The Christian Working Woman

Mary Lowman
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The Christian Working Woman with Mary Lowman exists to encourage, equip and empower workplace Christians in the marketplace.

  1. 1d ago

    Peace in Panic

    Peace in panic—you may be thinking that’s not so easy to do, and I totally agree. But think of it this way: When you and I face difficult, rushed, confusing moments and keep our “cool,” we have an amazing opportunity to demonstrate the difference Jesus makes in our lives. It was Rudyard Kipling who wrote: “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,” and he goes on to declare that then “yours is the earth and everything that’s in it.”1 Well, there I would disagree with him. For a Christ-follower when you can keep your head when everything is falling apart around you, then you will be a bold, strong witness to the power of God in you—and that is more attractive than words or sermons could ever be.    These times of panic, fear, and pressure are not just circumstances that happen to come our way, but rather they are God’s teaching moments in our lives. C. S. Lewis said that suffering of any kind is God’s “megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”2 I’m sure you can remember times of pressure and panic which caused you to finally look up—to recognize your need of God’s help and times when you learned to trust Jesus more and more.    Would you agree that the Christian life—our daily walk with God through all of life’s issues, good and bad—is about learning to trust God more and more? So often the Spirit of God whispers to me, “Mary, can’t you trust me?” When I’m at a loss for knowing what to do or falling apart because things aren’t going the way they should, that’s when I desperately need to trust God. Trust him that he has a plan, and it’s a good one; that nothing has taken him by surprise; that all things still work together for my good because I am his and I am his “called one.”    How many mornings I say to the Lord, “Lord, I really need you today.” Often I sing that great old hymn, “I need Thee, oh, I need Thee, every hour I need Thee.”3 There’s no doubt that times of pressure, of panic, or fear and worry help me see how much I need him. You too, right?    Jesus told us Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). When you and I start thinking about all we have to do tomorrow and the next day and the next, our mind goes into panic mode. The pressures build, and they are too much for us, because they are pressures from tomorrow. Jesus said we have enough to handle just for today.    But if we refuse to dwell on those fearful, worrying thoughts, the pressures of tomorrow won’t get to us.    One of the most important concepts we can grasp in our Christian life is that we are what we think. I find I bring on myself much of my own panic when my thoughts are totally out of control. Panic, pressure, confusion, fear—they all begin with your thought life. So, when there is no peace in your mind, in your life, stop and check out your thought patterns.     You see, if you can keep your mind peaceful, regardless of the hectic situation that faces you, you’ll have peace. You can have peace right in the middle of the panic! Isn’t that good news? You don’t have to give up peace just because you find yourself in the middle of a mess—as my good friend, Sharon, says: “a hot mess!”    Well, that’s nice to know, but how do we make it work? I have a sure fire, guaranteed formula for you. Ready? Here it is. When you’re feeling panic, worry, or fear, and you’re not feeling peaceful, stop and check out your thoughts. Take ten seconds and say to yourself, “I must refocus my thoughts so that I have peace.” And where do you refocus your thoughts? Here’s the secret—you won’t be surprised to learn that it’s found in God’s Word, Isaiah 26:3: You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.   Take some peace breaks; close your eyes, focus your mind on Jesus Christ and say to yourself, or out loud, if possible, “I want to be in perfect peace right now in the midst of this chaos, so I choose to focus my mind on Jesus Christ.” You may have to do it repeatedly, but that’s okay. It will teach you the important principle of replacing wrong thoughts with right thoughts.    In Ephesians 6 we are told that a key part of our spiritual armor is to wear the shoes of the gospel of peace. Why do you suppose we are told to put peace on our feet? You’d think it would be better to put peace on as a breastplate to cover your heart—peace in your heart. But no, we’re told to put peace on our feet.    Well, here’s how I look at it. Have you ever tried to get through a day wearing shoes that hurt your feet? Is there anything more miserable? Seems like you just have to quit if your feet are hurting, if the shoes don’t fit well.    