The Affair with Careerism
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Posted:Aug 27, 2009 12:48 pm
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10228 Views
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The Affair with Careerism Matthew 6:33
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
The stereotype of the executive in the three-piece pinstriped suit working long hours to make it to the top has been around for decades, but his female counterpart is a more recent development. Today, a growing number of men and women are more devoted to their careers than they are to their families. The siren call of careerism lures us away from intimacy and oneness.Magazines carry articles on husbands and wives who pursue careers with brilliance, energy and drive. Somewhere in the article the wife mentions that she would like to have a , but her career has been her all-consuming passion. Or she will lament the fact that she has to leave a small baby in some kind of day care situation while she zooms off to catch a jet to the next sales conference. These articles make these couples sound content, chic, sophisticated and totally fulfilled. In a word, they seem to have it all.
We seldom think of careerism as an "affair." But it is. What is an affair? It is breaking your marriage vows and giving yourself to someone or something else-a person, a career or material possessions.
Ironically, careers can be cruel lovers. In the end this kind of love affair is very unfulfilling. There is always another mountain to climb, another business victory to pursue; it's a life void of meaningful relationships. Those who put career above family are rarely satisfied. They are tragically addicted to riding the corporate escalator, and with no way to get off. They must ride it all the way to the top-only to find that at the top it's lonely.
Meanwhile, back at home the fires are slowly going out...
Prayer:
That God will help you remain true to the priority of the family, and that you will experience satisfaction there and not seek it elsewhere.
Discuss: Based upon your calendar, what are you giving your life to? What are your stated values? Your real values? What does God want you to do about any contradictions?
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Christ in Every Room
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Posted:Aug 26, 2009 9:01 am
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10259 Views
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Christ in Every Room Luke 10:27
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind.
For several years as a young man I compartmentalized my life, allowing God access to only small portions of it. Then I came across a simple booklet by Robert Boyd Munger called My Heart, Christ's Home that had a profound impact on me. I was challenged to give Jesus Christ full access and authority over every "room" in my heart. Let me challenge you to reflect on His presence in the rooms of your own heart and home.Allow Christ to rule the room where you keep your ego. This room has a small door, but we all know how large an ego can lurk inside. When Jesus isn't allowed into this room, husbands and wives bicker, we may become too proud to bury the hatchet with offending parents, are too competitive and selfish, and everyone is too proud to confess sins. Let Jesus replace your ego and be Lord of this room of your life.
Open to Christ the room of expectations. In this room, we keep our expectations of others' behavior. With Christ excluded, this room can become filled with longings and unmet hopes-some of which are unrealistic and perfectionistic, some of which we've never even expressed to our loved ones.
Let Christ into the room of relationships with your parents. Too many adult have closed off this room from Christ's presence. They have not fully obeyed the Scripture when they married to "leave and cleave"; they're still too dependent. Or they have ignored their parents and been too distant from them. The Scriptures command those who get married to leave their parents (see Gen. 2:24,25), but to love and honor them as well. Closing off this room from Christ results in inappropriate relationships between adult and their parents.
Is Christ welcome in every room of your heart and home? Is there one of these three rooms that is off limits to Him?
Prayer:
For the kind of openness, vulnerability and commitment it takes to truly invite Jesus to be Lord over every aspect of your daily life.
Discuss: Have you ever given Jesus Christ access to every room in your heart? Does He still have that unhindered access today? Focus on one of the "rooms" above and suggest practical ways Christ can be invited in, and clean it up.
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How Many Caps Do You Wear?
