cannyben

Can a mother forget her little child and not have love for her own son? Yet even if that should be, I will not forget you. See, I have tattooed your name upon my palm.” Isaiah 49:15-16 (TLB) When you find yourself stuck in a cycle of overworking, you need to remember your value to God. This is the exact opposite of basing your worth on your work, your career, or your full-time role. It is countercultural and may require a major change in your thinking, especially if a little voice in your head keeps saying, “You’ve got to prove you matter.” One of the reasons people can’t relax is that they confuse their work and their worth. They confuse their net worth with their self-worth. They think, “If I work really hard and succeed at work, then I am valuable. If I’m not productive, then I’m not valuable.” That’s a lie! But in Western culture, our identity often revolves around our work, so we overwork in an attempt to prove ourselves. We believe that if we achieve a lot, then we must be worth ...

“Work and get everything done during six days each week, but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the Lord your God.” Exodus 20:9-10 (NCV) In the Bible, a day of rest is called Sabbath. It’s when you take a day off from work—not just from your job but from any kind of work. God didn’t make the Sabbath for his benefit. He made it for yours: “The Sabbath was made to benefit man, and not man to benefit the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27 TLB). God made the Sabbath so you wouldn’t get burned out. But many people ignore their need for the Sabbath. When you ignore God’s laws, who gets hurt? Not God. Ignoring your need for rest only leaves you exhausted and overwhelmed. Taking a Sabbath may be particularly difficult if you’re an entrepreneur, self-employed, or work remotely. If you don’t schedule a Sabbath for yourself, you’ll never take a break. No matter your work situation, it doesn’t matter what day of the week you take your Sabbath. It’s just important that you do take one! Just like you schedu...

Icertainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB) God has only good plans for your life. He never has, and he never will have bad plans for you. Yet, many people miss God’s plan for their lives because they don’t trust God. Instead, they decide to follow their own plan, which leads to hopelessness and pessimism in the end. The more you understand God’s goodness, the more hopeful you’ll be—because hope is anticipating God’s goodness. The only reason you have real hope is because God is good; without God’s goodness, there’s no rational reason for hope. King David said in Psalm 27:13-14, “I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord” (NASB). Everything God does for you, through you, to you, and in you is because he...

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25 (NIV) God is the source of everything you need to live. He is the Good Shepherd who feeds you, leads you, and meets your needs. You don’t have to look anywhere else. You don’t have to look to Wall Street. You don’t have to look to the government. You don’t have to look to your spouse, your retirement account, or your job. If you’re going to put your security in something, you need to put it in something that can never be taken from you. You can lose your health. You can lose your job. You can lose your good looks. You can lose your family. You can lose your life. You can lose your mind. You can even lose your way. But God is never lost. And there is nothing you need that God can’t supply. Philippians 4:19 says, “God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus...

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) When you are worried, don’t repress it, suppress it, or deny it. Instead, confess it. Talk to God about it. If you try to push down worries, you’re going to get sick. It’s like shaking a can of soda, and then putting it in the freezer. It’s going to explode! What is the peace that passes understanding? It’s when you’re at peace but you have no logical, rational reason for it. You just lost your job, but somehow you’re at peace about it. Why? The Lord is your Shepherd. Or you just heard the dreaded word “cancer” from the doctor. For some reason, you have peace about the situation. Why? The Lord is your Shepherd. Peace that passes understanding doesn’t mean you’re not sad or frustrated or confused. It means that you t...

“Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 (NCV) There are two days you should never worry about: yesterday and tomorrow. Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NCV). You can’t live in the past. You can’t live in the future. You can only live today. Why should you only live one day at a time? First, when you worry about tomorrow’s problems, you miss the blessings of today. Second, you cannot solve tomorrow’s problems with today’s power. When tomorrow arrives, God will give you the power, perspective, grace, and wisdom you need. Matthew 6:30 says, “If God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you?” (TLB) When you worry, you assume responsibility that God never intended for you to have. You may be worrying today about a lot of things that are ...