Think about the boots people in the army wear. Those shoes are designed to be comfortable and do the job no matter what the conditions are. If you’re marching in the hot desert, those army boots keep your feet from scorching; in the snow, they keep them from freezing; on rocky, rough paths, they protect them from cuts and bruises. With those boots on, you’re prepared to keep going no matter what the circumstances are.    Well, when you wear the shoes of peace, you can keep going regardless of your circumstances. It’s the peace of God, which is described as passing all our understanding. Have you ever experienced that kind of peace, where you knew when you looked around you that you ought to be in panic mode, but instead you’re peaceful—incredible, unreasonable peace? When you wear the shoes of peace, you have peace whether it makes sense or not.    Wouldn’t it be a good idea to make sure you put on those shoes every day, especially when you’re feeling the pressure and the panic. Ephesians 2:14 says, For he himself is our peace. Peace is a person; it’s Jesus. Focus your mind on your peace, Jesus Christ.   You need to put on the shoes of peace each day. I mean, intentionally and verbally tell God you intend to wear the shoes of peace all day no matter what happens—or who happens—and ask him to remind you to put those shoes of peace back on when you step out of them. Make it a daily prayer, especially when you’re facing confusion and panic on the job.    Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:10-12 that the person who intends to love life and see good days must seek peace and pursue it. You have to go for it. It doesn’t just come like a blanket and settle upon you when all the circumstances are just right. It comes when you pursue it. Again, in Romans 14:19 Paul says, Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.    It won’t just happen. You have to discipline yourself to stop at those panic points and talk to yourself and to the Lord. Even in the midst of your workday, find a place you can get alone for one minute or five minutes for a peace break. Say out loud, “Lord, you will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is fixed on you. I choose to fix my mind on you. I put on the shoes of peace so I can keep going, regardless of what’s going on around me.”    Jesus is the supreme example of peace regardless of the circumstances. People were always crowding him, trying to talk to him, trying to touch him. He had a hard time finding any space or time for himself. He was constantly under pressure. But I notice that no matter how busy he was or how full the calendar seemed to be, he found time to be alone with God. I read something by R. A. Torrey once which I wrote in the front of my prayer manual and to which I frequently refer. Let me read it:    “Some people are so busy that they find no time for prayer. Apparently, the busier Christ’s life was, the more He prayed. Sometimes He had no time to eat, sometimes He had no time for needed rest or sleep, but He always took time to pray; and the more the work crowded the more He prayed.”4    Lots of times when our schedules get very full, and the panic starts to come in on us, the first thing we sacrifice is our time with the Lord. The days you choose not to spend time with the Prince of Peace, you’ve failed to go to the source of peace, to put on the shoes of peace, those are the days you have to face it all on your own. You put yourself out on a limb, all by yourself, and then you discover you’ve lost your peace, your assurance that God is in control.     What a silly thing for us to do as Christians. Here we have available to us the fountainhead of peace. Here we have the God of all peace ready to heal our frazzled nerves and bring calm in the midst of chaos. But foolishly we don’t go to him. We rationalize: “We’re too busy. He’ll understand. Something has to give.”     Well, that’s a very foolish economy. Believe me, this is a lesson I must continually re-learn. I remember one particular time when the pressures and deadlines were great that I minimized my prayer time for a few days. In his oh-so-gentle way, God showed me when I sacrifice prayer time to relieve pressures and stress, I do just the opposite. I increase my pressures and then panic sets in. He said, “Spend time with me, draw on my strength. You need me now more than ever, and I’ll take the remaining time and make it stretch to meet the responsibilities.”      Your lack of peace may be because you’ve sacrificed time with the Prince of Peace. Sorry, but it just won’t work. Like me, you’re going at it backward. Give God the time and see how he stretches it for you.    Probably the best testimony you and I can have in our hectic worlds is to demonstrate peace in the midst of panic and chaos. I told you about my friend, Janet, who came to know Christ as her Savior because she kept observing one coworker who was peaceful in a chaotic environment, and she decided she wa

