BUILDING ON YOUR STRENGTHS

By Rick Warren
           

            I have read everything that Peter Drucker wrote.  His book The Effective Executive is a favorite I re-read every year.  Long before words like "empowerment" became popular, Peter was telling us that the secret of achieving results is to focus on your strengths, and the strengths of those you work with, rather than focusing on weaknesses.  In fact, Peter says, making strengths productive is the unique purpose of organization.
 

            The truth is all of us are a bundle of both strengths and weaknesses. No one is strong in every area.  If you closely watch anyone with outstanding strengths, you'll eventually notice that they also exhibit outstanding weaknesses.  (This is why our Presidents have such a short "honeymoon" with the nation.)
 

            I think God planned each of us this way.  No one is good at everything - so we need each other and are forced to cooperate.  The Bible says this:

             "Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ's body.  We

              are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we

              each have different work to do.  So we belong to each other, and each needs

              all the others.  GOD HAS GIVEN EACH OF US THE ABILITY TO DO CERTAIN

              THINGS WELL..."          Romans 12:4-6 (Living Bible)
 

            Here's the point: Find out what God made you to do well and do more of it.  Don't worry about what you don't do well.  In fact, try to do as little as possible of what you don't do well.
 

            Then find out what others do well and help them to be able to do more of it.  This is the key to effective businesses, effective churches, and every other effective organization.  Great organizations position people for success rather than trying to eliminate all their weaknesses.  It's far easier to manage weaknesses than to eliminate all of them.
 

             We must know what each job requires and the strengths that are needed to fulfill it.  When an employee fails because he doesn't have the strengths to match the job, the fault is management's, not the employee’s.
 

            Finally, never forget that in order to use the strengths of people we must be willing to put up with their weaknesses. The wise leader will focus on people’s contribution, not their idiosyncrasies.   "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."  Romans 12:18

Until next week...

Discussion Questions:
 

1. What strengths and talents has God uniquely SHAPED you with?  How do you use them at work?  At church?
    
2. If you like most people, tend to compare yourself to others, what would it take to rest in the uniqueness God made you to be?
    
3. What weakness do you have, that can be met by another person’s strength?

Foregiveness@Work

By Helen Mitchell

“When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals - one on his right, the other on his left.  Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’  And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”  Luke 23:33-34 (NIV)
 

Right to the very end of his life, Jesus was interceding for the lost people whom he came to save.  While they were mocking him, hitting him and crucifying him, Jesus was forgiving them. Jesus allowed no room for bitterness, anger and resentment - only love and forgiveness. 
 

Sometimes we need Jesus’ power of forgiveness when we have been offended at work.  Some things are just harder to forgive.  Maybe we are laid off for the wrong reasons, or people are saying untrue things about us behind our back, or someone betrays our trust and confidence. 
 

We must forgive.  Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the offending behavior nor minimize the hurt, but we can’t hold onto it.  Unforgiveness is a sin and a breeding ground for more sin in our life.  Unforgiveness steals our joy, taints our relationships and detracts from our accomplishments at work.
 

Before he was crucified, Jesus told his disciples why it is important to forgive.  “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)
 

It’s is God’s forgiveness through the blood of Jesus on the cross which allows us to enter heaven for eternity.  We have been forgiven of so much and we must forgive as we are forgiven.
 

When discussing how many times to forgive someone for the same thing, Jesus told Peter in Matthew 18:22, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
 

We all have areas in our life where we go back to God time and again confessing the same sin.  God is faithful to forgive us.  If we are to forgive as we are forgiven and we will be forgiven by God as we forgive, then we must forgive our co-workers without limit.
 

As Jesus hung on that cross, he was about to take on the sin of the world including the sins of those very men who were crucifying him.  When it is too hard to offer forgiveness, just ask Jesus, he will intercede and help us.

Until next week...

Discussion Questions:
 

1. Why is forgiveness hard?  Do you think it gets easier over time and with practice?
    
2. Is it harder to ask for forgiveness or offer forgiveness?
    
3. Take some time and reflect and ask God to show you if there is anyone you need to forgive or seek forgiveness from and what he would have you do.

