WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:03.419 Well, a couple of things before we begin. The 00:00:03.419 --> 00:00:05.820 first is if you're playing along at home in your 00:00:05.820 --> 00:00:09.259 growth groups, you'll know that we've got a booklet 00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:12.439 and today we're actually going out of order. 00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:17.050 It was meant to be wise with wealth. But we're 00:00:17.050 --> 00:00:19.510 actually doing WISE with work, just because I 00:00:19.510 --> 00:00:23.050 had to rewrite the Sermon on Wealth, and it's 00:00:23.050 --> 00:00:24.870 nothing to do with the state of the economy or 00:00:24.870 --> 00:00:27.910 anything, I just hadn't written one before. And 00:00:27.910 --> 00:00:30.289 so I just thought I'd save myself a bit of time 00:00:30.289 --> 00:00:33.810 and do it next week. So yeah, we're doing work 00:00:33.810 --> 00:00:36.590 this week, so it will be a bit backwards. The 00:00:36.590 --> 00:00:38.570 second thing to let you know about is that we've 00:00:38.570 --> 00:00:42.630 got Q &A today, so if you want to phone in and 00:00:42.630 --> 00:00:45.210 text in a question and remain anonymous, you 00:00:45.210 --> 00:00:47.429 totally can, or you can do it the old -fashioned 00:00:47.429 --> 00:00:49.829 way, put up your hand and let everyone know who 00:00:49.829 --> 00:00:53.310 you are. But we're going to start now. I'm going 00:00:53.310 --> 00:00:55.630 to pray. If you've got your Bible open, it'd 00:00:55.630 --> 00:00:57.350 be great to have Proverbs there open in front 00:00:57.350 --> 00:01:00.090 of you. Let's pray. Let's ask God for help as 00:01:00.090 --> 00:01:05.140 we dig into His Word. Gracious Heavenly Father, 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.760 we thank you that you're a speaking God. We thank 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:10.819 you that you give us wisdom in your word and 00:01:10.819 --> 00:01:13.200 we pray that you would help us to see the great 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.640 wisdom that is found in the work of Jesus Christ. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:21.819 And we ask this in his name. Amen. Well, I first 00:01:21.819 --> 00:01:26.280 started working in ministry in 2008. It seems 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:29.480 like a little while ago. But before that, I had 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:33.540 a variety of jobs. I was a barista at one point. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.099 I was a marketing student. I was a footy umpire. 00:01:38.540 --> 00:01:41.480 I did some work at the Jack Newton Junior Golf 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:45.099 Foundation as a marketing intern. And I had a 00:01:45.099 --> 00:01:48.019 fancy title at the bank as a customer service 00:01:48.019 --> 00:01:52.599 officer. which just means bank teller. And each 00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:55.359 job was so different. One job, I'd be steaming 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:58.760 milk for someone. Other jobs, like footy umpire, 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:01.219 I had parents yelling at me because I didn't 00:02:01.219 --> 00:02:04.840 pay their son the free kick. As a bank teller, 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:08.639 I got held up once, but I'll save that one for 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:13.240 another day. But despite the differences, and 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:15.039 I mean, they're very different jobs, aren't they? 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:19.330 Bank teller to barista to footy umpire. But despite 00:02:19.330 --> 00:02:22.710 the differences, there's a lot of overlap. That's 00:02:22.710 --> 00:02:25.009 what I found. There's a lot of overlap in the 00:02:25.009 --> 00:02:29.810 tricky things of any workplace. How do you motivate 00:02:29.810 --> 00:02:33.389 yourself? How do you handle office politics? 00:02:34.430 --> 00:02:37.169 How do you handle those difficult co -workers? 00:02:38.409 --> 00:02:40.830 And I'm sure it's the same for everybody here. 00:02:41.629 --> 00:02:44.129 I mean, we've got all sorts of different jobs 00:02:44.129 --> 00:02:46.810 in this room. We've got engineers. We've got 00:02:46.810 --> 00:02:51.229 teachers. We've got scientists. We've got, I 00:02:51.229 --> 00:02:53.250 mean, people who are retired. We've got stay 00:02:53.250 --> 00:02:57.530 -at -home parents, the hardest job of all. And 00:02:57.530 --> 00:03:00.849 yet all of us, I reckon, will say that the similarities 00:03:00.849 --> 00:03:04.150 are there for those tricky things. I mean, the 00:03:04.150 --> 00:03:05.930 office politics, if you're a stay -at -home parent, 00:03:05.949 --> 00:03:10.770 can be really confusing. But yet here's the thing. 00:03:11.420 --> 00:03:13.780 Some of us will get out of bed tomorrow, whatever 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:16.699 job we have, some of us will get out of bed tomorrow 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:20.560 really enthusiastically, won't we? We'll wake 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:23.000 up with a spring in our step, we're ready to 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:26.740 go. And some of us will be going to the same 00:03:26.740 --> 00:03:33.060 sort of job, and we won't. We won't have that 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:35.560 enthusiasm to get out of bed and go to work. 00:03:35.740 --> 00:03:37.659 We'll want to hit the snooze alarm, we'll want 00:03:37.659 --> 00:03:41.960 to call in sick. Because even though the struggles 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:47.099 are similar, some of us will be keen to go and 00:03:47.099 --> 00:03:51.479 others of us won't. And so I want to ask today, 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:56.860 what will shape how we turn up for work? What 00:03:56.860 --> 00:04:00.020 will shape how we turn up for work? What will 00:04:00.020 --> 00:04:04.719 make us turn up gladly, calmly, enthusiastically? 