Listening to the Holy Spirit:
Restraint of self is of holiness. My gift of My Spirit calls out that you might control the desires that lead you astray. “I have been made this way,” you say, but to you I say, “Get up and walk,” for in your weakness I bring new life. In the sinful desire, I too give strength for restraint and forgiveness. Do not remain where you sit. Take up your mat, and use no more the excuse of the difficult past. Far more difficult have others trodden, and in My strength they have conquered far greater giants. Lack of Godly control sinks even the most seaworthy vessels, perforating the hull of My children from below what is visible. The sinking is visible, for others soon see, but only he who allows the sin knows the extent of the damage. Do not sacrifice the vessel for lack of self-control. You do not board the vessel alone. Take hold of the strength I have given you, for I Am greater than he who holds you to the keel. Get up and walk.
John 5:8-9 (ESV) – Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
1Cor 10:13 (ESV) – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Rom 8:12-13 (ESV) – So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Taking It to Work:
You may think that personal struggles and our professional lives should not mix. Maybe in some aspects that might be true, but in reality, they tend to mix anyway, even when you don’t want them to.
Today’s devotion talks about the tendency we all have to excuse ourselves in the weakest areas of our lives. We justify our lack of prayerfulness, or time in the Word, with the stage of life were in, or the uncontrollable circumstances around us. We make exceptions for ourselves in our impatience and irritability, because of our lack of sleep or coffee, or both. In the areas of personal sin and lack of self-control, we allow ourselves to believe that in our circumstance or makeup, those behaviors are impossible to stop, and God must understand, after all, He is the one that made us.
So, back to our professional lives. As much as we might try to keep personal struggles personal, because we go personally to work every day, that struggling part of us follows us in. Very similar to how a bad day at work can follow you home. Every year thousands of families fall apart due to work pressures, schedules and the take-home stress, but the same thing flows the other way. Guilt, depression, defeatedness in the areas of personal holiness can follow you into work, where indifference, impatience and sometimes anger or depression can lead to underperformance, a reduced capacity for responsibility and in some cases a less than professional attitudes and actions, to the point they show up on your yearly review.
The truth is, wherever we go, there we are….the whole of us. It may be that we can mentally work to keep separate the personal and professional, but we will never be able to fully walk in either of those areas if we are being crippled in the secret places. Make a promise today to stop making excuses. Turn to Him, admit, repent, thank Him for His forgiveness. Then get up and walk. Your family and career need all of you, fully functioning, as His Word works through you, today.