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Posted:Aug 25, 2009 12:38 pm
Last Updated:Aug 28, 2009 8:47 am 10819 Views
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How Many Caps Do You Wear? Ephesians 5:15,16
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
I'm addicted to baseball caps. I have caps from several baseball teams including the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and Cantrell Lawn and Turf, my boys' Little League team that went 1-14 two years in a row. My other caps advertise a variety of vacation spots, deer and duck hunts, float trips and a couple of lesser-known corporations.These caps serve as reminders of the different roles and responsibilities I have as a man. Recently my schedule was getting the upper hand, so I decided to take a year-end inventory of the "caps" I was wearing to see if I could reorganize them or shed some. A few from my list, in no particular order, were: employee, Sunday School teacher, friend, speaker, counselor, recruiter, writer, broadcaster, citizen, manager, motivator, hunter, housepainter, fisherman, taxpayer, financial planner, husband, father of six .
Many of the "caps" I wear represent people I am responsible for. As I contemplated all these responsibilities, something I frequently ask myself came to mind: The question is not will I succeed, but where must I succeed. What caps must I be successful in wearing?
When I read in Ephesians that I should walk wisely, "making the most of your time" I realized I needed to weed out unessential responsibilities in my life so I would have room for the essentials. When we recently reorganized our closet, Barbara said I had too many caps and that I had to get rid of "a few." Painful as it was, I filled a small garbage can with half my original stock. My shoes fit neatly on the shelves again, I still have my emotional favorites in my possession, and I saved my marriage in the process!
I saw a T-shirt the other day that said, "I want it all." That just isn't realistic, is it? You and I can't have it all-something, or someone, will suffer.
Prayer:
That God will make you equal to the variety of tasks you shoulder and give you discernment regarding priorities.
Discuss: In addition to your responsibility to God, what other "hats" do you wear? Help one another by regularly tossing "hats" that are keeping you from being the best at your essential responsibilities.
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Launching Our Arrows
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Posted:Aug 24, 2009 8:08 am
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10245 Views
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Launching Our Arrows (Part Two) Philippians 2:15
Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.
During the next year, Barbara and I notched the bowstring with another arrow, Benjamin, and prepared for our second release. We spent a lot of time talking to him about the temptations he would encounter at the university. Over breakfast Bible studies we discussed drinking, peer pressure, dating, girls and sex.Some of these talks began when Benjamin was in fifth and sixth grade. Any good archer will tell you that you don't prepare for hunting season by practicing for a couple of weeks right before it begins.
In August, just days before Benjamin was to leave for college, I set up a surprise breakfast for him. We were joined by three godly men whom Benjamin respected. It was powerful! They encouraged Benjamin to grow in his love for Jesus Christ, to guard his heart and to be faithful to God.
Finally the day came. Arriving on campus, we spent most of the afternoon cleaning our 's room so he could move in.
It was nearly dusk when the first poignant moment came. Benjamin and I went outside the student housing for some fresh air and sat on the tailgate of a truck parked near the door. There we watched a steady stream of young men pass by, most of them drinking.
At this point I was becoming fearful for my . I wanted to protect my arrow and put it back in the quiver, not release it into this "crooked and perverse generation." I turned to Benjamin and looked him in the eye. ", I've got to tell you that watching all these young men get wasted on booze really causes me to question the wisdom of sending you into the midst of all this."
There was only a brief silence and then he returned my gaze. "Dad, this is my mission field," he replied. "It's going to be tough, but if it were easy these guys wouldn't need Jesus Christ. This is what you and Mom have trained me for. God has led me here and He will protect me."
There I sat, rebuked by my 18-year-old . He was a young man of faith.
Prayer:
That your will desire to have an impact on their peers for Jesus Christ.
Discuss: How many years do you have before you release your "arrows"? How are you preparing them for spiritual battle?
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Surrendered -For the Display of His Splendor
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Posted:Aug 21, 2009 12:09 pm
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10268 Views
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Surrendered - For the Display of His Splendor
By Renee Swope
"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)
Devotion:
My dearest friend, women's ministry director and mentor was moving - hours away! This was the woman who had believed in me, invested in me and encouraged me. She'd also prayed for me and stood beside me as I overcame fears and doubts, following God's call into ministry.
How was I going to make it without her?
