A Woman's Walk

[Judy Harder]

Week of April 4
New Beginnings

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come . . ."  ~ Isaiah 46:10

New beginnings often feel great.  Filled with excitement and relief, we get to leave the past behind and enter into a new season with great anticipation, hope and promise, with a new vision.  Job promotions, weddings and childbirths are prominent examples. 

But for some, beginnings can feel treacherous.  Letting go of comfortable, established relationships—colleagues, family members, homes and jobs—can force us to confront anxiety, uncertainty and even fear of the unknown.

As in all new seasons, our only certainty and security is found in God.  To Him, we must cling as we journey forth over every hill and valley ahead.

Consider Joseph.

Joseph's young life began just prior to God setting him and his family free on a new beginning back to their native land (Gen. 30:25, 31:3).  Highly favored by both his Heavenly and earthly fathers, and hated and betrayed by his brothers, Joseph was eventually sold to a caravan of Ishmaelites, which began his journey to Egypt (Gen. 37:27).  Once there, he was resold to Potiphar, where he began a journey of slavery (Gen. 37:36).

In the beginning of Joseph's enslavement, Potiphar saw God's favor upon him and placed him in the highest position over his household and all his possessions (Gen. 39:3-4). 

Even when Potiphar's wife betrayed Joseph, which began his prison term, the warden took notice of God's favor upon him, putting Joseph in charge of other prisoners right at the outset (Gen. 39:23).

And immediately after interpreting Pharoh's dream, Joseph was placed in charge over Egypt (Gen. 41:43).  In the beginning of his new position of authority, he also began a marriage journey.  Then a travel journey over Egypt.  And then a journey of parenting.

Holding onto God from the beginning and throughout, Joseph forgot all his troubles and became fruitful in the land of his suffering (Gen. 41:51-52).  Coming full circle, Joseph was able to feed the very brothers who betrayed him, sustaining their lives.

No matter what his circumstances, Joseph was blessed from every beginning.  Determined to do the right thing, he handled his journeys with kindness, obedience, longsuffering, trust and patience.  He was tested and refined.  Crafted and fired, he emerged an overseer of a nation, blessing those who persecuted him.  Holding tight to his faithful God along the way, Joseph was consistently promoted and rewarded.

Only through obedience to God can we maintain divine favor from beginning to end amid our circumstances.  God is the Alpha and the Omega (Rev. 21:6).  It's simply a matter of whether we will cooperate His way along the way, even if it seems that so many of our new beginnings occur after a catalyst of discord.

If you find yourself in the starting blocks of a new beginning, placed there by God, choose to trust Him no matter what.  Know that He has purposed your journey, that He is in control and that He has a plan, even if a catalyst of chaos, betrayal and despair try to overtake you.  If you remain obedient to God, you will see His purposes and blessings unfold and receive all the abundance and reward that He has for you, ultimately forgetting all the injustices that occur along the way.

[Judy Harder]

Week of April 11
Divine Tests

"His work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work."  ~ 1 Corinthians 3:13

New beginnings excite us, and we are awed when the Holy Spirit touches us with new assignments and fresh revelations through God's word or in another creative way.  But have you noticed that after you receive these assignments and revelations, you are put to a test?

Tests are necessary to train us and to strengthen us for the purpose of advancing our own spirit, soul and body as well as to advance those things outside of ourselves, like other people, nations, businesses, communities, ministries, careers, even a geographic region.  God will test our obedience to His directives, and He will use other people and circumstances in the process (Judges 3:1-4).

Because of their "unknown" nature, tests usually provoke fear and anxiety within us.  We only have to look as far as our last exam administered in school or college as a simple example.  God uses tests to challenge us to overcome obstacles (like lack of knowledge), to position us to trust Him in new areas so that, with Him, we can accomplish new assignments.  Though the test-taking process can, at times, feel either burdensome or exhilarating, once we pass, we advance to the next level, where we will again be tested.  Entrepreneurs frequently experience this process in business as they journey from visions to ventures.

If you look up the word "test" in any dictionary, you will find a long list of definitions.  Here of some of the ones I like from Encarta: "An often difficult situation or event that will provide information about somebody or something; a procedure to ascertain the presence of or the properties of a particular substance; a declaration, demonstration, or oath of conformity or loyalty; to make considerable demands on somebody, particularly somebody's skills or abilities; testimony; testament."

David earnestly invited and submitted to God's examination in Psalm 139:23-24 saying, ". . . test me and know my anxious thoughts . . ."  The NIV note to this scripture is particularly interesting.  It adds, "It is no light matter to be examined by God."