  2. 2d ago

    Praying At All Times – 5

    I’ve been challenging you to become intentional about praying at all times about everything. Just talking to God all day long. He’s with you at all times, so why not take advantage of that and talk to him at all times. One of the difficulties we have with praying at all times is that our lives are full of distractions, and in the last few decades, that has become an increasingly real issue. In addition to praying with our eyes wide open through our entire day, busy or not, we do need times when we put the distractions aside and turn them off while we communicate with God. It is not uncommon for me to work on my computer at home. It’s there, all my work is there, so I am often found sitting in my home with a computer in my lap, working or surfing the internet or texting or something. When my husband was alive, he would begin a conversation with me, which I would catch maybe halfway through because I was distracted by my computer. And he often said, “Can you just put that away for a minute so I can talk to you?” I wonder how often God thinks the same thing about me. “Mary, can you just put those distractions aside long enough to give me your full attention and talk to me and listen to me?” Honestly, I think we have to be even more proactive in guarding and keeping our prayer time with God than in former days because there are so many gadgets all around us, making noise, interrupting our thoughts, demanding our attention. A few years ago, our pastor challenged us to turn off all electronics for three days. Unless our work demanded it, we were asked to turn off televisions, radios, computers, smart phones, all the things that demand so much of our attention in a normal day. Let me tell you, it was not easy to do at first. The silence was deafening. But those who took part in this agreed that we came to love the quietness and it reduced our stress. Of course, it gave us more opportunities to communicate with the Lord, to recognize his presence, and keep the conversation going with him. So, praying at all times is learning to pray in the midst of our busy lives, in crowded places and public arenas. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, it is learning to pray: in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:18).

  3. 3d ago

    Praying At All Times – 4

    Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray at all times with all kinds of prayer for all people. So, to do this, we have to learn to pray with our eyes open, wherever we are. In her book, Praying with Eyes Wide Open, Sherry Harney says, “When we pray with our eyes wide open, our time with God is limitless.”[1] God invites us to be with him, consciously aware of his presence, at all times, and that means whether we are in a quiet place alone, standing in line at the grocery store, driving to work, or singing praise songs at church, we are able to directly and personally connect with God. And God delights in our presence. Zephaniah 3:17 says: The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Don’t you love that thought—the God of the universe rejoices over you and takes great delight in you? So, when you choose to be in his presence throughout your day—verbally or silently—he’s very pleased. Let me give you some examples of ways you can pray at all times with your eyes wide open. While you are at work, take those short opportunities you have for prayer. When you walk down the hall, pray for the people you work with. When you’re sitting in a meeting, pray for those in authority over you. When you’re talking to a customer or client, send up a silent prayer for wisdom and care for that person. Here are some other suggestions. When you watch or listen to the news, most of which is not good, pray for those in the news. For example, the news is usually full of all kinds of tragedies. Just stop and pray for the people involved. Instead of griping about our government leaders pray for them even as you listen to the news, with your eyes open, silently or out loud, if you can. If you don’t like the way your organization is headed, or you’re upset at something your boss has done or said, or some new policy seems wrong to you, instead of participating in the office gossip, just pray about it as you perform your work. If you’re concerned about a situation at your church, maybe about something the leadership is doing, just pray about it every time it comes to your mind. That’s a lot more helpful than criticizing and complaining, don’t you think? Praying at all times is not mission impossible. It is totally doable, provided you set your mind to pray throughout your day, talk to the Lord who is there with you, and just let prayer be a part of your daily flow of life. Then you’re going to pray much more than you do now. [1] Sherry Harney and Kevin G. Harney, Praying with Eyes Wide Open: A Life-Changing Way to Talk with God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2017).

  4. 4d ago

    Praying At All Times – 3

    Are you happy with your prayer life? Do you pray as much as you know you should or wish you could? I believe when you learn to incorporate prayer into your daily lifestyle, your prayer time and effectiveness will increase greatly. Here’s how it works to pray continually. You must become intentional about practicing the presence of Jesus. That means, you must determine to be aware—at all times and in all places—that because you are a Christ-follower and have been born again, you are surrounded with the presence of Jesus all day, every day, 24/7. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you have him with you at all times; the problem for us is we all too often don’t recognize or acknowledge his presence. For example, let’s say you have a really close friend or family member—that person on this earth closest to you. You are with them as often as possible, and when you are with them, you communicate. You share the problems and issues of your life, but you also share the joys. You laugh together; you cry together; sometimes you’re just silent together, but that person’s presence is there with you. This is not a perfect analogy, but just consider that Jesus is your best friend, your closest companion, your confidant. And, unlike earthly companions, he is with you 24/7. You’re never away from him. So, if you are aware that he is there, what are you likely to do? You’re going to talk with him, right? Whatever is happening to you in your day, you’re going to share it with Jesus. When you need help or guidance, he’s right there to show you the way. When you see something beautiful, he loves you to share that experience with him. When something makes you laugh, he laughs with you. When sorrow fills your heart, he cries with you. This is the meaning of praying continually—praying at all times. As you develop awareness of his presence, then boldly and confidently talk to him throughout your days—all days, everywhere. Just simply take advantage of your privilege of praying in the flow of life, and as you learn to do this, you are learning what it means to pray without ceasing. You never cut off the communication with Jesus. You don’t have to say “Amen,” meaning this is the end of my prayer time, and I’ll come back later. You just keep the conversation going all the time. And the good news is, you can pray with eyes open or closed, by yourself or in a crowd, out loud or silently. Prayer is not limited by any of our usual prayer routines; we can truly pray continually, and what an incredible blessing and privilege that is.

