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The Christian Working Woman
Hosted by Mary Lowman · EN
The Christian Working Woman with Mary Lowman exists to encourage, equip and empower workplace Christians in the marketplace.
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Think about What You Think About
5d ago00:03:00Tap to summarizeI want to examine one of the most critical areas of your life—your thought life. Our thought patterns are controlling us in ways we often do not even realize. Truly we must learn to think about what we think about. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul says we are to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Honestly, we are in a daily battle as to who will control our thoughts. And when we practice this most important principle of bringing every individual thought into captivity—making certain our thoughts stay within biblical guidelines—it is absolutely transformational. Most of your problems begin with wrong thought patterns, and so often you are unaware of it because you don’t think about what you are thinking about. Philippians 4:8 gives us some clear guidelines for our thoughts. Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8). The secret to controlling your thought life is to agree to these limits and to bring your thoughts into these parameters. These are guardrails for your thought life, and when you stay within those guardrails, you avoid lots of accidents, lots of problems. If you’re driving on a mountain road that is curvy with steep drop offs, staying within those guardrails is the difference in life and death, right? In the same way, God has set boundaries for our thinking, and within those boundaries we have tremendous freedom. But when we choose to ignore the guardrails and drive wherever we wish, we lose our freedom because we become victims of our own wrong thought patterns. We find ourselves in a mental wreck of some kind, allowing wrong thoughts and thought patterns to steal our joy, ruin our peace, and cause us to say and do things that are not helpful. This is one of the most important and critical spiritual disciplines in the Christian life, and not too many of us take it seriously, to our own detriment.
Transcribe →The Idol of Self
1w ago00:14:28Tap to summarizeYou have everything you need. A good job, a house, the car that you want. Individual freedom to follow your dreams, be who you want to be, do what you want to do, go where you want, when you want, dress in the latest fashion—the god of freedom, an idol. Your desires define your path. That is your identity. And each day you strive to build on this identity because it isn’t fixed. It evolves based on what you feel and think. There is no rest in this identity. It is an endless pursuit of self. The idol of self isn’t like other things we can point to because the finish line is ever moving. We always want to be something or someone more than we are. How much are you thinking about these things? But when did this thinking of self begin? Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “’You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:1-5). Eve. She desired to be something she wasn’t, having knowledge of good and evil like God. It wasn’t because there wasn’t perfectly good fruit in the rest of the garden. Eve fell to the idol of self. Satan got her to overthink about all she could have but didn’t. From that moment on, humanity began the race with itself, to run continually seeking to be something we are not. Overthinking about ourselves and forgetting to think about God. God created us in his image but not to be gods. Our present cultural norm of self-sufficiency says we don’t need anyone or anything to be successful. God? Why would you need God in your everyday decisions and thinking? What we forget is this deception in thought started in the Garden of Eden. The basic definition of self-sufficient is problematic in and of itself. “Needing no help in satisfying one’s basic needs, like food.” Last I checked, we are very dependent on not only others, but also on things wildly outside of our human control when it comes to food. Last I checked, we don’t control the rain or sunshine required to grow crops. While we have created technologies to help supply water when there isn’t any for crops or livestock during a drought, we control less than we believe. The secondary definition of self-sufficient is emotionally and intellectually independent. Eve was seeking intellectual independence when she ate the forbidden fruit. She wanted self-sufficiency. When I think about the Garden of Eden and the beauty, provision and abundance described, my mind drifts off to a place where there was peace and a oneness with the Lord. Yet Eve was tempted. In perfect communion with the Lord, she wanted intellectual independence from God! Thanks to Eve, we don’t live in Eden, and ever since the fall, the volume of temptation to self-sufficiency has been dialed up to a fevered pitch with everything in our midst competing against our thoughts of God! Peace and oneness with him seem elusive, even for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our days are filled with temptation to lean into idols that make us overthink about