Leadership

Making Time to Clean House

Leadership
April 21, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 66

“…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

If you can’t find the motivation to clean your physical house, then cleaning your spiritual house may seem like an enormous task. But this is where you need to put your focus and best energy—because God wants you to use your life to become more like Him. And to do this sometimes requires you to make difficult choices and changes.

The Bible says it like this: “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV)

To choose what you need to clean in your spiritual house, you must decide what changes need to be made in your life. Ask yourself questions like, what is hindering me from moving forward in my spiritual growth?

If you want a healthy body, you may need to keep more nutritious food in your house or create a meal plan. Or maybe you must commit to exercising regularly, even if you start small with 10-15 minutes daily. 

If you want a healthy mind, you may need to unsubscribe to magazines or block channels. You may need to delete some apps or set healthier screen time boundaries.

If you want a healthy schedule, you must decide what’s most valuable to you.

Then you can remove some less-valuable activities—sometimes even good ones—so that you can focus on ones even more valuable to you.

If you want a clean heart, you need to pray, ask God what you need to confess, and then confess those things. This can be the most challenging step of spiritual cleaning.

Through confession, you’re recognizing and rooting out sins that cause unhealthy habits throughout your spiritual house.

The Bible says in Ephesians 4:22, “…put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts [desires]” (NKJV).

It’s time to clean house—but it’s not a one-time practice. Just like you must clean your physical home regularly, you must ask hard questions to identify what spiritual rooms need a good cleaning. Then, with God’s blessing, you get to work.

Ask, answer, and apply:

  • Why is it essential to invest time in prayer before I try to clean up any area of my life?
  • What area of my life do I find it most difficult to change?
  • When will I spend some time today talking to God about where I need to do some cleaning in my life? Then I will confess my sin to Him and ask for grace to do the hard but valuable work of change.

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Leadership

Four Truths to Remember This Easter

Leadership
April 14, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 177

Easter, or better, Resurrection Sunday, is coming.

So much is going on, and it is easy to get distracted from the importance of this celebration. Here are four truths to keep in mind to help reduce the pressure and keep your focus on Christ this Easter:   
1. Remember, it is about the resurrection, not bunnies, decorated eggs, or Peeps. The resurrection was the heart of the Christian witness in the first century (1 Cor. 15:1-4) and still is twenty-one centuries later. This supernatural truth is what God uses to convict, conform, and encourage those who need Christ as their Savior.

2. Remember to rejoice.Easter is a joyful celebration. Hear this encouragement from Jesus on the cusp of His crucifixion: “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22 ESV). We will see Him! That is the joy of Easter and the joy no one can take from the believer. Encourage those God brings into your life with this powerful truth: He is risen—He is risen indeed!

3. Remember revival. Encouraging reports of student revival have been flooding social media these days, which is wonderful. Our hearts resonate with those who ask God, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6). Easter is a great reason to expect a surge of new life from the Lord. When God’s people are faced with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the stage is set! Easter can be our annual reminder that God desires His people to be fully alive in His resurrected Son; it can be our reminder to pray for revival. Once we are revived, we become more passionate about wanting others to come to faith alone in Christ!

Therefore…

4. Remember to reach out to the lost and disenfranchised. People are more willing to talk about Jesus Christ during this time of year than almost any other time of year other than Christmas!

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Leadership

Three Ways to Find Joy in Your Leadership Grind

Leadership
April 7, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 307

I’m a fan of the game of baseball. Baseball players, especially professionals, will tell you that baseball is a grind. It is a game played daily, with maybe one day off a week. As a fan, I enjoy it. I can sit and watch my favorite team almost daily (although I am too busy to do it…perhaps because I am in my own grind). The players, though, are the ones out on the field grinding out game after game.
 
Pastoring and leading is a grind—a daily battle. Sermons to prep, meetings to plan and lead, counseling sessions, and administrative decisions, and you would have only reached Tuesday of any given week. And yes, the spectators (congregants) can sit, watch, and enjoy the fruit of our hard labor while we grind.
 
There is joy in this grind, though—if we are careful enough to seek it and make room for it.
 
Here are three ways I found joy in my pastoring and leadership grind. I believe you who do any kind of leadership can find joy in your leadership too. I would love to hear how you find joy in your grind.
 
