taking in someone who is going to rob me next?", and if it was modern day, I am sure he would have said to himself, "what is my liability if I help him, will I get sued?". These are all normal and reasonable questions to ask as he was facing a reality in front of him and deciding to run away like the other two men or be different and not run away from the problem in front of him.

Why I thought this is such a great lesson for us as we try and inject purpose into our work, is that each and every day we are faced with a reality where we can help others who are not doing so well and who have been figuratively beaten down and left to the side of the road. How many times have we been in meetings where someone was unfairly treated, talked about, or accused and without the time to defend themselves the conversation moves on and they are left to the side of the table with their egos bruised, their feelings hurt and in some cases left worrying about their future within the company. And what do we do more often than not? We let the conversation move on without defending them or we let the meeting break up and we head back to our offices or cubicles without the encouraging or helping word or hand extended to them. What the story of the Good Samaritan says is that we are to face the reality that something bad has happened and we are not to run away but instead reach forward and down to them to show compassion. What I love about compassionate people is that they don't run from reality just because reality hurts or will cost them something. They give of themselves to express their compassion. And, I will call upon the phrase, "what goes around comes around". If we are ones who face reality and show compassion to others in the workplace and try to model ourselves after the Good Samaritan (even to those in the departments that we just don't like to deal with), then on the day that we stumble and find ourselves down and out, then just maybe someone will remember that we were there for them, and they they will reach down and give us a hand to get back on our feet. The question to be asked today is, to bring more purpose to your work are you working to the example of the Good Samaritan and showing the same compassion to others that the Good Samaritan modeled for us?


Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)

day 14: Feedback Welcomed

It's getting that time of the year when companies are planning their salary budgets, bonus programs, and maybe even performance appraisals and development plans. Usually any of these will necessitate a conversation with your manager about how you are doing at your job. I don't know about you, but these aren't the conversations I looked forward to having because no matter how well I was doing at my job, I could expect some constructive and critical feedback on how to get better. After many years of angst I finally figured out that the only reason I was reticent to receiving feedback was that I was letting my ego get in the way of listening to what others had to say, and what they had to say was more than likely grounded in wanting to improve me. I should have welcomed that feedback. We all should. It really is the only way that we will get better and improve ourselves. Without real, honest, targeted, and observable feedback we could find ourselves not growing. Not developing, improving and growing is way worse than taking in feedback, processing it and putting what we take from it to work. Proverbs 19:20 tells us to "Listen to counsel and receive instructions, that you may be wise in your latter days." I like this verse a lot as it not only encourages us to listen and be open to receiving instruction from others it provides a promise that if we do so then we will gain wisdom and that wisdom will show up in our latter years. And as we grow in our professional careers we need all the wisdom we can get. So, next time your boss says, "I have some feedback for you", or, "it is time to receive your performance appraisal", or to receive 360 degree feedback from your peers, take a deep breath and approach this time with optimism and enthusiasm taking it as a learning opportunity for you to grow and develop. Think of it as an deposit in your wisdom bank for the future.

INDEX OF POSTINGS - Updated Periodically

day 1 - Why Be Your Best? - Published Oct. 1, 2008 - Reference Proverbs 22:29
day 2 - Sometimes It Just Works Out That Way - Oct. 2, 2008 - Ref Ecclesiastes 9:11
day 3 - Timing - Oct. 3, 2008 - Ref Ecclesiastes 9:11
day 4 - The Midday Disaster - - Oct. 6, 2008 - Ref Psalms 91:5-6
day 5 - Deserving Pay - Oct. 7, 2008 - Ref Luke 10: 5-7
day 6 - Decent and True, Part I - Oct. 8, 2008 - Ref Luke 13:13
day 7 - Decent and True, Part II - Oct. 9, 2008 - Ref Luke 13:13
day 8 - Your Last Day - Oct. 10, 2008 - Ref Ecclesiastes 9:10
day 9 - The Dirty Job - Oct. 13, 2008 - Ref Proverbs 14:4
day 10 - Choppy Waters - Oct. 14, 2008 - Ref Romans 5:3
day 11 - The Work Marathon - Oct. 15, 2008 - Ref Romans 5:3
day 12 - The Cool Head - Oct. 16, 2008 - Titus 3:2
day 13 - The Power of Buddies - Oct. 17, 2008 - Ref Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