Has your work been tested lately?  How about your marriage?  What about your patience?  Have you withstood the fire?  Or do you feel like you've failed miserably?

Did you choose faith or fear, trust or temptation (to give up), dedication or distraction, commitment or compromise in the process?           

With God, there are no failures, only opportunities for redemption and restoration.  God's grace is sufficient in our weakness.  He can reset, reposition and reevaluate us.  He loves us and desires for us to succeed and reach our divine destiny.  And He'll give us every opportunity to get it right.  All we have to do is cooperate with Him.

If we exercise our freewill, faith, trust and action according to God's plan and leading, He will meet us as He met Abraham to help us succeed.  He will build our character and refine our motives along the way.  And we will complete the race a winner.

[Judy Harder]

Week of April 18
Good Pleasure

"And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ."  ~ Ephesians 1:9

I once met a young, married woman who had wisdom beyond her years.  She said something profound that I will always remember which was, "The trouble with life is that it's just so daily." 

May we not get so bogged down by the "dailies" that we lose sight of God's greater vision.  Let us not forget that God has us in an integral "now" process that is leading us to the fulfillment of our divine destiny.  Take joy, and count it all good.  Our best vacation from toil and hardship is in the presence of the Lord.  In due time, we will reap the harvest if we journey to the fulfillment of His purposes. 

A couple of years after this young woman made her statement, God made big shifts in her life.  Indeed, when God's purposes are fulfilled, He will move us beyond our circumstances.    One of my favorite prayers is to ask the Holy Spirit to help me "get it" the first time, that I would not have to cycle around the mountain of lesson-learning repeatedly.  Once is enough for me in this second half of my life on earth.  I don't want to waste anymore of God's time, and I declare that, through His grace, the latter will be greater than the former.

Therefore, let us do our excellent best to honor God in all that He has called us to in the here and now, processing circumstances His way in love, mercy and forgiveness.  And know that we are indeed pleasing Him and making loving memories.  There will come a future time when "now" will be the past, and we will forget the hardships of today.  So that when the future arrives, we can reflect with great joy, peace, liberty and appreciation, having no regrets, bearing no grudges and gaining God's wisdom.

Be assured that God takes good pleasure in giving back our dreams.  If you are in a dry place, know that your escape, your sanctuary can be found in the presence of the Lord.  Spend time with Him.  Ask Him to reveal His mysteries, His timing, His destiny plan for you.   Ask Him to give you His understanding of what you've gone through and how He will bring it all together in His due time, in His good pleasure.  Ask Him to awaken you to His greater vision.  Trust that He will show you specifics concerning your future.  You will surely see that there will be no greater dream fulfillment, no greater plan, no greater intimacy and no greater love for you.

God takes good pleasure in giving back to us through His servant heart.   He once spoke to my heart, saying that because I laid down my dreams and got involved with His dreams, He has gotten involved in my dreams and is giving them back to me in a way that is greater than I ever expected. 

I don't know that I've ever been more humbled or awed.  Indeed, God rewards sacrifices of the heart that make room for Him to be first.  And He showed me that He will reveal such mysteries to us through revelation if we take the time to get alone with Him and ask.

God's good pleasure is linked with the fulfillment of His predestined purposes for us (Eph. 10-12).  Our time, our hearts, our minds, our wills, our bodies, our dreams and our agendas are not our own when we are sold out to God.  After all, Jesus laid down His life for us at Calvary.  How can we call ourselves Christians if we do not honor Him for paying such a high price to give us eternal life in heaven? 

Let us remember that God created us for the purpose of fellowshipping with Him.  We are to make Him our first priority, our first love.  It gives God good pleasure when we praise, worship and honor Him throughout our destiny journey, even if it is done sacrificially.  He delights when His plans and purposes are fulfilled through us, when we are a living testimony to His power, love and glory.  Therefore, may we lay down every idol, every hearts desire, turn from every temptation and say, "Yes, Lord.  Have it Your way no matter what."

[Judy Harder]

Week of April 25
Reverence & Awe

"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe."  ~Hebrew 12:28 (NASB)

The NIV translation of this scripture inserts the word, "worship" for "service."  Indeed, our work is a form of worship and service, offered by gratitude, if we do it unto God from our hearts, demonstrating His love and devotion. 

Since the Bible tells us that God first loved us and that His love is power, clearly there is no greater position to be in than walking in His awesome love, touching others and being awed by His manifest miraculous power moment by moment.  In this, we honor God.