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:11.569 Now, I get it, external factors can help. really 00:04:11.569 --> 00:04:14.490 good pay makes it easier to get out of bed and 00:04:14.490 --> 00:04:17.529 go to work, doesn't it? You know, all the benefits, 00:04:17.589 --> 00:04:20.970 you get the prime parking spot, you know, you 00:04:20.970 --> 00:04:24.449 get the corner office with the great view, all 00:04:24.449 --> 00:04:28.550 of that, it helps. And especially if it's a nice 00:04:28.550 --> 00:04:30.810 work culture and everyone gets along, that helps 00:04:30.810 --> 00:04:33.709 too. It's easy to go to work when things are 00:04:33.709 --> 00:04:35.829 like that, where you feel valued, where everyone 00:04:35.829 --> 00:04:40.029 gets along. But still, do you want your attitude, 00:04:40.269 --> 00:04:44.769 your mindset, the way you turn up to be controlled 00:04:44.769 --> 00:04:49.670 by other people or by circumstances? How do you 00:04:49.670 --> 00:04:54.689 turn up well, even when it's hard? That's what 00:04:54.689 --> 00:04:58.389 I want to ask today. Because if you can, you 00:04:58.389 --> 00:05:00.629 can bring about positive change in your workplace. 00:05:02.009 --> 00:05:05.449 If you can, you can actually likely attract more 00:05:05.449 --> 00:05:09.959 customers or get promoted. If you can, you can 00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:12.800 enjoy your work and find meaning when it really 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:16.579 sucks sometimes. And best of all, if you can, 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:20.519 you can be an honouring witness to the Lord Jesus. 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:25.279 So we need to talk about being wise at work, 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:28.120 understanding how to get the best out of yourself, 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:31.519 how to navigate the complexities and the stresses 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:37.949 of any workplace. And Proverbs 10 -25 in light 00:05:37.949 --> 00:05:41.350 of the Gospel really helps us with that. And 00:05:41.350 --> 00:05:42.889 here's the big thing we're going to see today 00:05:42.889 --> 00:05:49.189 as we look at Proverbs. Seeing Jesus at work 00:05:49.189 --> 00:05:54.490 reshapes how you show up to work. There's one 00:05:54.490 --> 00:05:56.470 thing you take away from today, I hope it's that. 00:05:56.810 --> 00:06:01.490 Seeing Jesus at work reshapes how you show up 00:06:01.490 --> 00:06:05.500 to work. And there's three different ways that 00:06:05.500 --> 00:06:08.240 it will shape how you show up at work. There 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:10.319 may be well more, but three that we're going 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:14.600 to look at today. Firstly, when you're seeing 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:18.379 Jesus at work and you're showing up to work differently, 00:06:18.740 --> 00:06:22.000 you'll possess a good work ethic. You'll possess 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:25.639 a good work ethic. Secondly, you'll promote a 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:29.379 calm workplace. You'll promote a calm workplace. 00:06:30.300 --> 00:06:33.920 And thirdly, You'll plan out your work well. 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:37.860 You'll plan out your work well. So let's have 00:06:37.860 --> 00:06:41.439 a look at the first one. You'll possess a good 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:46.060 work ethic. We see this all over Proverbs. Here's 00:06:46.060 --> 00:06:49.279 a couple of verses that highlight it. The soul 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:53.759 of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:57.240 the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. 00:06:58.379 --> 00:07:02.329 Or like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the 00:07:02.329 --> 00:07:04.810 eyes, oh, that hurts, you know, that's the idea. 00:07:05.329 --> 00:07:10.829 So is the sluggard to those who send him. See, 00:07:10.829 --> 00:07:14.069 a good work ethic helps you so much and helps 00:07:14.069 --> 00:07:17.930 your workplace so much. It's hard to get a raise, 00:07:17.990 --> 00:07:20.290 hard to get a promotion, hard to get new customers, 00:07:20.649 --> 00:07:23.470 hard to get anything if there's a poor work ethic. 00:07:24.430 --> 00:07:27.629 So to have a good work ethic, well, things will 00:07:27.629 --> 00:07:32.430 go well, generally speaking. But also, it's so 00:07:32.430 --> 00:07:35.069 important to work with people who have that same 00:07:35.069 --> 00:07:39.129 good work ethic, isn't it? Relying on a sluggard 00:07:39.129 --> 00:07:43.230 is painful and irritating. They're not the sort 00:07:43.230 --> 00:07:46.689 of person you delegate work to, are they? It's 00:07:46.689 --> 00:07:49.470 good to know that. It's like, as the proverb 00:07:49.470 --> 00:07:54.370 says, vinegar and smoke. I remember one workplace, 00:07:54.490 --> 00:07:56.970 one church I worked in, there was a ministry 00:07:56.970 --> 00:08:00.250 apprentice there and when he first started he 00:08:00.250 --> 00:08:04.689 had a poor work ethic. He came late and left 00:08:04.689 --> 00:08:07.970 early. When we were there he would goof off all 00:08:07.970 --> 00:08:11.209 the time. He didn't add much value to the staff 00:08:11.209 --> 00:08:14.509 team and it stung all of us. There was a lot 00:08:14.509 --> 00:08:19.149 of vinegar and a lot of smoke going on. And sadly 00:08:19.149 --> 00:08:20.990 for him at the end of his apprenticeship there 00:08:20.990 --> 00:08:26.709 was no role. afterward for him. And it was very 00:08:26.709 --> 00:08:31.370 sad and very disappointing. How do you motivate 00:08:31.370 --> 00:08:34.590 someone like that? How do you motivate yourself 00:08:34.590 --> 00:08:36.909 if you're feeling like that? Maybe you're going 00:08:36.909 --> 00:08:39.549 the whole, oh, I tried working really hard in 00:08:39.549 --> 00:08:43.370 my workplace. I saw this great carrot and it 00:08:43.370 --> 00:08:45.730 just was a real disappointment. I'm not going 00:08:45.730 --> 