day 13: The Power of Buddies

Work is hard enough, much less having to go it alone each and every day. My heart has always gone out to the person who comes to work each and every day, works extremely hard, does a good job but has no friends at work. They sit alone in the cafeteria or eat their lunch outside on a bench reading a book or magazine. They are never seen to be in the company of others when not in a meeting or some forced to be together time. Time at work doesn't have to be all friends and games but having others around you in the office who are like-minded and who you can share the trials and tribulations of the day with is a good thing. We are told this in Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble." Makes simple sense doesn't it? It will be hard to find purpose in your work for yourself if you don't have "buddies" that you can talk to openly about how you are feeling and doing on the job. I have found that just knowing that there are others in the company who share my same faith is a tremendous assistance in the tough times. When the going gets tough, just to be able to email or talk to them in a context that is higher than the office politics can be a moment of rejuvenation and positive energy. We are surrounded in work by people who would rather see us fail than succeed. If those people are the only people we can reach to when we do fall, then we can expect to go all the way and hit the bottom. Your job will be more satisfying, rewarding and fruitful if you seek out and cultivate a relationship with some "buddies" and before long you might find yourself laughing off the little stuff and standing stronger on the big things knowing that you have others around you who want and will help you succeed.


Reference: Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10 (New Living Testament)

day 12: The Cool Head

Work is filled with moments that get us ruffled and upset. With all the different kinds of personalities and personal agendas swirling around each day it is hard to not fall into the trap of finding ourselves irritated by the smallest word or action and sometimes just downright angry at a co-worker over an email, something said in a meeting, or a decision made that did not take our opinion (or feelings) into account. We've all been there and somehow I think in today's age of email and text message communication it is easier to misinterpret and misconstrue things more than ever. I wish I could count the number of times, but I can't because they are too many, where I received an email that sent me over the top and in typing the response back if the keys weren't made of the hard plastic that they are, they would have broken from the striking pressure from each angry keystroke. I did learn long ago, the hard way, that those messages must immediately go to draft and must sit for 24 hours in their cooling off period, otherwise they cause lots more trouble. The cooling off period is even harder when in PDA/Blackberry mode. It's better to lock the thing in the glove box and go on into dinner than think you can respond in real time with anything close to resembling civility. But, civility, diplomacy and humility is what we are called to demonstrate. In Titus 3:2 Paul exhorts believers to act in a manner that is above the fray. He says, "They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone". Gentleness and humility are not usually personality traits that show up on our business performance appraisals as ones that will get you ahead. But, that is what we are told to be when faced with those moments when everyone else talking behind the backs of others or losing their cool and going after each other. Today, when the scuffle starts see if you can be the cool headed one in the group. The one that wards off the fight by gently bringing the conversation back to where it should be and/or with great humility move the position of argument to the center where it can be resolved. Use this moment today to test yourself and for others to see that you approached the situation differently than others and in fact become the example of what Paul asks us to be.


Reference: Titus 3:2 (New Living Testament)

