There are some Bible stories that really give us trouble. Different stories for different people for different reasons.
Take this Mary and Martha story, for example. It’s a short one, but that little paragraph won’t leave me alone.
Scripture doesn’t tell us how they came to know of Jesus, but the sisters are honoured to accept him into Martha’s home (v 38). Mary sits at his feet, like the male disciples soaking up anything Jesus says (v 39).
Read More listening, discipleship, work, busynessThis passage can be a challenging one for those of us who struggle with issues of self-esteem and self-worth. I just came from talking to a close friend whose life is crumbling. She has never felt like she was good enough. She has never truly believed that she was loveable to anyone – especially God. So she’s tempted to skip over teachings like this, because to her they read like yet another rebuke.
But I don’t think that’s what Jesus was going for here.
Read More sin, faith, service, entitlement, work
The world of work is a meritocracy. Wise people know that and act accordingly. In our youth we spend countless hours developing skills. Practice, practice, practice is required for proficiency. There are many small pay-offs along the way of course, but that is not the goal.
In the degree program I lead we require students to complete an internship.
Read More wisdom, skill, work
Read Reflect This section would be easier to understand if we knew more of what was going on. Paul refers back to what he told the Thessalonians when he was with them, and then to what he had heard since then. But what exactly was it that they were doing? (The word translated “loafing” in […]
Read More work, idleness, disruptive behaviourRead Reflect Just an ordinary church. “Corinth’ sounds a long way off, and the first century A.D. sounds a long time ago. But the church at Corinth was just like your church, really, and if you look carefully you will find yourself in it! Perhaps Paul has a word especially for you today. A word […]
Read More involvement, church, work, body, co-operation
What makes a person – a woman, a man – good and noble is their character, not what they do or how they look or who they know. As Jesus noted, we must start with our hearts if we want to be good (Matt 23:25–26).
Proverbs 31 is a long list of examples of fruits that a good wife bears.
Read More character, work, woman, wife
Not only does Jesus tell his disciples to pray for the coming of the kingdom in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10), he tells them in his great commission to actively pursue building the kingdom (Matthew 28:18-20). In this chapter of Scripture, the people respond to Nehemiah’s encouragement and assessment of the situation in Jerusalem.
Read More strength, encouragement, community, work, repairA central theme running throughout Scripture’s story is that of a war between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. The attempt to rebuild the city of God runs into problems from a number of sources. The first is the surrounding inhabitants who resent the work.
Read More problems, work, opposition, defence, realismHaving been a minister myself I recognize how easily discouragement can set in. Who do you talk to about your spiritual walk when people look to you as the one who provides spiritual encouragement to others? Who is there to lift you up?
Read More discouragement, God’s perspective, work, focus, Jesus as judge, personal conviction