  5. 5d ago

    Praying At All Times – 2

    What is the right way and time to pray? The Bible says we should pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers. And it also admonishes us to pray continually or without ceasing. Well, you may be thinking, how in the world can anyone pray on all occasions without ceasing? Seems like it’s mission impossible. Well, that’s true if prayer for you means you must be in a certain place with a certain posture and say certain words. On one of my trips to Rwanda, I spoke to the women about praying with eyes wide open and encouraged them to learn to keep a conversation going with God throughout the day. One woman gave a testimony the next day and said she always thought you had to be in church to pray. She didn’t know she was allowed to pray at any other time or in any other way. “But,” she said, “now I know I can pray while I’m working or walking or whatever I’m doing.” She was so delighted to have this new freedom to pray at all times. As I mentioned, we traditionally close our eyes and bow our heads to pray, but there’s no requirement in the Bible for this posture in prayer. In fact, you won’t find any reference to closing your eyes to pray. Now, there are good reasons at times for us to close our eyes and bow our heads in prayer, but that is not a requirement. Therefore, praying at all times or praying continually might not truly be impossible if we can pray at any time, in any position, and in any place, wouldn’t you agree? Consider this, if prayer is limited to certain postures and places, then our prayer time is very limited. But if you can pray with eyes open, silently or verbally, anywhere and anytime, then you are much more likely to expand your prayer life and spend far more time in the presence of God. We just need to develop a new attitude toward prayer and determine to keep a conversation going with God throughout the day, as you stand, sit, drive, run, work, lie down—whatever! I want to encourage you to practice praying with your eyes open. Pray at all times in your day. Talk the God throughout your day. Sometimes those prayers will be silent ones, sometimes you can verbalize them out loud, but either way, you can learn to let your automatic response to any situation be one of prayer. Just talk to the Lord about it.

  6. 6d ago

    Praying At All Times

    You know, sometimes following biblical directives can seem like mission impossible, and one of those is found in 1 Thessalonians 5, where it says we are to pray continually. Did you ever wonder how in the world you could do that? How can you pray continually and still keep a job or sleep or do anything else? Some translations say pray without ceasing or pray at all times, but any way you look at it, it doesn’t seem possible. And that passage goes on to say this is God’s will for you. So, it’s God’s will that we should pray continually, but we don’t know how we can do that. What does it mean? Surely God knows we must do other things, yet, there it is: Pray continually. Pray without ceasing. I highly recommend Sherry Harney’s book, Praying with Eyes Wide Open. It’s a very helpful book, and I’ll be sharing some of Sherry’s thoughts with you.[1] When you think of praying, what comes to your mind? Do you see prayer as a time when you must be quiet, either sit or kneel, close your eyes and bow your head? Does it seem almost sacrilegious to open your eyes when you are praying or when someone else is? Is prayer to be reserved for those specific times in a day—or a week—when you can get in the right position and the right frame of mind for prayer? If that’s how you see prayer, then praying at all times or praying continually will continue to be an impossibility. Did you know the Bible gives no specific directions about your posture or the state of your eyes when you pray? You won’t find any references in the Bible demonstrating that people are praying with heads bowed and eyes closed. In fact, you’ll find many times when prayer was often given standing up, with arms outstretched toward heaven. We have passages that speak of God’s people praying in the midst of a battle, while shepherding sheep or on a journey, in public and private places. In John 17:1 we read that: After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed. We see where Solomon spread his hands out toward heaven as he prayed, and David lifted up his hands. The apostle Paul exhorted us to pray with holy hands lifted, as we read in 1 Timothy 2. And often the apostles laid their hands on people as they prayed for them. So, I want to encourage you—and hopefully equip you—to see how you can pray continually, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. [1] Sherry Harney and Kevin G. Harney, Praying with Eyes Wide Open: A Life-Changing Way to Talk with God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2017).