day 11: The Work Marathon

Let’s see, you come out school around 21 or 22 years old. You would like to retire around 55 – 60 (maybe later now that our 401Ks have turned into 201Ks). You understand that the days of get into a company, get stock options, get rich, get out, all by 30 years old, are over. You have a realistic grasp of the situation and you know you are in the work world for a marathon season or more. Yesterday, I used Romans 5:3 to talk about how we are to rise above our problems and trials. Today, I would like to reference that verse again as a verse that acknowledges the fact that we need to have a great amount of endurance to run and finish the race well. A career is like running a marathon. It is filled with times of warm-up, times of sprinting, uphills, downhills, running in front of, behind and side-by side with others, being caught behind someone too slow, being shoved and elbowed by someone you don’t know, sweating, and eating and drinking on the run. And most similarly, it is just hard to do well, much less finish the race. There is only one way you finish. That is with endurance. And there is only one way you obtain endurance; you have to train and be tried. In the work world, we get trials and problems thrown us every day, all day long. How we respond and learn from those challenges is how we will either build endurance or stay at our same level, which might not take us to the end. If we flinch and fear away from those hard challenges that will inevitably bring us more problems and trials, and if we respond when faced with these, with a grumpy and resentful attitude, we run the risk of missing the opportunities to strengthen ourselves and becoming more able to endure whatever might come our way. Paul says in Romans 5:3 to not run away from these trials but to rejoice in them. That means to have the “bring ‘em on” attitude and be secure in your faith that they are nothing more than the needed obstacles to build more endurance. Managing and making the most of your talents in your career is a lot about being ready and prepared for the next step up when it comes your way. If you cannot endure those things today, you certainly won’t be able to endure what is coming tomorrow and the next day, year, or decade. Start today with a new attitude towards the trials and problems you encounter. See them as the training you need to increase your endurance. Rejoice that you have God as a training partner who will show up at the gym of life each and every day for you. Build that endurance so that you make the most of the years of work you have in front of you!



Reference: Romans 5:3 (New Living Testament)

day 10: Choppy Waters

This time of year is always choppy in business. The summer doldrums are gone and there are expectations for the holiday season (high and/or low expectations) and there is lots of planning going on for the coming calendar year. Some companies get serious about hiring and some use the fourth quarter to lay-off employees and write-off what didn’t work for the year. This year is particularly worse with the crashing stock market and the impact that is having on businesses and investors alike. Decreases in stocks, mutual funds, and 401K accounts of 30%+ and greater (and worsening at the time of this writing) puts a whole new psychological spin on work and what happens at the office. Most of the attitude that one brings in the office doesn’t start at the office, it starts at home or on the way into the office. A bad night’s sleep because of a sick child can cause all kinds of after shocks throughout a work day. Like the concentric ripples that come from one pebble in a pond, one bad attitude in the office can spread rapidly and the infestation can ruin the office’s productivity for that day and more. As people of faith are we immune to having a bad day? Of course not, but as examples and role models we are to do our best to stay above our emotions and outside influences and remain peaceful within our faith. Hard to do, huh? Here would be one verse to hang onto today as the troubles and tribulations might mount. Romans 5:3 says, “We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know they are helping us develop endurance”. What I find most encouraging about that verse is that there is a built in expectation that we need endurance because we are in it for the long haul and that there are more choppy days to come. When I see those trials and problems land on my desk or in my lap, I do my best to look at them as training opportunities to get stronger and more faithful and to find a place of rejoicing for the rigors and drilling. If we can find ourselves a place of true peace, calm and rejoicing, I can guarantee that others will notice and you will have your chance to answer the question, “how do you stay so calm and nothing ever seems to get you down or ruffle your feather?” And then, best of all, you get to tell them the answer.


Reference: Romans 5:3 (New Living Testament)

day 9: The Dirty Job

There is a popular TV show called, “America’s Dirtiest Jobs”. If you haven’t seen it, a group of people are put on the most physically demanding jobs and evaluated against how they perform and how they endure. Isn’t it funny how we now romanticize the dirtiest jobs when most people go to school, study and train to get away from dirty jobs? And we do the same with the work we do day-to-day. We work hard to make our jobs today clean from anything messy. The Bible has something to say about that attitude. Proverbs 14:4 says, “An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable”. What does that mean? First of all, I am sure you understand why an empty stable is clean and a full one is dirty? Does the verse mean that we are better off working in a dirty stable with lots of you know what up around our ankles? No, that is not the message. The message is also that work is not always clean and tidy. Work is messy in lots of ways. And that happens when you fill the stable and get to work. And if you don’t accept and ready yourself for the mess and instead shy away and never want to get your hands dirty, then there won’t be much income coming your way. We have lots of examples of great men in the Bible, including Jesus, who was hands on in all they did. They got down with people and got dirty to get things done. Have you ever heard about yourself or others, “you need to be more hands-on”, or “you need to get some dirt under your fingernails”? Leaders and people want to know that the others who they work with are not afraid to dive in and go as deep as needed to get the job done. Today, you will have many of those choices at work. You will have the choice to engage, get into the details, fill up the stable if you will, and get your hands dirty. Or, you can stand back on the sidelines to let others take on the dirty work. Today would be a good day to fill it up, get in the dirty stable and stir it up a little and see what happens. You might be surprised how much you like it and how well others respond to your new heads first and hands on attitude. And if for no other reason, you can rest assured that when you are in there you will know that the full and dirty stable is where you will find the income.