I never understood this revelation better than when I found the courage to trust God enough to surrender control to Him in my workplace. The first step was to totally confess all my fear, lack of trust and lack of faith.  The truth was that I was terrified to let go of control.  But I knew He was calling me to a new place spiritually, so I consciously chose to step out with the primary motive being not wanting to suffer the consequences of disobedience.  In other words, my fear of God was greater than my irrational fear of man.

The Lord instructed me to spend more time in His presence at home praising Him, talking to Him, confessing to Him, reading His word and petitioning Him until I found peace in my heart.  I often felt compelled to sing praises to Him, dance before Him and, my favorite, sit on the floor with Him and have coffee and chat.  We spent intimate time together daily, often hours.  I asked Him to fill my spirit with His love to overflowing.  And I asked Him to give me divine appointments so that I could demonstrate His love to others in need.  I asked Him to choose the people, the times and the places.  Mind you, none of this was my idea.  God instructed me to do so.  All of it was new territory for me.

As He crossed my path with others' paths at work, I consciously chose to trust the Holy Spirit to reveal His purpose in what He wanted to accomplish.  I chose to trust Him to lead me as to how to approach the person, what to say, how to say it, when to pray for them, what to pray for them.  And as I stepped out, the Lord met me.  What I witnessed shocked, awed and amazed me.

God opened my eyes to see that the people He sent to me were in need of a breakthrough and that when He allowed me to pray for them, they received whatever breakthrough blessing He wanted to give them at that appointed time.  Oftentimes, the Holy Spirit healed them physically or emotionally, depending on their needs.   

God's demonstrations of love, His power to heal and His sheer glory touched my heart so deeply that it caused me to weep and brought me to my knees in humble reverence.  He made my heart grateful to participate.  I realized there was no better place to be, and I desired more.  The Lord increased the number of divine appointments for me to a point where I found myself crying out to Him to bring others to help.  I simply couldn't keep up, which is a great place to be.

I believe divine appointments are ours for the asking and that meeting them invites a greater purpose and joy to our work.  I believe it humbles our hearts and glorifies God.  I believe it brings us into the Great Commission, which pleases God, and puts Him first in our workplaces, which offers us rewards of joy, favor and promotion.   

If you would like to journey higher in your faith in God and at work, simply ask the Lord to show you how and to position you.  He will require you to lay down fears and any other encumbrance as you choose to step into new territory.  And He will journey with you the whole way.  Truly, it is the greatest adventure.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ. Check out the God's Love at Work 2010 Women's Conference & Expo [http://www.godsloveatwork.com/2010womensexpo] in the Atlanta area on Saturday, November 6, 2010.

[Judy Harder]

Week of May 2
Loving Colleagues

"And the second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."   ~Mark 12:31

Is any other scripture so convicting?   Yet how easy it would be for those of us with hardened hearts to quickly bypass it.  Do we really know our neighbors?  And what's to love about them anyway?

The truth is that if our whole heart is surrendered to the Lord, and we truly love Him, we will want to please Him, and we will carry His love in our heart, which will overflow to others.  Too, if we truly surrender our entire agenda to Him for His purpose, asking Him to have His way in our day and then be obedient to His guidance, we will know that our jobs are our divine assignments and that the Lord will use us to affect others where He places us.  This includes our colleagues.

I recall a time when I worked with a woman I didn't even like, much less love.  I knew my heart was being tested, and God was watching.  So the first thing I did was get alone with God and confess my lack of love for her. 

I knew that 1 John 4:19 tells us that we cannot love God without loving our brother (or sister).  Therefore, it is impossible to keep God's first commandment to love God without keeping His second (Mk. 12:30-31).  And I did not want to be outside of God's will.

In my desperation, I asked God to fill my heart with His love for my sister.  But if I hadn't followed the Holy Spirit's guidance carefully, I might have missed the opportunity because His response came in an unexpected way.

The Lord actually gave this woman and I a pivotal moment where she erupted in angry lamentations before me.  As I listened to her, God overwhelmed my heart with pure divine love for her to a point that it overtook every negative and feeling I experienced.  His love enabled me to do the right thing, which was to simply hug her and tell her that Jesus loved her.  It was a more-of-Him, less-of-me moment.

Through her lamentations, I learned that she was a new Christian, who was having a hard time in life.  And she needed a personal touch from Jesus.  If I had reacted to her out of my flesh and snapped back at her or avoided her, I would've failed the heart test.  What's more, God would've had to get someone else to extend His heart to this woman, and I would've had to retake the test.

