Day One:

Do It For God
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

Let’s face it, work can be frustrating. We may not feel appreciated, paid enough, or feel as if others work as hard as we do. You may also feel as though you are not making much of a difference in the world with your line of work, and believe you could be doing much more for the Lord. These are all feelings we have probably felt one time or another; or might even still be wrestling with.

The church in Colossi had a mixed group of members; some of them were even slaves. Paul specifically addresses the slaves in today’s verses. He tells them to work heartily because they are really working for the Lord. Think about this for a minute and let it sink in.

Remember today that, no matter what you do for a living, you are working for the Lord! You don’t have to be a missionary or a staff member at a church. Where you are right now can be used to serve the King of kings, and Lord of lords. The reason we can say this, and be joyful in this, is because our reward is not a promotion or pay raise. Our reward isn’t being employee of the month or a bonus. Our reward is our inheritance with the saints in Heaven (Colossians 1:12). This reward can never be taken away, and has much more value than anything that could ever be purchased here on earth.

When you want to quit or stop doing your job, remember today’s verses. Stop and say a prayer and thank Jesus for making a way for you to have the ultimate inheritance through His death on the cross. Take a few deep breaths and remember that you aren’t working for men but for the greatest boss ever, Jesus.

Question for reflection: Are you frustrated in your work? Why do you think that is?

Step for Change: Reset your mind and attitude to reflect your relationship with Christ in work today.

Passage for further study: Colossians 3:1-25

Day Two:

Finding Honor In What You Do

After the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God passed out conse- quences. To Adam He said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:17–19).

A consequence of sin is that work is toil—the ground is cursed, filled with thorns, thistles, and weeds, and work is painful, sweaty, and laborious. That’s why we call it work. The difficulty of work is part of the judgment for sin.

Yet while work is cursed and twisted, hard work is honorable. Paul alluded to this in 1 Thessalonians 2:9, “For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” Paul worked hard, day and night. Working hard and coming home tired is honorable.

That doesn’t mean every job is fulfilling. The concept that you should have a job that perfectly fits your talents and passions can undermine the satisfaction you find in work. No one loves every part of his or her job. Yes, some jobs directly enrich people’s lives, which can feel gratifying: being a plumber, a teacher, a salesman or engineer. But just because some work seems more fulfilling does not mean other work isn’t just as honorable. “Whatever you do”—there is honor in your work and in providing for yourself and your family.

Question for reflection: What do you find fulfilling in the work you do?
Step for Change: Look for opportunities to use your work as a witness to the world around you of God’s grace.

Passage for further study: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-20

Day Three:

Growing In Faith Is Work Too

We should embrace the dignity and joy of working hard. King Solomon promoted it: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10, ESV). The Apostle Paul commended it: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” In fact, Paul added that those who won’t work could skip their next meal. “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10 ESV).

The Bible is replete with models of hard workers: David, the shepherd; Amos, the fig farmer; Paul, the tent-maker; Lydia, seller of purple; Jesus, the carpen- ter. At the end of the day, it’s a good thing to exhaust yourself in meaningful work.

You might wonder, how hard is too hard? To clarify, you can’t work too hard; you can work too much. If you invest too much into your career, you neglect other things that matter more.

While you’re at work, work really hard; then go home and work really hard on what God has given you there: your walk with God, or your marriage, or the hunt for a marriage partner, or parenting, or your education, or whatever is next for you.

Work hard—everywhere, and on everything. Question for reflection:Am I working hard?

Step for Change: Pray and then act to change your mindset and actions to reflect an emphasis on hard work.

Passage for further study: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-17

Day Four:

Growing In Faith Is Work Too

While we may wish the rules were different, there are a few time-tested truths about growing and maturing. They take work. And they also involve patience, persistence, and sacrifice. Today is not so much about the “work” you do as it is about knowing that it takes work to get anything done. No Olympic cham- pion ever found his way to the gold medal stand by eating a diet of candy bars and taking naps every day. To attain a high level of achievement, we under- stand that hard work is not optional.

Our walk with God is no different. In order to be the type of Christians who truly personify the hands and feet of Christ in every aspect of our lives, we must work hard.

The apostle Paul explained why he insisted on being a disciplined Christian: “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:26-27).

