Put a Fish on it Part 1

I love this cartoon depiction.   I can honestly say that I have had this conversation with Jesus in the past, when I just didn’t “get it” yet. I didn’t understand what it truly meant to be a Jesus Follower.  I believed if I put a fish on my marketing material, advertised in the Christian directory, wore a button or had a Jesus bumper sticker on my car, that people would know I was a Christian and that would entice them to be one, too. HOWEVER, the opposite was really true.  Since my behavior was at times in contradiction to what most people expected out of a Christian, the decorations only emphasized  the hypocrisy in my own life and drove people away from Jesus, not towards Him.

When someone becomes a true follower of Jesus, their entire life is transformed, the old life is gone and a new life has begun (2 Cor. 5:17).  When you become a Jesus Follower, everything about you  is in the process of changing.  A sticker, logo, button or pin should not be the main indicator of that change. People who know you will see the difference in your life.  People who meet you will be impacted by your attitude and actions. People you work with will see the integrity of your work.  If they see a fish symbol, they just may run the other direction because of a bad past experience.  Is it wrong to have a fish on your business card? No. Should it be necessary to have a fish on your business card?  No.  Is it what iWork4Him is all about? No.  Romans 12:2 talks about changing the way we think,  about everything - especially work.

Ask yourself this question:  Do I need a fish symbol for people to know I am a Christian at work?

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 bottom line

Friends – today just let me bottom line this. Jesus summed up the law and the prophets in this short paragraph. 

Matthew 22: 37-40 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[e] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[f] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

As Christ Followers, if we were to live out these verses all day, every day, no matter where we were, our world would experience amazing healing.  Whether you are a nurse, a legislator, a salesperson, a clerk, an oil field worker, unemployed, a mom, dad, grandpa, uncle, auntie, or Grandmamma we all have the same commandment.

No matter what your role in life is - you are called to do these two things:  Love God, Love People.  That means we love people that are easy to love and we love people who are difficult to love. That means we love people we agree with and we love people we disagree with.

Jesus rescued you so that you could be a witness so others could be rescued. Everything Jesus did was done out of love.  Now it’s our turn. So when you go off to work today, whether on location or a zoom call - Love God, Love People. That’s the bottom line.  😊

Romans 14:19 The Passion Translation (TPT)  So then, make it your top priority to live a life of peace with harmony in your relationships,[a] eagerly seeking to strengthen and encourage one another.

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!

Adding light through love

I think it’s time for some hard questions about the things plaguing our country.  As Christ Followers it is our privilege to represent Jesus here on earth. How are we doing with that? 

The church, {and when I say church I mean you and me as followers of Jesus}, was established by Jesus to bring Good news to the inhabitants of earth. We are called to share the message of Jesus who came to rescue us from eternity in hell and provide salvation and redemption and restoration of our lives.   This Good News is to flow so vibrantly through our lives that it should pour out to all those around us and be a blessing to them, whether they believe in Jesus or not.   

We have a problem, the church is not doing its job on a large scale in this country. I have a responsibility to love my neighbor, no matter who that is, regardless of what clan of Noah they come from. You have that same responsibility. We cannot solve the hurt and hopelessness by ourselves. But God never intended for us to do it alone. He said he would never leave us or forsake us, but to be strong and courageous.

 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)

Here’s a few of the hard questions to ask yourself. 

1. Why did God place me here on this earth, living where I live, doing the work that I do, with the people I do it with? 

2. What gifts talents and abilities have I been given that are helpful in ministering to my neighbor? 

3. What am I doing now, to minister to the least of these in unison with the Spirit of God? 

The solution to the unrest in this country is not political and it is not a government program. Jesus presented the solution, it is us. His church. We are to be a light in the darkness. You are part of the solution. Guilt is not the driver but Love. Let us love one another and ask God to be your guide.

Last year we shared a timeless conversation with our friend LEGIN about reconciliation and hope.  We had an honest conversation with a few quotes like:

“The Gospel never works by ignoring the sin issue”

“Let’s talk:  we have the only answer but most times we’ve removed ourselves from the conversation”

“There is HOPE for reconciliation with God and man”

(take a little time to listen to this conversation and then pray about the answers to the questions above as we each do our part)

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!

Starting to make sense?

I think you can see it now.  The world is a mess. So much anger, frustration, hurt, calamity, disease.  A mess. That is what sin does – steal, kill and destroy.  It is why iWork4Him exists.

The people who are hurting so badly, every color of skin, every nationality, men and women everywhere are overwhelmed by the hopelessness of life…without Jesus.

You have been called for such a time as this.  In fact, you have been ordained for the ministry you have been given. Jesus sent you.  I encourage you.  Be Jesus in your workplace today. Love people unconditionally. Listen to them. Pray for them. Meet their needs. Put faith into action and BE EXCELLENT in your work at the same time.

