The Holy Habit of Rest

I am probably the worst person on the planet to be writing a blog about rest. In fact, Martha and I together are probably the worst people on the planet to write a blog about rest. Resting is not something that comes naturally to us. And I’m not talking about rest that comes between 10 PM and 6 AM. I’m talking about rest where your eyes are open, but you’re not moving or doing something. Martha and I really struggle in this area. We figure if we’re not doing something, we’re being lazy. But as we’ve gotten older, now into our mid-fifties, we realize that rest is something that we need.

Not just for our bodies or health, but for our minds and souls.

What rest looks like for you may be different from what it looks like for me, but it starts with a whole bunch of intentionality no matter what it looks like! Quality rest doesn’t often occur spontaneously, especially in today’s connected and busy world.

This summer Martha and I have a new plan: resting. We plan on having days where all we do is read a book. We plan on having a weeklong vacation where all we do is just explore. We plan on taking Sundays and making sure that no projects are going on around the house. We plan on taking our work and putting it aside to rest and hear the voice of the Lord on what’s next for iWork4Him.

Now, I’ve read many books about rest over the years, but none of them is better than the Bible. From the very beginning, as soon as God finished creating the entire universe, He took a day of rest. In fact, on their first full day on the planet, Adam and Eve had a day of rest! God put such a high priority on rest that He made Adam and Eve experience it before giving them work.

Is rest a priority in your life or an afterthought?

I want to invite you to join Martha and me this summer in making rest an intentional part of your walk with Jesus. Oh, and on a side note, when you’re well rested, you’ll also hear the voice of the Lord more easily and can respond more quickly when he has an assignment for you! So in a way, rest is a critical part of staying on mission!

- Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Love Your Neighbors This Summer

Ah, summer! We spend all year long looking forward to summer. The smell of fresh air, freshly cut grass, and beautiful flowers—no school and summer vacations. Even the word “summer” has a warm, friendly ring to it. Summer is when we all take a big long break. But there is one thing that we never get to take a break from – can you guess what it is? Yep, it’s being a minister of the gospel! 2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not….”

So, how do we turn our summers into opportunities for ministry? Read along with me today as we explore some ways to use the dog days of summer as an opportunity to expand the influence of Jesus in your neighborhood!

It goes without saying that our neighborhoods are one of our primary places of ministry. First, we have our homes, then we have our work, and then we have where we live. If you live in cold, snowy, or rainy climates during the wintertime, getting to know your neighbors can be a little more difficult in the winter. Most people sort of “hermit” away in their homes during these inhospitable months. Growing up in Minnesota, we never really knew when summer would come. Some years spring would be perfectly timed in April, and summer would come along in June. Other years, like this year, winter lasted until May, and then one day, it was 80 degrees. But whenever, and however it comes, when it does - the doors open, the jackets come off, and the sunscreen gets lathered! Out comes the barbecue, the lawnmower, and the hedge trimmer; in comes the opportunity to get to know our neighbors and serve them well!

It is a universal truth that people love to be outside when the weather is nice. And when they are outside, that means you have the chance to get to know them.

One of the things I love to do in summer is hosting a potluck or a cookout. When the grill is in the front of the house, it’s super easy to invite my neighbors over for a burger or a Coke (or, in my case, a Mountain Dew). This gives me the chance to bless them with a meal and strike up a conversation. The same goes for if I’m out on a walk and my neighbor is in their front yard. I’ll stop and say hello and ask how their day is going. These small connections can open the door for even greater ministry opportunities in the future!

Another great way to engage with your neighbors is to find ways to serve them. For example, if you see someone working on a project in their yard, lend a hand! Or, if you have elderly neighbors or neighbors with mobility issues, offer to mow their lawn after cutting your own. I know someone who does tree-trimming on the side and will offer it to his neighbors in exchange for dinner. What a great idea! That way, he gets to serve and connect!

The point is that your neighborhood is ripe with opportunities to be Jesus to someone. Remember, as a Jesus Follower, EVERYTHING about you should be changing, and EVERYONE around you should be benefitting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not.

- Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Nobody Says on Their Deathbed, “I Wish I’d Worked More”

Newsflash: nobody ever got to their deathbed, and in reflecting on their lifetime, said to themselves, “Boy, I wish I had spent more time in the office!”  No one ever said that. They said, “I wish I spent more time with family. I wish I spent more time having fun. I wish I spent more time relaxing.” They don’t say, “I wish I spent more time working.”

I encourage you to pause for a moment and consider this:

It’s already mid-summer. How have you spent your time so far this year? When you look at your calendar and your priorities, do they line up?

One of the things I found myself (and really speaking for Martha as well) is that we love to work. We could happily work all the time, but is that right? “I don’t think so, Jim!” When our kids were at home, we had to look at our calendars and prioritize our kids. We always made sure that we had dinner together. We always made sure that we had some family time each weekend. Our kids needed to know they were a priority. Now that our kids are grown and gone, we need to make sure they still know they’re a priority. So, we take time every year to visit them, their spouses, and their kids, and in-between, we make sure that we call them regularly. With our aging parents, we make sure we’re investing in them while we still can. We don’t want to get to the end of our lives and say, “I wish we hadn’t worked so much.” It’s a real danger for us.

So, what about you? As you look at the first half of your summer, were your family, spouse, and kids a priority in your schedule or just an afterthought? When you look at your calendar, what does it say about what you value? I know it’s not easy, but I can tell you this: it is worth the time and investment to re-do your schedule to ensure that your family knows they are a priority. Too many families and marriages are broken apart because our work demands too much of our attention.

The root of the destruction of our country can be directly tied to the destruction of the family over the last 60 years. Free sex, free love, no-fault divorce, and workaholism don’t lend to healthy family environments. As Jesus-followers, we know that it was God’s plan to build community around families. Is that your plan? Can you be a blessing to your community by making your family a priority?

And here’s the good news - If you need to make some changes, you still have half the summer left to do it!  Psalm 90:12 

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

For more ideas on balancing your priorities and investing well in your faith, family, community, AND work – check out our new books iWork4Him, sheWorks4Him, and iRetire4Him.

 Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

What Do You Have That God Can Use?

There isn't a single person in the United States of America who doesn't have a possession that goes unused for a year. Every one of us has extra STUFF. Martha and I made a rule when we got married 35 years ago that if anything went unused in our home over the period of a year, we would give it away. And guess what, there's only been a few times I've given away something I wish I hadn't. The reality is that we all have things that go unused, whether they are possessions, talents, giftings, or resources.

We interviewed a Californian the other day who had a similar idea. Her name is Tammy Vallejo and you can listen to the whole interview HERE. In her community, there was a homeless problem, but there was also a solution.

Tammy gathered together a group of church and community leaders to discuss how they could help solve the homelessness crisis in their area. What they discovered was that there was an awful lot of church-owned land in the community that was going unused. So, they determined to put it to use by creating this thing called Compassion Village. This group created tiny home villages with a central community square by using fallow land the churches already owned. The village is a place for those struggling with homelessness to get off the street, gain job skills, and learn how to live in community again. All this was done on land that was just sitting there vacant, doing nothing.

Now, most of you reading this probably don't have any vacant land that you could put to use for a tiny home village, but what do you have? Do you have an extra car that goes unused, or a spare bike, or some nice clothes, or an extra TV or computer, or even an old cell phone? So many of us have things that clutter our homes, apartments, condos, or townhouses. Instead of letting them collect dust, let's put them to use and bless our neighbors!

Or maybe for you, it's not stuff, but it's a talent. Maybe you have house repair skills, or cleaning skills, or singing skills – and they all go unused! How can you engage your talents for the benefit of those around you? If you can't think of anything, ask the Lord to tell you what you have that you can give away or put into action for the Kingdom. You might be surprised at what you find.

God loves it when we use our possessions and gifts for the Kingdom - it's called being a good steward! 1 Peter 4:10 says,

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."

God wants to use you, your stuff, your finances, and the unique giftings of His Holy Spirit to bless those around you. So, what are you waiting for?

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Time to put Step 3 of the IWork4Him Nation Covenant into Action!

The iWork4Him Nation Covenant is all about learning to activate our faith in our work. We do this by joining together as a community of believers who are committed to following these four tenets: 1) prayer, 2) care, 3) share, and 4) work.