When we are not stretching ourselves, when we are not growing, we are stagnating spiritually. We miss out on God’s best for us at that moment. To obey God at every turn is to honor Him to the fullest. Yet, it is not easy.
Making the conscious decision to disobey God shows how prideful we really are. Conversely, deciding to obey God exemplifies a spirit of true humility. Even though we may think God’s plan looks impossible, through faith and trust in Him, we will arrive at the conclusion that He indeed knows best. And when we are walking with God, certain His every move is for our best, we will grow to heights only God knew we could reach.

Prayer: Lord, help me resist the temptation to do what looks easiest, and always obey your voice. Strengthen me, that I may fulfill your work. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Question for reflection: Am I doing work on my relationship with Jesus? Am I doing work because of my relationship with Jesus?
Step for Change: Work hard at developing spiritual discipline in my life.

Passage for further study: Ma

Day Five:

When To Work, How To Work

Do you ever ask whether what you do really matters? Do you feel like no one notices your hard work? Do you feel worn out from working hard and some- times find it hard to motivate yourself to keep going? When you’re feeling a bit defeated, tired and guestion what value the work you do really has, how do you keep going?

Every day is a new opportunity to make a difference in your work – sometimes it is actually in the workplace or in the form of the work you do. Other times your effectiveness comes as a result of your work, the payment you receive that allows you to provide for your family.

It’s easy to get frustrated and start to wallow in the despair of your work. You tell yourself “I’m unappreciated.” Or “the work I do never gets noticed.” That is not just a struggle in the workplace but also for the homemaker. Mom or Dad who stays at home and manages the household can struggle with worth and value in what they do day in and day out.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
1 Corinthians 15:58

Question for reflection: Is all that I do worth it if only God recognizes my efforts?
Step for Change: PRAY – Father give me heart that longs to please you more than anything else.

Passage for further study: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Day Six

Seeking Approval In Your Work

God sees our hard work. God knows why we do it. It is for Him. For the people we love. For those who benefit from the work we do. God sees our hearts and He wants us to know that what we do matters.

God doesn’t value those who have doctorates, earn six-figure salaries or have a big fan base more than those who spend their days doing what is largely unseen. In fact, He tells us that they have already received their reward in full and for the unseen the reward is yet to come!

Dod knows when we work faithfully to care for those around us. God knows when we remain steadfast in our work. God knows how tired we sometimes feel. God wants us to know that our hard work is never wasted.

One day He will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:23

Question for reflection: Are you working for the approval of others? Are you working for he satisfaction to yourself? Are you working for the benefit of society? Or for the approval of the Master?
Step for Change: Work for the glory of God in all that you do.

Passage for further study: Matthew 25:1-46

Day Seven:

Growing In Faith Is Work Too
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.(Ephesians 2:10)

God put us on Earth to do a certain work that only we can do. Ephesians says that God made us to do good works and that he planned in advance what we would spend our lives doing. However, he didn’t plan for us to do that work alone. We are His workmanship and we need other people to work with us.

You know the feeling you get when you do too much work on your own. You get exhausted and burned out. Why? Because you’re trying to do your work alone, while God never meant for it to be that way. God tells us in Ecclesi- astes 4 that 9 “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.”

When you work as a team, you get so much more done. Plus, having good teammates alongside you is a whole lot more fun and less tiring! Did you know that when we work together here on Earth, we’re actually practicing for eternity? In Heaven, we will all have to work, but each of us will have just a small piece of work, so we’ll never get overloaded or tired. Though no one will carry a heavy burden as each one of us does our small part, all the work will still get done.

As you walk through life, remember that you’re not supposed to do everything on your own. You need other people to walk alongside you, but you also need other people to work alongside you. As you share the burden of your work with fellow Christians, you’ll find that you actually accomplish more for the glory of God.

Question for reflection: How can you get people to help you in the work God wants you to do? Who can you help?
Step for Change: Look for teammates!

Passage for further study:Hebrews 10:24-25 

Set A Goal

“Fitness” – just saying that word will either inspire us or cause us great disappointment. Why? Because we know it’s something that we should be engaged in, but maybe we are not. Let’s be honest, sometimes it is just more fun to eat that donut or lay around on the couch!

There are so many benefits to making fitness a part of our daily lives. Being “fit” can mean different things to different people. It can mean eating right, it can include a regular exercise plan incorporated into our daily lives, or it could be a combination of both.

The first step to getting fit is simply to decide to start. Decide what you want your definition of fitness to be and set a goal. What are your goals? Do you want to eat better? Lose weight? Start a running program? Join a gym? What is your goal in wanting to become fit? If you don’t have a plan or a goal, chances are, you aren’t going to stick with it.

Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up some place else.” Where is your fitness goal taking you?

Proverbs 21:5 gives us guidance in goal-setting. Solomon writes, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.”

By taking the time to define fitness, set your goals, and plan your course of action, you will lay the foundation for achieving your success. In setting your goal, pray. Ask the Lord to help you with this new commitment, He is inter- ested in all areas of your life.

Solomon adds in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.”

In what areas would you like to set some fitness goals?
Where do you want to be one year from now in your health and fitness? Have you ever considered your health and fitness spiritual matters? How should you pray about these goals?

Day Two:

Start Small

You have made the decision to start a fitness plan, great! Spring is in the air and Summer is on the way - the weather is warm, you’ve bought those new running shoes, you’ve got your favorite sports drink and you hit the pavement with visions of running the Boston Marathon! After a quick start, reality begins to set in. You tried running for a few days and barely finished a mile without aches and pains, lots of huffing and puffing and your calves are killing you! You might have bitten off more than you can chew!

You have to start small. You have to be realistic. Solomon says in Proverbs 24:27, “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” There are many small steps of progress that lead to the completion of a marathon (or whatever your fitness goal is). You aren’t going to move mountains in the area of fitness in a week. Good fitness is a slow and steady building process.

If you have never been a runner, start as a walker. Gradually build up to a walk/run pattern. If you are cutting out sugar, it can be very difficult to start out the gate cold turkey. Start by “cutting down” before “cutting out”. Just like our faith, we have to take baby steps of growth and progress. We have to drink milk before we can have solid food.

While your end goal may seem out of reach, taking it one step at a time will get you there. Most impossible goals can be met by simply breaking them down into bite size chunks. Just as in our faith we keep moving toward our heavenly calling, so it is with fitness. We celebrate the small steps moving forward.

Paul writes in Philippians 3:12-14: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

What are the challenges to taking that first step? Second step? Third step?

Day Two continued...

Day Two continued...

Yesterday, you described where you want to be one year from now in the area of health and fitness. What are some progressive steps from where you are now to where you want to be one year from now?

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Day Three:

Readjust

If your plan isn’t working, if you are getting discouraged, if you feel like quitting because your muscles hurt or you are craving sweets so much that you’re sneaking them in the middle of the night, then it’s time to readjust! It is okay to rethink your strategy! The goal is to be successful in fitness, not discouraged.

There are going to be down days on the journey to success. If you are going to stick with incorporating fitness into your life it may mirror your spiritual journey. When you become a Christian, in the beginning, your walk seemed like a lot of trial and error. You had to work out what was good for your spiri- tual walk and what was keeping you from growing. You had to readjust what you were doing, trying new things. You were living out the command to not live like you used to live. God was developing discernment in you so you could be obedient to Him. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12:2

If what you are doing isn’t working, you should rethink, readjust, or recalculate your plan. Get up, try again, do something different, but do something! Don’t throw in the towel when you fall. Use the opportunity to learn from the setback.

Readjusting is not failure. It is actually strategic to your success. You will develop persistence through the difficulty. Listen to Paul’s description of the benefits of discipline: “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” - Hebrews 12:11-12

Readjust, start again.
Remember the last time you fell, either spiritually or in fitness. Did it lead to failure, or did you get back up and readjust?
Pray to the Lord for the discernment to make the adjustments necessary for success as you pursue your goals!

Day Four:

Be Accountable

Being accountable will be a huge key to your success, both physically and spiritually. Find a friend, a partner, a group, or someone else close to help you stay on task. If you want to run, try finding a local running group. Want to lose weight? Consider something like Weight Watchers or another group where accountability is key.

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17

Find a way to workout with others, or to report your progress to someone else. Accountability helps to keep you going. Many times we can justify our actions, or our inactivity, to ourselves. Accountability calls you out when you do not follow through. You need to find someone who will agree with you that sitting on the couch or sleeping in feels better than that early morning workout, but he/she needs to be strong enough to remind you that it is a temporary pleasure.

Reaching your goal will be easier when you have accountability. In our spiritual lives we have our small group, our pastor, members of the Women’s Bible study, etc. who see us week-to-week. They ask us where we have been and what we have been doing. When they haven’t seen us in a while, they check on us. You need that same kind of support when you are working at being fit, someone who notices that you haven’t kept your workout time at the gym or that you’ve not been meeting them at the track to walk. It may be as simple as having a text buddy to whom you report your workout each day.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

We all need others to prod us along, to help us when we slip, and to motivate us to move forward.

