Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 97). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) This is a very good thought in realizing how we need to view our work. Max says, “Your boat is where you spend your day, make your living, and to a large degree live your life. The taxi you drive, the horse stable you clean, the dental office you manage, the family you feed and transport—this is your boat. Christ shoulder-taps us and reminds: ‘You drive my truck.’ ‘You preside in my courtroom.’   ‘You work on my job site.’ ‘You serve my hospital wing.’ To us all, Jesus says, ‘Your work is my work.’” Max goes on, “Have you seen the painting The Angelus by Jean-François Millet? It portrays two peasants praying in their field. A church steeple sits on the horizon, and a light falls from heaven. The rays do not fall on the church, however. They don’t fall on the bowed heads of the man and woman. The r

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 94). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I want to live a life that makes a difference for God.  Do you? Max says, “…I remind you that we have two bosses: one who signs our checks and one who saves our souls. The second has keen interest in our workaday world. What if everyone worked with God in mind? Suppose no one worked to satisfy self or please the bottom line but everyone worked to please God.” He goes on, “Many occupations would instantly cease: drug trafficking, thievery, prostitution, nightclub and casino management. Certain careers, by their nature, cannot please God. These would cease. Certain behaviors would cease as well. If I’m repairing a car for God, I’m not going to overcharge his children. If I’m painting a wall for God, you think I’m going to use paint thinner?” Max tells a story, “When Michelangelo was in his early

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life  (p. 88). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Max continues this thought by saying, “But when you empty yourself, God has a useful vessel. Your Bible overflows with examples of those who did.” “In his gospel, Matthew mentions his own name only twice. Both times he calls himself a tax collector. In his list of apostles, he assigns himself the eighth spot. John doesn’t even mention his name in his gospel. The twenty appearances of ‘John’ all refer to the Baptist. John the apostle simply calls himself the ‘other disciple’ or the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved.’ Luke wrote two of the most important books in the Bible but never once penned his own name.” Max goes on, “Paul, the Bible’s most prolific author, referred to himself as ‘a fool’ (2 Cor. 12:11). He also called himself ‘the least of the apostles’ (1 Cor. 15:9). Five years later he claimed to b