After Israel’s most beloved king, David, slept with Uriah’s wife and killed him to hide the adultery, David confessed before the Lord in Psalm 51, “Against you alone have I sinned.” There seems to be a potentially long list of offended parties, but before the Lord, David takes ownership of the sin as being against the God of heaven alone.
If we let that simmer in the background, notice these verses from my devotional reading this week with me. Joseph is a slave working in the household of one of Egypt’s rich and powerful leaders. The man’s wife hit on Joseph, who was apparently quite handsome, but he repeatedly rebuffed her advances. At one such encounter, she really poured on the intensity, and this is how Joseph handled it:
8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.
9“There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”
Genesis 39:8–9 (NASB95)
While there may be a dozen possible lessons, I want to focus on the last phrase and draw a few applications.
First, Joseph did not choose to view his assignment (in enslavement) as an interruption of God’s plan for his life but as a fulfillment of it. Admittedly, I would struggle to see enslavement as a sacred assignment from God.
Second, Joseph’s master had entrusted great responsibility to him, but Joseph ultimately saw that trust as being from God. How often do we think this way? This great (or dead-end) job is a divine assignment from the Lord. This staff is an assignment from the Lord. This community is an assignment from the Lord.
Third, Joseph’s actions at his work were inextricably linked to his worship of God. “I really want to tell that customer what I think!” is a response of worship…but likely not the one we would say we wanted to portray. That employee coaching sessions and difficult decisions… are all reflections of obedience to the God who divinely assigns.
Fourth, as a man and a leader, Joseph operated according to a specific moral compass beyond his own wisdom. There are countless examples of what people may call “situational ethics” in the workplace. Stealing is wrong, but not in every case. Hard work is right but not required in every instance. Integrity is a quid pro quo arrangement owed to someone worthy of integrity…and that someone is always the Lord, not the person we are dealing with.
What might the world, our workplace, and our worship space look like if we approached our every decision as directly responsive to and accountable before God? What if every assignment were seen as divinely orchestrated? What if our actions and reactions were viewed as those of an ambassador rather than an autonomous actor?
Two things that decades of senior leadership have taught me: First, I have not gotten it right nearly enough. As a leader, I have sometimes been impetuous, self-absorbed, and focused on the wrong measures of success. Second, God has never given up on me. Sure, others have. Some others have seen an opportunity for a quick fix (like Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery or those who profited from Joseph’s gift and life). Yet, God has always been faithful, and some of the most significant and impactful lessons have been learned in the dry cisterns of the wilderness, the oppressive environments of Egypt’s jails, or at the receiving end of false accusers who didn’t get their way and acted emotionally in their accusations. Sometimes, the refining fire of God cannot be experienced well except in the most difficult of circumstances. That’s where God forges leaders. Leaders who God uses to provide for His people as well as those who contributed to the leader’s suffering. So, leader…if you’re suffering, know that God can work in it, has assigned you to it, and will walk you through it…. for “What man intends for evil, the Lord uses for good.” (Genesis 45:5-8, Genesis 50:20.)
But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. 2 Corinthians 8:7 (NASB95)
This sixth resolve is not new to me; however, I think it is important to recommit periodically. It is not enough, spiritually speaking, to do the right thing; rather, we are called to do the right thing with the right motivation. My personality lends itself toward order. Routines and disciplines give order to my life. However, that order can become legalistic or thoughtless adherence without much effort at all. It can become comfortable, or at least more comfortable than change.
One of the commitments that Jodi and I made years ago was to live a lifestyle that facilitated living generously. We could live in a bigger home or drive nicer vehicles, but we prioritize being generous and adjust our lifestyles accordingly. I am resolved to be more generous in 2025 than before, so I can live more dependently on grace than ever.
Below is an article I published in 2021 on this site about generosity. I hope it connects the dots and is an encouragement to you.
How does God demonstrate grace to you? Grace, or undeserved favor, is something we talk about often in the church, but do we understand it? We know that we are saved by grace (Eph 2:8), and we, along with the entire universe, are sustained by grace (Heb 1:3), but do we recognize God’s grace in our sanctification/growth?
As Paul writes to the Corinthian church, he challenges them to experience their growth in God’s grace through generosity. He begins chapter 8 by commending (bragging on) the Macedonian churches that were an example both of generosity but also of God’s favor (vv.1-5). He then commends the Corinthians for their growth in grace in faith, knowledge, proclamation, zealous perseverance, and in love. (Yes, this is the same church that he spent so much time correcting for messiness in their midst as well.)