Grace: My spiritual story is one of radical transformation, from almost never stepping foot in a church until I was 16 to becoming a pastor for over 40 years, and now leading a ministry with so much happening and so many amazing stories in between. I’ve tasted grace and have not lost that taste. There is joy in the grind when we feast on the grace of God. Pastoring is a high and noble calling, and God still lets you do it. I say that in love and because it was certainly true for me. You are where you are because of the grace of Jesus in your life. Pull back from the hectic pace and soak in grace. God has been good, is good, and will be good to you. Let His grace set wind to your sail this week.
 
Pace: I could not do it all. My body and others told me so, loudly and clearly. I’m grateful I pushed aside my pride and realized they were both right. I grew comfortable with how God wired me and chose not to compare myself to other pastors and leaders (at least, not too much). I am who I am, and God, who is all-wise, put me where I could flourish just as I am, not someone else. Let me encourage you to find a pace that is sustainable for you. This is where you will find joy in the grind when you rest in the God who knows you and your limitations and has placed you right where He wants you.
 
Space: While pace is a big-picture focus, space is about the little moments that come week in and week out. I learned to purposely leave room in my weekly schedule to just give God space in my “grind.” An empty space on my calendar that was guilt-free. Those of us on staff at Make It Clear Ministries call this “going dark.” It means shutting off our technology devices. For me, I would use this time to read something enjoyable or what would recharge me, sit in my favorite spot and spend time with Jesus, or enjoy a fun time with my family. The point was not to pack my calendar so full there was no room for me to just enjoy God in the “ordinary” of life.

Guard your week. The grind will always be there, but you don’t always have to grind.

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Leadership

Using Your Influence for Good

Leadership
March 31, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 432

Everything you have is a gift from God. God has given you your family, health, ministry, business, and even freedom. 

If God didn’t give you the ability to work for what you have, you wouldn’t have anything. 

God expects you to be a good steward of everything he has given, including your Influence. He wants you to use your Influence to help others. 

John Maxwell reduces the meaning of leadership to one word, Influence. Not bad, really. This means anyone can be a leader; all they need to do is be an influencer…influence others for good.

What is Influence? It’s not fame. You can be famous and not influential. Many people know celebrities, but they don’t care what they think. It’s also not wealth. You can’t buy Influence.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines Influence as the power “to affect how someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks.” God expects you to use that kind of Influence for good.

How can you do that? Start with these three steps.

  1. Recognize your Influence.

Everyone has Influence. You’re likely aware of some of your Influence at church and home. 

Yet you might not be aware of all the Influence you have. You influence everyone you come into contact with, such as your relatives, neighbors, and even casual acquaintances. 

When you enter a store, you can make or break the cashier’s day by what you say and do. The same applies to mail carriers, ushers, and salespeople you meet daily. 

You either influence people for Christ or against Christ all the time. God calls us to be good stewards of every kind of Influence we have. Paul writes, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done…” (Galatians 6:4 NLT).

Until you can see the Influence you already have, you can’t begin to wield and maximize your Influence for good.

  1. Exercise your Influence.

Our lives would have much more Influence if we became more intentional in how we use it. Your Influence is like a muscle. You’ll either use it or lose it.

These five actions can help you use your Influence and slowly grow it. They start small with simple steps and progress to more complex actions. The final one may even cost you your life one day. The more effort you put in, the greater your Influence will be.

    • Smile at people. Anyone can do this. Smiling has an incredible impact on the people in your life. When you smile at someone, they smile at you. That means you’ve influenced them and affected their day. 
    • Sympathize with people. Show emotional support, encouragement, and care in people’s lives. When you show people you care, you open the door for Influence within their life. 
    • Serve people. God’s economy says the greater you serve someone, the greater your influence on them. Serving people takes effort because you can’t do it from a distance. 
    • Speak up. Psalm 107:2 reminds us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (KJV). You can’t be afraid to discuss your relationship with Christ to influence others openly.  
    • Sacrifice. You can’t live a comfortable life if you want to have Influence. You’ll need to make sacrifices to influence the world. While this can mean huge, life-altering sacrifices, it often means everyday sacrifices in the normal activities of life.
  1. Maximize your Influence.

