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for Every Good Work II Tim.3:17
Vol. I Week 1
April 2007
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Welcome to EQuipt!
As a member of Christians At Work, every month you will receive 3 weekly editions of EQuipt for Every Good Work, arriving every Monday morning. On the 4th Monday of the month you will receive EQuipt Newsletter.
Christians At Work's mission is to equip our members to live the life God has called us to live. Instead of overloading you with new ideas every week, we will be giving you one theme or question for an entire month. Each week we will talk about the monthly theme and give you three (3) practical ways to implement this concept into your Christian walk. We guarantee that when you implement our 3 practical EQuipt-ment processes into your Christian walk, your life will change dramatically.
We would love to hear from you too. Our desire is to share your stories and testimonies of how you implemented EQuipt ideas into your life and how it has changed your life and those around you.
If you have found this months message to be helpful, please forward EQuipt to friends, co-workers and family!
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Question for April:
Are you living a driven life or a directed life?
Just by looking at a few synonyms of our two key words, it is easy to see and understand why our lives might seem stressful and chaotic. For those of you that read Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life, maybe it should have been titled The Purpose Directed Life! Just a thought!
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Driven: compulsive
determined
goaded
impelled
Directed:manageable
orientated
oriented |
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There is no doubt that Jesus' life was very busy. He was busy teaching, preaching, healing exorcising demons, answering questions from foes and friends, and moving from place to place. It would be safe to say that Jesus can relate to our lives!
It is interesting that Jesus does not respond to our driven way of living by saying that we should not be busy with worldly affairs. He doesn't try to pull us away from the many event, activities, and people that make up our lives. He does not tell us that what we do is unimportant, valueless, or useless. Nor does he sugest that we should withdraw from our involvements and live quiet, restful lives removed from the struggles of the world (as tempting as that may sound at times!).
Jesus' response to our driven lives is quite different. He asks us to shift the point of reference, to relocate the center of our attention, to change our priorities. Jesus wants us to move from the "many things" to the "one necessary thing." |
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Jesus does not speak about a change of activites, a change in contacts, or even a change of pace. He speaks about a change of heart. This change of heart makes everything different, even while everything appears to remain the same. (Next week we will be sharing a true story one what this looks like.) This is the meaning of "Set your hearts on his kingdom first...and all other things will be given you as well." What counts is where our hearts are. Jesus asks us to move our hearts to the center, where all other things fall into place and become directed.
What is the center? Jesus calls it the kingdom, his father's kingdom. A heart directed on the Father's kingdom is also a heart set on the spiritual life. To set our hearts on the kingdom therefore means to make the life of the Spirit within and among us the center of all we think, say, or do.
Jesus' Prayer for us:
"Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you...I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realize....that I have loved them as much as you loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me....I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them." ( John 17:21-26)
Where are you right now? Are you able to feel directed by these powerful and heartfelt words for us, or are you feeling driven to get back to work? |
Signs of a driven burned out Life tend to be more mental than physical.
They can include feelings of:
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Frustration and powerlessness
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Hopelessness
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Being drained of emotional energy
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Detachment, withdrawal, isolation
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Being trapped
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Having failed at what you're doing
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Irritability
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Sadness
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Cynicism (people act out of selfishness and nothing can be done about it) |
EQuiptment: 3 practical & effective ways to live a more directed life.
1. Read Jesus' prayer for us at least once every day this month. Allow this prayer to penetrate your heart. Meditate on his words and allow God's love to shine through you today so that others may see His glory.
2. Take time to be still and ask God to direct you to someone who needs your help this week. Now watch with expectant eyes how God directs you.
3. Discover your Spiritual Gifts. Finding your true identity and feeling "directed" requires a knowlege of your spiritual gifts.
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Click on Member Resources
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Click on Faith to Work Assessment Tools
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Click on Assess Your Spiritual Gifts
Next week learn how to be RADICALLY transformed to live a directed life! |