  7. Sep 26

    Avoiding the Work-Life Balance Trap

    presented by Jennifer Miller Lately, I’ve been thinking about work-life balance and the traps in thinking we get tangled up in regarding this. I know not everyone has my bent or personality, so maybe this doesn’t apply to you, but one of my greatest traps in thinking about work-life balance is my desire for a formula to follow.   I really just want someone to sit down and say, “Okay, Jennifer, here is your perfect schedule. If you follow this plan, everything will work out and be balanced. Spend this much time in the Word each day, this much time each month having family fun, serve in church in this ministry every other week, meal plan like this, and use this perfect planner to make all your dreams a success.”   There are many voices out there who promise the perfect formula for a meaningful life. Often, they have great tips, but no matter what I try, I leave frustrated because there are too many formulas and none fit perfectly.   This frustration has led me to resonate deeply with Matthew 22:34-40.   Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  To give you a little context, this story comes after several questions that have been posed to Jesus in order to trap him. The religious rulers of the day are fed up and feel threatened, so they work to trap him in his words so people will see he is not worth following.   The only problem is every time they ask him a question, he answers it so well that his following only increases, adding to their frustration. So, here the Pharisees are pondering: What question would totally trap Jesus? And here is the question they come up with: What is the greatest commandment in the law?  Now when I read that, I’m left wondering, why is that such a tricky question? I can think of a lot of hot button topics that would be harder to answer in our day, but at this time, this was a very divisive question. The Pharisees’ whole mission was to uphold God’s rules, all 613 of them from the Torah. They cared so much about keeping those rules that they made another set of rules to help people keep God’s rules.   But there were other groups who disagreed about which rules were most important. So, asking Jesus to pick a rule would automatically offend some group. Now what does this have to do with you and me? I often come to God in prayer burdened by all the items I have on my to do list—all of the good things I want to get done, all of the amazing ideas I’ve heard other people do to have joy and satisfaction—and I sit looking at all these little pieces feeling overwhelmed and overloaded. Like the Pharisees, I tend to focus on all the to-dos. I like rules, I like formulas, and I can come in prayer in a sense praying, “Just tell me what to do today, Jesus.”  How does Jesus respond to this question? Jesus did 2000 years ago what AI is only now beginning to do today. Maybe you have benefitted from AI’s ability to sort through massive amounts of information and quickly provide a summary of the most important parts. Well, in a sense, Jesus does something similar. He knew every law God had ever given, and from all the information in the Law and from knowing God personally, he sorts through all that information and gives a perfect and succinct summary of God’s requirements.    Jesus says all God calls us to can be summed up as “love God and love people.” In fact, he says all the other commands hang on these two. That is an interesting picture, isn’t it? Imagine that you work in a clothing store and are given 613 coats. Your boss tells you to display the coats on a front wall, and you just stare at each and every coat. There are so many—it’s overwhelming! How can you possibly manage them? But then a coworker comes and installs two massive rods into the beams of the wall. These rods are strong and can support the weight of the coats, so all the coats can be hung and displayed from them.  That is what Jesus says about these two commands to love God and love your neighbor. Instead of giving a formula ranking each command in order, Jesus gives us two principles that guide all of life. It is as if God has given us two secure and strong hooks that everything else hangs on. All the other commandments hang on these two.   When we think about all the things in life we want to do or feel pressured to do, it is like 613 coats scattered on the floor, but Jesus comes and says, “Look, focus on just two things—loving God and loving others. Hang the to-dos of your life on these, and all will be well.”   The life you have been called to live is a life of love. That is the priority Jesus gives. Even good things like your job or serving in church or caring for your home, if they are not hanging from the hook of love, they do not please God. Whatever we do must be rooted in love. Isn’t it amazing how Jesus lifts our eyes off the million and one things we have on our plates, and gives us two things to focus on? That’s more manageable. It’s not that all the tasks of life suddenly disappear, but they are rightly hung on the greatest pursuit which is love.  So, let’s take a moment to ponder what this means for your daily life and mine. What does it mean to love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind? I think the key word here is all. This love for the Lord should encompass all of who we are. This loves shapes all we do, say, think, and choose.    Now you may be thinking, sure, I love God, but that is a feeling. How does it actually affect my schedule? How you choose to spend the time you are given reveals the priorities of your heart. As you think about your schedule, does it reflect that you love God above all else? That he is the #1 priority in your life? Do you carve out and guard time to commune with him each day through listening to his voice through his Word and responding to him in prayer?    While your love for God is not limited to the time you spend with him in this way, choosing to actively commune with him is a marker of healthy love. The nourishment and love we receive from him is then meant to fuel how we live every minute of the day. Whether you are working, making dinner, meeting with a friend, cleaning the house, or putting a child to bed, your love for God affects your work. It gives it purpose and direction.   The second hook Jesus gives is directly linked to the first. If you are loving God with all of you, you will love your neighbor as yourself. In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus redefines your neighbor to be anyone you encounter. Think about the circle of relationships God has given you. The closest circle is your immediate family, and generally speaking, they should be the focus of your greatest care and energy. Think for a moment, what would be the most loving thing you could do for your husband this week? Or for your kids? Or for your closest relationship? Prioritize that.   Then keep thinking about the circles in your life. Think of the people you come in contact with at work, at church, in the neighborhood, friends. Prioritize who God has given to you to love most in this season and think about how your time should reflect that love. You know, we cannot be all our husbands, kids, friends, family, and acquaintances need. That is the Lord’s job, not ours, but we can respond to the specific call to love others in practical ways.   These two commands to love God and love others are not just vague ideas. Jesus lived them out perfectly. His ministry was all about loving God through obedience and proclaiming his glory and loving people by serving, healing, encouraging, and liberating. But the most striking example ever provided of loving God and loving others was seen at the cross.    There Jesus demonstrated his love for the Father by following his plan obediently even to a torturous death, and Jesus demonstrated his love for the world by taking the punishment of sinners upon himself to bring salvation. This is the kind of love that is a life-giving, sacrificial, total, the hold-nothing-back kind of love, and Jesus calls you and me to this as well.   As you consider your time, what is the priority? Is it love? Would you join me as I pray for us to be marked not by worldly success and productivity but by love?    Dear Lord, we come to you now and lay all of our tasks and responsibilities at your feet. You have made us finite beings with limitations. As we seek to use the time you have given, may we prioritize loving you and loving others for the glory of your name. Amen.

