Don't Over Work

"Do not over work to be rich, because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not?"

- Prov. 23:4-5

America. Land of people that work way too hard to stack that green, the dinero, the cheese, that cabbage, loot, MONEY MONEY MONEY.

This is an important topic for everyone, especially young professionals. Aren't we supposed to do whatever it takes? I thought we're supposed to pursue our goals with tenacity. I mean, if I have to work 60+ hours a week to achieve my financial goals then so be it. Right?

Well, our fast paced, go get em' culture will tell you that wealth requires sacrifice. The problem is that we're sometimes asked to sacrifice the things that are important to God. Riches are great and that senior position with the corner office would be awesome, but it may come with a price. Money is important, but if we're not careful we can lose more than we bargained for. We can be consumed by the pursuit of a bigger bank account. Our desires for a new challenge may actually bring more obstacles than opportunities. 

Your time, energy, and passion is important to God. When we over work ourselves for that illusive monetary goal, our time, energy, and passion are not allocated appropriately. Family is forgotten, our health suffers, and our stress increases. We forget how fun it is to just sit and watch a movie. We disregard quiet time with God. We log into our work laptop instead of swinging by a friend's house. We even delegate our money to the work of God but don't get involved ourselves. We are spread thin, stretched, and consumed.

The fallen nature of our culture praises people who work those extra hours for the good of the company. The "get it done" attitude is exalted.  "Work-life balance" seems to be more for employees with children. Oh, by the way, working 5 out of 7 days in a week does not seem like work-life balance to me!

I'm not saying you should start working part time, but it helps put things in perspective :-) It is an eye opener when you realize that 30% of your time is spent sleeping, 30% of your time is spent at the job. Then you try to squeeze the other 40% of your "life" in the evenings, Saturday, and Sunday. You know as well as I do, that the weekend can be a blur between recreation and more work. 

Here are some questions that will help you evaluate your work life:

1.  Are you working hard or over working? Diligence is between laziness and working selfishly.

2. What does God want from you? God does not measure your success with a dollar sign.

3. What is your focus? Focus on purpose not profit.

4. Is your time allocated the way it should be? Prioritize and manage your time.

5. Are you depressed or stressed? Money is good but peace is much better.

6. What are you chasing? Pursue goals that God has confirmed, not one's that you've created.

7. How is your relationship with God? A work life that compromises your walk with God is a work life that is not managed correctly.

Things you can do:

1. Assess your time and priorities before God. You'll know what needs fixing.

2. Don't let vacation days pile up...USE THEM

3. Don't bring work home. It's a choice.

4. Ask your HR group if there are opportunities to work four, 10 hr days. May require you to wake up a little earlier, but that's not so bad.

5. Change jobs. If the role your in requires too much of you, start looking for other options.

6. Seek to renew your mind and thoughts about money. 

The goal is to glorify God in our work. In the end, the heavens won't be talking about how much money we made. 

Pop the Culture,

B.A.P

 

The Teachable Student

The bible addresses the topic of teaching on numerous occasions. Teaching is an important part of society, the church, and the home. Christ built His ministry around teaching others and He surrounded Himself with students who were willing to learn and there were others that rejected His wisdom.

It is my opinion that everyone is a student 24 hours a day. We are surrounded by wisdom, we interact with people that have wisdom, and we experience events that provide us with knowledge all the time. We are being taught even when we don't realize it. With all of the knowledge around us and with the many teachers we encounter, becoming a teachable student is something we all need to address.

Becoming a good student is fundamental to our relationship with Jesus. It is also critical to our personal and professional growth. Making the decision to actively listen and learn requires us to shed a few bags of our former nature. Our former nature hates to indulge in Godly wisdom. It wants to prevent us from growing and gaining more ground in our purpose. Let me describe our former nature:

- Proud
- Arrogant
- Rebellious
- Deaf
- Insecure

Our former nature is a "know it all" and esteems itself a little too highly. Our former nature is also rebellious. It can't seem to submit to leadership and it especially can't stand submitting to those with the authority to teach. It has selective hearing and it will listen only when it is convenient. Lastly, our old nature is insecure. It doesn't want to be a teachable student because it needs to face what it does not know and admit that it is not always "right".

I have to say that my old nature has popped up many times in my life. For me to grow as a leader, I need to master the art of being a teachable student. How do we overcome this old nature that does not want to be teachable? Well, overcoming our old ways is simply a choice. It is a choice because we are now free from the proud, arrogant, rebellious, deaf, and insecure ways of our past (Romans). So if we are not teachable, it is because we choose not to be. We'd rather ignore the signs of our faulty old character.

Becoming a teachable student is essential to our success in the public arena. Most importantly, it is the only way we can please Christ. Ultimately, the best students will become the best teachers and will become the shining examples of Godly influence in a crippled culture.

"Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me."
- Psalm 25:4-5

Pop the Culture,

B.A.P