Being the Boss

Being the Boss

Colossians 4:¹ Masters, be fair and just in the way you treat your slaves. Remember that you too have a Master in heaven.

 

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“When I’m in charge, things will be different” I said to myself. I was tired of being told what to do from harsh people and wanted to do the “telling” in a more gentle way. I was given the responsibility of managing a few people. It was exhausting! They had many questions and were not completing the work. “Maybe I should be harsh” I thought to myself.

 

• I was willing to fire people for not doing the work.
• I did not want to hear excuses.
• I thought being the boss would be easier than it was.

 

“Master” and “slave” are still hard words to overcome. For centuries, people of all races have tried to get people to do forced work while reaping the benefits of free labor in search of profit margins. Paul did not have the verbiage of “employee” and “employer.” He warns those in charge that GOD is watching.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to treat all people “fair and just”
• If I am in charge of people, my first reaction needs to go through GOD.
• Since I report to GOD, I must take into account HIS desires and purpose for me and my employees.

 

“Person” or “Profit”? I mean, do I see people and their needs or do I only see the company and its needs? This is a struggle as profit margins wane. BUT GOD has a remedy. HE simply wants to be the boss in all situations.

 

Being “fair and just” does not mean being a pushover. GOD wants me to treat employees with respect and pay him or her wages due to the work they have completed. I cannot favor one person over the other and I can correct employees as GOD corrects me.  I gladly yield to GOD’s authority because HE shows me compassion and correction.

 

Challenge

• What words from the writer, if any, are difficult to absorb?
• Have you ever managed employees or got tired of the “boss?”
• If you ever manage people or a project, will you place GOD over all your actions and decisions today?

Pseudo Parent

Pseudo Parent

2 Corinthians 12: ¹⁴ This is now the third time that I am ready to come to visit you—and I will not make any demands on you. It is you I want, not your money. After all, children should not have to provide for their parents, but parents should provide for their children. ¹⁵ I will be glad to spend all I have, and myself as well, in order to help you. Will you love me less because I love you so much?

 

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“Come in and have some dinner” were the words I delighted ti hear. Many households invited me in to eat with them in the community I grew up. What was it about these people who took time out of their busy lives to help us kids? They did it from their heart.

 

• I was blessed to have many pseudo parents who cared for me.
• I was blessed to be watched over by those who had hearts large enough to care for others.
• I was blessed to have so many people who would take me places, feed me, and mostly teach me how to grow up.

 

Pau was about to visit. He explained that he was not coming there for their money. This may have been a selfish concern on their part that he wanted to ease. Instead, he was being a pseudo parent and wanted to show his love.

 

My Observations

• GOD doesn’t mind if I remain a child.
• GOD wants me to grow up to love others the way I can.
• GOD wants me to understand the purpose of having the HOLY SPIRIT live inside me is to stretch my heart to fit others.

 

When life is all about me, my words sound different. I mean, I have more complaints than solutions when I am a child. BUT GOD wants me to grow up and point others to HIM as the only solution to life’s problems.

 

HE allows fiery trials in my life to burn away the things that do not belong. HE then opens my eyes to other people HE wants me to reach. HE provides enough for me and her or him as I encounter each person. I am glad I have had great parents and pseudo parents to grow me in many ways.

 

Challenge

• Do you feel the care of the writer?
• Have you ever been tempted to speak about GOD only for money?
• Will you allow the HOLY SPIRIT to stretch your heart to fit other people and serve them so they can believe in JESUS in a saving way today?

Hair or Heart (Feel free to comment)

 

Hair or Heart  (Feel free to comment)

1 Corinthians 11: ¹³ Judge for yourselves whether it is proper for a woman to pray to God in public worship with nothing on her head. ¹⁴ Why, nature itself teaches you that long hair on a man is a disgrace, ¹⁵ but on a woman it is a thing of beauty. Her long hair has been given her to serve as a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone wants to argue about it, all I have to say is that neither we nor the churches of God have any other custom in worship.

 

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My wife’s hair dresser took off a few months to take care of her mother. This left her with a decision; go to someone else or get braids. She chose the braids. It took hours to get them put in. At one time in our country, it was taboo to wear braided hair to work. Hair, to me should not represent the heart.

 

• To me, appearances can bring on a biased opinion.
• To me, hair and clothes are yet another reason to show dislike for someone.
• To me, people judge on what people have on their head, face and body without knowing the heart.

 

Paul explains there is no custom whether to allow a long haired or no haired woman to pray to GOD in public. This may make many people think the Bible is dated, but I think it referenced a law “Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.” Since this was confusing, he puts their mind to rest.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to know HE looks at my heart, not my shaved head.
• GOD wants me to understand that my appearance is not what HE will judge me on.
• GOD wants me to believe that anyone can speak about JESUS as long as he or she believes in HIS power to forgive.