Every step of the iWork4Him Nation Covenant is important, but today I want to talk to you about step three. Step three is the perfect tenet to execute during the summertime. Step three puts our money where our mouth is. It puts our faith into action outside of the office. Step three goes like this: “Look for ways to befriend your coworkers, employees, and bosses outside of work where you can develop a real relationship.” Step three is the place where you get to share your life, and in sharing your life, you are sharing God the giver of life.

Don’t miss this - there is so much power in presence. In Luke 7:34, Jesus said,

“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”

The reality is that a regular part of Jesus’ ministry on earth was sharing a table with unbelievers, sharing His LIFE with unbelievers.

As you look at your summer schedule, have you left enough margin to share your life with those you work with? Or do you bet on clocking out at the end of the day? I want to challenge you to look for empty spots in your calendar to invite some people over from work for a barbecue at your home, apartment, or condo. If you’re single, invite several people over - you can always make it a potluck. Developing authentic relationships and inviting people into your home space allows you to set the tone for the evening. Perhaps even pray through your space before anyone gets there – inviting the giver of life to share the table with you and carry out the work of the Holy Spirit.

So many of those we work with are lost and hopeless. You can introduce them to Jesus and to Hope over a meal. When you bring people into your home, you get to pray over meals, which often prompts great conversations. You get to pray over your home, which houses the very presence of God. Martha and I want to challenge you. This summer, make it a summer where you put iWork4Him into action after work. For more ideas about putting the tenets of the iWork4Him Nation Covenant into action, check out our new books, iWork4Him, sheWorks4Him, and iRetire4Him. And if you haven’t already joined the iWork4Him Nation, please don’t wait! We have a seat saved for you; and if you’re anywhere near Fort Myers, we’d love to come over for dinner.

 Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Ministering in the Community of Neighbors

From an early age, my parents instilled in me the importance of being a good neighbor.  Always be willing to help, offer to mow your neighbor's lawn if they're out of town, and return borrowed tools in better condition than when you got them. And all of that was nice, but Jesus calls us to do more. He calls us to LOVE our neighbors.

Mark 12:30-31 says, "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these."

Jesus put loving your neighbor right up there with loving God. It's THAT important. So how do we move beyond just being a "good" neighbor and into being a Christ-like neighbor? How do we live out our faith in our neighborhoods… especially if we've been living in the area for a long time and NOBODY even knows we're a Christ-follower?

Some time ago, Martha and I moved into a neighborhood of 30 townhomes. It was an incredible area, filled with people from all over the world. One of the first things we did after moving in was simply to pay attention. We worked to learn everyone's names and cars. Then, when there was an opportunity to help them out, we rushed in, and in October of 2004, we had just the opportunity. Four major hurricanes hit Florida that year, and three of them affected our neighborhood. The wind ripped the siding off and shredded the roofs in places, and to make it worse, we all had HUGE deductibles for wind damage. So, I got together a group of guys to help the neighbors fix roofing and siding. It was the perfect opportunity to serve and get to know so many people living around us. After that, we made an intentional effort to invite people over for a meal, and every New Year's Eve, we planned a get-together for our neighbors. And last but not least, our neighborhood was haunted by a power-hungry association that fostered a culture of division and frustration. So, when the opportunity came to elect a new association president, Martha agreed to it. She served in this role for ten years and had an enormous cultural influence on our area.

These small but intentional steps gave us countless opportunities to love and pray with our neighbors. The day we moved away to be closer to Martha's folks, we wept all the way to our new house. It was a bittersweet ending to an amazing 18 years, and everyone in the neighborhood knew they could count on us to help, to host, and to pray.

What about you? Do you have a plan for impacting your neighbors with your faith? We wrote iWork4Him: Change the Way You Think About Faith and Work to help people just like you live out their faith in EVERY area of life - whether it’s their office, job site, or community. God's purpose and God's will for your life are being carried out right where you are through loving your neighbors. For more ideas on how to minister in your sphere of influence, pick up a copy of iWork4Him. Oh, and did I mention that you can download the first chapter for FREE?! Just CLICK HERE.

