WEDNESDAY WEIGH-IN: Support System

Last year, I launched Wednesday Weigh-In on this blog.

Every Wednesday, (or most Wednesdays anyway) I wrote about my struggle to lose well over 100 pounds.

Well  here it is a year later, and to be honest, I thought about not blogging on Wednesdays anymore because I only lost 20 pounds last year.

But then I remembered all of you.

Your willingness to encourage me.

To leave a comment.

To say a prayer.

To share your stories of struggle.

And I remembered the other wonderful support systems Jesus gave me.

Like my dad.

He shows me off to his friends just the same as if I was a  size 5. (I love him for that.)

But he does worry about the effects the extra weight has on my health.

"I'm just worried about your ticker." my dad will say.

Or my precious husband Buddy.

When we got married, I was a size 14, now I'm almost double that. Yet he's loved me through all my sizes and always treats me like a princess.

Having a support system in place when trying to lose weight is crucial. Any weight loss expert will confirm this.

That's why most national weight loss programs offer some sort of group meetings or one-on-one counseling.

Jesus knew this.

He designed us as communal beings.

We function better when we have others around us who love us and believe in us. The Holy Bible confirms this in Psalm 68:6:

"God setteth the solitary in families: ..."
And Jesus even made provision for us if our families were not capable of being there for us:

"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." (Psalm 27:9)


"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you..." (John 14:18)


Having an infallible support system is just one of the many benefits of living every day with Jesus. Because even if friends and family fail you, Jesus is always there. He said so in  Hebrews 13:5:

"“I will never leave you nor forsake you..."

So tell me, who is your support system?

What is it about them that makes them someone you can lean on?

Let's talk about the wonderful benefits of community this week and learn  from one another.

Because, as I said, drawing strength from community is just another wonderful benefit of living every day with Jesus!

Work Hard ~ Pray Hard

If the demands of your job seem exceptionally intense this week, consider praying more to prepare for it.

That's what Martin Luther, the German reformist did. He said:

"Tomorrow I plan to work, work, work, from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."

Luther understood that the greater the demands of his job, the harder he must pray to prepare for it.

What a concept!

Think what would happen if we applied that same principal to our lives today.

The lawyer who had a difficult case would first spend hours consulting the Lord's wisdom through prayer and meditation.

The electrician who had a deadline to meet, would pray first about every minute detail of the project and would finish ahead of schedule.

The child-care worker would spend enough time in prayer to be able to call out each child's name individually and the kids would be so filled with a holy calm that her days would be filled with peace.

And on my job in volunteer management the  stress from the  myraid of meetings, training sessions, and tabletop drills in preparation of the hospital where I work moving across town would dissipate.

The more we pray about and for our jobs the freer Jesus is to move on our behalf.

Prayer softens the disposition of even the toughest manager.

Prayer, by it's very nature promotes teamwork.

Prayer creates an atmosphere of love.

But most of all prayer transforms us into Christlike beings who serve with joy and esteem our fellow man better than ourselves.

Perhaps that is why Luther found it so necessary to pray so much. So that he could work hard with Christ like attitude.

What about you?

What work do you have to do this week?

And what prayers do you need to pray in order to get the job done?


"...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)

Imagine

Imagine if Jesus had complete control of your workplace today.

You would anticipate what new and exciting miracles Jesus was going to perform this week.

You would walk with a spring in your step and a gleam in your eye because your great big God was handling every potential problem.

If Jesus was in absolute control of where you work, employees would be so busy helping each other to excel that your companies productivity would skyrocket.

And if Jesus was in control you would be more concerned about your co-worker getting the accolades and promotions than you would about yourself.

There would be joy in servitude.

There would be peace and harmony.

Stress would be a thing of the past.

Integrity and fairness would reign.

Sick days would all but disappear.

Managers would recognize a job well done.

And transperancy and trust would so permeate the hearts and minds of men and women that the local newspapers would want to investigate the source of such harmony and wellbeing.

If Jesus could have His way today.

History provides great examples of what happens when  great men and women of God prayed until their communities were shaken.

Men like Johnathan Edwards who preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and sparked a huge revival. Or George Whitfield who prayed until he shook under the power of God. Or the great Welsh Revival where 180,000 men came to God over a two year period.

And all of this is still possible today!

If we will but pray and allow Jesus to flow through us to those around us then our jobs can be transformed.

Peace, joy and love can be the order of the day - every day.

If we will but pray.

We must pray earnestly, fervantly and consistently.

But if we will, then God will answer in ways that we can only imagine.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

How can I pray for your workplace today?

What are the most pressing needs?

What is the corporate climate?

What human ways of thinking needs to be saturated with the love of God?

Post a comment and let's pray about this together.

Or, if you prefer, email me directly at dsimlergoff@sbcglobal.net.

Let's make 2011 the year we imagined together for revival and transformation in our workplace!

-Debbie