FACING FAILURE - PART 2

By Rick Warren
 

            Last week I shared the five most common causes for failure.  Today I'd like to wrap it up by suggesting the steps to starting over when you've experienced a failure:

            1. ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN FAILURE. If you've made a mistake - admit it! Welcome to the human race.  Don't blame others. To blame is to "b-lame."  Losers love to blame bad luck...the economy...the boss...their spouse...or even God for misfortune.  But winners never accuse others and never excuse themselves when they fail.  In 1974, after an 88 game winning streak, UCLA basketball lost to Notre Dame in a game they had led by 11 points. The next day's headline read "Coach Wooden says 'Blame me!'"    Wooden was a winner. "Anyone who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance."  Prov. 28:13 (LB)
 

            2. RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS OF FAILURE.  

For instance...

• It shows you what doesn't work.  Thomas Edison said, "Don't call it a failure. Call it an education!"
• It forces you to be more creative. You look for new ways.
• It prevents arrogance and egotism.  If everything you did was a stunning success, no could live with you!
• It causes you to reevaluate what's important in life. Failure is one way God gets us to reflect on the direction of our lives.

"Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways." Pr. 20:30 (GN)
 

            3. ASK GOD FOR WISDOM TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE.

Why did I fail? Is there any reason I might have set myself up to fail? There are many unconscious reasons we sometimes sabotage our own efforts:

• The fear of success: Success may mean handling more responsibility than I want to carry.
• Guilt: If you feel you don't deserve to succeed, you may have set yourself up to fail.
• Resentment: Some people fail as a way of getting even with those who are pressuring them to succeed.

"If you lack wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all..." James 1:5
 

            4. FORGET THE PAST AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE.  Your past is past!  It’s water under the bridge.  You can’t change it so you may as well stop worrying about it.

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on...”  Phil. 4:1

Until next week...

Discussion Questions:
 

1. Is there an area in your life or at work where you need to move on?  How can your small group help you?
    
2. What can you do for yourself and for others to keep failure from paralyzing you into non-action?
    
3. Sometimes it helps to have a role model to follow.  Is there someone in your life who experienced failure yet turned it around? 

FACING FAILURE - PART 1

By Rick Warren
 

            No one's life is an unbroken chain of victories. We all experience setbacks...defeats... Iosses...failures. Nobody bats 100%. We all make mistakes.

            Since failure is common to all of us, one of the most important life-skills you can learn is how to respond to it. Successful people know how to turn every failure into a learning experience - a stepping stone to future success.

            Although the reasons for failure are numerous, there are five common causes:           

• When we don't plan ahead. As the old saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail." Proverbs 27:12 says "A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. Remember, Noah had to start building the Ark long before it started raining!
   
• When we think we've "arrived." Remember the lesson of the whale: Just when you get to the top, and you start to blow - that's when you get harpooned! Proverbs 18:18 says "Pride leads to destruction and arrogance leads to downfall.” In other words, the man who gets too big for his britches will be exposed in the end.
   
• When we are afraid to take necessary risks. The fear of failure can cause failure. We worry about what others will think of us if we fail so we don't even try. Fran Tarkenton says "Fear sets you up to be a loser." We fail to take advantage of golden opportunities. “The fear of man is a dangerous trap.” Proverbs 29:25
   
• When we give up too soon. Many times, success is just around the corner. Remember, the game is often won in the final seconds. If at first you don't succeed- you're normal! Keep on keeping on! The value of a postage stamp is found in its ability to stick to one thing until it gets there. "A lazy fellow had trouble all through life." Proverbs 15:19
   
• When we ignore God's advice. The Bible is our owner's manual for life. It is filled with practical instructions and guidelines for work, home, finances, relationships, and health. When we fail to follow these, we're asking for trouble “There is a way that SEEMS right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12

            In next week's email I'll share how to get a fresh start when you've failed. In the mean­time remember this: Failure is never final unless you let it be. You are never a failure until you give up.
 

 Until next week...

