Spiritual Life Skills for Any Workplace预览

Sometimes I need a reminder that my spiritual life doesn’t consist of my personal connection with God and the nice theological and emotional responses I have towards him. When I start to have this feeling, I listen to the wonderful song “Do Something,” written and sung by Matthew West. Every time I hear him cry out to God to do something about the injustice and pain in this world, it revs me up spiritually.

Matthew says the Lord always reminds him that He has done something—He created people like Matthew, and you, and me to take the love of Jesus to a world struggling with poverty and slavery and fear. In other words, we are the very answer to the prayer we’re praying when we ask God to do something. 

As James 2:18 reminds us, we show our faith by our deeds. Sometimes the hardest thing, though, is taking the first step. We want to get going, but we have to be patient as we move ahead in fits and starts. But when we take the first step, our heavenly Father takes it from there. If we will begin, He will work through us.

Sometimes, it’s all about writing the letter, making the phone call, beginning the conversation, making room in the budget, or putting the date on our calendar. One step of faith today leads to God working wonders tomorrow.

So what are we waiting for? The perfect timing? A billboard in the sky proclaiming God’s call? A heavenly visitation? That’s not how God usually gets things done. Whatever is delaying us or providing an excuse for inaction needs to be set aside. Then once we’ve overcome the inertia of our excuses, God empowers us as we move. 

Is apathy the problem? That’s an enemy of faith. It keeps good people from doing good things. Or maybe you feel inadequate to the task, making you overanalyze the situation. You have an attitude of futility, which says nothing meaningful can really be done. Maybe you lack courage. But if we battle all those things and get going for God’s glory...

He will get done what needs to be done through us.

We show our love to those we lead by our involvement in meeting their needs and addressing their frustrations. Love initiates. Love takes action. Instead of complaining, feeling overwhelmed, or giving up, love offers solutions.

You don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so do something today. Get involved. Sure, you have no guarantee of success. But if you seize the moment and follow the heart of God, you can begin the adventure of service.

We can all pray, God give me the courage to take the first step, and then the next one. I trust You to do Your work of love through me.

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We hope you enjoyed this five-day plan! You can read more from Boyd Bailey in his new book, The Spiritual Life of a Leader, available here.