ourselves and think less about Jesus! Let’s call these the idols of self. Basically, anything that prioritizes thinking of “self” above everything and everyone else, most importantly, thinking about yourself more than God. That fevered noise in our culture about how we can overthink ourselves is anything but peaceful. Appearance. How much are you thinking each day about your appearance? Has this become an idol of self? This can manifest in so many ways so let’s just consider a few. Wanting to dress professionally and look nice for work is one thing, but has this become something that takes up a lot of your thinking? Do you worry about what other people are wearing? Do you comment on other people when they are dressed differently? What about your hair and makeup? Are you skipping devotional time with the Lord to make sure you look the best? Are you watching fashion reels on social media or shopping online instead of reading your Bible? Do you seek attention by what you are wearing and get an extra charge when someone compliments the way you look? On average, women spend between $1,500-$2,000 on clothing and $1,000-$3,700 on beauty products and services annually. Again, this is average, and most studies will tell you the more you make at work, the more you will spend on average. Other costs to consider are gym memberships and other cosmetic services many women are using to stay looking their best! None of this is truly “bad” but when you overthink it and it becomes an idol, anything good can quickly become a slippery slope leading you away from your identity in God and closer to what our noisy culture is demanding of you. Remember the Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). If you overthink your appearance, what does this indicate about your heart? Sovereignty. Are you someone that always thinks you are right? Is the sovereignty of self an idol for you? Even believers of Jesus can get caught in this overthinking that lives to expect others to function by their own moral compass. Even if your compass is Jesus, are you lording over people with your views and pushing them away from the true gospel with your rules instead of being loving. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers (Titus 1:10). The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth (1 Timothy 4:1-3). God’s Word says these people must be rebuked! You cannot add “your rules” to God’s truth! Lately, we have seen people’s thoughts on full display through social media. Somehow, we have mixed culture and politics with a message about Jesus that truly does not add up. Judgements when others don’t believe what we do or how we do are quick. When you spend time overthinking how other people aren’t like you or doing what you want them to do instead of focusing on how God would want you to show up to those that are different from you, sovereignty of self may be an idol. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor (James 4:12)? We are not supposed to be the judge of others. This doesn’t mean we should shy away from providing good feedback to others in a non-judgmental way, but we need to avoid thinking we are the end all be all! The only truth is in the Word of God! Only God can truly change things and the more we overthink about our way being the right way, the less we remember God’s way! Self-Promotion/Pride. Unfortunately, many who are overthinking about their way being the right way have a significant platform for self-promotion. Even if you don’t suffer with thoughts of self-sovereignty, are you thinking a lot about your next social media post or how many views, likes and follows you have? Is the idol of self-promotion taking ahold of your time? If you post something that you feel good about, are you overly disappointed if it doesn’t perform well? Maybe you only receive one “like”. How does this shift your mood? Are you angry or discouraged? On the other end of the spectrum, let’s say you have a following on social media—many likes and many follows. Are you spending more time thinking about these followers than you are about God? Beyond social media, how are you promoting yourself up at work? Do you think about the next meeting and how you will comment or get noticed? Do you worry when you don’t get the last word or when another colleague receives accolades? If you lead a team, how do you balance taking credit or giving it? Are you an I or a we colleague? I did this or we worked together… The Bible consistently warns about self-promotion and pride and not thinking of others. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends (2 Corinthians 10:17-18) Remembering pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are; there is no God (Psalm 10:4). Bottom line, if you are thinking about exalting yourself and how it makes you feel, good or bad, more than you are thinking about what God tells you to do in his Word, you are overthinking about yourself! Covetousness. Do you spend a lot of time thinking about things you want or don’t have? Even covetousness, a fancy word for jealousy, can be another way of overthinking about yourself. Described as a harmful spirit in 1 Samuel, jealousy can “rush upon us” when we least expect it. In 1 Samuel we learn how Saul is truly j...