Discussion Questions:

1. What area of your life or in your job might you see as a failure?  Does God see it the same way?
    
2. How can you support others through common reasons for failure and how can they support you? 
    
3. What was something you thought was a failure but turned into one of your greatest successes?
    

People@Work

By Helen M. Mitchell
 

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31 (NIV)

We know this scripture, delivered as Jesus’ response to a teacher of the law as the “Great Commandment.”  By Jesus’ time, the law had become a list of rules: what and what not to do. But Jesus said our most important “to do” is to love God and to love other people well. Life is about devoting our thoughts, words, and deeds to God. It’s about who we are to God and to other people, rather than what we do.

I once struggled with health issues that put me in the hospital for a short period of time. I remember laying in bed, so weak and tired I could not think about much except the Lord and the people in my life who loved me and those whom I loved. I had physically gotten to a place where I had no strength to do anything. Nothing mattered except the connection with another person. That experience made me wonder what it would be like if we didn’t wait for our co-workers, family and friends to get sick before we showed them the love Jesus was talking about.

Sure, work pressures, deadlines, and the increasing demands on our time and abilities can get the best of us. We can easily default to getting the job done as the priority. We feel good about ourselves because we believe we are working at it with all our heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Colossians 3:23). But we have not loved our co-workers well. We have limited time to talk to the people at work, and all too often we use it to place demands upon them.

The Bible tells us that if we do amazing things for the Lord—things like speaking in the language of angels, having all knowledge about the mysteries of life, giving everything we own to the poor but if we do not have love, none of that matters (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Loving God and others is not about checking off a to-do list. It is not about how much we accomplish.  We can say that our work is of the highest quality, never late, innovative, and results-oriented, but if we overlook the people in the process, then our work is hollow.

Love for people at work says, “While I am getting the job done, I am just as interested in you.” Love for people at work says, “I don’t lose sight of how, why and with whom I am working. The focus is not just on what I do.”

Love is a verb that at work looks like patience, kindness, not being envious or selfish or angry or resentful (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). We cannot do this in our own abilities. To truly love the people at work, we first need the love of Christ in us. God is love (1 John 4:8 NIV), and when we spend time with him, we look like him. The Holy Spirit’s work within us is expressed as a character trait (Galatians 5:22).

Absolutely God cares about your work and what you do. But he first cares about the people with whom you work. God so loved the world that he gave his son (John 3:16) . . . for friendship and intimacy with himself. The people at work are not a means to an end, but an opportunity to express God’s love. Sure, it will cost you time to listen and build a bridge of trust, but as you love the people at work God will love on and through you.

There exists a deep urge in every heart to be in relationship with someone who accepts and delights in us.  When the life of Christ in me touches the heart of another their deep need for connection is being met.

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."    Mark 12:29-31 (NIV)

Until next week...

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you think of a time when a co-worker showed interested in you and how you were doing your work rather than in just the work itself? How did that affect you?
    
2. This week take some time to reflect on your conversations with others. How much is  about tasks, goals, and outcomes and how much is about slowing down and connecting?
    
3. Who can you encourage this week at work?

HOW TO FACE YOUR FUTURE

By Rick Warren
 

            No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one can accurately predict all that is going to happen in the next 365 days.  Our best forecasts are just educated guesses.  Changes in our society have not only increased in speed and intensity, but also in their unpredictability.  Doing business in this environment is what Michael Annison calls "Managing the Whirlwind."  How can anyone succeed when the future is so uncertain?

            The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing your future:
 

            1.  INCLUDE GOD IN YOUR GOAL-SETTING.

            Frankly, it's dumb to make plans without consulting God first.  He's the only one who DOES know the future - and he's eager to guide you through it.  The Bible says "We may make our plans, but God has the last word." (Pr. 16:1)  In other words, planning without praying is presumption.  Start by praying, "God, what do YOU want me to do now, next month and next year?"
 

