Growing Fruit
Do you feel aggravated at work? Much of our stress at work comes from people who are hard to get along with. Our devotional this week reminds us that our God-given job is to be ambassadors for Christ where we work and live. Most of the fruit of the Spirit we bear in our lives is actually cultivated there.
Ernie
P.S. - Mark your calendar and Register now for CBMC's next Marketplace Ambassador breakfast at the Grill on the Hill in Worcester on Tuesday, May 9 from 7:00 to 8:15 am.
Marketplace Ambassador Network
Breakfast at the Grill on the Hill
Tuesday, May 9, 7:00 to 8:15 am
Connect with other men in our area for an interactive discussion of Attribute 5 of an effective Marketplace Ambassador: Living an integrated life with proper life priorities. Breakfast is served at 7:00 am at the Grill on the Hill at the Green Hills Golf course in Worcester. Full breakfast cost is $10.00, and you'll meet key men who are committed to being effective ambassadors for Christ where they work and live. Register now
Growing Fruit
By Michelle Medlock Adams
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
Of course you're not going to automatically get along with every coworker in your office.
It's going to take some real effort on your part. I mean, even the disciples had problems with each other.
In Acts 15, we learn that Paul and Barnabas had a fight about another "coworker," John (who was also called Mark). It seems that Paul didn't want to take Mark along on a ministry journey because Mark had previously abandoned them in Pamphylia, but Barnabas insisted he come along. So Paul and Barnabas parted ways. Paul took Silas to Syria and Cilicia, while Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus. Interesting, isn't it? Both Paul and Barnabas were godly men. They were committed to doing God's work. They were part of the chosen group, yet they had strongly differing opinions at times.
Strife happens. Maybe it's happening at your workplace. If so, don't join in the strife-fest. Instead, walk away. Turn to God and ask Him to help you be the peacemaker of the group. See these strife-filled times as a chance to grow in the fruit of the Spirit. God will use this time in your life to take you to a higher place with Him.
A WORK PRAYER
Lord, help me to grow in the fruit of the Spirit and walk in peace when I encounter strife at work. Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What examples of strife can you name from your work? Did the strife involve you directly?
2. How did you respond to the strife?
3. How do you think your response lines up with God's Word? What could you have done differently to let the fruit of the Spirit shine through?
This WorkLife SwitchTOOL was written by Michelle Medlock Adams, a former award-winning newspaper journalist, who now writes magazine articles, devotionals, and children's picture books. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Content edited and distributed by WorkLife.org for non-profit educational purposes.
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