Transcribe →The Idol of Politics – 5
1w ago00:03:00Tap to summarizePresented by Lauren Stibgen We cannot repair culture with politics, but this is not what the candidates for any political party want you to think. The effect your faith should have on politics should remove from politics what it can never deliver—a redeemed and perfect kingdom. When candidates or laws are up for a vote, are you filled with fear for what that change might mean? Do you catastrophize what terrible things may happen based on the outcomes of an election? In an updated article for October of 2024 from The American Psychological Association titled, “Fear: A Powerful Motivator in Elections”, it is clear fear is a primary tactic when it comes to an election.[1] Why? Because it works! The author points out this could involve factual or misleading statements about the other candidate or that a potential victory for the other party would lead to disaster. Even this article provides practical advice to check facts and, yes, turn off the news if you are feeling anxious and fearful! This is great advice, and, as a believer, you need to remember placing your hope in a temporal political candidate rather than prioritizing and trusting in God’s sovereignty in all things can be an indication you are making an idol of the politics that are intentionally trying to make you fearful! Trusting in the Lord with all your heart and not leaning on your own understanding, submitting to the Lord in all ways and trusting that he will make your path straight can seem easier said than done (Proverbs 3:5-6). As believers we are promised that God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Trusting the Lord even if the earth gives way, and the mountains fall into the sea is counter to what culture tells us (Psalm 46:1-3). Politics promise to solve problems of social consequence like homelessness, hunger, poverty, human trafficking, murder, crime—and the list could go on. Like me, you have probably lived through enough election cycles to see the wash, rinse, and repeat. The promises and laws do not stop the injustice. “When the sin-sick soul stops being the central problem, then God’s provision of the person and the work of Christ stops being the central solution. When the travails of the here and now become the central problem, then politics become the central means of providing solutions.”[2] This quote from the article “Christianity and Politics” by Dan Bryant summarizes what we need to remember as believers—our God saves, not man. — [1] Waldroff, K. (2020, October 13). Fear: A powerful motivator in elections. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/fear-motivator-elections [2] Christianity and Politics | Modern Reformation. (n.d.). Www.modernreformation.org. https://www.modernreformation.org/resources/articles/christianity-and-politics-2
Transcribe →The Idol of Politics – 4
1w ago00:03:00Tap to summarizePresented by Lauren Stibgen Do you excuse things that contradict your faith? What is important to God doesn’t have a label or a party. It is not a temporary term, nor can it be solved by human hands. Being true to Christ means standing for truth and justice and being honest about the temporary parties and candidates we may be supporting. The politics of the day are quick to point out the “sins” of one candidate but excuse the actions of the other. Consider these verses in John 8. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now, in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So, what do you say? This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And, as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is among you be the first to throw a stone at her. And, once more, he bent down and wrote on the ground. But, when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him (John 8:3-9). Behaving like the scribes and the Pharisees, are you excusing sin of a candidate in the name of perceived better alignment with your faith? This can be another indication that politics have become an idol. All sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Jesus calls us to recognize our own sins. I don’t think it is a mistake the woman who committed adultery was standing one on one with Jesus when all the others had walked away. Jesus is the only judge and the only true “cure” for sin! How can you point someone toward salvation if you are excusing the sins of man in the name of winning? Instead of making excuses or comparing sins between parties, point out all sin is just that—sin in the eyes of God! There isn’t one better or worse. While we know the woman in John 8 was an adulteress, we don’t know the sins of the scribes and Pharisees. What we do know is they didn’t challenge Jesus to make excuses for their sin being better or less than adultery! Focus on telling people how you pray for the candidate’s recognition of their sin instead!
Transcribe →The Idol of Politics – 3
1w ago00:03:00Tap to summarizePresented by Lauren Stibgen From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers these things ought to not be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water (James 3:10-12). These verses in James 3 can apply to all the words we speak. Have you excused your words about politics and think they don’t matter? Have you shared something on social media that is less than pleasant or something that incites a heated discussion? What about name calling and labeling of people? Your words can be an indication that politics have become an idol. While you may not be doing this at work, your personal life is far less hidden than it was in the past with the pervasive online presence most people have. In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus calls us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. This includes candidates and members of an opposing political view. With fellow believers the conversations become even more divisive as we start to judge someone’s level of justification and commitment to their faith based on who they voted for. You have heard this before. So and so cannot be saved if they voted for X. Only God can judge the intentions of someone. We cannot and should not. And God’s Word reminds us not to judge, or we will be judged in return (Matthew 7:1-2). How can you self-examine first? How can you remove the log in your own eye before you look at the speck in your brother’s (Matthew 7:3-5)? Believer or not, those that are on the opposing side of your views are also made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Jesus calls us to love our enemies. This includes candidates and members of an opposing political view. Think about those around you at work who are believers in Jesus. Would your words reflect your calling as an ambassador of Christ? Remember, our ultimate goal is to make disciples—not of candidates but of Christ! What can we do instead? Remembering sometimes the most peaceful thing we can do is be silent and let God fight our battles. We can pray for those who persecute us. We can choose to see the best in others.