            2.  LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME.

            While you can plan for tomorrow, you can't live it until it arrives.  Most people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today! Someone once quipped “Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans."    Decide to make the most of each moment today.  Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow - God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time." (Matt. 6:34)
 

            3.  DON'T PROCRASTINATE - DO IT NOW!

            "Don't boast about what you're going to do tomorrow, for you don't know what a day may bring forth."  (Pr. 27:1)  Procrastinating is a subtle trap.  It wastes today by postponing things until tomorrow.  You promise yourself that you'll do it "one of these days".  But "one of these days" is usually "none of these days."
 

            What did you plan to get done last year that you didn't do?  When do you intend to start working on it?  "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.  Don't say to your neighbor, 'Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow' when you

NOW have it with you."   (Pr. 3:27-28)     DO IT NOW!

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope...You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest."   Jer. 29:11,13 (LB)

Until next week...

Discussion Questions:

1. God has promised you a hope and a future and that promise does not expire no matter what we have or have not done but it is not automatic, we must choose God’s path.  And it is God’s plan and timing, not ours.  How do you know if you are following your plan or God’s plan?  How can your small group support one another?
    
2. Many Americans have “worry” as a primary hobby.  To worry is to be anxious about situations which are out of our control and most never even happen!  What are you working on that you are also worrying on?  What can you give to the Lord?
    
3. What strength do you have that God has gifted you with that has enabled you to successfully move forward into the future?

Goliaths@Work

Author:  Helen Mitchell
 

“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”  Ephesians 3:19 (NLT)
 

If we were to sum up the work of King David’s life, we could say he was the chosen King of Israel through whom the Messiah would come.  Not a bad career!  But if we take his life apart, we would see a lot of ups and downs. 

In Samuel chapter 17 we find Goliath threatening the Israelites, who at the time were being led by King Saul.  Verse 24 tells us that “When the Israelites saw the man; they all ran from him in great fear.”

David saw Goliath’s challenge for what it was – a circumstance.  The natural reaction of the men of Israel was to be fearful. They perceived this event with Goliath as bad, but David saw things differently.  Verse 26 of 1 Samuel chapter 17 tells us that David reacted in confidence, "…Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (NIV).

Are there Goliaths where you work? If there are people in the workplace who are mocking you and causing you to run in fear, think of David and realize these are just circumstances.  What the Israelites saw as bad David perceived as an opportunity.  In the same way, those snarky people at work (and every workplace has them) present a chance for you to let God shine.

Circumstances are just circumstantial and the only value and meaning they have is what we give them.  Over time we will see how God uses those circumstances for his purposes, but if we let ourselves become tangled in them, they will definitely drain us spiritually.

Fighting Goliath was a circumstance in God’s plan to lift David from shepherd boy to King of Israel.  Like David, we need to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) and “…Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”   Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

King David made some grievous errors and decisions in life. Like all of us, he was not perfect. But when he strayed, he was quick to repent and turn back to the Lord, his source of strength.  As a shepherd boy, King David learned to recharge and develop a deeper connection with God just by spending time with him and freely praising and worshipping him.  As a result, he became a man after God’s own heart—a man who sought fellowship with God and desired to do his will. And King David was filled with the fullness of life. God blessed him with power in his job as King of Israel. 

What are the up and down events for you at work this week?  Don’t let your joy and satisfaction with life be determined by “good” or “bad” life events.  Like David, learn to see all circumstances as opportunities to let God shine. Look for moments to connect with God throughout the day and you’ll find, as David did, that those giants are easily felled by a well-placed pebble and faith in God’s aim. Let God’s power work through the circumstances of your day today as you:
 

Stop Thinking so Big

You don’t need to be a King David to do great things for God or a Moses and experience God in a burning bush.  Start connecting with God right where you are in life, just as David did.

“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded."  Matthew 10:42 (NLT)

Today you may be faced with a difficult circumstance that is causing fear in your workplace, but God says that if even your smallest action is to care for the people for whom Jesus died, surely you will be rewarded.
 

Start Enjoying Small Connections

“I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.”  Ecclesiastes 3:14 (NIV)

God connects with us many times throughout the day—but do we recognize it?  Are we listening?  Are we waiting for God to deliver us from all our problems, but fail to see his hand in his provision and answers that day?  Everything God does lasts for eternity.  Look for those small connections that God is making with you just to say, “I’m here.  I love you.  I can help you solve that problem or get out of that circumstance.”