Trying to find a distraction for my despair, I decided to tackle long overdo yard work. As I headed out to our shed, I noticed a rose bush the previous homeowner had planted. It was in full bloom, displaying her splendor through gorgeous pink blossoms across the center of our split rail fence.
How did that happen? I wondered.
Although I'd never used it, I remembered seeing rose fertilizer in our shed so I decided to use it. I pulled the weeds away from the bush's base so the plant food could sink into the soil and noticed the root ball had four sections.
Should I leave the sections all together or divide and place them at different posts on the fence?
If I planted them at separate posts, their vines would eventually connect and create a blanket of pink draped across the whole fence. With that image in mind, I knelt before the blossoming beauty and pressed my hands into the dirt to find the right places to separate the root ball.
At that moment, I sensed God whisper to my heart that the rose bush was a picture of what He was doing with the women's ministry I loved. Each of us serving on the ministry team had been carefully planted in our giftedness, nurtured and encouraged through prayer, equipped through training and fertilized by opportunities to serve. We had become a display of God's splendor.
But, like this plant, we had reached the fullness of His glory in our current soil. I sensed Him telling me that we were ready to be divided into separate plants so that His glory would be more fully displayed, as He planted each of us uniquely and individually in new places of ministry.
I couldn't bear the thought of it. Would there be more pruning? More breaking up of what had taken years to establish? This was nowhere in my plans and dreams!
It is so painful when God allows our dreams to be shattered, our hearts to be broken, our relationships to be separated and our fears to be realized. I really doubted what God was doing. I doubted any good could come from such loss. I doubted that I could make it through the pain. Yet, as I imagined God's glory being more fully displayed, my heart settled into a place of surrender. It wasn't my plan, but if it was for His glory, wasn't that what I wanted? Wasn't that what Jesus did? Would I also trust Him to ease my sorrow and bring something good from it?
That day I knelt on holy ground in front of my rose bush and surrendered the broken dreams in my heart. Even if it meant letting go of what I loved so deeply, it would be worth it if others would see HIM more fully in my life and eventually in my ministry.
Are you in a season of being uprooted? Has God re-arranged your plans and your future? Are you struggling to trust His ways?
Jesus' life and death displays God's promise to turn our despair into divine joy and our loss into a legacy as we depend on and trust in Him. I didn't think I could make it. But five years later, I see how God took my doubts and sorrow and used them to draw me into absolute dependence and sweet surrender to Him -- for the display of His splendor.
Lord, I want to reflect Your glory through the display of my dependence on You. As painful as it is, I realize Your splendor is revealed in my brokenness as I rely on Your love and strength. I put my trust in Your plans and not my own today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Visit Renee's blog for more thoughts on surrendering to God's promises and plans.
Beyond the Shadow of Doubt: Becoming The Woman You Already Are in Christ,
a message on DVD by Renee Swope
Click here to know more about Jesus
Click here for more of Renee's Resources.
Application Steps:
Reflect on today's power verse, Isaiah 61:1-3. List ways that God has, or ways you want Him to fulfill these promises in your life.
Reflections:
Am I going through a season of surrender? Am I struggling to trust God's ways?
If you want more encouragement or prayer, click here to let Renee know how she can pray for you.
Power Verses:
Isaiah 61:1-3, "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." (NIV)
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The Trump Test
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Posted:Aug 19, 2009 10:22 am
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10366 Views
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The Thump Test Luke 6:45
The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
Max Lucado once wrote about the way a potter checks his work. When he pulls a pot out of the oven, he "thumps" it. If there's a good, ringing sound-if the pot "sings"-it's ready. But if there's just a "thud," the pot is put back into the oven. As Max wrote, a person's character is also checked by thumping:Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. "You've-got-to-be-kidding" deadlines. These are all thumps. Thumps are irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat-footed. They aren't big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out!
Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (see Luke 6:45). There's nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart. The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics, but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living.
