Day: June 27, 2024

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Matthew 6:20 (NIV)

No matter what you do for a living, you can use your workplace to further God’s Kingdom by using your business contacts to spread the Gospel and bring glory to God.

I once got a call from a German man who was the president and CEO of a major international sports apparel company. He said that he had just read The Purpose Driven Life and that it changed his life. He told me, “I’ve read this book, and I am now a Christian. I just need to know one thing: Should I resign as CEO of my company and become a pastor?”

I said, “No way! Let me show you how to use your job for the Kingdom, how to be a Kingdom builder and not just a wealth builder. Do you have an executive team?”

He said that, yes, there were six of them, and two of them were also Christians. I said, “Start meeting with those two and praying for the other three. Your first ministry is to win your three coworkers to Christ. How many employees do you have at your company?”

He said they had about 25,000. I responded, “That’s called a megachurch! You’ve got 25,000 members in your congregation. Start praying for them. Be available to them. Establish good Christian principles in your business.

“Do you want to influence other CEOs? Then you need to stay a CEO because you’ll have far more influence on them as a CEO than as a pastor or missionary.

“Would you like to influence culture? When you do celebrity endorsements with pro athletes, sit them down and tell them that you’re not just their sponsor; you are their friend. Give them your business card and tell them to call you whenever they have a need.”

In today’s global economy, the new missionaries are businessmen and businesswomen. Many countries won’t let a pastor or missionary in, but they’ll gladly welcome your business.

When you use your business for the one thing that’s going to outlast everything else—the Kingdom of God—you are being a Kingdom builder and not just a wealth builder.

There is nothing wrong with using your work to build wealth. But Jesus said in Matthew 6:20, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (NIV). The only way you can invest in heaven is to invest in people who are going there. When your work points people to God, you are storing up treasure in heaven to use for eternity and you’re advancing God’s Kingdom!

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much . . . If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”  Luke 16:10-12 (NIV)

The book of Genesis tells the story of a man named Joseph. God gave Joseph a vision of becoming a great leader, but for 40 years he lived and worked as a slave, and for much of that time he was imprisoned. Those decades were the testing ground of Joseph’s character.

When the day came and the time was just right, God pulled Joseph out of that setting and placed him in a position of power in Egypt—where he had always planned for Joseph to be. During all the difficult years of toil, God had been growing Joseph’s character and preparing him for his leadership role.

Whatever your work is—whether you’re working hard in obscurity or enjoying a position of power—God is developing your character too. In fact, God is far more concerned about who you are than what you do; he is much more interested in your character than he is in your career. Your workplace is a life course in character development.

Do you have a boss who drives you nuts? Think about this: God can use a boss who tests your patience—or a workplace that you’re unhappy in—to develop and grow your character. He plants seeds of love, joy, peace, and patience in your heart, and then he fertilizes those seeds while you work.

You may be at work and wonder, “How come this is going on? Why is this such a tough place? Why are these people picking on me? Why can’t I be happier at my workplace?” You’re basically asking the same question that Solomon asked in Ecclesiastes 1:3: “You spend your life working, laboring, and what do you have to show for it?” (GNT).

The answer is this: character. Life is preparation for eternity. You’re not going to take your career with you to heaven, but you are going to take your character. And while you are here on earth, God is developing your character and testing your faithfulness. Will you be faithful to do the right thing, even when you don’t feel like it? He’s watching to determine what kind of job he is going to give you in eternity.

Jesus said in Luke 16:10-12, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much . . . If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (NIV).

Whatever work God has given you, be faithful to do it will. Remember, it’s more about your character than it is about your career!