When you see those moments, stop and start thanking God. Praise him for his love and faithfulness, and for his promise that he will never leave you.
 

Look for Connection Triggers

"Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.”   Luke 16:10

As you move through your workday you will choose either to connect with your circumstances or to connect with God.  You will have the choice to worry or to worship.  You will have the choice to serve the desires of this world or the desires of God.

The next time Goliath is harassing you at work, take the humble position of David the shepherd boy and declare your circumstance nothing in light of the fullness and power of God.  Stop to connect with God and take his extended hand as he leads you.

Until next week...

Discussion Questions:
 

1. What circumstances are you facing that seem so big and threatening?  Open up your hands and give them to God. Stop…and spend a few minutes thinking about the goodness of who God is.
    
2. How can you make small connections with your co-workers a daily habit?
    
3. God created many ways to trigger our connection with him. In the Old Testament he created a series of festivals and holidays so Israel could commemorate their spiritual history.  What triggers you to connect with God and reminds you of how much you are loved?

 WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE?

By Rick Warren
 

            It’s rare to find people today who are willing to take complete responsibility for their actions. America is becoming a nation of excuse-makers.  In the victimization of our culture our problems are always someone else’s fault.  You can blame whoever you want - the government, your parents, the school you went to, television, your boss, or the rest of society. There’s no need for you to feel bad.  There are plenty of patsies around.
 

            Sometimes our excuses are quite humorous. Consider these actual statements given to insurance companies by people involved in car accidents:
 

• “In my attempt to kill a fly I drove into a telephone pole!”
   
• “Coming home, I drove into the wrong driveway and hit a tree I don’t have.”
   
• “The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.”
   
• “I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.”
   
• “I was on the way to the doctor’s office with rear-end trouble when my universal joint gave way, causing me to having an accident.”
   
• “I had been driving my car for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.”
   
• “The telephone poll was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end.”
   
• “The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him!”
   

            Silly?  Yes.  But probably so are some of the excuses you’ve given at work: excuses for missing a deadline, for being late, or for messing up a project.
 

            The Bible says, “The lazy man is full of excuses.” (Prov. 22:13)  Ben Franklin once observed, “The person who is good at excuse-making is seldom good at anything else.”
 

            EXCUSERS ARE LOSERS.  Stand out in your work place - accept responsibility.

Until next week...

Discussion Questions:
 

1. What excuse do you find yourself using and for what?  Do you use excuses to excuse poor quality of work?
    
2. As you look at your life, is there an area you need to own up to with the Lord?  He already knew your life before you were born so nothing is a surprise to him.  But he can’t bless you until you invite him in to co-labor in your work.  He can’t free you from the things that entangle you until you take responsibility and admit it and allow his healing work in your life.
    
3. Who in your workplace can you encourage and pray for this week who is an excuse maker? 

Author:  Helen Mitchell

Ministry – you were shaped to serve God. 
 

“We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
 

God planned in advance what he wanted you to do with your life.  Did you know that one of the meanings of "works" in Ephesians 2:10 is 'business, employment, product, and something developed'? Read the verse again with that in mind.  God really does care about your work and your job. 
 

God has SHAPED you to serve both inside and outside of your local church. 
 

What matters in life is not how long you live but how you live.  What matters is not the duration of your life but the donation of your life. 
 

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.”  1 Peter 4:10a (NIV)
 

God has SHAPED you for service through your,

Spiritual Gifts

Heart

Abilities

Personality

Experiences

You were created to serve God.

You were saved to serve God.

You were called to serve God.

You were commanded to serve God.

When you are doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you. 

Until next week….

Discussion Questions:

1. How does thinking about your work as being service to God change how you think about your job?  Even meaningless tasks done with a greater purpose take on new meaning.
    
2. In what ways have God uniquely SHAPED you to serve both inside and outside the local church? How do you minister to your co-workers just by doing an excellent job?
    
3. God asks us to be available, grateful, faithful and generous. Which one can you work on this week?