00:08:47.490 to bother. I'm going to do the whole quiet quitting 00:08:47.490 --> 00:08:51.429 thing now. Just do the bare minimum. How do you 00:08:51.429 --> 00:08:54.830 motivate yourself or someone else when you're 00:08:54.830 --> 00:09:00.830 in that headspace? Well, it comes, especially 00:09:00.830 --> 00:09:02.429 if you've got Christians there, it comes from 00:09:02.429 --> 00:09:06.230 a deep love for one another. When you're free 00:09:06.230 --> 00:09:09.570 from fear, when you're free from selfishness, 00:09:09.590 --> 00:09:14.570 when you want to love other people, that makes 00:09:14.570 --> 00:09:18.409 you work hard, doesn't it? Especially when you 00:09:18.409 --> 00:09:23.220 see Jesus at work for you. I remember with this 00:09:23.220 --> 00:09:28.259 apprentice, as his love for Jesus grew, his work 00:09:28.259 --> 00:09:33.000 got better. His work ethic changed and it started 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:35.580 to improve. Sadly, it didn't improve enough for 00:09:35.580 --> 00:09:38.840 him to have a job at the end, but it improved 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:42.320 because he could see how much Jesus loved him. 00:09:42.340 --> 00:09:45.000 He could see how much Jesus had worked for him 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:48.220 and it changed his heart and it changed his mindset 00:09:48.220 --> 00:09:54.539 and he had a new work ethic. When you get stuck 00:09:54.539 --> 00:09:59.220 like that, go back to Jesus. See the work He 00:09:59.220 --> 00:10:03.440 has done for you. Now, we've got to be careful 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:05.759 not to all or nothing this as well, by the way. 00:10:06.820 --> 00:10:09.159 Because it's easy to start, you know, looking 00:10:09.159 --> 00:10:11.200 at it and going, all right, well, I'm going to 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.580 do the whole judging thing, and I'm going to 00:10:13.580 --> 00:10:16.440 go around and, oh, they're sluggard, and they're 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:18.720 not, and they're diligent, and oh, well, I'm 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:20.720 diligent, and oh, there's another sluggard there. 00:10:21.710 --> 00:10:24.909 It's very easy to just start to classify yourself 00:10:24.909 --> 00:10:28.190 and others, to pigeonhole people, to get too 00:10:28.190 --> 00:10:31.009 simplistic, to go from being discerning to very 00:10:31.009 --> 00:10:34.730 judgmental. Now wisdom is understanding how the 00:10:34.730 --> 00:10:38.690 world works and it's trying to unearth the intricacies 00:10:38.690 --> 00:10:42.389 and the nuances of how the world works and trying 00:10:42.389 --> 00:10:44.889 to understand where the balance lies and that 00:10:44.889 --> 00:10:47.509 there are differences and times and places and 00:10:47.509 --> 00:10:51.309 contexts. So if you carefully read proverbs, 00:10:51.649 --> 00:10:54.629 you'll see there's intricacies and nuances everywhere 00:10:54.629 --> 00:11:00.990 that emerge. It's about being curious. When is 00:11:00.990 --> 00:11:05.009 it laziness? When is it, you know, working too 00:11:05.009 --> 00:11:08.850 hard? When is it getting the balance right? Here's 00:11:08.850 --> 00:11:10.830 a great verse that sort of helps speak into that. 00:11:12.350 --> 00:11:15.669 The slugger does not plough in the autumn. He 00:11:15.669 --> 00:11:21.100 will seek at harvest. and have nothing. So it's 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:23.379 not saying, like, let's all be workaholics and 00:11:23.379 --> 00:11:28.639 run ourselves into the ground. The sluggard doesn't 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:33.340 attune to the rhythms of life. They over -rest 00:11:33.340 --> 00:11:36.840 and especially they rest at the wrong times. 00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:41.019 We've got to remember God is not anti -rest, 00:11:41.139 --> 00:11:46.960 is he? He's the God of Sabbath. We need rest. 00:11:48.190 --> 00:11:51.929 The way of wisdom is to get the balance right. 00:11:52.110 --> 00:11:56.529 It's to get that true work -life balance. It's 00:11:56.529 --> 00:12:00.570 a bit like this. So there's the sluggard, there's 00:12:00.570 --> 00:12:03.669 the workaholic, and we want to be the one in 00:12:03.669 --> 00:12:08.429 the middle. We want to be diligent. Have you 00:12:08.429 --> 00:12:14.009 got that balance right? How? How do you get the 00:12:14.009 --> 00:12:18.370 balance right? It's by seeing Jesus at work. 00:12:19.190 --> 00:12:23.509 How did he work? Well, Jesus slept in the boat 00:12:23.509 --> 00:12:25.789 because he was tired after lots of ministry, 00:12:25.909 --> 00:12:30.370 didn't he? It's okay to have a break. It's okay 00:12:30.370 --> 00:12:33.509 to rest. There's a time and a place to rest and 00:12:33.509 --> 00:12:37.789 rest well. And he told his disciples to come 00:12:37.789 --> 00:12:40.649 away and rest a while because he could see they 00:12:40.649 --> 00:12:44.509 needed rest. But there were times where he'd 00:12:44.509 --> 00:12:48.029 see the crowds and he'd have compassion on them, 00:12:48.350 --> 00:12:51.370 and he'd push through even though he was exhausted. 00:12:53.149 --> 00:12:56.610 See, Jesus pivoted between hard work and healing 00:12:56.610 --> 00:13:01.149 rest, trying to work out when was the appropriate 00:13:01.149 --> 00:13:04.929 time for each. And the way we work it out is 00:13:04.929 --> 00:13:07.909 a bit of trial and error, but it's especially 00:13:07.909 --> 00:13:10.370 by looking at the Lord Jesus and seeing what 00:13:10.370 --> 00:13:14.730 he did. so that we can get the balance right. 00:13:16.649 --> 00:13:20.250 So is that what you do? Are you leaning toward 00:13:20.250 --> 00:13:22.789 the sluggard? Are you leaning toward the workaholic? 00:13:23.330 --> 00:13:25.809 Do you get the balance right as the diligent 00:13:25.809 --> 00:13:31.629 does in Proverbs? See, being wise at work, it's 00:13:31.629 --> 00:13:36.850 about getting that balance. But there's other 00:13:36.850 --> 00:13:40.350 ways in which we need to be wise at work, and 00:13:40.350 --> 00:13:45.049 here's another one. We need to promote a calm 00:13:45.049 --> 00:13:49.389 workplace. We need to promote a calm workplace. 