I can be a quick learner when my heart is on the line.  How about you? 

Which of your colleagues do you find difficult to love?  Which of them needs a touch from Jesus today?  I encourage you to repent, and confess that you cannot love them on your own.  Then ask the Lord to fill your heart with His divine love for them, to enable you to love them as He does.  You'll find that He'll not only touch their hearts, He'll touch yours too.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ. Check out the God's Love at Work 2010 Women's Conference & Expo [http://www.godsloveatwork.com/2010womensexpo] in the Atlanta area on Saturday, November 6, 2010

[Judy Harder]

Week of May 9
Kingdom Love

"Love never fails."  ~ I Corinthians 13:8

In order for something to never fail, it must be strong.  It mustn't wear out—ever.  It must endure through every test, every trial, every season of time, every hill, every valley, every personality.  Only God is this kind of love (I John. 4:.

Kingdom love begins with an outpouring from God to us, then through us to others.  In this way, the process of love is cyclical and is the foundation and motivation upon which and through which every Godly thing is built.

I am amazed at what God can do with a clean slate—a desperate and surrendered heart.

Have you ever noticed that when God gives us a directive, the first thing that comes is fear? This is because the directive or mandate He is giving us is bigger than we, our knowledge bank, our previous experience, our vision and the current capacity of our hearts.  It's bigger than anything we know at that moment.

Indeed, we serve a very big God who has very big plans.  And the enemy tries to use fear to thwart those plans on earth so that he can reign. 

When we turn to God with a willing heart, He showers His love upon us and restores us.  It is from His infilling of revelation, instruction and joyful power that we accomplish new things for God.

When fear comes to arrest us, we must choose which master we will serve.

God has rescued me many times from irrational fears and has taken me to heights that I could not imagine on my own by simply giving me a willing heart and a resounding "Yes" in my spirit.

When He first called me to begin to minister to people in my workplace, I felt terrified.  Sharing the love of God was the most frightening thing He could've asked me to do at that time because I had such a bad case of fear of man.   

But God was about to break that bondage in my life and restore me to love.  He opened my eyes to see that the reverential fear of God He placed within me was greater than the fear of man within me.  This overwhelming reverential fear rose up and catapulted me into the new move God had for me.

As I journeyed through this new calling and saw this new level of God's amazing love consistently, I also saw that fear of man become extinct within me.  In time, I came to understand the process of Kingdom love.

How about you?  Have you noticed that just when you feel accomplished in any particular area, like in your career or certain relationships, God soon raises the bar?  When God calls us out of our comfort zones, the familiar areas that reside within us—whether good or bad—it's not for the purpose of harming us.  It's to prosper us and others and Him.

When we step up to God's divine callings, laying down all encumbrances, including self, and thereby receive more of Him, He gives us increased opportunities to sow and receive more love.  The more we get from Him, the more we can give to others.  And the more we give, the more we get.  God's abundant love never runs out. 

In this way, Kingdom love is not selfish.  It is a generous and perpetual process of sowing and reaping and multiplying, of nourishing and replenishing for the purpose of building God's Kingdom on earth. 

Kingdom love pivots our hearts, fills our lives and elevates our spiritual walk.  May we choose a resounding yes to trusting God in this journey so that His love will captivate us and enable us to build His Kingdom on earth (Mt. 6:10).

[Judy Harder]

Week of May 16
God's Faithfulness

"Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."  ~ Lamentations 3:23

The Israelites understood that God is always faithful to His word.  Even amid judgment, they still saw His love, His mercy and compassions.  They didn't blame God.  Instead, they praised Him sacrificially.

Recently, the Lord put the hymn, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," on my heart.  I couldn't help but sing it over and over to Him.  The refrain said it all, "Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.  Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

This special praise came immediately after the Lord provided a church to host our God's Love at Work Women's Expo.

The Lord loves us to be dependent upon Him.  And oh how often He sets my feet on an Abraham-faith journey.  You know, the one where He calls us to an assignment and instructs us to head out, not knowing where we're going (Heb. 11:.

Being an adventurer at heart, these treks thrill me, and I am awed at everything that God shows me along the way.  Like mountain climbing, each step forges a new character and courage in us.

Is the Lord taking you into new territory in your career?  Is He giving you new projects and assignments?  Has He opened doors wide that cause you go cling to Him for provision?  Sometimes when the Lord promotes us, we feel inadequate, questioning whether we can really do the job. 