Reference: Proverbs 14:4 (New Living Testament)

day 8: Your Last Day

There’s the old saying, “no one ever says on their deathbed, oh, I wish I had one more day in the office”. That statement is filled with much truth, but it doesn’t help us when we know that we have many priorities stacked up in front of us and because of deadlines, market needs, demands of bosses, etc., we feel we have too little time so we prioritize work above family, friends and sometimes God. It is not surprising that when this happens we end up in not such a happy place. We are given a good word in Ecclesiastes that helps puts our work in context. No where in the Bible will you see that we are to toil at our second best or not give it our all in anything we do. Verse 10 of Ecclesiastes Chapter 9 says, “Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom”. This verse says to me that we are to approach our work with a passion and joy as if it is a gift we are given that upon death will be taken away from us. The time we have on earth to work we are to do our best and make the most of our efforts. Notice that the verse does not say, “do it better”, or “put your work above all else”. It just says, “do well”. The verse could also be interpreted that we are to ignore work, knowledge, planning and wisdom of none it will be there for us at death. I could follow this interpretation if I weren’t faced with Monday mornings each week. Work is a reality and what we must do is not ignore the fact that it is a vital and important part of our lives, but instead ensure that we do well in our work so that we honor what we have been given and make the most of the days we have here on this earth. When we do this, we also honor God. When we honor God, our priorities are in the right place. So today when you struggle across competing priorities and when it looks like work is winning out again, stop for a moment and try to put it all in context and think through how “well” you are doing with within your work? If you can say, “Yes, I am doing well” then you have done what is asked of you and the priorities and demands just might take care of themselves.



Reference: Ecclesiastes 9:10 (New Living Testament)

day 7: Decent and True, part 2

Paul says in Romans 13:13 that "we should be decent and true in all we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior". When was the last time you were untruthful at work? Be really honest with yourself. Was it that little fib about the return phone call that hadn't made yet but it was easier to just say, "I left them a voicemail and haven't heard back yet?" Or that you said you have already met with someone when you aren't going to see them until tomorrow or next week? Or maybe it is that extra $10 on your expense report that you went ahead and expensed it because you feel like you deserved it after all? Work is full of opportunities to shade, distort, or just flat out lie about the truth. Look, we all do it to one degree or another and sometimes it never catches up with us, or so it seems it doesn't. However, I am convinced that the corporate malfeasance we see today didn't just start at the CEO or Director level. If someone is being dishonest, as we have seen with stock option backdating, they certainly have been at it before with smaller incidents, got away with it, and then pushed the line further and further. There are lots of people who will say that business (or work) is not black and white but in the gray. It is true that wherever there is room for interpretation that a decision must be made as to what is honest and truthful and what is not. But because the line is not clear does not mean the line is not there. And we all get to choose many times, every day. What I know is that if you want your behavior to be approved by everyone, then you are to be truthful and decent. If you are not, then you may be approved by some, but not by everyone. And do you know for sure who will matter for that next promotion or job assignment? I tend to believe that to gain everything you desire in your work life, you will want, and do better, to be approved by everyone. And, that 100% approval rating can come to you through a purity of truthfulness.