Transcribe →The Idol of Politics – 2
2w ago00:03:00Tap to summarizePresented by Lauren Stibgen Is your wellbeing impacted when a specific candidate or political party that isn’t your preference has success? Are you bitter or depressed? Before we talk more about these emotions, I want you to consider what you are consuming. Specifically, if you analyze your last week, have you spent more time watching shows that talk about politically polarizing matters than you have spent in God’s word? Are you listening to political podcasts, watching political reels on social media and endlessly watching replays of some event that has caused the latest uproar in your community or in the country? In 2025 a Pew Research study found that Americans reported 70% of the news consumed is related to government and politics! Overconsuming media that causes angst will most certainly impact how you feel. The weight you place on what you see on TV and social media and hear on a podcast or the radio can be an indication that politics is taking up way too much time. Colossians 3:2 reminds us we need to set our minds on things above and not on earthly things. We need to keep our identity focused on Christ and an eternal perspective to keep us balanced as we consume the mountain of political and government news on our screens both by choice and not. This doesn’t mean we consume nothing, but we must pay attention to how it makes us feel. When we see perceived wins and losses in the spotlight, it is important to remember we are not to put our trust in princes or any human powers that cannot save (Psalm 146:3). Being overly obsessed with a political outcome or seeing your candidate win takes your focus away from seeing the people around you that you could be leading to a saving relationship with Jesus. And it can seem like you are breaking one of God’s commandments. I am the Lord your God, thou shalt not have any God’s before me (Exodus 20:3). Are you making a candidate a higher priority than God? Consider showing up for work after your preferred candidate experiences a setback or loss. How is your mood? Would your colleagues want to be around you or avoid you? Do you feel like you need to talk excessively about the results of this matter or can you let these earthly powers fade away so you can give a testimony about your faith? Talking about God more than politics and keeping our eyes focused on things above can help keep us away from politics as an idol.
Transcribe →The Idol of Politics
2w ago00:03:00Tap to summarizePresented by Lauren Stibgen One thing we can all agree on these days is that things feel heavy. There are so many social issues breaking daily on the news, and the headlines can be polarizing. The polarization is most often political. As a believer in Jesus Christ, are you overthinking about politics? Have you made politics an idol? Let’s explore some of the pervasive ways politics can become an idol and how we can turn to the Bible for wisdom. Why would I want to even touch this idol with a proverbial ten-foot pole? Because the real work we do at work matters for the Kingdom. A political candidate or a law will never save someone from sin. Only Jesus can. And living up to the greatest commandment to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves can get very clouded when politics becomes part of our identity—when they become an idol. A woman in one of my professional groups recently shared she was afraid to share her Christian faith because one of the churches in her community had been very outspoken about the local political climate. Being known as a Christian alone had raised so much angst in the community. By the numbers, over 50% of workers expressed concern over the impact of conversations about politics at work, but nearly 40% of U.S. workers have engaged in political discussions at work. Of this group, 60% report these conversations have impacts on productivity.[1] Add to this mix the other matter we care most about, sharing our faith. When these two topics blend, half of your audience will be concerned about the conversation and not in a good way. Can we keep politics in their proper place? Can we engage but still follow Paul’s advice in Romans 12:2 to not conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind? Have we conformed to the world so much that we have lost our salt? Do we behave too much like the culture around us? This is not about politics, but it is about how we can check in with ourselves to see if politics have become an idol in our lives. As followers of Jesus, we are called into a dual citizenship. How we represent our heavenly one matters. — [1] CivicScience. (2025, February 11). Pulse of the U.S. Workforce Report: Political Leanings Shape Workforce Experiences, Perceptions of Leadership, and More. CivicScience. https://civicscience.com/pulse-of-the-u-s-workforce-report-political-leanings-shape-workforce-experiences-perceptions-of-leadership-and-more/
Transcribe →How Is Your Work Attitude?