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) It takes more than willpower to stop worrying—but you already know that, because you’ve already tried it. You’ve thought, “I shouldn’t worry about this,” yet it stays on your mind. Here are four steps to help you stop worrying: Get to know God. Jesus says in Matthew 6:32, “People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things” (The Message). If you don’t have a relationship with God, you have every reason to worry. That’s why you need to get to know God! As a believer, you have a heavenly Father who has promised to take care of you. You are God’s child, and children get special privileges. When you worry, you are acting like you don’t have a loving Father who is with you and for you. Put God first in every area of your life. Matthew 6:31-33 says, “Don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing . . . your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he ...

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:2 (NIV) Are you always in a hurry? Is your to-do list unrealistically long? Has more than one person ever told you to slow down? Do you feel guilty when you relax? Do you have to get sick to take time off? The pace of modern society pushes us to keep going and going and going. Many people work even on their day off. And those who go to a church service often head home afterward only to dive right into work (whether it’s housework, schoolwork, or career work), trying to do all the stuff they didn’t accomplish during the regular workweek. No wonder we’re exhausted! Most of us are maxed out. But that’s not the way of the Good Shepherd. Psalm 23:2 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (NIV). God makes you lie down in green pastures—that’s rest. And he leads you beside quiet waters—that’s refreshment. God, in his goodness, created rest, and he considers it as importan...

“It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest.” Psalm 127:2 (TLB) The Bible says in Psalm 127:2: “It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest” (TLB). God doesn’t want you to accomplish everything all at once. He wants you to learn to pace yourself as he uses the circumstances of your life to help you mature little by little. While God is growing your business, he’s growing you. While God is growing your children, he’s growing you. While God is growing your career, he’s growing you. For you to grow, you have to learn to rest in God’s goodness. Some people think God only smiles on them when they’re working, praying, or doing “spiritual” things. But God also smiles on you when you rest. If you’re a parent, and you’ve ever gone in your kids’ room ...

Even when [Abraham] reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents.” Hebrews 11:9 (NLT) In the Bible, God made more than 7,000 promises to us—but he has not guaranteed that he’ll fulfill every one of them instantly. As a follower of Christ, you can expect that God sometimes will test your faith. And one of those tests comes when God’s promises are delayed. You know you’re facing the When Test when you’re asking, “When, Lord? When are you going to answer my prayer? When am I going to get well? When am I going to graduate? When am I going to have a baby? When am I going to get that promotion?” Abraham followed God in faith to a place he didn’t know. But once he got there, he couldn’t even settle down. For three generations, Abraham and his family were basically nomads. Even though God had promised to give Israel to Abraham, he was going to do it on his own timetable. But Abraham continued to obey because he was confident in God’s ...

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 (NLT) Sometimes, when God wants to grow your faith, he gives you the “Where Test.” If you’re asking, “Where, Lord?” and feel like God isn’t answering, you’re probably in the middle of a Where Test. God wants to see if you’ll follow him where he leads—even when you don’t understand, don’t want to go, or don’t know where you’re going. God used the Where Test with Abraham from the Bible. Hebrews 11:8 says, “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going” (NLT). Abraham was living in a big city called Ur, which is in modern-day in Iraq. God told Abraham that he was going to make him into a great nation. But he wasn’t going to do it in Ur. He wanted Abraham to go to P...

It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.” Hebrews 11:11 (NLT) When God is growing your character, he sometimes will test you with what seems like an unsolvable problem. It’s when you ask, “How in the world am I going to solve this one?” God gave Abraham what seemed like an unsolvable problem. God promised Abraham that he was going to move him to a new country, give him the land in that country, and make him the father of a great nation. He also promised that Abraham would have so many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, that they would populate the whole land. In other words, he was going to give Abraham, as his heritage, a great nation. But Abraham was 75 years old and childless when God gave him this promise. He moved him to the land of Canaan, which would eventually be called Israel. While he was there, he kept waiting for his wife to get pregnant. By age 99, he still ...

[Moses] kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:27 (NLT) Many people suffer from prolonged pain, whether it’s chronic physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, or financial pain. Maybe you’re experiencing extended suffering, and you feel like you might have to endure it for the rest of your life. The Bible tells how Moses had incredible persistence. He put up with enormous pain in his life. He endured significant criticism and conflict. He had every right to say, “How long, Lord?” Hebrews 11:24-26 says, “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward” (NLT). Moses gave up everything that many people spend their lives trying to achieve—fame, fortune, pleas...