Who is your accountability partner in fitness?
Who is your accountability partner in spiritual growth?
If you don’t have one, identify 3 possible candidates to approach.

Determine by the end of this week to find who will keep your feet to the fire!

Day Five:

Change Your Intake

Fitness isn’t just about our physical appearance; it also has to do with what we put into our bodies. If we are consuming a steady diet of junk food and fast food then our outward appearance will reflect this. We will find ourselves overweight, dealing with illnesses and disease that are brought on by an unhealthy lifestyle.

In our spiritual lives, what we consume affects our growth: what we watch, what we listen to, and what we direct our attention toward. Our physical growth is also dependent upon what we consume. Paul commands us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honor- able, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” He knew that where you set you attention and affection determines the outcome!

In your fitness plan, if you are putting in food and beverages that are good and wholesome, then the result will be having a healthy lifestyle. Your quality of life will be different than those who merely follow their whims and cravings.

Eating healthy isn’t always easy or convenient! It can be time consuming to plan healthy meals when it would be quicker to run through the drive-thru. It takes just as much discipline to eat healthy as it does to stick to an exercise schedule. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” - I Corinthians 10:31

Change your eating habits!
What is the biggest temptation that you face in your diet? How have you

handled that temptation lately?

What is that food-related bad habit that you should change starting today?

If you continue eating the same diet that you have over the past month, what will your health be like 10 years from now?

Have you ever considered your diet to be a spiritual matter? How can Satan use your diet to harm you?

Day Six:

Challenge Yourself

You set your goal, you’ve been working at exercising and eating better. Maybe you have started to see the results of your efforts. Your clothes might be fitting better. You are feeling energized and have a feeling of accomplish- ment for sticking with your plan. You’re doing it! However, you cannot settle for status quo. The analogy of pushing a large bolder uphill applies here. You are either moving forward with progress or you can coast and allow the bolder to roll downhill. There is no stagnating where you are.

Remember this passage from earlier this week, Philippians 3:12-14: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forget- ting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

The analogy of running a race applies to your spiritual journey, as well as your journey to fitness. Forget what is behind you, both failures and successes, and press forward.

After the initial push, it is time to challenge yourself to take another step forward. Is there something you’ve dreamed of doing, but never thought you could because you were out of shape? A new normal is emerging. Maybe it’s time to try something new!

You started out taking baby steps. You began adjusting to the new healthy normal. Now is time to challenge yourself to try things you once avoided because it required too much work or effort. You’ve proved to yourself that you are up to the challenge!

DaySix continued...

DaySix continued...

If you’ve been running, sign up for a 5K. If you’ve been walking around the block, maybe it’s time to go to the mountains and hike to see the scenery! Sign up for a culinary class that teaches healthy cooking recipes. Buy a bike and map out a course! By setting your goal, being accountable, sticking with the plan and watching your diet, you proved you are now up to the task of taking on something new. If you don’t challenge yourself, it can be easy to slip back into old routines and bad habits. Just as in our Christian walk, we started out with baby steps, we renewed our minds, we became accountable with our involvement in church and small group and we began to see changes. As we become spiritually fit, it becomes time to take on new challenges like volunteering or going on a mission trip.

Would you consider yourself moving forward, stagnate, or rolling backward?

What are some potential next steps or goals for you spiritually and in fitness?

What are some things you’ve always excused away, but could probably attempt now spiritually and physically?

Day Seven:

Rest

Today is the seventh day in your pathway to a new normal, in regards to fitness. As addressed a few times this week, the pathway to fitness is very similar to our Christian walk. The discipline it takes to grow in our relationship with God is constant. God set up a schedule, enabling us to focus on Him.

In Genesis 2:2-3 we find these words – “on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

After working 6 days to create the heavens and earth, God rested. God models Sabbath rest for us. Sabbath rest is a stoppage of physical activity to focus upon our spiritual engagement with God. Rest is mandated by God, spiritually important, and good for you! Not only do our bodies need time to rejuvenate, but our souls do as well.

To rest is to be reminded that “On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” - Psalms 62:7

Is Sabbath rest part of your regular weekly routine? Why or why not?

What do you do when you rest?

Take a moment right now to pray, mediate and even relax in the presence of the Lord.