Reference: Romans 13:13 (New Living Testament)

day 6: Decent and True, part 1

How easy it is at work to lose two core values; decency and truthfulness. Whether it be the words from our mouths that cross these values or how we treat one another, these two values are ones that can either build or lose your reputation in the workplace. Let's start with decency. There is decency with a capital D that for me is the obvious conforming with the laws of decency. At work there are plenty of policies today that will tell you what these are. Just the training of sexual harassment is enough to guide you for what is acceptable at work or not. But there are other forms of decency that must be observed. How one treats or talks about their peers, their boss, and/or their staff members, can cross a line of decency that is damaging beyond repair. We take it so often for granted that the back-biting or talking down to others is just common place for business today. Being decent to others is a higher form of being a good person. Another form of decency is in the words that we choose to use. When I became the CEO of SNOCAP in 2005 I made the decision that I was going to change my vocabulary (more like clean it up) and not use profane words in the workplace. I was not always perfect but what I did notice that was without ever saying anything to anyone about my expectations of them as to their language, I noticed that if I didn't curse, they didn't curse. And if they did, it was usually followed by an apology to the group. Believe me, in my business career, I have said it all and heard it all too, so I'm not a Puritan or a prude. Instead, I try and follow what Paul had to say in Romans 13:13, "We should be decent and true in everything, so that everyone can approve of our behavior". You see, when you are decent at work you get a high approval rating. It's foundational and the perfect place to start as you work to be approved in what you do. It's a simple lesson but I recognize not as simple to implement. However, today is as good of a day as any to change out the indecent words that you might use and be sure to do like my father taught me, "if you don't have anything good to say about someone else, just don't say anything at all".

Reference - Romans 13:13 (New Living Testament)

day 5: Deserving Pay

Jesus tells His disciples how to conduct themselves in Luke chapter 10, verses 5-7 as He prepares them for what they will be doing after He is gone. He makes a simple statement to them; "Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay". We live in an age where there is more transparency around pay than ever before. Once thought of as a taboo subject, today we hear people talk openly with their peers and others about how much money they make, or don't make. I remember when I first came out of school with my graduate degree. I went to work at Pratt & Whitney as a Personnel Trainee. I don't remember how much it was that I made as a differential because I had an advanced degree, versus those with only a bachelors, but it was enough of a difference that I kept it to myself and I felt obligated and burdened to work harder so that I would truly be deserving of my pay level. A lot of people I have run into in the corporate world feel they are not only deserving of their pay but deserving of much more. And even worse they have not always been willing to work harder or better to receive more. We are not to be ashamed of what we deserve, but we are to work for it. And by work, it means to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to us in a way that reflects that we are giving it our all, going the extra mile, and recognizing that the pay we receive is not a right but instead something that can only be earned. When we have performed our work at this level, then we can be proud of the pay deserved. The question to ask yourself today, or any day when you stand in the shower wondering how you can make more money for what you do, is are you committed to performing at the level commensurate with the pay you desire? For it is clear we do not deserve the pay for which we desire. We deserve the pay for the level of work we perform.

Reference: Luke 10: 5-7 (New Living Testament)

day 4: The Midday Disaster

In Psalms 91:5-6, David writes; "Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the dangers of the day, nor the disaster that strikes at midday". There's a pretty good chance that David was thinking of something else when he mentions the midday disaster, but maybe he was talking to all of us who go to work day after day, worried, concerned, overly stressed, and possibly terrified of what might go wrong today. I know that more often than not the stress or fear I have felt at work has been from the time that I spent worrying about failing or something going wrong. Why I love this verse is that David gives us the same assurance about midday as he does about the terrors of night or plagues. I find great reassurance that we are not to be afraid. When we are not afraid we become confident and look to success and reorient our attitudes towards achievement. Today, don't think about how things can go wrong, but instead think about how things can go right. Remove the fear from what you have on your plate today and go into that meeting, that sales call, that one on one with your boss, that new route, with the confidence of David on your side.