Do your best to develop and expand your Influence. At first, that might seem arrogant, but you aren’t expanding your Influence for your own sake. God himself tells us to maximize our Influence. The Bible says, “See then that you walk circumspectly…as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15, 16 NKJV).

Instead of being selfish, you’re expanding your Influence for Jesus’ sake. That’s the reason you exist. Otherwise, he’d take you straight to heaven when you get saved.

You only have two legitimate reasons to expand your Influence—to help people and to share Christ with others. Any other reason is selfishness.

Psalm 72 states Solomon prayed when he was the wealthiest and wisest person in the world. It sounds arrogant for him to then pray for more power and Influence. But Solomon’s prayer is anything but selfish.

Notice what Solomon wants to do with his Influence. He wants to help society’s most vulnerable. He prays, “For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy.” (Psalm 72:12-13 NKJV).

God expects us to use the Influence he has given us to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. 

You might not think you have much Influence right now. You feel you’re serving in the middle of nowhere and have limited impact.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Remember the story of Moses. He was an ordinary shepherd on the backside of the desert. But Moses obeyed when God told him to give up his staff—the source of his identity, income, and Influence as a shepherd. 

Throughout the rest of Moses’ life, God used that same staff to do miracles, like turning the water of the Nile into blood and splitting the Red Sea. 

Moses gave what little he had to God so that he could influence the world for good and for God. The world was never the same again.

Are you ready to lay down everything to use your Influence for God?

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Leadership

The Five Signs of Spiritual Maturity

Leadership
March 24, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 495

Whether in ministry, business, or any profession, and even if you are retired, God wants all of us to grow in maturity. Maturity is one of His expectations for our lives. In fact, Hebrews 6:1 tells us, “Let us press on to maturity” (NASB). The Lord intends for us to seek our spiritual life development to “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29 NKJV).  

One of God’s five purposes for your leadership is to help your team, and others grow in spiritual maturity. But there’s a lot of confusion about what Christian maturity looks like. As you make disciples, you must clearly understand what it means to grow and become more like Jesus. 

Maturity isn’t about age. You can be a Christian for 50 years and still not be mature. God doesn’t want us to grow old in Christ.  He wants us to grow up in Christ!

Maturity isn’t about appearance. Some people may look spiritually mature, but they aren’t. Just because someone appears dignified, it doesn’t mean they are holy. 

Maturity isn’t about achievement. You can accomplish much without being mature in your faith. 

Maturity isn’t about academics. A Bible college, seminary degree, or one from a prestigious university won’t make you spiritually mature. 

Comparing yourself to anyone else won’t make you mature. You become mature by comparing yourself to the Word of God. The book of James is a handbook on how to be mature.

It gives us five signs of spiritual maturity.

  1. A mature person is positive under pressure. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing”(James 1:2-4 NLT).

    Becoming a Christian by faith alone in Christ doesn’t mean you won’t face troubles. The question isn’t whether you’ll experience problems but how you respond to them. Do you get worried, tense, negative, or even hostile? Do you grumble and mumble about them?

    Even if you are full of Bible knowledge, you can still be grumpy under pressure. A mature Christian can be under stress and still be joyful.
  2. A mature person is sensitive to people.“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well” (James 2:8 NKJV).

    When children are immature, they are entirely focused on themselves. But mature people don’t just see their own needs; they see the needs of others. 

    Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:31-46 that we’ll be judged for how we treat others—not how many Bible verses we know or how often we attend church or small group Bible studies. 
  1. A mature person has mastered his mouth. “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2 NKJV). 

    When you go for a checkup, doctors often say, “Stick out your tongue.” The doctor looks at your tongue to check your health. Do you know that God does that spiritually, too?

    James 3 gives us several illustrations regarding the tongue. The chapter calls it a bridle to a horse (3:3), a rudder to a ship (3:4), and a spark to a fire (3:5-6). James 3:8 says, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (NKJV).

    Earlier in the book, James writes:“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” (James 1:26 NJKV). Gossip, spreading rumors, and constant negative talk are signs you’re immature in the faith.
  1. A mature person is a peacemaker, not a troublemaker. “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?” (James 4:1 NLT). 