00:13:49.450 --> 00:13:51.330 Very hard to do that if you're a workaholic. 00:13:51.830 --> 00:13:54.070 So that's, again, why you need a bit of rest. 00:13:55.649 --> 00:13:58.129 But how do we promote a calm workplace? Well, 00:13:58.129 --> 00:14:02.490 here's some ideas from Proverbs. It's an honour 00:14:02.490 --> 00:14:06.889 for a man to keep aloof from strife. But every 00:14:06.889 --> 00:14:11.039 fool will be quarrelling. It's like fools are 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.139 there just looking for something to fight about. 00:14:14.779 --> 00:14:18.299 Or a dishonest man spreads strife and a whisperer 00:14:18.299 --> 00:14:20.980 separates close friends. They love to just, oh, 00:14:21.019 --> 00:14:22.940 did you hear what they said? Just something to 00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:27.340 cause another fight. Or look at these ones. Do 00:14:27.340 --> 00:14:29.419 not make friends with a hot -tempered person. 00:14:29.899 --> 00:14:32.440 Do not associate with one easily angered, or 00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:35.159 you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. 00:14:36.680 --> 00:14:39.639 or whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:43.700 like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. 00:14:44.580 --> 00:14:46.740 Don't you love that imagery? You know, there's 00:14:46.740 --> 00:14:48.679 the dog walking past, I'm just going to yank 00:14:48.679 --> 00:14:50.299 his ears. That sounds like something my kids 00:14:50.299 --> 00:14:54.779 would do and they will get bitten. But being 00:14:54.779 --> 00:14:59.980 wise at work means you don't do that. Again, 00:15:00.019 --> 00:15:02.559 it's balance. You know, there is a time and a 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:05.669 place to call it out and to speak up and... But 00:15:05.669 --> 00:15:08.549 you don't pick fights unnecessarily. You don't 00:15:08.549 --> 00:15:12.029 lie. You don't engage in office gossip. You don't 00:15:12.029 --> 00:15:15.250 get irate or associate with those who do, or 00:15:15.250 --> 00:15:17.730 you don't meddle with things that aren't anything 00:15:17.730 --> 00:15:22.970 to do with you. The wise are calm. They're regulated. 00:15:23.889 --> 00:15:29.649 They pick their battles. The wise, they engage 00:15:29.649 --> 00:15:32.350 in office gossip, but only in the positive office 00:15:32.350 --> 00:15:36.360 gossip. Did you hear about the great job that 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:38.820 Fred did the other day? Wow, he was fantastic. 00:15:39.620 --> 00:15:41.659 They don't do the other one. They do the positive 00:15:41.659 --> 00:15:46.399 one. They are stable and straightforward. They're 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:49.679 a wonderful presence, even when the rest of the 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:55.600 workplace is chaos. When I was a relief teller 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:57.960 at Bendigo Bank, there were very few Christians 00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:02.019 where I worked in Sydney. But there was one, 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:04.559 a wonderful Christian man who was another teller 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.360 at Homebush Branch. I think his name was Joss, 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:12.379 but he was amazing. It wasn't the easiest branch 00:16:12.379 --> 00:16:16.379 to work in. The manager and the supervisor there 00:16:16.379 --> 00:16:20.779 were constantly at war with one another, mainly 00:16:20.779 --> 00:16:25.039 over how cold the air conditioning was. But ironically, 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:28.700 it got very heated over the temperature of the 00:16:28.700 --> 00:16:32.269 air conditioning. But, you know, there was lots 00:16:32.269 --> 00:16:35.049 of other things, a very cramped branch. There 00:16:35.049 --> 00:16:39.129 was even a robbery. But Joss, he was positive 00:16:39.129 --> 00:16:43.809 and upbeat. He didn't gossip. He didn't put others 00:16:43.809 --> 00:16:46.750 down. You know, one of the supervisors, she was 00:16:46.750 --> 00:16:49.190 always there telling me, oh, the manager, he's 00:16:49.190 --> 00:16:51.370 been such a jerk this week, Brendan, you don't 00:16:51.370 --> 00:16:53.470 even know. And she would just vent and vent and 00:16:53.470 --> 00:16:57.750 vent. But not Joss. He just focused on his work. 00:16:58.509 --> 00:17:01.610 He often diffused situations with humour, kindness 00:17:01.610 --> 00:17:06.809 and tact. And when he was there, he was a great 00:17:06.809 --> 00:17:11.450 place to work. When I was covering for him, it 00:17:11.450 --> 00:17:15.609 was at best unpleasant. He really made a difference 00:17:15.609 --> 00:17:23.369 to that workplace. What about you? When you turn 00:17:23.369 --> 00:17:26.589 up to work and it's a disastrous place to be, 00:17:28.100 --> 00:17:30.940 Everyone's panicking about everything, it's toxic, 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:34.200 everything's going wrong. It's easy to get caught 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:37.940 up and get swept into it, isn't it? It doesn't 00:17:37.940 --> 00:17:39.779 matter whether it's a hospital, it doesn't matter 00:17:39.779 --> 00:17:41.619 whether it's a classroom, it doesn't matter whether 00:17:41.619 --> 00:17:43.980 it's parenting, it doesn't matter whether it's 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:48.980 ministry or a bank. If you aren't careful, you 00:17:48.980 --> 00:17:52.099 can become like tissue paper in a cyclone, just 00:17:52.099 --> 00:17:54.720 blown around by everything else that's going 00:17:54.720 --> 00:18:00.430 on. You know what makes you like a ten -ton anchor 00:18:00.430 --> 00:18:06.630 in those sort of environments? Seeing Jesus at 00:18:06.630 --> 00:18:11.869 work. You're there and your boss is barking at 00:18:11.869 --> 00:18:18.069 you and getting angry. Just look past him. Look 00:18:18.069 --> 00:18:23.730 past him. It's Jesus. He's behind him. Actually, 00:18:23.730 --> 00:18:26.089 he's on the throne. He's sitting there, he's 00:18:26.089 --> 00:18:28.069 ruling over, you know, my boss is doing all that, 00:18:28.069 --> 00:18:31.930 but I see the bigger picture. Jesus is in charge. 