2w ago00:14:28Tap to summarizeHow’s your attitude at work? Attitudes are contagious. But the question is: Would anyone want to catch yours? I believe this is one of the areas we can have a strong witness on our jobs, if we can keep our attitudes where they should be. I’m thinking one of the toughest situations to deal with—one that can really affect your attitude—is when you work with someone who gripes and complains all the time. I mean, how do you keep from developing a bad attitude when that’s what you hear all day long? It’s the person who loves disasters and crises! They can turn a good day into a bad one in a minute. I’ve run into this kind of person on a job or two of mine. They gripe about everything and everybody and seem to really enjoy spreading any bad news they can dig up. Even when there’s something good happening, they’ll find something wrong and do their best to spoil it for everyone else. That person can get on your nerves after a while! Have you noticed when you see this person coming, you tend to get real busy or walk in the other direction? A complaining person is not someone you love to be with. We Christians can complain and gripe as good as the next person. I know how easily I can fall into that negative complaining mode. There’s a verse in the Bible that addresses this issue: Do everything without complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:14). Everything leaves no wiggle room, because it includes your unfair wages, the difficult boss, the annoying coworker, the way the company treats you, and even the weather! Complaining is such a waste of energy, and it’s stressful on you as well as everyone around you! What can a Christ-follower do if he or she works with an eternal complainer? You need to monitor yourself and not complain! If you’re able to walk away or stay away from the complaining conversation that would help. Or maybe you are able to steer the conversation and brainstorm a solution, but sometimes that’s not possible. Sometimes you need to set up some boundaries—especially if you’ve tried other tactics. A person who does her job without complaining is one of the strongest testimonies we can have for Jesus Christ. It says something about your integrity. I think complaining can easily slide into gossip, and you really don’t want to go there. Studies show almost half of the people in the workplace report they really don’t like their jobs. I can just visualize those thousands and thousands of people headed out to their jobs each day dreading it. If you start your day with discouraging thoughts—telling yourself how much you don’t like your job—the people you work with can see your bad attitude in your face and hear in your voice. Because you don’t like your job so much, and maybe there’s some good reasons for that, you probably won’t do your job as well as you should and your performance will suffer. When you regularly don’t do your job as well as you could, that is not only dishonest, but it’s also a bad testimony. You really can’t cover up a bad attitude. It keeps coming through even when you don’t realize it. If someone is stuck in a job they really don’t like, they probably have told themselves they have abundant reasons for not liking their job. Could be the work itself—maybe they find it boring and dull? Or could it be the environment or the people they work with? It could be there are some unhelpful or a difficult boss. We can think of lots of reasons, or excuses, that make us feel like we have a right to complain about our job! It’s amazing how we can deceive ourselves—tell ourselves things that make us feel less guilty when we know we’re not representing Jesus well. As our culture is prone to say, we have a right to our bad attitude. But whatever the reason, as Christians, we don’t have such a right. We are obligated by our commitment to the principles of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to work with all our might at whatever we’re doing, because ultimately, we’re working for the Lord, not for people. What would you say to the person who has been hating her job lately? First, remember God can help you with an attitude adjustment. You may not be able to change the things you don’t like about your job, but you can, by God’s grace, change your attitude. Your attitude is your choice. There’s another thing I’ve noticed in myself and others, and that is how upset we get over the uncontrollable things that happen in our days! It’s one of our major energy leaks, and it can really ruin your attitude. I once read if you will control the controllable, you can cope with the uncontrollable. But how often do we get upset or irritated over things which are totally out of our control? Take note the next time you’re irritated by someone or something. Are you losing it over an uncontrollable thing or person? I think you may be surprised to discover how often it happens. It’s a total waste of time and energy. Trying to control the uncontrollable is a futile effort and all it does is put you in a bad mood. Then, while we’re fretting over things which you cannot control, you are losing control of the things you can control. For example, we can control our words and avoid saying things that upset or discourage others. But when we’re trying to control the uncontrollable, we often lose control of the words we say and end up saying things that are hurtful or discouraging. We can control how we think and bring every thought into captivity, but when we’re trying to control the uncontrollable, we lose control of our thoughts and start thinking of all kinds of negative, unkind, and untrue things. We must remember this: if we will control the controllable, we can cope with the uncontrollable. Focus on staying in control of the things that are your responsibility; when you do, you’ll have the strength to cope with those uncontrollable events in your day. How do you do that? The Apostle Paul gave us some very good advice: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). If we really practice this principle on our jobs, we’ll have very good work attitudes, and in the process, we’ll reduce our stress, improve our productivity, and enhance our witness for the Lord. God’s Word is relevant to the uncontrollable things that will happen to you today; don’t forget it. The thing I’ve heard most heard from people is the problems they have with people. It reminds me of Charlie Brown’s famous quote: “I love mankind. It’s people I can’t stand!” It just amazes me how many people don’t think like I think, don’t see things the way I see them, don’t hold the same obviously correct opinion that I hold! Scroll through social media long enough, and it’s easy to think: “Why doesn’t everyone see the world the way I do?” Often these conflicts can ruin our attitudes and drag us down rather quickly. We need some biblical responses to help us keep our attitudes where they should be—positive and full of grace. One thing I have learned to do when some person is bringing me down is to put them in another frame. To see them differently. This is a wonderful way to keep your attitude in good shape, and it’s right out of God’s Word: If you believe in goodness and if you value the approval of God, fix your minds on whatever is true and honorable and just and pure and lovely and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8, J. B. Phillips). Often when we must deal with unpleasant people, we focus so much on their negative qualities that we totally lose sight of their good ones. Another Bible translation says to think about the good reports. I love that phrase, because so often, I’m prone to think about the bad reports. The person who is causing you trouble right now—there is some good report about him or her if you’ll just look for it. Make yourself think about the good report, the new frame you’ve put them in. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to get along with them. Once you get used to this practice of re-framing people who are difficult, you’ll discover the great side benefits: Reduced stress, less anxiety, better sleep, happier days. You will benefit more than anyone else when you learn to re-frame and think about the good reports, not just the bad ones. Another thing I’ve noticed is the lack of gratitude—being thankful for your job, for all the good things God has given us. We can get so focused on the negative things about our jobs or other people, that we forget the good things. Gratitude is so important and will go a long way in keeping our attitudes in good shape. Lately I’ve become even more conscious of how important it is to simply be thankful. To thank God for all his goodness; and to thank others who contribute good to our lives. The Apostle Paul wrote: Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything… (Ephesians 5:19-20). Give thanks for everything. That’s clear. Aren’t you glad Paul didn’t say we are to feel thankful, because often those feelings just aren’t there? But we can still choose to be thankful by reciting words of thanks and refusing to allow our attitudes to get into the griping pits. It’s good to remind ourselves we have a choice each day as to ...