    Don’t we all know Christians who instead of making peace, they make trouble? It isn’t a Christian virtue to cause conflict. In fact, the opposite is true. It’s a sign of immaturity. 

    James tells us pride, selfishness, and judgmentalism are the three most significant sources of conflict in our lives. They prevent us from the Christ-like maturity Jesus expects us to pursue. Pride keeps us from admitting we’re wrong. Judgmentalism puts us in place of God. 

    Christian maturity means saying no to prideful, selfish, and judgmental attitudes that regularly cause conflict.
  2. A mature person is patient and prayerful. “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:7-8 NLT).

    Patience and prayerfulness go together. They show an attitude of dependence upon the Lord that marks a mature believer. As James 5 notes, it’s a description that farmers understand. Farmers do a lot of waiting. You won’t find any overnight crops. We must wait for God to work in our lives. If you can’t wait, you can’t be patient. Patience is a critical sign of maturity.

As you’re attempting to influence people to grow spiritually, don’t become a victim to thinking that those in your church, ministry, or where you work who know the most Scripture are also spiritually mature. Instead, observe how God is transforming their character. Ask yourself:

  • How does this person handle problems?
  • Is this person sensitive to other people?
  • How effectively does this person tame his or her tongue?
  • Is this person a peacemaker or a troublemaker?
  • Does this person pray without giving up?

Then ask yourself the same questions about your maturity.

That’s the kind of person who is mature and growing in Christlikeness.

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Leadership

How to Find Joy in Your Relationships

Leadership
March 17, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 457

Relationships are at the heart of every ministry and business…and should be of every leader.  Every task is somehow connected to a person, so relationships are essential.  Whether those relationships are with your family, faith-family, colleagues at work, or community, having joy in them makes them a little bit sweeter too!  If not, you’ll be miserable in life and ministry if your relationships aren’t healthy.

God wants us to enjoy the people in our lives.  In the book of Philippians, Paul models four principles to help us find joy in our relationships. 

  1. Be grateful for the good in people.“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3 NKJV).

Instead of focusing on the bad memories, Paul focused on the good memories he had.  And if you recall in Acts 16, you’ll remember the bad memories Paul could have focused on while he was in Philippi but didn’t.  He was arrested, whipped, humiliated, and thrown in prison.  While in prison, there was an earthquake.  Then the Roman officials in the town asked him to leave.  Paul had a rough time in Philippi, but he chose to focus on what he was grateful for. 

To follow Paul’s example, we don’t need to deny the hurts in our lives.  Neither do we need to excuse the weaknesses of others.  Instead, focus on the good and emphasize the strengths of other people.

  1. Practice positive praying.“Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy” (Philippians 1:4 NKJV).

If you pray positively for people, you will change your attitude and the other person’s.  People may resist our advice, spurn our appeals, reject our suggestions, and not accept our help, but they are powerless against our prayers!

In Philippians 1:9-11 (NKJV), Paul models four ways to pray positively for others.

    1. Pray they will grow in love. “Your love may abound.” (This phrase means to overflow, like a tidal wave.)
    2. Pray they make wise choices. “In knowledge and all discernment.”
    3. Pray they will do the right thing. “Be sincere and without offense.”
    4. Pray they will live for God’s glory. “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Most of us are good at praying for people in crisis, but let’s commit to praying specifically and regularly for people who may struggle in these four areas.  Doing so will transform our relationships with them.

  1. Be patient with people’s progress.“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV).

Paul considered people’s future, not just their past.  He looked at their potential and was patient with their progress.

Humanity is a great starter but a lousy finisher.  It leaves unfinished symphonies, buildings, books, and projects.  People don’t always finish what they start, but God always finishes what He starts.

We should model God’s patience with people’s progress.  To enjoy people, we must give them room to grow and develop, just as God does with us.

  1. Love people from the heart.“For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:8 NKJV).

Loving people begins with understanding why they act the way they do.  You can’t love people you don’t understand.  If you care, you’ll be aware.

You get understanding by asking questions and then listening to the responses. 

Understanding people helps you love them better, but it still doesn’t get you to the love Paul described in Philippians 1:8.  Paul said he loved the church of Philippi “with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus” (NLT).  Only Jesus—working through you—can love people like that. 