Hope. Love. Peace. Forgiveness. Jesus offers these in abundance through us. 

You are needed. You are called. You have purpose and meaning. Your workplace is your workplace because God called you there on behalf of the lost and hurting all around you.  Stop. Look. Listen. Take time to notice all of the image bearers around you who need to meet the Son of the Image giver.

You are the messenger. Go.

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!

When you just want to quit!

Have you ever had such a bad day at work, that you just want to quit your job and walk out? You know, just pack up your stuff and leave? What is the root of that kind of frustration? I really think it’s a misunderstanding of our true role at work. So many of us grew up in households, churches or communities where we were told that true ministry work is done within the four walls of the church or overseas in some foreign country. It wasn’t until I was 40 years old that I finally understood that my workplace was my place of ministry. Well if that’s the case, then quitting my job, means quitting my ministry. 

I think it boils down to realizing that you are called to your work. The people that you work with and the job that you do – none of that is by chance. The people that you work with need to meet Jesus and you may be their only chance.  You have been placed at your workplace by God. It is your primary place of ministry outside of your home.  You spend more time there than any other place than home.

Step back and think about it. Why is it you want to quit? Is it deep frustration or a problem with a co-worker or boss?  Is it an unsafe or harassing workplace?  If it is, then it may be time to find another job if you aren’t able to impact the culture.  But what if it is a relationship issue or  boredom with a job?  When we look at our workplace as ” just a job”, then we fail to see the significance of our work. We fail to see the significance of God placing us among a bunch of His image bearers that don’t know Him yet. He chose you to impact those people with your relationship, your excellence of work and your faith story.  If you quit, who is going to pick up that job when you leave.

There is no question that we will change jobs and sometimes we need to quit an unhealthy place but how we change jobs and how we quit, that can make a big difference, too. Burning and blowing up the bridges could cause someone to have toxic feelings towards Christianity. We can’t take that chance.

So, if you feel like quitting your job, remember, you were placed there just like Paul the apostle was placed on that prisoner ship to Rome. On purpose, on time. God wants to partner with you in your work. Why? Because it is your place of ministry.

Check out the iWork4Him Nation Covenant. It outlines the steps to turning your workplace mindset into one that is a ministry mindset. You are needed. You are important. You are loved. You are there on purpose, for a purpose. 

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's God telling you today?

I would be remiss if I didn’t spend a little time during this Covid-19 Crisis to contemplate its significance. For us Jesus followers, it’s time to realize the book of Revelation has come alive.  A disease impacted our world in a matter of days.  A worldwide vaccines embedded with medical tracking chips is a real possibility.  In one week the world was changed.   We are slowly opening up to a new world. For some it is a world based on fear, and for others new awareness.  What has God been telling you?

Here are some of the things I have heard Christ Followers realizing:

1. Life without sports is still life.  I missed it at first but have found others things to talk about.

2. I live in a neighborhood with people who need me and have enjoyed helping them and getting to know them.

3. I have a family that I love, and with cancelled activities, we have enjoyed being together and being creative.

4. Without the commute, I have been more rested and prepared for the day.

5. I have more time to spend in my quiet time.

6. Spending time cooking might be hard on the waistline but great for the family.

7. Working from home and teaching my kids is challenging, but I like it.

 For me – it is the realization that the Church was unleashed on the nation and around the world.  No longer meeting in the buildings, the Gospel is being delivered in new and innovative ways.  Time has slowed down and people matter more.

I don’t want to have things get back to the way the were before.  Do you? 

As Jesus followers, we  were so caught up in the ways of the world, we often missed the very people we were called to minister to.   Our workplace may look different, but it is still the place God has placed us to be Jesus to our coworkers, employees, customers and vendors.  Let’s commit to slow down and ASK one of them today – “How are you doing?” and then stop and listen for their real answer.

So, what is God telling me today? The world is ready for Truth…real Truth…because the Truth is the only thing that will set them free from fear. AMEN. John 8:32

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!

Celebrate Covid-19

Perspective changes everything.  If you are reading this, you have much to celebrate. You have seen resiliency, innovation, and cooperation in our country and the world – that we had not seen since World War II.   Soon we will get back to our work space, and socializing.  We are ready to renew friendships face to face with coworkers and employees and friends at church.  It’s time to live but let’s remember to celebrate the valuable lessons we have learned in the last 10 weeks.

1. We have learned that running a business, teaching, and running a daycare and home simultaneously is not for the faint of heart.

2. We have learned that our kids don’t need constant activity to have fun.

3. We have learned that dinner as a family is our most cherished meal.

4. We have learned that we can live without shopping every day.

5. We have learned that we can live without sports constantly on the TV.

6. We have learned that a job you have is better than a job you wish you had.

7. We have learned that the people that you work with have problems at home too (you’ve seen their kids on Zoom Video calls)

8. We have learned the power of being flexible.

9. We have learned to be neighborly, to minister where we live.

10. We have learned that Dave Ramsey was right – we all need an emergency fund. (start working on that now)

11. We have learned to never stop appreciating…_______________________(you fill in the blank)

12. Above all, we have learned that when the trappings of life are stripped away, our FAITH is the ONLY solid rock to stand on.