How do you respond to "thumping"-to the knocks and blows and trials of life? Do you sing? Or do you thud? Your answer depends to a large degree on what your "pot" is made of-what's in your heart, as Jesus said.
But even if you have a tendency to thud more than sing, take heart. There is hope. We can learn from the thumps. We can be aware of "thump-slump" times, like "blue Mondays," after a holiday and such. No thump is a disaster. All thumps work for good if we are loving and obeying God.
Prayer:
Is your mate or a in a "thump slump" right now? Go and pray with him or her that God's grace and love will be real. Then hug him, tell him that you love him and go get an ice-cream cone together.
Discuss: What kind of "thumps" tend to discourage you most? What are the "thump slump" times in your spouse's life? Ask your spouse how you can be sensitive during such times.
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Running in the Ruts
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Posted:Aug 18, 2009 12:19 pm
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10676 Views
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Running in the Ruts Ecclesiastes 2:17
So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
Have you thought lately about where you're going in life?A sign on the rugged Alaskan Highway reads: Choose your rut carefully. You'll be in it for the next 200 miles.
Too many of us like ruts. Predictable and familiar, ruts offer us security. Like a numbing narcotic, however, they cause us to waste a lot of our lives. It has been said that a rut is nothing more than a grave with both ends knocked out. This must have been part of the futility Solomon experienced when he wrote those words in Ecclesiastes.
naturally resist ruts. As Barbara and I attempt to raise six, we're challenged by their probing questions. We're told a asks at least 250,000 questions growing up. No wonder they learn so rapidly...and stay out of ruts.
Maybe one reason we adults feel that we're stuck in a 200-mile rut is we don't ask enough questions. Daily we climb on the merry-go-round of life, getting up and going to work. Then we come home and ritualistically collapse in front of the TV set.
Occasionally we wonder about getting out of our ruts, but we usually give in to our insecurities, and decide to stay where we are. At least we know the boundaries. Some people try to escape the sense of meaninglessness simply by accelerating the pace of their lives. But their direction doesn't change; the rut still determines where they're going.
Where is your rut going? As one man put it, "Most of us live a lifetime looking for the pot at the end of the rainbow, only to find a pot of salty liver soup."
Solomon's sense of futility stemmed from the fact that all his ruts were "under the sun"-devoid of the transcendent presence of God. Only when he decided to "fear God and keep His commandments" (Eccles. 12:13) was he able to escape the futile sameness of life's ruts.
Prayer:
Ask God to keep you out of the ruts of a boring "Christian" life and to enable you to see Him at work in your life and family.
Discuss: What element in your life and work helps you escape a sense of futility? How does God lift us out of our "ruts"?
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The Law of Giving
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Posted:Aug 17, 2009 8:53 am
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10227 Views
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The Law of Giving Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.
Christianity is full of apparent paradoxes, including one that Jesus teaches us: If we give, we will receive. Somehow a transfer takes place so that, when we give, we are enriched. We are not depleted, even if we do not see it or feel it at the time.This "Law of Giving" applies to many areas of life, but is especially relevant to self-esteem. As one woman wrote in a letter to Barbara and me, "I have realized that in giving of myself, I am actually getting in return a spouse who feels good about himself, which then makes me feel good about myself."
The world whispers to us, "You can give away only what you have. Wait until your own needs are met. Then you will be able to reach out to others and really give." But is that what Jesus meant when He said "give"?
We think not. Why? Perhaps Jesus knew that nobody ever reaches that point where all needs are met.
Perhaps you get tired of giving. You may be thinking, You don't know my mate. I don't want to give this time. I can understand a little bit-what spouse hasn't had his or her moments. But when truth is not ruling in your life, feelings are. Acting on negative feelings will not build your mate's self-image or your marriage-it will only tear down what you've already built.
Even if you feel you've given and given and given for years, please don't give up. Your mate needs you more than you realize. God sees, and He will reward you.