God’s love isn’t something you can force.  It’s a gift you get as you let the Holy Spirit work through you. “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5 NKJV).

Life is too short not to enjoy the people in your life, especially those you serve and lead.  If you don’t learn to enjoy those the Lord has placed in your life, you will be miserable.  That’s why you need to learn how to respond to them as Jesus did. 

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Leadership

What Fear Can Do To Leaders

Leadership
March 10, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 350

There is always risk-taking in leadership. You don’t need to indulge every risk in front of you, but you do need to take every risk God wants you to take, even when you’re afraid. 

Maybe you’re uprooting your family like I did to go somewhere new to add to what the Lord is doing with Make It Clear Ministries. Or you’re starting a brand-new ministry or business opportunity, and you have no idea how you’ll fund it. Opportunities like these will require you to take risks with a large portion of faith because “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). 

Why is it important to the Lord that we learn to take risks? Because He wants us to learn to trust Him. And we can’t lead others to live by faith if we refuse to do it ourselves.

Throughout the Bible, God calls people to take risks in faith. In Exodus 14, before the Israelites crossed the Red Sea with the Egyptians in pursuit, they became fearful. Here are four things we learn from the Israelites about fear.

    1. Fear makes us skeptical. 

“[The Israelites] said to Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness?’” (Exodus 14:11 NLT). When we’re afraid, we begin to doubt and pull back from taking risks. We doubt ourselves. We doubt God. In fact, fear is a common problem for skeptics and those who don’t know the Lord well. They often ridicule what they’re afraid of.

    1. Fear makes us selfish.

“What have you done to us?” (Exodus 14:11 NLT). Fear makes leaders only think of themselves—not other people. The Israelites could only think of the problems they were facing. We often do the same when we’re afraid. We’re quick to accuse others, excuse ourselves, blame other people, and run from responsibility.

    1. Fear makes us stubborn. 

“Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone!’” (Exodus 14:12 NLT). We resist change when we’re afraid. The Israelites told Moses, “Don’t rock the boat. Don’t mess with the status quo. We’ve always done it this way.” Fear keeps people and churches from growing because it causes us to be stubborn. It keeps us from admitting our mistakes. The old saying is true: “The hardest thing to open is a closed mind.”

    1. Fear makes us short-sighted.

“It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!” (Exodus 14:12 NLT). When the Israelites were confronted with the Red Sea, they wanted to go back to the “good old days” in Egypt. They wanted to retreat.

Fellow leader, fear will make you want to retreat, too, keeping you from being all God wants you to be. It’ll limit your talents. It’ll cause you to pull back. 

Remember what happened to the disciples in John 20 after Jesus had been crucified? The disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish authorities. They were afraid. That’s what fear does; it always locks doors from the inside. 

And fear will limit your potential. 

Paul Tournier says it like this: “All of us have vast reservoirs of full potential. But the road that leads to those reservoirs is guarded by the dragon of fear.” 

God has a great work planned for you on the other side of your fear. Are you ready to step into it?

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Leadership

The Power of Appreciation

Leadership
March 3, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 222

“[I]do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:”
Ephesians 1:16 (NKJV)

It’s not complicated to work well with others. You just must learn to appreciate them! 

How do you appreciate others? It’s easy. First, you recognize someone’s value and contribution to you and others. Then, you habitually tell them, “Thank you.”  

Nehemiah recognizes four practical ways to demonstrate appreciation for others:

Recognize each person by name. When you express appreciation to the people in your life who are adding value to you and others, don’t just say, “You are doing a great job. Thanks!” Get specific, as Nehemiah did by singling out at least 71 people for unique appreciation and calling each one by name.

Recognize specific work that is done. People experience genuine appreciation when you identify the particulars of their work. Just telling them, they did a good job isn’t enough. It’s better to say, “I’m blessed by you doing this specific thing.” 

Nehemiah recognized the detailed work done by the people. He said, “Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars.” (Nehemiah 3:6 NKJV). The Bible reveals that details do matter!

Recognize great attitude. It’s not difficult to observe great attitudes in a world filled with nasty attitudes. In Nehemiah 3:20, Nehemiah identified one man for his great perspective: “Baruch…carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house…”  (NKJV).