Transcribe →Mistakes to Avoid with Managers – 5
2w ago00:03:00Tap to summarizeI began this program years ago to encourage and equip Christians to live out their faith on their job. And I’ve been examining the importance of avoiding certain mistakes many make in getting along with their boss. I know it’s not always easy and I know bosses are not perfect. But I also know you will do yourself a great favor to avoid making some of these mistakes. I mentioned small things matter, and good manners is another small thing that can make a difference in how your boss sees you. The simple everyday manners of helping others, letting others go first, thanking people, showing kindness to others—those little things create an impression. Failing to pay attention to them can cause self-inflicted harm to you. This verse sums it up perfectly: For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man (2 Corinthians 8:21). I’ve given you seven mistakes to avoid, but since we all make mistakes, here’s what to do when you have made a mistake: Acknowledge the mistake. Take responsibility and offer to fix the problem if it’s one you can fix. That may be something as simple as a sincere apology, but your willingness to take responsibility will speak volumes to your manager. Move on and do the best possible work you can, avoiding the mistake in the future. Don’t wallow in guilt; put it behind you and learn from the experience. Don’t let the mistake shake your confidence so that you lose your ability to do your work. Remember, everyone makes mistakes sooner or later. Don’t hide behind your mistakes, but don’t hide under your desk either. Show your boss it was a fluke and that will never happen again. Then, make it a matter of prayer. If you are a Christ-follower, you have power through prayer and God’s Spirit to put mistakes behind you and move forward.
Transcribe →Mistakes to Avoid with Managers – 4
2w ago00:03:00Tap to summarizeHaving held several positions with very different managers, I look back and acknowledge some mistakes I’ve made in dealing with them. I want to help you in dealing with your manager. Mistake No. 6: Going Over Your Manager’s Head When I worked in IBM, we had an open-door policy. This simply meant any employee was empowered to go to their boss with any complaint, suggestion, or question, because the door was always open. However, the rule was you go first to your immediate supervisor, and if for some reason that was not satisfactory, then you could go to the next level of management. But if you decided to go over your manager’s head and talk first to their manager, you would be immediately advised to first talk to your manager before taking it any further, and it would not be well received if you didn’t do it that way. This open-door policy is a good one, I believe, in keeping communications open and allowing for grievances to be resolved. But first talk to your immediate manager. Don’t go over their head. You may feel your manager will not listen and will not do anything about your situation, but until you have tried to resolve it on that level, it will almost always be a mistake to bypass your manager and go to the next level. Mistake No. 7: Failing to Pay Attention to the “Small Stuff” Remembering that perception equals reality, if you fail to do the things that create good impressions, you will do harm to yourself and your career. For example, dressing appropriately for your position. I know casual attire is very acceptable in many work environments, but even if that is true where you work, your casual attire needs to be neat, clean, modest, and coordinated. Looking sloppy or careless won’t do you any good. Go the extra mile, if necessary, to give the perception that you care how you look and you take time to make a professional appearance. Take clues from your manager. If he or she dresses very professionally, that tells you they expect and respect that kind of appearance from those who work for them. Someone has said it’s smart to dress a level above your position. That might be good advice in some organizations, and it would demonstrate you are serious about moving up in the company.
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