00:18:33.789 --> 00:18:36.750 While he's barking away, look back. Oh yeah, 00:18:36.829 --> 00:18:40.630 I'm forgiven, I'm loved. I'm, you know, I've 00:18:40.630 --> 00:18:43.089 looked forward, okay, I've got a hope in Jesus 00:18:43.089 --> 00:18:46.769 that's secure and eternal. Okay, it sucks, my 00:18:46.769 --> 00:18:48.549 boss is barking at me, but yeah, I'm getting 00:18:48.549 --> 00:18:52.250 some perspective here. I don't need to let it 00:18:52.250 --> 00:18:54.730 hit me as hard as it might because I'm seeing 00:18:54.730 --> 00:18:59.950 the bigger picture. See, seeing Jesus doing His 00:18:59.950 --> 00:19:02.529 work, seeing what He's done for us on the cross, 00:19:03.130 --> 00:19:05.490 seeing Him at work ruling over everything now, 00:19:05.710 --> 00:19:11.349 it calms and stabilises us in our work so that 00:19:11.349 --> 00:19:17.210 we bring our best self to work. Is that what 00:19:17.210 --> 00:19:21.089 you do? Do you see Jesus when everything else 00:19:21.089 --> 00:19:23.630 is chaotic. It's just like, you know, when Jesus 00:19:23.630 --> 00:19:28.230 is out on the boat and the storm comes up. What 00:19:28.230 --> 00:19:31.970 do the disciples, they see the storm. It's going 00:19:31.970 --> 00:19:35.349 off. It's scary. What should they have done? 00:19:36.509 --> 00:19:40.549 They should have seen Jesus raining over everything 00:19:40.549 --> 00:19:45.069 as Lord of all. That's what we need to see when 00:19:45.069 --> 00:19:50.369 it's stormy and chaotic at work. That's how we 00:19:50.369 --> 00:19:55.970 be wise in our workplaces. But there's one other 00:19:55.970 --> 00:19:57.990 way to be wise at work that I want to share with 00:19:57.990 --> 00:20:01.950 you today. Here's our last one. Plan out your 00:20:01.950 --> 00:20:07.869 work well. Plan out your work well. Have a look 00:20:07.869 --> 00:20:13.589 at these proverbs. A wise man is full of strength 00:20:13.589 --> 00:20:17.990 and a man of knowledge enhances his might. For 00:20:17.990 --> 00:20:22.049 by wise guidance you can wage your war and in 00:20:22.049 --> 00:20:26.150 abundance of counsellors there is victory. So 00:20:26.150 --> 00:20:28.170 if you're wise you try and get big resources. 00:20:28.549 --> 00:20:31.589 You get people alongside you who can help because 00:20:31.589 --> 00:20:34.309 that's where the victory lies. Or the plans of 00:20:34.309 --> 00:20:36.829 the diligent lead surely to abundance but everyone 00:20:36.829 --> 00:20:41.789 who is hasty comes only to poverty. So whatever 00:20:41.789 --> 00:20:45.619 work you do It goes so much better if you plan 00:20:45.619 --> 00:20:51.039 and if you plan well. The wise general, that's 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:53.680 a type of work, isn't it? He's going to war, 00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:59.000 he plans. He recruits troops, he upgrades weapons, 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:02.779 he strategises with his best commanders. They 00:21:02.779 --> 00:21:05.180 work hard in planning, they take their time to 00:21:05.180 --> 00:21:08.119 plan well because it will guarantee victory. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:14.210 And it's the same with any job. You know, parents 00:21:14.210 --> 00:21:17.470 need to talk with one another. Maybe they need 00:21:17.470 --> 00:21:20.809 to talk with people, you know, older folk who've 00:21:20.809 --> 00:21:23.329 raised kids before, or talk with their friends, 00:21:23.390 --> 00:21:25.509 because in abundance of counsellors, there is 00:21:25.509 --> 00:21:29.109 victory. You know, recruit more help. Maybe, 00:21:29.109 --> 00:21:31.609 you know, talk to a psychologist, talk to whatever. 00:21:31.789 --> 00:21:34.950 But it's about developing skills. It's about 00:21:34.950 --> 00:21:37.970 getting the help you need. Doctors discuss a 00:21:37.970 --> 00:21:41.029 tricky case, don't they? Yeah, what do you think? 00:21:41.190 --> 00:21:43.170 Oh, I think he's got the chicken pox well, you 00:21:43.170 --> 00:21:46.569 know, and they diagnose well before they treat 00:21:46.569 --> 00:21:50.750 it. You know, if you fail to plan, you plan to 00:21:50.750 --> 00:21:58.289 fail. It's important to plan well. And if you 00:21:58.289 --> 00:22:00.910 plan well, you'll be strategic, you'll prioritise 00:22:00.910 --> 00:22:03.410 well, you'll break things into right steps. Again, 00:22:03.410 --> 00:22:06.630 that's part of wisdom. Have a look at these proverbs. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:11.519 Prepare your work outside, get everything ready 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:14.359 for yourself in the field and after that build 00:22:14.359 --> 00:22:18.059 your house. So why do you have to go out and 00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:20.240 get your field ready? Because that's your source 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:23.759 of income. Get that sorted before you get your 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:28.000 comfy McMansion done. If not, you'll misjudge 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:30.319 and you won't have the money to pay for your 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:32.720 house. So get your source of income sorted. I 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:36.269 mean, that's great wisdom, isn't it? Or do you 00:22:36.269 --> 00:22:38.130 see a man skillful in his work? He will stand 00:22:38.130 --> 00:22:40.769 before kings. He will not stand before obscure 00:22:40.769 --> 00:22:43.930 men. Now, what's implied here is to get to the 00:22:43.930 --> 00:22:46.529 top, to get ahead, you've got to sharpen your 00:22:46.529 --> 00:22:49.410 skills now. Plan well. Get good at the thing 00:22:49.410 --> 00:22:54.410 you do. It's really fun watching my littlest 00:22:54.410 --> 00:22:59.390 kids play with Lego or blocks or kinetics because 00:22:59.390 --> 00:23:05.559 they do the opposite of this. There's no plan. 00:23:06.420 --> 00:23:10.799 There's just do. They don't hear advice