Challenged

Good morning friends! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Mine was spent partially with friends (one night involved a friendly match of Pictionary that was not lacking in the laughter department), partially at work and mostly indoors due to the ever present rain we've experienced, oh you know, for well over a month now! Normally on Mondays I portray a glimpse into my weekend with a few pictures, but today shall be slightly un-ordinary with a glimpse into my thoughts due to a very encouraging and challenging church service yesterday.

For those of you that don't know, I attend City Church, which is located at the Tallahassee Mall and is led by Pastor Dean Inserra and a slew of other awesome guys and gals. Dean always has a way of portraying Gods word in a relevant, motivating, and encouraging way, but yesterday's message really spoke to and challenged me. We are currently going through a series called "Walk the Line" that involves digging deep into the scriptures of Proverbs and trying to grasp all the wisdom it offers. 

"Never walk away from wisdom-she guards your life-she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this; get wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get understanding! Believe me, you won't regret it; never let her go-she'll make your life glorious." Proverbs 4:6-8

"One day I walked by the field of an old lazybones, and then passed the vineyard of a lout. They were overgrown with weeds, thick with thistles, all the fences broken down. I took a long look and pondered what I saw; the fields preached me a sermon and I listened: A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy- do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt poor life, with poverty as your permanent houseguest." Proverbs 24:30-34

The theme of yesterday was laziness and though I didn't consider myself a lazy person, by the end of the service, I realized I unfortunately do exemplify this type of behavior more often than I should. Dean described laziness as a moral/character issue, not a "tired" issue. We're all tired and we're all "so busy", but in reality, were not finding rest in the only true place it can be found, which is in Christ. The world we live in is constantly telling us that we need rest and relaxation, and items to incessantly be entertaining us (hello social media overload), which inevitably causes us to be distracted from work. Work was portrayed to me as not just your vocation, but also your relationships with family and friends; they aren't grown by doing nothing, but by careful attention and much effort.

Dean challenged us yesterday, that we as Christians should be viewed as the absolute hardest (not most talented) workers our employers have ever seen. If that isn't our attitude and approach to our jobs, then we've completely missed the opportunity to display the image of God. God has strategically placed us where we are, whether that's at a hospital, a store, a restaurant, a law firm, or just simply at home, for a reason, and that reason is to bring him glory and give others a glimpse of His love and character. Though you may not be in your exact dream job, if you work with enthusiasm and effort not "required" or asked of you, you portray a positive picture of Christ simply by your character. In a world where people try to make the most money by doing the least amount of work, you will stand out and be a beacon of light to fellow co-workers.

Here are a few more pointers I took away from yesterday's teaching:

*Do what you do really well; you're not working for a paycheck, you're working for Christ

*You are above all else, called NOT employed

*Eliminate things that distract you (ie-your phone)

*The kingdom of Christ isn't a retreat, it's an adventure

*Laziness is an enemy to all of us

*We're called to be good stewards of the time and talents God has given us, so be faithful where He has placed you

After feeling quite moved yesterday, I was compelled to share this with y'all and to challenge you to go about your relationships and time at work with a renewed drive, energy, and thought process on how just by simply displaying character and a hard work ethic could show others the love of Christ. Rid yourself of laziness and grab what God has given you by the horns and go after it with fierceness and tenacity. And anytime discouragement is trying to pry its way into your mind or you feel a bout of laziness coming on, watch this video about Richie Parker and I promise you will feel motivated and able to accomplish whatever you set your sights on. It's amazing how just yesterday I was challenged and spoken to, and then this morning after having my coffee on the porch, I walk into the living room to a story on ESPN (which the Mr had turned on before work) about Richie that completely blew my mind and relates exactly to the eye opening lesson I received yesterday. God works in mysterious ways! 

Thanks for reading this extremely long winded post today with a lack of pictures to be visually stimulating, but rather with words that I hope will bring encouragement and light a fire within your heart.