Building Spiritual Muscle

In Matthew 10, a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. The answer: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." (v.27) 

God wants your whole life; He isn't interested in just a part of it. He doesn't just want your Sunday mornings. He wants it all. 52 weeks a year. In the last couple of weeks, I touched on what it looks like to love and serve with all your heart and soul… but what about your strength? 

I like to think of loving the Lord with all your strength as loving the Lord with all the things that make you strong or stable in life: your accomplishments, your influence, your paycheck, your talents, your time, etc.—in other words, using these things for God's glory. However, if you are like me, sometimes your strength gets tired, or sick, or depressed, or wounded, and we don't love God very well, or we only love Him with a part of ourselves. When this happens, we favor some "spiritual muscles" over others, which leaves us with a lopsided life. 

For example, I often find myself loving God through my actions. This is natural because I'm a "get it done" guy. But what about loving God with my undivided time and attention? What about listening to Him? Waiting on Him? Being still in His presence? 

Currently, I am working on loving God through the strength of silence, more specifically, my silence. 

I don't do silence very well. If you listen to the iWork4Him podcast, you know I am not a quiet guy. Well, my mind is the same way. I am always thinking about many things. My brain is whirling all the time. So I neglect the spiritual practice of silence. 

So how do I love the Lord with all my strength? 

I let Him train me through my weaknesses. Silence is a weakness in my life. I love my Father, and I am so grateful for Him in my life, and because of that, I want to give Him my best all the time. However, I have many things that aren't in the "best" condition, so I give them to Him to work on and refine through the power of the Holy Spirit. Being Silent is a strength I don't possess, but I want to so I can hear His voice all day long in my work. When I am quiet, He can direct me in His ways rather than my ways. 

In 1 Timothy 4:8, the Apostle Paul writes, "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." Spiritual training is worth the time and effort. It gives back ten-fold in this life and the next. So, if you have a chance today, pray for the strength of silence to grow in my life. 

And what about you? What are the spiritually weak areas of your life that you want God to strengthen so that you can love Him with everything – both at work and at home? What areas of your life need some spiritual muscle? 

We talked with counselor Dr. Jessica Rothmeyer recently about taking the areas of our life that are damaged, tired, worn out, or traumatized and strengthening them through a renewed mind in Christ. Pump up your faith by tuning in to this incredible interview.  

- 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!

Who Do You Work For?

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

— Colossians‬ ‭3:23 (NLT)

Who do you work for, really? 

We’ve opened up the iWork4Him radio program and podcast with those words for nine years. Your efforts on a daily basis have got to be for something. So, who do you work for? 

Is it your money, your car, your house, or are you just working for a paycheck? You make an effort to go to work every day, which means you must have a reason. So, you’ve got an answer to this question: who do you work for, really? 

To be honest with you, for the first 20 years of my career, I thought I was working for a bigger house, faster cars, and a more prestigious position. I had been taught that business and faith had nothing to do with each other and that my only purpose in being a business guy was to make a lot of money so I could give it to the Church, who then did the “real” ministry of the gospel. That, of course, was a big fat lie. But I lived within that lie for 20 years. 

At age 40, I finally realized what God had been trying to teach me for two decades: my work mattered to Him. When I worked for others, I was really working for Him (Col 3:23). And what’s more, He wanted to join me in my work. 

 Why? To attract others into a conversation about Jesus, of course! 

Everything about our work should display and demonstrate the very work that God is doing in our hearts, minds, and souls. I like to see it this way: as a Jesus Follower, everything about you should be changing, and everyone around you should be benefiting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not. When you work as if you are working for the God of the universe, the creator, the savior of this planet, it changes how you work. 

I need this reminder all the time, and I hope it finds you at a turning point today. Your work matters to God – invite Him in! 

To find out more about my personal journey to this understanding, listen to the first chapter of iWork4Him on audiobook 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!

Who are You Representing?

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!””

— 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:20 (NLT)

What does it mean to be an ambassador? 

 When you put it in terms of an ambassador of the United States, it means a representative of our nation to another nation in order to create goodwill, peace, and mutual agreement. 

 But what does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ? 

 Really, the same thing. 

 We are God‘s representative here on earth, showing others who God is through the work that He has done in our lives. We are his hands and feet to the nations. God wants everybody to know how much He loves them and cares for them. Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” God loves that coworker you find mildly annoying, that troublesome client, and that boss who micromanages you so much that He sent His only son to die for them!

 When we see our role as an ambassador, a representative of God, it shifts our thinking and changes our behavior towards others. 

 What does it look like to be an ambassador for God representing the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, in your workplace? If someone asked your coworkers who you represent or are an ambassador for, would they say Jesus or your favorite sports team?  We all know what it’s like to be a fan, but God is not looking for fans. He’s looking for ambassadors. 

 Are you looking for some motivation on how to get out and be an ambassador for Christ? Listen to this quick 16-minute interview with David Roth from WorkMatters about how our actions at work speak louder than our words! 

- 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!

Finding Your Significance

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

— 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:27 (NLT)

I love it when the Apostle Paul talks about all the different parts of the body of Christ because so often, we get caught up in comparing ourselves to someone who was designed to function differently. We look at their role, giftings, or talents and wonder why we don’t have the same ones or we don’t look the same way. 

 For instance, I grew up thinking that the mouth was the most important part of the body. But it’s not. It’s just one part of millions. Some of us are tendons, some muscles, some bones; others are hands, feet, arms, or legs. Some of us are hearts and some minds. 