Notice how v.7 ends: “that you may abound in this gracious work also.” We know that they were then abounding in the five things he just mentioned: faith, knowledge, proclamation, zealous perseverance, and love. We also know that this is only possible because of God’s kindness toward them (grace) as He grew them in these areas. Paul knew that God was graciously working in them to grow them in the area of generosity as well. This church made a commitment at some point in the past (vv.10-11), and now Paul was urging them to see it through. As with the Macedonians, Paul charged this church to remember their commitment to God first and then to the needs of the saints by God’s grace.
Here is where the wheels fall off for some. Sometimes, we view God’s work in our lives as Him desiring to get something from us, as if He were lacking and we were going to provide for His need. In actuality, as Paul expresses here, God is seeking to do something in this church (the people) and did not want them to miss it. They could only experience God’s blessing in this area as they yielded to His gracious calling on their lives. This is why Paul focuses not on the activity of giving, but on their desire to give (vv. 10, 12). Paul saw the opportunity to join God in providing for the saints in another place as God’s gracious work in the lives of the Corinthians.
Have you ever lacked fulfillment? Have you ever desired to be part of something greater than yourself? Have you ever wanted to see God move powerfully in your midst? Could the answer to these desires be as close as simply trusting His gracious work in an area of life that has been difficult to fully surrender to Him? If so, the answer, and the pathway to abundant life (John 10:10) is in a renewed commitment (both desire and action) to His gracious work. Let’s choose to never miss God’s blessings because we did not recognize His gracious work.
Priorities communicate something. We make time for the things that are most important to us. Some years ago, a mentor of mine asked me about my golf game. I told him I wanted to but didn’t have time. He made a statement I will never forget: “Chris, Golf, to me, is like your quiet time. If you really want to do it, you will.”
This article is an update to one I published in 2020. The bones are the same as they were back then. I hope it helps.
It. Never. Fails. Someone has a better idea. Their “philosophy” is better than mine. Often times though, particularly in our social media world, people with better philosophies have just that: a philosophy. There is no action. No change. Just an idea.
Not long back, I was listening to a guy tell me his philosophy of evangelism. He shared some trendy new perspectives that would make any old evangelism professor cringe. It was the BEST…according to this guy. Then…the telling question (or at least my “Dr. Phil” version of it): “How’s that working for you?” The silence was deafening.
I have resolved to commit afresh to the discipline of personal worship with the Lord. Some call this “quiet time” but I prefer to think of it as a personal (not private) worship opportunity I avail myself of daily.
My day generally begins around 5:10 AM. That’s when the coffee finishes brewing.
Coffee. Obviously, this is important, or the Book of Hebrews wouldn’t be there. [Think about it].
Prayer. 2-5 mins. This is more about me talking to God. “Lord, help me to see and hear from you today. Give me wisdom and clarity. Speak to me. Give me the courage to accept You and Your Word as you speak.”
I read 4-5 devotionals first. 5-8 mins. (Chambers, Piper, Blackaby, Begg, and some short-term devotional on varied topics throughout the year. Topics like manhood, leadership, marriage, prayer, praise, etc.) These devotionals seem to prime my thinking and the part of my brain that applies truth.
Bible Reading Plan. 10-15 mins. I read from a structured annual Bible Reading Plan. (This Year’s is “The Navigator’s Book-at-a-time” Reading Plan, available on the YouVersion Bible App. While reading, I underline, highlight, and write notes in the margin if my mind is carried to a place.
Take Note- This is not a deep dive reading process of cross-references or word studies. It is the Scripture at a 5,000-foot level. I am looking for big-picture themes and verses that catch my attention.
[Also, I try to read in a different translation every year to keep it fresh. This year is the NASB95].
I journal (as led) and pray things that God brings to mind. 5-15 mins. A lot of my journaling is archived here on this site. I also have many notes in my Evernote App that are too seminal to share on this site, or that God is working on me with. My journal notes could also be a prompt for deeper study. That is the bulk of my journaling. As for prayer, this part is about reflecting and listening.
Extra-biblical reading. (10-20 mins) I read the news highlights and interesting articles in Baptist Press. I may read articles from favorite theologians, academics, preachers, and some entertaining weirdos [smile]. I may also select readings from different-minded publications (I’d put the Huffington Post and half my X feed in here).