Use the truth to make them holy. Your words are truth.” John 17:17 (GW) If you want to be transformed, you can’t be conformed. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:18-19, “Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think that you can be wise merely by being relevant . . . What the world calls smart, God calls stupid” (The Message). If you want God to transform your life, then you have to choose not to conform to what society and culture say you should be or do. But you can’t make this life change on your own power. Changing your life starts by changing the way you think, and that’s not something you can do by yourself. Ephesians 4:23 says, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (NLT). How does the Holy Spirit do that? Real change requires learning the truth. You may already know these famous words of Jesus: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT). But did you know that the night before Jesus went to the cross, he prayed, “Use the truth to make them holy. You...

No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:25 (GNT) Real change requires honest community. There are some things that you will never be able to change on your own. You’re going to need people in your life for support—specifically, a small group of people who will be transparent and authentic with you. Sometimes in a football game, a player is so big that no opposing player can pull him down on his own. In the same way, some of the challenges in your life have to be team-tackled. That’s when you need a small group—but not just any group of people. Your small group should be made up of a few people you can talk with about your weaknesses and problems—all your hurts, habits, and hang-ups. That kind of intimacy doesn’t happen right away. When you first start a small group, you get together regularly. Then, over time, you begin to trust each other and develop a safe environment. Those pe...

“You have heard me teach . . . Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” 2 Timothy 2:2 (NLT) Even superstars need coaches. The top singers in the world have voice coaches, and the top Olympic athletes have coaches. The top CEOs have business coaches. Coaches help you maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. This principle of coaching or mentorship is found throughout the Bible. Joshua was mentored by Moses. Elisha was coached by Elijah. Solomon was mentored and coached by David, and David was mentored by Samuel. The Paul mentored and coached Timothy and many other people. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:2, “You have heard me teach . . . Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others” (NLT). Paul mentored Timothy, and then he expected Timothy to go and mentor faithful men who would then mentor and coach other faithful men. God expects the same of faithful men and women today, becau...

We must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.” Hebrews 12:1 (GW) Real change requires cleaning house. If you’re one of those people who can’t find the motivation to get your physical house clean, then cleaning your spiritual house may seem like a bigger task. But this is where you need to use your best energy—because God wants you to spend your life becoming more like him. And becoming more like him sometimes requires you to make difficult changes. The Bible says it like this: “We must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up” (Hebrews 12:1 GW). To decide what you need to clean in your spiritual house, you just have to figure out what needs to change in your life. Ask yourself questions like: What is slowing me down? If you want a healthy body, then maybe you need to keep healthier food in you...

“Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” Ephesians 3:20 (TLB) Real change requires knowing God’s truth, cleaning your spiritual house, and honest community. And, like anything to do with spiritual growth, real change requires faith. In other words, you have to believe that you can change, with God’s help. How does God help you to change? There are two primary ways. He can transform you by his Spirit living in you and with his Word, the Bible. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (TLB). What is the biggest thing you want to change in your life? No matter how big it is, it’s not too big for God. Maybe you’ve tried and failed to make the change ...

“I think you ought to know, dear brothers, about the hard time we went through in Asia. We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. We . . . saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for he can even raise the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (TLB) Everyone experiences problems at work. But sometimes those problems keep growing to the point that they become overwhelming, and you feel like they’re about to swallow you up. What do you do then? You do what Paul did when he was overwhelmed. Remember, Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and he traveled to share the good news. He says in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, “I think you ought to know, dear brothers, about the hard time we went through in Asia. We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. We . . . saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put ...

Do all your work in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14 (GNT) Why do you do what you do? If you’re just working so you can survive, then you are wasting your life. There is more to life than working just to live! The highest motivation for any kind of work is love. When you do anything in love, that pleases God. You can run through checklists all day and please God. You can pick up garbage and please God. You can look at a computer screen and please God. You can clean a hospital or hotel room and please God. How? By doing it in love. You can do anything in love. Sometimes you do the right thing but for the wrong motivation—and God says you don’t get any credit for that. God is more interested in why you do what you do than he is in what you do. The Bible says, “Do all your work in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14 GNT). People ask me, how have you stayed motivated being a teacher for over 40 years?” The answer is simple: I do it out of love. I love God, and I love people. Love is what keeps you going ...