Episode #19: Grace for Your Work Week

Welcome, friends, to the first weekly episode of Working Upward for 2021 — yes, I said weekly because I’m ambitious like that.

My goal with this new format is two-fold:

First, I want to be like a friendly co-worker wheeling my office chair next to your desk and sharing a bit what I’m learning and what’s helping me in my work that can help you in yours, too. Think of it as office chit-chat, which we kinda  miss out on working from home.

This will be a short and sweet segment but one that I hope brightens your day and gives you some extra insight and inspiration directly related to your work from home business. 

And second, I want to help you start your week with a biblical mindset so to do that, I’ll share a “word of the week” with a corresponding devotional and prayer to help us all stay looking upward. 

Lord willing, I’ll still do a longform episode every once in a while — where I’ll cover a specific topic in depth — but for now I have high hopes that this weekly episode with a new format will really help you keep focused on working with a biblical perspective every single week.

SHOW NOTES:

Desk to Desk:

In this week's Desk to Desk , I share a little more about our recent life change and move to Iowa as well as a project I did for a client recently you may want to offer your clients, too. 

Word of the Week: GRACE

Devotional:

The word translated "grace" in the New Testament comes from the Greek word charis, which means “favor, blessing, or kindness.”

It’s a constant theme in the Bible -- in the Old Testament but especially in the new -- and it’s most often referred to as a gift. God gave it to us through His merit alone - in other words, it’s not something we earn or even learn by ourselves. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9

The gift of grace came to us through the person and work of Christ. 

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. - John 1:17

And His grace is not only given to us through salvation, it is given to us every single moment of our lives -- through hard times and good times. I love how the apostle Paul begins many of his letters with the phrase, “Grace and peace to you.” He ends many letters that way, too. 

 Every time we take the time to stop and consider God’s grace, we will find it amazing. 

My challenge for you this week is not only to take the time to consider God’s amazing grace in your own life but to shine a light on God’s grace by showing grace to others. 

I Peter 4 exhorts us to steward God’s gift of grace by serving one another. This is such a relevant Scripture passage for all work at home businesses, especially those of us with service-based businesses. 

Verse 10 here says ”As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace . . ."

This means we should:

Show it to our clients -- when they struggle to give us something in a timely manner or answer that email or offer feedback or give constructive criticism that’s hard to take. 

If you have virtual team members or those you’ve hired to help you with your work - show it to them. When they disagree with you. When they don’t do something the way you think it should be done. 

Show it online-- in our social media posts, in our blog posts, wherever we talk about our work and life. Be bold with God's truth but always as gracious as possible. The world is a dark place, especially now -- make a point to be a light. God sees every comment. 

Show it to our families. When they interrupt a phone call or a project you’re working on. When your children make a mess. When it’s time to serve them even when you don’t feel like it. 

Show it to ourselves and by that I mean remind yourself of God’s grace so you don’t consume yourself with guilt or take all the responsibility of the world on your shoulders alone. And so you don’t endeavor to earn favor from God’s that unearnable because it’s already there. 

Show God’s grace because He shows it to you.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your eternal grace displayed on the cross and through salvation. And thank you for giving daily grace to meet every challenge that comes my way. Help me to delight in your grace even more and show it to all I serve this week. In Jesus' name, Amen.