A couple of considerations:
I try not to hurry. As you can see, I average around 40-60 mins. My deadline is 6am, so I can get a workout in before leaving for the office.
This is a morning discipline for me. I find my mind is sharpest in the morning, so this is my early routine.
I don’t have the “extra hour” either.Yep, someone was thinking it. I’d do that but I don’t have time in the morning! Well, neither did I. So, I changed my other routines. I go to bed earlier than most and skip a lot of late television.
This works for ME. Remember, this is not my philosophy but my activity. It may not work for you. It may be too long, or too early, or too “anything.” Don’t mimic what I do because I do it. Do what works for you, but DO IT in a disciplined manner.
Two quick cautions:
Don’t set the bar too low. I know some guys tell me that they do their Bible while driving in the morning. I listen to audible books and podcasts too, but this time of devotional discipline is DEVOTED (see what I did there) to the Lord. It is His time. I even have a favorite place to do it. Even if it were 15 minutes a day devoted to Him…might it be worth it to focus on Him rather than the person who almost ran you off the road texting? [smile]
Don’t get discouraged. If you set a lofty goal and can’t hang with it, adjust it. Shrink it to what you CAN do. Build from there if you find it necessary. That’s what I did.
The natural life is one of self-service. The supernatural life is one of serving others. Jesus said-
Mark 10:45 (NASB95)
45“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
No one faults another person for working hard, being focused, exhibiting drive, or winning. All of these are good things. They are, I would argue, proper forms of worship when sourced in the right motivation. After all, all of life is worship and, therefore, is worthy of our very best efforts to the glory of God.
Zig Ziglar once said- “You can have everything in life you want if you help other people get what they want.” While this statement is certainly not inspired in the same way as the Scriptures, it speaks to the relationship between serving others and experiencing true joy.
What I am advocating here is both attitude and action. Let’s choose to focus on the success of others and then work to make that a reality. Let’s esteem the success of others and help them reach the summit. Truthfully, doing so can propel us to our own success…or as I am implying with this resolve, helping them succeed IS our success. Any reward we experience beyond that will be due to the grace of God.
in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
This resolve is not new to me but one I must constantly remind myself of. Being grateful is a function of observation and understanding. You must recognize the object of gratitude as something you were not entitled to but the product of someone else’s kindness. Something undeserved.
There is a type of good manners that is reflected in expressing gratitude. If a server at your favorite restaurant refills your glass or serves your food, it is polite to say, “Thank you.” This expression is an acknowledgment of the person and their action. The server’s actions are motivated by employment. The smile, the tone, and the helpfulness of a recommendation may come from a heart of helpfulness and kindness, but the basic performance of duty did not. I would argue (biblically) for the helpfulness of kindness, but the “gratitude I am speaking of comes from a place of recognizing grace.
If a co-worker picks up your duties so you can get home early, that’s grace. If someone holds the door for you, that’s grace. If God causes the sun to rise, your heart to beat, and the birds to comfort you with a song in the Spring…that’s grace. It is undeserved kindness…and it is all around us.
There is no greater expression of grace than our forgiveness and right standing with God (for those who follow Jesus). To settle the spiritual debt of my rebellion against God, Jesus walked the earth, lived perfectly, and substituted Himself at the judgment of God’s wrath against sin/rebellion. He did so, not for His own sin, but for mine. The resulting “Paid” that I received, stamped on my “sin bill,” is all by God’s grace. An undeserved kindness! Furthermore, the benefit of this grace extends into all areas of my life. It provides peace, confidence, fellowship with others, life, breath, provision…everything! So, when I rise early for the privilege of work, eat a meal, put gas in my truck and pay for it from my checking account, shop in a market, or simply sit in quiet this morning in a warm home with electricity and heat and a cup of coffee…I am GRATEFUL because every element is a byproduct of God’s kindness, favor, and provision in my life. So, I say, THANK YOU…to the Lord in humility and gratitude before Him; and “Thank you,” to the vessels through which He chooses to provide these things…as an acknowledgment of their presence and actions.
Be grateful today. Ask the Lord to enlighten your eyes and mind to His kindness toward you as you acknowledge it. Thank you for following along. It is an undeserved kindness to me and encourages my heart.
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