 No matter which part of the body of Christ you are, you are essential, and your role is significant. 

 No one part of the human body is independent of the other parts of the body. We, as humans, tend to diminish some parts of the body in their significance because they are less visible, but God doesn’t; every part is completely necessary for the functioning of the whole. 

 So which part are you? Are you one of those fancy parts that have skin and people can see from the outside? Or are you one of those behind-the-scenes workers like blood vessels, tendons, or muscles? 

 Whatever your role, whatever your personality, whatever your gifts, talents, and abilities are, they are significant. God made you exactly as you are. There are no mistakes. He made you so that you could impact the lives of those you were designed to. It is through the humility of any believer, in any position, that others are attracted to Christ. 

 Every part of the body is important, but it’s crucial to know which part you are. We need to understand who God created us to be and what he created us to be doing. If these are questions you haven’t thought about or don’t know the answers to, I recommend checking out Identity & Destiny: 7 Steps to a Purpose-Filled Life. You can also listen to our bonus author interview with the founder’s of Identity & Destiny, Tom and Pam Wolf, HERE.

 Celebrate who God created you to be and find out how God wants to use you.

- 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 Fruit is Your Testimony

We’ve been talking a lot about fruit this month. I live in Florida, and February is the month where fruit comes alive. The strawberries are monstrous, the oranges are fantastic, the tomatoes are delicious - February is fruit month for sure. It may seem weird for those of you that live in the tundra, but it’s gorgeous down here in February. 

 Today, I want to finish talking about our fruit tree, as in our very body that is the temple of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19). Over the last few blogs, we have talked about many aspects of being a believer who produces ripe, lasting spiritual fruit. But one thing we haven’t discussed is what good fruit actually looks like and the impact it has on those around us. The way I see it, our hearts and thoughts grow our attitudes, words, and actions - aka our fruit. They determine if what comes out of us is good or bad. In Mark 7:21-23, Jesus says, 

“Evil originates from inside a person. Coming out of a human heart are evil schemes, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, treachery, debauchery, jealousy, slander, arrogance, and recklessness. All these corrupt things emerge from within and constantly defile a person.” (TPT) 

 Evil thoughts will grow rotten fruit. Holy thoughts will grow good fruit. And the quality of our fruit - of our attitudes, words, and actions – will either attract people to God or leave them with a bad taste in their mouth. 

 The Apostle Paul writes that the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which lives inside you and me, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When you demonstrate these fruits in all areas of your life, people will notice… they are going to be left wanting more. This is our testimony, our witness to a world dying for a taste of who God is. 

 So, how do we ensure that this is the kind of fruit we are producing? 

 Simple. We must take good care of our tree – our body, mind, and heart. Because the reality is that good, healthy trees will naturally produce good fruit (even if it takes some time). This blog post on Good Fruit Starts at the Root is an excellent starting point if you want to find out more about how to do this! 

 When I look at my own life, I recognize a couple of fruits of the Spirit that I struggle with: gentleness and self-control. I often pray that people will see gentleness in me and know that I am a transformed person because, on my own, I’m not particularly known for my gentleness. This trait, this good fruit, is the evidence of Christ at work in me. In fact, my prayer is that before I meet my Savior face-to-face, everyone I encounter will know me and come to know Christ by my good fruit - especially gentleness and self-control. 

 What fruits of the Spirit do you want to produce more of in 2022? How can you cultivate a healthier “tree” in order to produce better fruit in the days to come?

- 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!

Good Fruit Starts at the Root

I love fruit. If I have to choose between eating fruit and eating vegetables, I always go for the fruit. Why? Because it tastes better, of course! Compare the taste of a fresh Kiwi to that of a fresh brussel sprout. There’s no comparison! Good fruit leaves a great taste in your mouth and leaves you wanting more. 

 But how do you get good fruit? Simple. You have to have a healthy tree. And how do you have a healthy tree? The tree needs to be planted in good soil, well-watered, fertilized, and pruned each year. 

 A tree in good soil that is well-watered, well-fertilized, and well-pruned will produce the most incredible fruit. 

 In a lot of ways, we are like fruit trees or vines. In fact, Jesus directly compares his followers to them in John 15 where he says, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches... I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.” (v. 15, 16)

 To produce the kind of “good fruit” that leaves a great taste in the mouth of everyone we encounter, we must have a healthy spiritual life. This means being planted in good soil, rooted in faith and nothing else. It means being well-watered through the wise counsel and teaching of those spiritually more mature than us. It requires being regularly fertilized and fed through daily time with God through Scripture reading, praying, journaling, and stillness. And, although perhaps a frightening thought, it means allowing God to prune away the parts of our lives that are no longer serving him. Or as Jesus says in John 15:2, “He cuts off every branch of. Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.“

 When we, as believers, plant ourselves in good soil and are well-watered, well-fertilized, and well-pruned, our roots will be strong, and the fruit that we produce will be fantastic! A great fruit tree will not produce great fruit until its roots are strong and it’s had time to mature. 

 So, if you find yourself in a season that feels barren or if God is pruning something away in your life - be patient; the good fruit is coming. 

 For more encouragement on cultivating a healthy, fruitful, and integrated life, I encourage you to check out this podcast interview with Heidi Lewerenz on sheWorks4Him. 

- 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!