Theologian F.B. Meyer has said, "He is the richest man in the esteem of the world who has gotten most. He is the richest man in the esteem of heaven who has given most."
Where do you want to be the richest?
Prayer:
That God would help you make daily choices to put aside your own selfish desires and have a giving heart.
Discuss: How can you begin applying the "Law of Giving" in your marriage this week? Write down two or three ways.
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An Agonizing Decision
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Posted:Aug 14, 2009 10:15 am
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10361 Views
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An Agonizing Decision James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Our Rebecca was involved in gymnastics, and she was doing well. As her level of skill increased, she was expected to spend more time at the gym. She would train from 4-8:30 P.M., three days a week. Barbara and I were concerned about the direction this was taking. We realized that, if Rebecca kept moving into higher levels in gymnastics, it would take her away from her family. She was spending more time with her coach than she was with us. And she was fast approaching the turbulent years of adolescence.
While we appreciated gymnastics for the discipline it gave Rebecca, we had other priorities. Ultimately, we felt God was leading us to fortify our relationship with Rebecca before she became a .
The more we prayed the more we realized that, if Rebecca continued in gymnastics, we would not have the time to work with her in areas we considered more important. In a year she would turn 13, and we consider the time just before years to be crucial for building character and preparing for the pressures and choices.
After months of agonizing prayer, we decided to pull Rebecca out of gymnastics. While we would not argue with a parent who made an opposite decision, the point I want to make is that we had a vision for the type of woman Rebecca could become-a woman who would walk with God and make an impact for Christ. And we believed that the best place for her to learn and grow and mature was not in a gymnasium but in our home.
As parents, we need to be clear about the character qualities and relationships we are building in our . are a high and holy calling. They are the legacy we leave to the next generation. Neil Postman said, "Our are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." What kind of message are you sending?
Prayer:
Ask God for His favor as you seek to raise that will be "living" messages of hope to the next generation.
Discuss: What is your vision for the type of people your will become? Why not consider listing the qualities you want to see in your .
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Entering Lion's Country part 2
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Posted:Aug 13, 2009 2:49 pm
Last Updated:Jan 24, 2026 6:8 am 10242 Views
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Entering Lion's Country (Part Two) 1 John 5:19
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Instead of falling prey to the devil, Christians must be aggressive soldiers recapturing the land for Christ. One goal of our spiritual battle is to prevent our adversary from having any sphere of influence in our lives.Successful invaders are risk takers. Men and women of faith and action. The victory will go to those who move their faith the 18-inch distance from their heads to their hearts. Many Christians, however, seem to prefer comfort to conflict.
Winston Churchill believed the battlefield is the place where great issues are resolved. And I believe the great issues of our day will only be decided when well-equipped Christians invade lion country. Just as Churchill refused to negotiate until the adversary had capitulated, neither can we afford to give in to temptation or compromise.
As you encroach on the enemy's territory, remember these admonitions from Scripture:
Stand firm and let God's Word be your guide. We have God's assurance that we won't lose the war.(see Eph. 6:14-17).
Pray always and give thanks (see 1 Thess. 5:17,1 .
Don't take temptation lightly; flee immorality (see 2 Tim. 2:22).
Walk by faith, not by what you feel and see. God's Word and His promises are either 100 percent true or they are not. Since His Word is true, your faith is the difference. Grab hold of His Word and step out (see 2 Cor. 5 ).
C.T. Studd, a missionary to China, understood the challenge well. He wrote, "Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bells, but I want to run a mission a yard from the gate of hell."
The battle has been tough recently, but I wouldn't trade being in lion country for any of the peace and comfort that depended on compromise.
What about you?
Prayer:
Ask Him for wisdom, guidance and power to stand firm in the battle.
Discuss: Talk with your mate about enemy territory you want to reclaim as a couple. Spend some time in prayer asking for God to show you where He wants you to invade.
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