Yesterday, in conversation with one of my co-workers who was a direct hire into the position I would like to be hired on as (I'm currently a temp), I came to find out how much take home pay he gets each check. It's something like $1000 more a month than I make now. Wow. One of my goals in this job is to be hired full time as a process operator (the position I mentioned above), and should that happen, and that really is the starting pay, I could get completely out of debt in 20 months and be able to support a family.
Tonight, at Ignite, I couldn't get this idea out of my head, and it was distracting me from worshiping the Lord. I found my self singing one thing with my brain actively saying "I hope I get that position. I hope in this. Hope hope hope." Note the train of thought here is focused on hoping in getting a job, not in Christ. My active hope in that moment was in making money and having a good position.
Yet the Bible tells us not to hope in money. In fact, if identifies doing so as idolatry. No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. - Luke 16:13. So as my good friend Bryan Morton put it tonight, "We have this enemy, and he's going to try to pull us away from God, and to do that, he's going to bait the line with good things. Getting out of debt, that's a good thing, but our hope is only in that, then it's bad."
So my prayer is this: God, don't let me hope in a good job, good paycheck and a good future. Let me trust you in your infinate goodness, holiness and wisdom, that your plan is perfect. You alone are worthy of my trust.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
my awesome day of answered prayer...
So this morning I was running late. One of those days where I kept forgetting everything upstairs. I almost made it all the way to my car before realizing that I didn't have my keys on me. That sort of morning. So as I drove to work, almost ten minutes later than I usually leave, I started praying. I prayed that God would get me to work on time, even though I had left late. I prayed that I would be awake and alert all day. I prayed that I would have fruitful conversation and would be a good representative of Christ.
I called my boss and told him that I would be arriving just as he was finishing the morning meeting. Somehow, I managed to get to work before he had even started. Then, I was put on a process that I really enjoyed, working with a guy that I hadn't gotten to work with in over a month, and the conversation just led into the gospel!
So in answer to my prayer, 1) I was right on time to work. 2) I was put on a job that kept me awake, alert and made my day fly by, and 3) I got to share the gospel.
God rocks!
I called my boss and told him that I would be arriving just as he was finishing the morning meeting. Somehow, I managed to get to work before he had even started. Then, I was put on a process that I really enjoyed, working with a guy that I hadn't gotten to work with in over a month, and the conversation just led into the gospel!
So in answer to my prayer, 1) I was right on time to work. 2) I was put on a job that kept me awake, alert and made my day fly by, and 3) I got to share the gospel.
God rocks!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Some verses I read today...
I was reading in Lamentations today, when I stumbled accross these verses:
Lamentations 3:25-27 - The Lord is good to those who wait for him to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Yesterday, as I was driving and Conlan was snoozing, I was praying. I was praying about a situation in my life that needed some guidance, and I asked God to please give me a verse the next time I opened my Bible concerning whether I should take action now or wait and see what happens. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Sweet.
Then, I read on and got these verses which are a strong comfort to me in many situations:
Lamentations 3:31-33 - For the Lord does not cast off forever, but though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.
No good parent wants to hurt his children, but there is a difference between discipline and affliction. God does not afflict his children, though he disciplines us as any good parent does. So when God asks me to sacrifice, it is not to push me down, but it is to his glory for my best.
Praise up!
Lamentations 3:25-27 - The Lord is good to those who wait for him to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Yesterday, as I was driving and Conlan was snoozing, I was praying. I was praying about a situation in my life that needed some guidance, and I asked God to please give me a verse the next time I opened my Bible concerning whether I should take action now or wait and see what happens. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Sweet.
Then, I read on and got these verses which are a strong comfort to me in many situations:
Lamentations 3:31-33 - For the Lord does not cast off forever, but though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.
No good parent wants to hurt his children, but there is a difference between discipline and affliction. God does not afflict his children, though he disciplines us as any good parent does. So when God asks me to sacrifice, it is not to push me down, but it is to his glory for my best.
Praise up!
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