When you call attention to the heart and eagerness of others, it replenishes their energy and stimulates new energy in others. This way, you could end up having more people assisting you with the vision God gives you.

Recognize extra effort. Meremoth was mentioned twice in Nehemiah for doing more than was expected of him. He began by repairing the fish gate. Next, he “repaired another section” (Nehemiah 3:21 NKJV). Nehemiah recognized Meremoth’s extra work and wanted others to notice too. 

Many people have done more than expected to serve others and do their jobs well. I enjoy pointing out their contributions and telling them how much they are appreciated. Sometimes it’s just a conversation. Other times it can be a card or a note. But it has become a habit of noticing the efforts and attitudes of others, recognizing their perseverance, and encouraging them not to give up.

It takes work to live with an attitude of gratitude and a spirit of appreciation. You can begin doing this today!

Action Steps

  • How does my attitude toward work influence the people around me?
  • Why do I think people do not take time and effort to recognize others’ good work? 

Identify those who go the extra mile in my life. Maybe it’s someone in my family, at church, or at work. I will make plans to personally express my appreciation to them this week for being an “extra mile” person.

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Leadership

Four Essentials to Be Successful in Your Work

Leadership
February 24, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 112

It doesn’t matter what you do vocationally; whether you’re a lay leader working another job, a full-time pastor, or a bi-vocational pastor, your work life matters to God. 

Because you’ll spend 40 percent of your waking hours at work, the hours you spend on your job are a big part of what God wants to do in your life. 

The Bible says, “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans [work] will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT). That’s a fantastic promise every Christian can claim. It means there is a basis to that promise, though. We must commit our work to Him to succeed.

How do we do that? The Bible gives us four essentials to committing our work to God: 

  1. Seek direction from the Lord.

“[The Lord] delights in the prayers of the upright.” (Proverbs 15:8 NLT).

The book of Proverbs repeatedly tells us that planning and prayer go together. In the same way, you can’t score a touchdown without a game plan; you need more than hard work to succeed. It takes prayer and planning, too.

I’ll admit that it’s much more fun to be spontaneous, but that’s not the best way to live.

Successful people think further ahead than unsuccessful people. That’s why it’s essential to pray and ask God, “Where do you want me to be and do in 10 years?” Then, write what God tells you.

  1. Sharpen your people and task skills.

“If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; But wisdom [skill] brings success.” Ecclesiastes 10:10 NKJV).

Never stop learning and develop the talents God gave you. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 10:10 that wise skills bring success. In other words, instead of working harder, work smarter. When chopping wood, a dull axe causes me to use more energy. But with a sharp ax, the opposite happens. 

The Lord teaches the importance of sharpening your skills throughout Scripture. Notice Joseph, Daniel, and David. As cream rises to the top, they rose to the top during dire circumstances because they keep their skills sharp and never stop learning.

Leaders are learners. And learners are leaders. You stop leading the moment you stop learning.

What can you do to sharpen your skills? First, you learn from trial and error. It’s painful, but experience can be a great teacher. But the experience of others is even a more excellent influencer.

None of us have enough time to make all the mistakes ourselves, so we learn from others what to do and what to avoid.

  1. Share the benefits. 

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV)

Giving a generous portion of your income back to the Lord is part of committing your work to God. Notice in Proverbs 3:9-10 there’s a promise and a premise. When you give generously to the Lord of your income, and He’ll bless your work.

Rick Warren wrote about a young man who began a small cheese business in Chicago. He failed miserably and went deep into debt. A friend told him, “The problem is you didn’t commit your business to God, and you haven’t worked with His help.” The young man said, “If God wants to run this cheese business, He can do it. I’ll work for Him and with Him and share the profits.” From that moment on, God became the senior partner in his business. It prospered and became the largest cheese company in the world. The young man’s name was J. L. Kraft.

  1. Stay the course.

“Steady plodding brings prosperity” (Proverbs 21:5 TLB).

You conquer by continuing. You can become a success simply by outlasting your critics. The Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo and was asked why the British army was so victorious. He said it was because the British military has always been trained to fight an additional five minutes longer than anyone else. 

Most people give up too soon. Successful people don’t know how to quit their dream. 