Sometimes I think we place too much credit in appearance. I mean, whether a person wears expensive shoes or no shoes, the words “GOD loves you” are still true. The same goes for hair, glasses, tee shirts or shoes or any other controversial facial or body covering.

 

GOD sees the heart and as long as it is aligned to spreading the great news of forgiveness, anyone can speak about JESUS.  I am glad HE accepts my bald head.

 

Challenge

• What are your observations about appearance?
• Do you think appearance hinders your ability to hear the message of GOD from a person?
• Will you consider your heart over your appearance and speak about HIS love and saving grace today?

 

 

Compassionate Gift

Mark 8: In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, ² “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. ³ And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

⁴ Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

⁵ He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”

And they said, “Seven.”

⁶ So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. ⁷ They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. ⁸ So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. ⁹ Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, ¹⁰ immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

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Holes in jeans were becoming a fashion statement for most, but not for me. I was wearing holey jeans because I could not afford anything else. As I went to a meeting a friend of mine asked me a strange question. “What size shoe do you wear?” I told him and the next week he gave me a pair of his shoes.

• There have been many people who have shown me compassion.
• There have been many people who have poured mercy on me.
• There have been many people who have given me so much that I cannot return the favor.

What struck me the most about this passage is the fact that JESUS had been with the group for three days. HE healed them and taught them and prayed for them the entire time, meanwhile HE probably did not receive anything from the crowd. HE then turns around and shows HIS concern over their travel home.

• JESUS is thoroughly concerned about me.
• JESUS wants to feed me and watch over me.
• JESUS does so much for me without asking to be thanked.

While I cannot find someone saying “Thank YOU” to JESUS when they were miraculously fed, I can see it in their actions. They told other people about JESUS and HIS fame spread throughout the land. HIS compassion became contagious. HE wants me to learn from HIS heart.

• Do you have an opportunity to be compassionate to someone?
• Will you think of others today and give them your prayers?
• Will you thank GOD for what HE has done for you today?

Sticking to Wrong Promise

Mark 6: ¹⁹ Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

²¹ Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. ²² And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” ²³ He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

²⁴ So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”

And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”

²⁵ Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶ And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

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“Get a pair of pants from the store” the person told me. The demand came from a person in an organization I wanted to be part of but alas I had no money. “Figure it out” were his words implying I should steal them. “Okay I promise I will get them!”

• There have been times I have made the wrong promises.
• There have been times I have followed the wrong crowd.
• There have been times I have wanted to be part of something so badly, I would do something that was wrong.

Herod’s position as king would be weakened if he went back on an oath. Unfortunately his daughter asked for a political nightmare, namely the execution of John the Baptist. He stuck with his promise and got nowhere with GOD.

• GOD wants me to make promises that grow HIS kingdom.
• GOD desires that I follow HIS ways without political affiliations.
• GOD longs for a relationship with me versus me building a kingdom of followers.

Desiring to be part of something can drive me to decisions that may not be centered on love. GOD sees through the loneliness and fills my heart with love for others. When HE does this I am never alone.

• Are you lonely?
• Do you look at GOD as a political affiliate or do you seek HIS face for HIS true power and love?
• Will you stop trying to follow humans and start following GOD today?

It’s as simple as one two

1 John 3: ²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God

²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

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“Could you be in this city at this time?” was the question by my company. “Can you serve?” was another question by another group. Another group asked “Can you give a little more?” Then temptations came rushing at me from all sides. I was trying to read the Bible but it seemed like there were too many rules.

This “Christian” life is too difficult! I mean I just want to “be me” but everyone else keeps taking a piece of me!

• Sometimes I mistake serving for following GOD.
• Sometimes I mistakenly think I can actually act righteous so if I avoid temptations I’m following GOD better.
• Sometimes I mistake activity and giving as the only way to serve GOD even if I am thoroughly reluctant to do HIS work.

There are times where I try to manipulate GOD to get my way.  I mean my service is a feeble attempt to erase some sin and maybe, just maybe GOD will see what I’m doing and not whack me over the head. Every time I serve with reluctance I burn out quickly and cause more damage than good. How in the world can I please GOD with all those rules!?

• GOD said “MY yoke is easy and MY burden is light.”
• GOD said “It is finished” meaning “I have taken care of EVERYTHING.”
• GOD said “Believe in the ONE who rescued you by dying in your place, that HE is GOD and loves you.”
• GOD said “Love one another.”

In other words step 1: Believe and love GOD the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT and step 2: Love one another. That’s it. But that sounds too simple, there has to be more. I mean pastors, preachers and priests keep telling me to do more. Well, there is always a need but GOD says “Relax, “be you” for a moment and MY love will pour out of you to many.”

• Are you trying too hard to please GOD?
• Are you trying to manipulate HIM to get your way?
• Won’t you simplify your life by serving others the way HE wants you to?
• Can you stop feeling burnt out and love the people GOD has delivered to you?