If this is you, rest assured that you can with Jesus walking alongside you.  God has raised you up for such a time as this.  He has prepared you, and He has already provided everything you need to accomplish what He has set you out to do.  Whatever you do not know, God will reveal to you in His creative ways.  And He will bring others who have the knowledge or connections you need.  He will give you revelations throughout the journey.  And if you ever feel "stuck," He'll send someone to lovingly give you the shove you need.

Everywhere we turn, we hear evangelists and leaders say, "2010 is the year of new beginnings."  I believe that.  And I have already seen manifest fruit of this declaration.

Remember when Joshua entered into the Promised Land, and he had to fight battles to gain what God promised him and his people?  Joshua had to depend upon God for every unique strategy for victory along the way (Joshua 5:14).  So too must we.  This is the key to a success that is greater than we can achieve on our own.

God loves His children and desires to bless us.  He is our greatest cheerleader and champion.  I love Jesus' prayer, "On earth as it is in heaven."  Jesus had such a heart for His Heavenly Father that He only wanted to serve Him and do His will.  He was wise enough to choose the highest path that would result in the highest reward for Himself and others.  There is no greater strategy than the one God reveals.  His ways are always purposed, positioning us higher than we can take ourselves alone.  And sometimes they may seem unusual.

Remember, Abraham had to depart his comfort zones to receive an inheritance that was greater than what his earthly father could provide (Gen. 12:1). 

Are you ready to go higher than you've ever gone?  God is searching for a people who love Him enough to do extraordinary exploits.  The rewards are so worth the journey.  And our God is faithful to deliver.

[Judy Harder]

Week of May 23
God's Promises

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."  ~Hebrews 10:36

God purposes the timing and manifestations of His promises.  Though some seem a long time coming, they are not.  Though the wait may feel like God has forgotten, He has not.  God's timing is perfect, and His patience is great.

Consider Elizabeth and Mary.  Despite their great difference in age, both women were pregnant with promised sons simultaneously.  The timing of each pregnancy was purposed according to God's plan as was their children's destinies.

What has God promised you?  Has He delivered yet?  How's your faith?

2 Peter 3:8 says, "a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

Perseverance in obedience is the key to receiving the promises of God.  And when we get off track, repentance is key.

In Psalm 119, we see that God gives us hope through His promises (vs. 49).  He preserves our lives through His promises (vs. 50).  He supplies us with grace according to His promises (vs. 58).  And we are to meditate on and rejoice in His promises (vs. 148, 162).

God's heart within us and the fulfillment of His promises allow us to forgive those who disappointed us on a greater level.  When we expect people, not God, to fulfill promises only God can fulfill, we must repent and release them to Him.  False expectations can hold us in bondage and cause us to miss God's very best for our lives.

What have you expected and have not yet received?  How are you handling the situation?  Are you praising God throughout the process?  Has your mind been on Him or on your circumstances?  How about your heart?  Do you know that God loves you enough to bring fulfillment, to be true to His word.  Do you trust Him enough?

Have you asked God what His will is?  Have you asked Him what you are supposed to complete before He fulfills His promise?

The fulfillment of God's promises points toward Him as the one true God.  David's prayer in 2 Samuel 7:25-26 says, "And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise You have made concerning Your servant and His house.  Do as You promised, so that Your name will be great forever.  Then men will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!'  And the house of Your servant David will be established before You."

When God fulfills His promises, do we give Him all the glory?  Is it all about Him?  Is He first on our hearts?

Psalm 145:13 says, "The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made."

Jeremiah 32:19 says, "great are Your purposes and mighty are Your deeds.  Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; You reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve."

May we receive the full measure of God's promises by being obedient to His will.

[Judy Harder]

Week of May 30
Freedom

"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts."  ~ Psalm 119:45

God's freedom has little to do with the world's freedom.  Knowing and living out His truth is the only way we can be assured His peace, His rest, His protection. 

And like this psalmist, when we walk closely with God, seeking Him with our whole heart and moving in careful obedience, God delights in us; He hears us; He rescues us. 

Have you noticed that at some point in every journey—whether work-related or personal—circumstances will cause us to either flee immediately or to rise up, stand boldly and confront that which comes against God's purposes and plans for us?  The attack can come in many forms—false accusation, persecution, fear, disrespect, strife, disorder, confusion, lack of funds, brick walls, etc.

