Business and the Bible (part 7a)

Copyrighted, written and edited by
Lara Velez of Moms of Faith (momsoffaith.com),
Rachel Lower of Christian Mommies (christian-mommies.com)
By the grace of God

Bad Attitude(s) - Part 1

R: Here is a simple list with verses showing attitudes to avoid or grow out of, in life and in business:

Know it All - Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

All Talk and No Walk - Proverbs 14:23 In all labour there is profit; but the talk of the lips tendeth only to want.

More, more more! - Proverbs 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.

Going on half the story - Proverbs 18:13 He that giveth answer before he heareth, it is folly and shame unto him.

You wanna mess with me?! - Proverbs 20:3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife; but every fool rusheth into it.

I want what they have! - Proverbs 23:17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day;

Discouragement at failure - Proverbs 24:16 For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.

Here are some specifics from Lara:

Know it All

Only God knows all. When we get filled with arrogance and think that we are the infallible experts at something, we are setting ourselves up for failure. We must NEVER forget Who has given us knowledge and Who should be given all of the glory.

As soon as we forget this and puff ourselves up, we are basically announcing that we do not need God. We can handle it and we know what's what; those are huge lies from the enemy. We know NOTHING. We are but dust. Without the grace and favor of God we would have nothing. Acknowledge God, and never put the spotlight on yourself.

All Talk and No Walk

Hypocrisy is one of the Church's biggest faults. We love to blame everything on the devil. Unfortunately, he is not our only threat. We are a threat to ourselves. “We” meaning our flesh.

We “talk” a good game. We tell others how to be a “good Christian,” and what is right and wrong. But when push comes to shove, many times we become the spitting image of the very things we speak so passionately against!

Jesus had more disgust for the hypocrites in His day then the prostitutes! Let us be careful and keep our flesh in its place. Let us not assume that we “have it all together.” Let us wear humility and represent our Savior properly and truthfully. Let us squash hypocrisy in the Church once and for all. And then, maybe we will see more of a desire for the lost to know our God!

More, more more!

If all we think about is money and material items we would like to own, we are becoming greedy and self centered people. We must learn to be thankful for what we have.

Paul mastered this character quality. Listen to what he said in Philippians 4:11b, 12, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

This is what we should be greedy for! Contentment. When we live this way it gives God the opportunity to bless us way more than we could EVER work for!

Going on half the story

We must take the time to hear the whole story. If we do not, then we will not have the wisdom to handle the situation. When we don't listen in fairness we are being prideful and wrongly thinking that we “know” offhand how to handle everything, or tale, that comes our way.

There will be times when we will have a quick answer through the Spirit. And there will also be times when we will need to give the effort to listen to all angles and then, prayerfully, make decisions.

You Wanna Mess With Me?!

I believe that strife is one of the most damaging problems in the Church. When we harbor anger and bitterness for others, we are crippling our effectiveness as a Body. We will never have any of the wonderful blessings that God has for us if we allow strife to sneak into our hearts.

When you are faced with a possible disagreement or a wrong has been done to you, it is an opportunity for growth. It is an opportunity to give up what you want for another's sake, forgive and forget, allow another to receive the honor, and die to self.

Think of it this way, Jesus humbly laid down His life. He was completely shamed and dishonored. He was spit on and ridiculed- willingly! And what did His Father, our Father, give Him? He gave Him a seat at His right hand, and the Name above all names.

Let go of strife, anger, and the need to be right. And when you do, God Himself will bless your socks off!

I want what they have

My husband calls this, “keeping up with the Jones's.” Contentment is the only way to overcome this. And the only way to gain true contentment is to have a thankful heart. Take the time every day to remember all of the reasons you have to be thankful. Then praise the Lord for them!

We ALL have things to be thankful for. Yes, even you! Be thankful that you have eyes to read this, ears to hear a bird singing, a mouth to speak, hands and feet, your child(ren), your spouse, a roof over your head, food to eat, you are a child of the King of Kings, and I could go on forever with all that we have to be thankful for.

When you start seeing all that you really have, you will realize that what God has blessed you with is more than enough. And then you will see the real treasures!

Discouragement at failure

God chose us before we were in our Mother's womb. He knew everything about us before we were a thought in our parents minds. We are His beloved children. And when we fail, we have the assurance of His Loving Hands to help lift us up. We cannot receive this wonderful help unless we get up. When we fall or fail, we must not give up. We must GET up!

We must remember Who's we are and the power that is given to us to succeed. We are the children of God. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. We have the power of the Holy Spirit guiding us. So, the next time you fail, remember who you are in Christ, and GET UP!

Have a GREAT day!
Praying for your success,
Lara ;)
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