Reference: Psalms 91:5-6 (New Living Testament)

day 3: Timing

Yesterday I referred to Ecclesiastes 9:11 as a verse for how to make sense of others' successes when they don't make any sense at all. But this verse about being in the right place at the right time is also a powerful verse in understanding why some things at work, work out and others don't. I am convinced that a large part of success, or failure in work is based on an understanding of timing. Remember the old Ernest and Julio Gallo wine advertisement, "we shall sell no wine before its' time"? Their advertising promise was that they were masters of timing, which would lead to a quality product. Many times in my career I have seen great ideas go no where because they were presented at the wrong time. Sometimes these were macro-timing issues that would have to do with market influences, etc. but more often than not it was about the timing of human readiness or the lack of understanding of others. You probably already have a pretty good understanding of how timing works when you think of when is the right time to ask for that day or week off from work. In this caae, you've already thought through the bigger timing issues like who else will be on vacation or out during the same time you are requesing, what projects or priorities are on the docket, etc.. And then, you manage the timing of when to ask your boss for the time off. You probably don't ask her as she's getting out of her car rushing into the building late for a meeting with her boss, do you? (If you do, oh no!) Someone else said it plainly, "timing is everything". As you think through what is on your plate today and what requests, projects, and tasks that you have in front of you, take a deep breath, pray for wisdom, and then reflect on the timing of what you need to do and how it relates to others around you. Today might not be the day, tomorrow might be better. Pray that God puts you in the right place at the right time today. And if He does, make the most of it and don't forget to give Him the thanks for making it all work out.

Reference: Ecclesiastes 9:11 (New Living Translation)

day 2: Sometimes It Just Works Out That Way....

We all know people who we look at and say, "how did they get to where they are?" On the surface they don't have the same or better as us in comparable education, experience, skills, maturity or tenure. But yet, they are ahead of us and it just doesn't make sense. And you know what, the truth is that you won't be able to make any sense of it at all. Sorry. God gives us a word for this situation and to help us make it through these moments and times. In Ecclesiastes 9:11, Solomon puts it out there for us very bluntly: "I have observed something else in this world of ours. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise are often poor, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time." I believe we are given this word for two reasons. First, we are are not to live our lives bogged down, discouraged or resentful of those who have gotten ahead of us despite themselves. The word we are given is that it just is what it is and we can't change it, so don't let that effect or influence our own lives and what we strive to be or become. Secondly, we all have times when it is us who is in the right place at the right time. It might be the recruiter calling, being in the office at just the time something important is needed, the chance meeting in the hallway, the elevator, or the lunchroom with the boss or the bosses boss. Or it could be seeing the business opportunity in front of you and you pouncing on it...at the right time in the market. Whatever the circumstance, if you find yourself in that perfect situation, then you need to recognize it with humility and gratefulness. You need to do this for yourself but also for the others who are on the sidelines who don't understand "how it happened to you". I'm often asked about my personal success and I am open to telling others that at three junctures in my career the Good Lord put me in the right place at the right time and that was really the "secret" of my success. I believe it will happen to you too. And when it comes your way count and enjoy the blessings and make the most of the moment but don't lose sight of where the being in the right place at the right time came from in the first place.

Reference: Ecclesiastes 9:11 (New Living Translation)

day 1: Why Be Your Best?

Corporate America has seen nearly two decades since Andy Pearson wrote his Harvard Business Review article; Muscle Building. The premise of that article was that organizations should, every year, evaluate their people and cut out the 10% fat that exists so that more muscle could be built. Organizations big and small adopted this approach and High Performers became superstars and mediocre performers were moved out of the company. We are told in Proverbs that this performance based evaluation has been around a long time. In Proverbs 22:29, Solomon says, "Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than ordinary people." If we want to work for the best people and companies we are told to be able to meet and exceed the work that is put in front of us. In this ever-changing world we live in to remain competent means also to keep our skills and knowledge current. We have a promise that if we remain competent we will work for better people (and better people are known for making others around them better). If today you are frustrated by who you work for or you feel you are not being recognized for what you do, it might be time to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are doing all that you can do to meet and exceed the definition of competent for the best managers in your company. And if not, then what do you need to learn or do to win confidence and favor in their eyes? And, if you are already striving and working to be competent and better, then just sit tight for as the Proverb says. "...are there any competent workers?" The question is asked because there aren't enough people who are always willing to do whatever it takes to better themselves. The promise is there, those who are will be the people who will be noticed and they won't end up working for ordinary people over time...they will work for the best of the best...they will work for kings.

Reference: Proverbs 22:29 (New Living Translation).