But there comes a time when God says, "No more!"  There comes a time when, if we don't give up and we remain close to God, He shows up with a mighty shift and deals with the enemy, either by quelling the torment or promoting us out of the situation entirely, all to His glory.

I love these pivotal moments when God frees us up to complete His mission.  They are "sudden" transformations, crescendos, thrilling and certainly a relief.

Freedom literally means "a wide space" as in unconfined by affliction or oppression (Ps. 119:45 NIV note).

To be delivered from heaviness in an instant is what Noah, Moses, Elisha, Joseph, Daniel, David, Jesus and others, who were committed to our Heavenly Father, knew.  Each one leaned upon Father God during their very unique and difficult circumstances.

Consider Daniel.  Though he was intelligent, fit, gifted, noble and had the favor of God upon him, he still found himself held in captivity by a Babylonian king in a foreign land (Dan. 1).  Yet God was in control.  Daniel was set up by God in new territory, desperately dependant upon Him for direction and freedom. 

God had a purpose.  And along with this "set up" came a set time.  God was about to expound His glory in a new way through a terrified Daniel who experienced several encounters with God and witnessed his enemys' defeat over a pre-ordained period of time.

Daniel 10:12 says, " . . . 'Do not be afraid, Daniel.  Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.'"

Indeed, God's promises were fulfilled and His strategies to freedom broke through in His due time.  God will even send his mighty angels to fight our battles and conquer our enemies once and for all to bring restoration and reward.

God ultimately positioned a faithful Daniel to be rewarded by the very earthly king that held him captive (Dan. 2) and to receive his allotted inheritance (Dan. 12:13).

God is always in control.  He will never forsake us in torrid circumstances if we, like Daniel, exercise wisdom and surrender our hearts to Him.

If you find yourself currently in some form of captivity, know that if you turn to God with all your heart and carefully obey his directives, he will hear you and deliver you into His freedom, just like He did for Daniel.

[Judy Harder]

Week of June 6
A Strong Foundation

" . . . fire will test the quality of each man's work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward."  ~ I Corinthians 3:13-14 (NIV) 

Indeed, God cares about the purity of our work.  He cares about our motives behind our work, and He cares about the outward appearance of our work.  He cares about how our work affects others and how we treat people along the way. 

Work is a reflection of the heart, and God is watching.  He sees when we cut corners, slip in late, steal supplies, cheat customers and gossip.

He also sees when we are on time and honest, when we serve and encourage others with a loving heart and when we build with excellence upon the foundation that Christ laid.

I once had a job marketing a new product to churches.  Before I came on board, however, a previous team of experts had laid the foundation of this new product.  They researched, wrote training manuals and student workbooks, designed logos and developed branding.  They invested a lot of money and time into laying the foundation that our second team built upon.  The first team's efforts were tested and refined as we journey forth.  That which was solid remained, and that which was not gave way to change in order to produce higher quality.

This is much like how God "works" us through His divine refining.  He challenges or tests our hearts to forge us into greater purity, like pure gold and silver.  And our behaviors and works are a reflection of where we are in this process.

In I Corinthians 3, Paul attempted to reestablish morality in the church.  He identified areas that were weak or erroneous and corrected them.  Imagine the messages the Corinthians were sending to the world in their defamed state.  Likewise, what would Paul have to say if he could visit our workplaces?  Would he consider our behaviors and works moral or immoral?  What messages are we sending to our co-workers?  Do they see enough of Jesus in us to desire what we have?  Are we winning them to Christ?  Reaching out to them with His compassion?  Or turning them away with dissension and boasting?

Yes, God expects quality.  I Corinthians 3:13 tells us that our "work will be shown for what it is."  The Lord's truth will be revealed about us and our work.  We and our work will be judged, and we will either receive a reward or a loss.  In this, we have a choice.  What will we choose?  What will we receive?

Are we committed to behaving and performing in God's ways or ours?  I Corinthians 3:20 says, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."  I Corinthians 3:18 tells us to not deceive ourselves.  I Corinthians 3:19 says, "He catches the wise in their craftiness." 

Are we not to humbly build upon that which Christ laid before us and do His work by His grace?  The truth is that without His grace, we can do nothing at all. 

Make no mistake about it, the Lord led me to these scriptures in I Corinthians at the outset of my job.  I knew He meant business, that the business I was doing was His and that I did it by His grace alone.

If you would like to have more of God's excellence reflected in your work, simply confess and invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart and to bring you into a greater realm of His excellence so that you may receive what He longs to give you: His finest reward.