As life returns to normal, whatever that means, celebrate what you have learned. Don’t forget to love the ones you have spent more time with in the last 10 weeks than the last 10 years. Don’t forget that the job that you hold and the work that you do is a gift from God. He has a call on your life and you are needed. IF you lost your job during this time, He knows that and He will provide.

We live in a world that is lost and hopeless. Bring hope with you back to your workplace and share your Jesus story of HOPE with those you have missed.

Celebrate the lessons and expect great things in the second half of 2020.

Jim

Proverbs 4:5-7 (NLT)

For more ideas on slowing down::  listen to this recent episode of iWork4Him

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!

Something new!

Is 43:19 For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

 Have you been paying attention to all of the NEW things that have begun around you the past several months? 

• New ways to buy your groceries

• New ways to have business meetings

• New ways to “gather” for a holiday dinner

• New ways to hold a conference

• New ways to pick up dinner from the restaurant

• New ways to “do church”

• New ways to use a manufacturing plant to make essential product

I like change.  I like to rearrange the furniture, or add a fresh coat of paint. Fixing up a process at work can do so much for my outlook sometime. 

So, how about you?  Have you been handling change ok?  Are you struggling to figure out what normal is?  Change can be hard when it’s forced on you.

Change in our spiritual life is vital.     When God teaches us something through scripture, prayer, or a life lesson we have the opportunity to grow.  This growth can create exciting changes in our lives.  

When we first went into quarantine I heard someone make a remark that stuck with me:  “this is an opportunity to come out different”.  Now that different can be positive or negative.  I’ve seen results go both ways.  Everyday is an opportunity for God to do something new in me, will I be open to it?

God is doing something new.  Can you feel it?  Do you see it?  Sense the anticipation and ask Him how you can join Him. 

Ready for a change?

One of my favorite memories as a young mom occurred on May Day. My best intentions actually materialized when the kids and I created little May baskets full of flowers and successfully delivered them to our neighbors. I always loved May Day because it was like playing “legal” ding-dong-ditch. We would put the basket of flowers on the porch of a neighbor, ring the doorbell, and then run away. The kids would giggle as we hid, trying to watch as the door opened to find a fresh surprise on the doorstep.

Sounding the same but with a very different meaning is the phrase mayday: an internationally recognized radio word to signal distress.  Often we hear this phrase repeated 3 times in an old war movie where the airplane has lost an engine and is going down.  Some disaster in happening and this is the signal.  Many people have been crying mayday in recent months, maybe even you.  The stress of the unknown, job loss, or the loss of a loved one can be reasons to signal distress.  What are we doing to respond to the mayday call?

Think about the people you work with.  How can you respond to them when they are struggling?

1. Listen to them

2. Offer to Pray with them

3. Don’t try to fix it

4. Check on them

Listen for the mayday calls around you and then decide to spread a little May Day.  Bring the much needed love of Jesus to someone today.

John 13:34  A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

For more ideas on loving others in the workplace:  listen to this recent episode of iWork4Him

About the Author, Martha Brangenberg

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Martha has been involved in small business her entire life. Gifted with an attention to detail and a sweet sensitive spirit, Martha is a servant leader with a deep faith in Jesus.

Unity - finally

John 17:23 The Message (MSG) 20-23 I’m praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave them, So they’ll be as unified and together as we are— I in them and you in me. Then they’ll be mature in this oneness, And give the godless world evidence That you’ve sent me and loved them In the same way you’ve loved me.

Jesus prayed the passage in John 17:20-23 out loud in front of a crowd. He was driving home a point. Unity among Christ Followers would demonstrate the reality of His presence in the world. Martha and I have made a marketplace observation, Christ Followers at work are unified in a common cause – to live out their faith in their work because Jesus changed them 100%.  It’s amazing that God chose the Marketplace to show unity, but Jesus prayed this for us almost 2000 years ago.  2000 years.  That is a long time. 

Present day, the Church is now unified as well. Since the Corona virus has torn down the walls of the Church and spread the Church all over the world, we are operating as one for the first time since Christianity overtook the Roman empire 1700 years ago.  What does this all mean to the Christ Following today?

It means that your workplace is your mission field and in that mission field, you and me may be the only Jesus our co-workers or employees may ever meet. Your workplace, however different it now looks, is a place of ministry and you have been called there. It’s not about the money or the prestige but it is about the people God has allowed you to be surrounded with each and every day – whether it is in person or on video conference.

Today, recognize the unity in the Church and see your part in it. Keep it going and see how a world can transform when it sees the reality of Jesus at work in your life and mine.

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!