Everyone feels like giving up at certain times. You need to understand the motivation to keep on when you get discouraged. 

Many people are committed to their work because of external motivations (getting a paycheck) or internal motivations (feeling good). Either of those motivations are fine but won’t keep you going when you feel like quitting.

You need eternal motivation. You need to remind yourself that you’re working for the Lord, as Paul tells us in Colossians 3:23: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,” (NKJV).

An important part of your testimony is how you work. Your work testimony either leads people toward Jesus or away from Him. Another part of your testimony is why you work.

God wants you to have a successful work life. Will you give your work to him so he can help it flourish?

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Leadership

Five Honest Struggles Most Christian Leaders Don’t Want to Admit

Leadership
February 17, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

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Most of us get into full-time ministry or business because we sense a calling, not because it is a ‘career path.’

Chances are you got in this because you love God deeply, right?

So, it’s always a bit surprising and unusual when ministry or business leaders struggle with the very God who called them into this in the first place. This is true whether you’re paid, bi-vocational, or even a full-time volunteer.

Ministry and business can not only be hazardous to your spiritual health, but it can also be confusing.

But the good news is that struggling with God is normal. You are not alone.

The best leaders struggled with God.

Jacob wrestled an angel. Moses almost quit more than a few times. Jeremiah tried to quit but couldn’t. And then there was the apostle Paul!

Today’s struggles might be a bit different, but in some ways, the struggle is inevitable.

I have struggled with every one of the five challenges I outline in this post.

And what’s amazing to me is that you can get through them. You really can.

Sometimes all you need to know is you’re not alone. And you’re not, even if you feel that way.

Here are five ways ministry and Christian business leaders struggle in their relationship with God:

  1. You See Setbacks in Ministry as A Personal Statement from God About You

Everybody thinks this way when life circumstances don’t tilt in their favor (why did God allow me to have cancer/lose this job/be in this place?). So, it’s natural that this line of thinking would emerge in ministry or business.

Just because things aren’t going the way you want in ministry or business isn’t an automatic sign that God is angry with you. I’m amazed that constant imprisonment didn’t cause Paul to second-guess himself or God.

God isn’t always punishing you, even if it feels like He is.

The key is to take the setbacks in front of you seriously, not personally. You’ll be so much healthier.

  1. You Believe That Greater Faithfulness Should Result in Greater Impact Ministry

Have you ever tried to improve your personal devotional life so your church or business would do better?

I wish this weren’t true, but in the early days of ministry, I thought greater personal fervor would automatically translate into a more significant ministry impact.

I’m all for a rich personal walk with God, but it’s not a push-this-button-and-God-will-do-great-things-through-you kind of proposition. In fact, it’s a bit self-centered to think that way.

Pursue God and pursue a great mission. Both are critical. But God doesn’t reward the most faithful with the best results.

  1. You Are Convinced God Should Protect You from Pain

So, here’s a confession. Much of the pain I’ve experienced in ministry is self-induced.

I have created crises in my mind and the relationships around me. The solution for me was to confess my sin and realize so much of the pain around me was caused by the strife within me.

What about the rest of the troubles that inevitably come our way? I remember Jesus’ brother James saying we were supposed to throw a party when they come and celebrate because God uses them to perfect us.

God doesn’t always protect us from pain. He uses it to grow us. And the part that’s self-induced? Get on your knees.

  1. You Confuse Your Work Life with Your Devotional Life

I always ask myself, “If I couldn’t do ministry tomorrow for whatever reason, what would be left of my life with Christ?” Hopefully, the answer is “lots” or “virtually everything.”

So, my devotional life has little to do with what I’m teaching, and I try to pray about things I wouldn’t do if I weren’t a Christian leader. But naturally, I also pray about things related to ministry.

Pretending you’re not a ministry or business leader in your relationship with God is a great way to stay vibrant as a leader.

  1. You Find It Hard to Believe That God Loves You Simply Because He Loves You

Your identity is not based on what you do but what Christ has done. I know you preach that, but you have difficulty believing it, right?

Don’t confuse what you do with who you are in Christ. Need to hear that more clearly? I wrote this one for every leader who’s ever struggled through a Monday.

He loves you. He just does.

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