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T O D A Y G O D I S F I R S T
Marketplace Meditations
by Os Hillman
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Product Testing
His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been
faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master's happiness!"
Matthew 25:21
Testing allows one to discover how well a product is made when placed
under extreme stress. Increasing the pulling pressure between two
objects reveals the amount of tension that can be withstood in a chain
link. Eventually, the "choking" point occurs. In sports, we ascertain
the "choking" point for athletes by putting them into a pressure
situation. At what point will the athlete lose concentration and
collapse under the pressure? It is under these stressful times that we
discover how well we have been trained to withstand the pressure and
make right decisions regardless of outside influences.
In my younger days I played sports. I came to observe that we fail under
pressure usually because we reach a point where our ability to focus on
execution yields to concern about outcome. This worry about outcome
forces us to lose our concentration. The fear of failure begins to rule
our emotions and actions, which ultimately results in our failure. What
we fear has come upon us. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In life, we see giving in to pressure in the form of compulsive
behavior, withdrawal, anger, abuse, moral failure, and dishonesty, to
name just a few manifestations.
Jesus never yielded to pressure. He never made decisions based on
outcome. He always made the right decision. He always performed the same
no matter what the circumstance. He lived a life based on absolutes, not
circumstances. He never gave in to "situational ethics."
As God entrusts us with more and more responsibility, He brings more and
more pressures into our lives to "test the product," to make sure that
He can give even more responsibility to us. This process helps us see
where we are in our maturity and determines our level of future
responsibility.
Are you a product that can withstand the product test? Will you perform
as the Maker designed no matter what outside pressures come? Know that
you cannot perform well unless you are continually in relationship with
and obedient to the one who made you. Trust the product developer today.
He has made you to perform well under pressure.
How to weave evangelism into your life at work.
Going Public With Your Faith flies in the face of almost everything
you've ever read or heard about evangelism. Going Public With Your
Faith, winner of the 2004 Christianity Today Book Award, is written for
all Christians who may not think they have a gift for evangelism but
want their lives to have an impact on the people around them. It
describes evangelism as a process and helps readers understand how their
skills and God-given gifts can easily be used to draw customers,
clients, and coworkers to new life in Jesus Christ.
http://www.faithandworkresources.com/store_items_view.asp?itemid=3982
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Published and distributed by Crosswalk.com, this daily devotional is
written by Os Hillman ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). Os is president of
Marketplace Leaders, an Atlanta based ministry teaching Biblical
principles for career and business success. He offers a FREE newsletter
and other resources at:
http://www.marketplaceleaders.org
Order "TGIF: Today God Is First" - 365 daily meditations to motivate
and inspire for $17 for TGIF subscribers. Click here to order:
http://www.faithandworkresources.com/store_items_view.asp?itemid=798
To support Os Hillman & Marketplace Leaders, click:
http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/pages.asp?pageid=7908
Mail: 3520 Habersham Club Drive, Cumming, Georgia 30041 USA.
To receive personal prayer or encouragement, please visit Marketplace
Leaders' ministry partner http://www.handsforchrist.com
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