well. 00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:13.839 You know, son, you should try it. No dad, I'm 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:17.220 doing it fine. Don't worry. It's all good. There's 00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:21.200 no strategy. They don't recruit help. They just 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:24.799 do what feels right in the moment. And then they 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:28.119 get very frustrated that it doesn't work when 00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:30.579 it all comes tumbling down or the Lego pieces 00:23:30.579 --> 00:23:34.599 end up everywhere. Yeah, they get a bit older 00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:37.980 and it starts to shift a little bit. They start 00:23:37.980 --> 00:23:41.480 to plan and collaborate a bit more. And actually, 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:43.440 I see it a lot in Ethan, because he builds these 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:46.579 amazing Lego structures now, which is cool, and 00:23:46.579 --> 00:23:49.259 one day he'll be on Lego Masters, and that'll 00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:54.460 be good fun. But the point is that planning and 00:23:54.460 --> 00:23:57.819 that cooperative strategising, it pays off, doesn't 00:23:57.819 --> 00:24:02.799 it? Now, we all get this wrong. None of us plans 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:06.660 our work as we should. We're all like my littleies 00:24:06.660 --> 00:24:12.019 at some times. You know, we don't get the counsel 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:14.259 we need. We underestimate things. We're reactive. 00:24:14.420 --> 00:24:17.339 We misstep. We get the wrong priorities at times. 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:21.279 But we all know it's so much better when we plan 00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:25.660 well, isn't it? Even when it doesn't guarantee 00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:28.380 victory, it's so much better when we've planned 00:24:28.380 --> 00:24:32.460 well. And the most unexpected things can happen 00:24:32.460 --> 00:24:37.299 that derail even the best laid plans. And so 00:24:37.299 --> 00:24:40.559 we want to keep reassessing, being flexible, 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:44.339 working it out. And it can be so frustrating 00:24:44.339 --> 00:24:46.779 though, can't it? You plan well, you're at work, 00:24:46.819 --> 00:24:49.440 you've planned some projects so well, you've 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:52.539 listened to everybody, and then out of the blue 00:24:52.539 --> 00:24:54.799 it gets ruined by unexpected factors. I mean, 00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:58.180 that can be just disheartening, can't it? What 00:24:58.180 --> 00:25:02.039 do you do then? Well, part of planning well is 00:25:02.039 --> 00:25:04.799 not just planning yourself, it's remembering 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:10.279 Proverbs 19, 21. Many are the plans in the mind 00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:12.299 of a man, but is the purpose of the Lord that 00:25:12.299 --> 00:25:18.180 will stand. See, I get it, it's disheartening, 00:25:18.259 --> 00:25:20.299 it's frustrating when you plan well and it doesn't 00:25:20.299 --> 00:25:22.539 work out, but what do we need to see? We need 00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:27.059 to see Jesus at work. We need to see that he's 00:25:27.059 --> 00:25:29.519 in control of all this. He's working out his 00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:31.960 good plans and purposes. I mean, we see that 00:25:31.960 --> 00:25:35.759 most clearly at the cross, don't we? See, at 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:37.960 the cross, it's the most horrible thing. For 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:44.359 the disciples, it came out of left field. But 00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:46.799 it was God's plan for the salvation of the world. 00:25:48.359 --> 00:25:50.700 It was the most wonderful thing that was happening, 00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:56.180 even though the disciples couldn't see it. So 00:25:56.180 --> 00:25:58.420 when we aren't wise, when we don't plan well, 00:25:58.500 --> 00:26:00.680 or when we are and our plans just disintegrate 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:03.559 because of factors outside of our control, true 00:26:03.559 --> 00:26:06.960 wisdom is seeing that things are still going 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:11.799 according to God's plan. That God's purposes 00:26:11.799 --> 00:26:16.000 and plans will always stand. And when we see 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:20.400 that, it calms us so that we're loving, patient 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:26.529 and thoughtful even in the chaos. So plan well, 00:26:26.950 --> 00:26:32.549 but trust God's plans as you do. See, whatever 00:26:32.549 --> 00:26:35.490 job you do, the key to being wise at work is 00:26:35.490 --> 00:26:38.750 one thing. I hope you've seen it today. Seeing 00:26:38.750 --> 00:26:43.410 Jesus at work reshapes how you show up to work. 00:26:44.609 --> 00:26:46.630 And if you do that, it will reshape you in a 00:26:46.630 --> 00:26:50.130 variety of ways. We looked at three. You'll possess 00:26:50.130 --> 00:26:53.779 a good work ethic. You know, you'll try and please 00:26:53.779 --> 00:26:57.079 Jesus with a balanced life, not being a sluggard, 00:26:57.200 --> 00:26:59.819 not being a workaholic, just being diligently 00:26:59.819 --> 00:27:04.339 working for Jesus. It'll promote a calm workplace 00:27:04.339 --> 00:27:06.940 because you'll see Jesus reigning, you'll see 00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:09.279 what He's done for you. Your value won't be tied 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:12.779 to your work, it'll be tied to Jesus' work for 00:27:12.779 --> 00:27:18.000 you. And you'll plan out your work well. Yeah, 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:19.640 you'll be diligent, you'll be thoughtful, you'll 00:27:19.640 --> 00:27:22.279 be responsible, but... As well, you'll know that 00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:25.640 your plans land within God's plans and that He's 00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:27.440 in control of everything. And even when your 00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:31.220 plans disintegrate, He's working out His good 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:36.220 plans and purposes. Now, what's all this mean 00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:39.500 for us? Well, if you're here today and you're 00:27:39.500 --> 00:27:43.160 not yet a Christian, I hope there are some useful 00:27:43.160 --> 00:27:46.180 things about work that you've gleaned from today. 