  8. Sep 25

    Traps We Can Fall Into – 5

    Presented by Jenn Miller I want to explore the thought that “boundaries are bad.” Now, I don’t mean the boundaries that we choose for ourselves—I like those boundaries because I am in control of them! But what about boundaries in life that I’m not in control of, that I don’t choose? Maybe being a caregiver for an aging parent limits your time and resources. Maybe a physical condition keeps you from certain types of activities. Financial need might require you to work more and limit your ability to serve in an area of interest. These “boundaries” often derail the plan we had set and can be disappointing. But Psalm 16:5-6 provides encouragement. It says, Lord, you have assigned to me my portion and my cup, you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. So, this psalmist paints a picture of the Lord giving him a God-ordained lot. Picture a yard with a fence around it. Just like a plot of land is portioned out and the boundaries of it are marked, the Lord in his wisdom has given you and me a lot. Psalm 16 says this lot is secure. It has set boundaries that are good, the psalmist even goes so far to use the word “pleasant,” and that this set amount leads to a delightful inheritance. God in his perfect and loving wisdom has placed certain limits in your life for your good. These boundaries are not meant to harm you but to serve as guardrails to lead you to the specific work God has for you at this time. That doesn’t mean I just resign myself to the hard things of life and never seek change. Of course not, but it does mean that I can humbly, and even joyfully, accept what God allows in my life at this season because I know it has been filtered through the hands of my Father who loves me. What unique and specific boundaries has the Father allowed in your life? Take a good look at your lot and thank God for it. For now, it is the means to guide your time, energy, and talents toward what the Lord desires you to pursue.

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The Christian Working Woman with Mary Lowman exists to encourage, equip and empower workplace Christians in the marketplace.

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  • Creator
    Mary Lowman
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
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    © 2023 The Christian Working Woman
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