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

The Tax Man

Tax Day is May 17th this year… weird. Another Covid Anomaly. When most of us hear the words “Tax Man” or “Tax Return Filing Day,” we get heart palpitations. Why? Because we’re afraid to owe the government money. Now, imagine that your business files its tax return and finds out it owes an enormous amount of money, the kind of amount that would keep you up at night trying to figure out how you could ever pay it. You lay in bed filled with fear and dread because the taxman always gets what’s his - no matter what... kind of like a horror story.

That feeling, its nothing compared to judgment day.

You see, we all actually DO have a debt we can’t pay. When we have to account for the way we spent our lives, it will become clear that we all have a load of sin… and the cost of it is death. Many of us have lived our lives imagining a cosmic scale at the end of it all, hoping that our good deeds outweigh our bad and thus give us a ticket to heaven... but that turns out was a lie because God’s standard is PERFECTION. Our sin is a debt with a guaranteed death sentence, and there is nothing we can do to pay the bill, good deeds and all. Now that is a horror story.

You can’t pay God back with your good deeds, you can’t scam the heavenly ledger, and you sure can’t escape the death sentence delivered. It’s hopeless.

But then Jesus rescued us! He said, “I will pay the sin debt for you; you just need to give your old life to me in exchange for a new one that comes without a death sentence.”

That is good news! I owed God an unpayable debt, and then Jesus paid for it all!

It’s like a millionaire came into your business and said, “I want to pay for that ridiculously enormous tax bill.” Can you imagine the relief? The Gospel is that but a trillion times more! Yet all around you are other people who don’t know the truth about their death sentence yet. They think they don’t own anything or that their good deeds will outweigh their bad when giving an account. They have been lied to and misled by the enemy of their souls, who wants them to live in ignorance until cosmic Tax Day is upon us and it’s too late.

But guess what? God put you right where you are – your job, your neighborhood, your friends – so that you could go and give the good news to those who need to be delivered from death to life. Everyone is searching for hope these days. With so many dead from COVID-19, millions of people have realized that life is fragile and can be lost at a moment’s notice. There has never been a better time to share the Gospel.

Look around you. Do all your co-workers know your story? Do you love them enough to be vulnerable in order to deliver them from a death sentence? Be a warrior and rob Hell of another resident!

But make sure you pay your taxes.

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

The Walls Are Coming Down

For the last 13 months, our country has been caught in a holding pattern. Most people have been stuck within the confines of their home, removed from any social interaction outside their immediate household due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rub is, we were created for relationship, for community – and without it, we begin to break down.

As the U.S. starts to open back up, Christ-followers have an unprecedented opportunity to engage with the lonely, the hopeless, and the socially starving. However you define “your community” – whether work, neighbors, or friends - I guarantee there are those inside it who need healing, who need hope, who need Jesus.

Wherever you are, and wherever you go, you carry the light of God with you. Matthew 5:15-16 says, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others…” You see, God has placed you right where you are on purpose and for a purpose. He wants to use you as a lamp in the darkness to bring light and encouragement to all those around you who don’t know him yet – to those who are stuck in isolation and hopelessness.

So, as you begin to go back out into the wide world, stop and look around you. Who doesn’t know Jesus yet? What can you do to bring hope, light, love, and healing to them today?

The iWork4Him Nation Covenant lays out a simple plan for transforming your workplace into a mission field, but that same plan can help us activate a ministry of healing in our community.

• Start praying for those in your community.

• Look for ways to serve those around you.

• Work to befriend others.

• Offer to pray with your community members.

Whether you stop to talk to your neighbor in the front yard, invite your coworker to lunch on the first day back to the office, or offer to pray with your boss - be a person that’s a good listener, that demonstrates excellence, that authentically cares, and that brings the light of Christ into the dark places.

The walls are coming down in our country, and as those walls come down, people are ready to hear about Jesus. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a cultural influence for Christ. If you are looking for more inspiration and encouragement about how to share your faith at work and at home, tune in to The Awaken Podcast Network.