00:27:46.879 --> 00:27:49.359 And if you read Proverbs, I'm sure there are 00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:53.480 other good things you could glean too. But here's 00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:56.059 the hard truth that I want to leave you with 00:27:56.059 --> 00:28:01.000 if you're not yet a Christian. I don't know if 00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:03.220 you've ever thought about it, but without Jesus, 00:28:04.500 --> 00:28:09.839 your work is actually pointless. Your work is 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:14.759 pointless. Yes, go read Proverbs, but can I encourage 00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:17.119 you to go read another great wisdom book in the 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:19.839 Bible that speaks into this, and that's the book 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:24.299 of Ecclesiastes. There you've got Solomon searching 00:28:24.299 --> 00:28:26.359 for the meaning of life. He's got resources, 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:30.180 he's got wisdom, and his conclusion about all 00:28:30.180 --> 00:28:33.559 of it, what's the meaning of life? He says, it's 00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:36.460 all meaningless. Here's what he says regarding 00:28:36.460 --> 00:28:40.480 work. Remember, this is Solomon. He's done a 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:43.670 lot. But he says, yet when I surveyed all that 00:28:43.670 --> 00:28:46.210 my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, 00:28:46.730 --> 00:28:49.150 everything was meaningless. A chasing after the 00:28:49.150 --> 00:28:55.049 wind, nothing was gained under the sun. The reason 00:28:55.049 --> 00:29:00.210 he says that is because we all die. And what's 00:29:00.210 --> 00:29:02.650 the point of our work if we all die? It's pointless. 00:29:02.750 --> 00:29:05.150 It just keeps us alive a bit longer. It just 00:29:05.150 --> 00:29:07.829 makes our lives a bit comfier. But ultimately, 00:29:07.950 --> 00:29:09.829 you know, it's like two people in a plane crash. 00:29:09.890 --> 00:29:12.900 Your work might... help you, you know, be in 00:29:12.900 --> 00:29:14.880 business class or economy class, but at the end 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:16.380 of the day, if the plane crashes, it doesn't 00:29:16.380 --> 00:29:19.579 matter which one you're in, does it? It makes 00:29:19.579 --> 00:29:23.799 no real difference to anything. So if you're 00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:26.299 cluey at work, yes, life will be nicer and better, 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:32.859 but it will still be pointless. Unless Jesus 00:29:32.859 --> 00:29:37.420 is your King. Because Jesus is saying to you 00:29:37.420 --> 00:29:41.569 today, I can give you more to life than this 00:29:41.569 --> 00:29:46.150 life. This life isn't all there is. I can give 00:29:46.150 --> 00:29:48.490 you something with purpose, something meaningful. 00:29:48.710 --> 00:29:54.329 I can give you hope that transcends death. Now 00:29:54.329 --> 00:29:57.250 I don't know anyone else who can say that and 00:29:57.250 --> 00:30:01.049 back it up like the Lord Jesus can. Because his 00:30:01.049 --> 00:30:04.549 work was to die for our sins and rise again as 00:30:04.549 --> 00:30:09.940 Lord of all. If you're feeling like your work 00:30:09.940 --> 00:30:13.460 is pointless and you don't know Jesus, come have 00:30:13.460 --> 00:30:15.779 a coffee with me. Come have a chat with me now. 00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:20.460 And let's get together and see if Jesus' work 00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:25.500 can give your life and your work hope and purpose. 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:31.240 But if you're here today and you are a Christian, 00:30:32.660 --> 00:30:37.420 I hope you've seen how we ought to turn up differently 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:41.819 to our workplaces. Actually, Christians have 00:30:41.819 --> 00:30:45.259 been doing that for thousands of years, even 00:30:45.259 --> 00:30:48.799 as slaves. Have a look at this in Colossians 00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:53.680 3. Slaves. So, you know, this is not your typical, 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:55.819 you know, workplace Australia, you've got like 00:30:55.819 --> 00:30:58.000 rights and all that sort of stuff. This is not 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:02.079 that. Slaves obey your earthly masters in everything 00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:04.759 and do it, not only when their eye is on you 00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:07.569 and to curry their favour, but with sincerity 00:31:07.569 --> 00:31:10.450 of heart and reverence for the Lord. In a hard 00:31:10.450 --> 00:31:13.609 circumstance where your freedoms aren't great, 00:31:14.970 --> 00:31:19.650 hey, turn up well. Turn up in a way that honours 00:31:19.650 --> 00:31:21.769 Jesus. Whatever you do, work at it with all your 00:31:21.769 --> 00:31:24.230 heart as working for the Lord, not for human 00:31:24.230 --> 00:31:27.730 masters. Since you know you have the bigger picture, 00:31:28.170 --> 00:31:30.250 you will receive an inheritance from the Lord 00:31:30.250 --> 00:31:33.390 as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 00:31:35.560 --> 00:31:39.400 What makes the difference in a hard workplace? 00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:45.299 It's seeing the org chart. You know the org chart 00:31:45.299 --> 00:31:47.440 with all the ranking and who's structured and 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:51.039 the hierarchy and that? Remember, see past your 00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:54.819 boss. Okay, CEO, doesn't matter. There's another 00:31:54.819 --> 00:31:58.599 CEO sitting at the top of the universe. That's 00:31:58.599 --> 00:32:02.519 Christ himself. That's your true CEO. That's 00:32:02.519 --> 00:32:06.309 who you serve when you go to work. No matter 00:32:06.309 --> 00:32:09.009 how bad or how good your boss is, that's who 00:32:09.009 --> 00:32:15.869 you serve. I serve Jesus in any workplace by 00:32:15.869 --> 00:32:19.690 working well and by being a witness to Him. I 00:32:19.690 --> 00:32:23.849 needn't worry or fear because ultimately He will 00:32:23.849 --> 00:32:29.369 look after me both now and into eternity. I trust 00:32:29.369 --> 00:32:36.470 Him. Now don't mishear me. There are injustices 00:32:36.470 --> 00:32:38.670 and Christians need to stand up and speak about 00:32:38.670 --> 00:32:42.150 that. There is Christian liberty. There are horrid 00:32:42.150 --> 00:32:44.549 workplaces and we're not slaves. If you want 00:32:44.549 --> 00:32:49.930 to leave, leave. If you want to stay, stay. Use 00:32:49.930 --> 00:32:52.930 your wisdom to work out what's best and then 00:32:52.930 --> 00:32:57.910 make a wise choice. Prayerfully, trusting God's 00:32:57.910 --> 00:33:01.950 plans. But wherever you work, whatever you do, 00:33:02.380 --> 00:33:05.799 Your circumstances don't have to dictate how 00:33:05.799 --> 00:33:10.700 you turn up. Money, validation, a supportive 00:33:10.700 --> 00:33:14.359 employer, even coffee, they may shape how you 00:33:14.359 --> 00:33:20.079 turn up. But seeing Jesus clearly, that will 00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:22.140 make the greatest difference to how you turn 00:33:22.140 --> 00:33:29.079 up to work. Is Jesus shaping how you turn up 00:33:29.079 --> 00:33:31.789 to work? Will he shape how you turn up to work 00:33:31.789 --> 00:33:38.349 tomorrow? Let me finish with this. It's Monday 00:33:38.349 --> 00:33:42.009 morning. You're sitting in traffic on the Captain 00:33:42.009 --> 00:33:46.970 Cook Highway. Your mind wanders back to last 00:33:46.970 --> 00:33:50.769 week. Friday, the boss was angry. One of your 00:33:50.769 --> 00:33:54.829 co -workers stabs you in the back. There's a 00:33:54.829 --> 00:33:58.690 bunch of deadlines due. This wave of dread washes 00:33:58.690 --> 00:34:04.880 over you. Don't just push through. Don't turn 00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:08.579 up to work and be passive aggressive. Don't turn 00:34:08.579 --> 00:34:12.619 up to work and just be straight aggressive. Do 00:34:12.619 --> 00:34:18.719 something different. See that Jesus saved you 00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:24.019 by his work. That he died for your sins on the 00:34:24.019 --> 00:34:26.980 cross that in God's sight you were holy and righteous 00:34:26.980 --> 00:34:30.619 and blameless because of what Jesus has done 00:34:30.619 --> 00:34:33.960 See that because of that you have a hope that 00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:39.500 eternity is yours See that Jesus is reigning 00:34:39.500 --> 00:34:44.920 over everything now that he's in charge See that 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:49.260 Not the only thing that's all to life is work 00:34:49.260 --> 00:34:52.710 see that there's more to life More to life than 00:34:52.710 --> 00:34:57.469 work, more to life than this life, even. See 00:34:57.469 --> 00:34:59.969 those things and then thank Jesus for them as 00:34:59.969 --> 00:35:02.269 you're driving to work. You know, I better keep 00:35:02.269 --> 00:35:05.030 my eyes open as I'm thanking and praying. You 00:35:05.030 --> 00:35:06.909 know, I'm driving the car, but thank and pray 00:35:06.909 --> 00:35:11.389 to him. Maybe recall some verses in your mind. 00:35:12.070 --> 00:35:15.929 Oh, what did Jesus say in Romans 12? I live peaceably 00:35:15.929 --> 00:35:19.309 with all, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says 00:35:19.309 --> 00:35:22.909 the Lord. Okay, so it's not my job to get back 00:35:22.909 --> 00:35:25.769 at my boss and my cowork. You know, if your enemy 00:35:25.769 --> 00:35:27.789 is hungry, feed him. If he's thirsty, give him 00:35:27.789 --> 00:35:30.429 something to drink. Okay, cool, don't be overcome 00:35:30.429 --> 00:35:32.670 by evil, but overcome evil with good. Yeah, okay, 00:35:32.889 --> 00:35:36.829 I remember those ones. Oh yeah, Titus too. I'm 00:35:36.829 --> 00:35:39.050 there to adorn the doctrine of God our saviour. 00:35:39.210 --> 00:35:41.650 That's a pretty amazing privilege I get to do 00:35:41.650 --> 00:35:46.030 in my workplace. So pray about those things as 00:35:46.030 --> 00:35:51.519 you drive to work. And by the time you get there, 00:35:52.519 --> 00:35:55.099 you'll be in such a different headspace, won't 00:35:55.099 --> 00:36:01.460 you? Do those things, and it will change how 00:36:01.460 --> 00:36:09.079 you turn up to work. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:15.420 in our complex and fallen world, it can be so 00:36:15.420 --> 00:36:20.340 hard turning up to work well. But help us to 00:36:20.340 --> 00:36:25.159 see Jesus work for us. Help us to see Jesus at 00:36:25.159 --> 00:36:30.119 work now, reigning over everything. Help us to 00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:34.340 see Jesus that we might turn up to work differently, 00:36:35.340 --> 00:36:38.139 no matter how good or how tough our workplaces 00:36:38.139 --> 00:36:43.380 may be. Help us to stand out as different people 00:36:43.380 --> 00:36:47.940 because we know your love, your power, and your 00:36:47.940 --> 00:36:52.630 truth. And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.