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Your Calling Doesn’t Expire When You Retire

Heads up: the subject of this blog might make you uncomfortable, BUT it will be worth it, I promise! In fact, I believe that the future of the Church depends on what we are talking about today: the fact that you have a God-given calling and that calling doesn’t retire.

Over the last seven decades, an enormous new industry has developed to meet the pleasure needs of the over 100 million retired folks in America. We have whole towns dedicated to retirees. We have a camping industry that thrives on selling motorhomes to retirees and building campgrounds for retirees to park their motorhomes and hang out with other retirees. There are tennis and golf clubs, condos on the beach, endless cruises... all targeted at retired Americans. But why? What is the purpose of it all?

Pleasure. We have come to equate retirement with pleasure.

King Solomon had the dream retirement budget - more than Bill Gates, Elon Musk, or Warren Buffet. He had power, money, notoriety, and his life centered on maximizing pleasure. In fact, he wrote a whole book about his pursuit of it - The Book of Ecclesiastes. And in chapter 2, verse 1, he wrote,

“I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.”

Have you ever wondered if the “American Dream” version of retirement (retirement = pleasure) is healthy? Is it what is best for the Body of Christ? I can’t help but think that if God intended us to work for 40 years and then rest and relax for 30 or 40 years, He would have said so in Scripture. Instead, what He said is that we need to learn to be content. He said that we need to weekly find peace, relax, and get refreshed in preparation for what is next… and there is a next if you are still alive. Heck, Moses didn’t start fulfilling his calling until he was 80 years old!

What this country needs, and what the Body of Christ needs, is a generation of Christ-following retirees who are itching to use the gifts God has given them to fulfill God’s purpose for them. Retirees are in the perfect position to shape and influence the lives of those coming up in the ranks of the next generations. 

So, if you are a retiree, consider ways that you can engage with young people and families. Join a small group with diverse ages, go back to work with the mindset of being a “Mom” or “Dad” to the young people you work alongside, look for ways to influence your kids/grandkids/great grandkids. Pray for the next generations - Text them. Call them. Feed into them. Show them that your wisdom and experience are valuable and tell them your story.

To find more inspiration about living out your calling into retirement, listen to the iRetire4Him Podcast or pick up a copy of our new book, iRetire4Him: Unlocking God’ Purpose for Your Retirement.

Remember, your calling didn’t die the day you retired, it got a new lease on life!

Jim

Hey, by the way – this last week’s podcast is a great next step in the conversation about retirement.  https://www.iwork4him.com/podcast/2021/3/introducing-iretire4him

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Relationship – The Greatest Gift

One of the greatest privileges Martha and I have is getting to know people just like you as we travel across the country and  record their stories for interviews.  I wish I had time to write about each person and tell you the amazing things that God is doing through people all over the country (but we do interview them and you can listen to the daily podcasts to hear their stories). 

Let me tell you about a particular ministry called God@Work on www.God.TV/work  that we recently spent time with.

We met Rich Marshall, a few years ago in DC. He has been the host of the God@Work TV show on God.TV for several years.  Rich, and his incredible wife Wilma, gather names and stories of Christ Followers in the workplace and bring them together in Orlando to tape the shows each quarter.  Recently, we were invited to be on the show (Episode #99) and offered to interview each guest to share with you, the iWork4Him audience.   How awesome and inspiring it was to hear from a pharmacist working on a cure for dementia, an evangelist reaching millions in Africa, a professional singer and so many more.  You can check out these stories on the sneak peek page  https://www.iwork4him.com/podcast?category=Sneak-peek

Your story is important, too.

Each day you head off to work, you are entering the largest mission field in the world. This field is FULL of people who are lost and hurting and DESPERATELY need to meet Jesus. You may be their only chance. That is the beauty of relationship. God loves us so much, He sent Jesus to die for us, so we could have relationship with Him and then have loving relationships with others.  You are so important in your job. Please don’t ever think that your job isn’t a ministry. You touch the lives of people every day. They need you there. Please don’t quit.

In 2020, Martha and I will be collecting and sharing at least 263 more stories. Help us to meet those 263 people through your relationships.  Just pop me an email introduction jim@iWork4Him.com.

I am honored that you are reading this and God is honored at your heart and attitude towards bringing your relationship with Him to work.

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!