Shake It Off And Step Up!
Our Mission
To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission.
Luke 24. 28-31 records, they came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if He were going on but they pressed Him: Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done. So He went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, He blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized Him. And then He disappeared.
We take God so lightly, in our narcissism we believe Him to be all about us. As our Creator, we are to be all about Him and He treats us that way! At this point in Luke’s account no one has yet seen Jesus, these two men are the first to encounter God raised from the dead.
Yet the beginnings of this encounter are a tale of edification and not revelation. The greatest sermon every preached, the one every serious student of Jesus wishes they could have heard, was the explanation from all the Scriptures of Jesus, the Messiah, fulfilling all that was written about Him. During this explanation of Himself, God still hides, not yet revealing His true identity to these disciples.
When did the disciples go from exhortation to revelation? When they pressed Him, when they urged Him, when they insisted that God stay with them and not keep moving. This is the need of our day. The Church gives us exhortation for living a godly life and knowing what pleases God our Savior.
The revelation of Jesus comes by the Spirit as we mine His Word and pray for His coming into our lives and world. When we seek Him with all our passion we shall find Him and upon finding Him we shall truly know Him. Then like the disciples, our hearts will burn within us and we will give our lives to glorifying Him on earth as He is in heaven.
His Opportunities
- It’s back – Monday Manna Live – weekdays, Monday mornings, 9.55am HERE
- December 18th the annual CBMC Getting to Know God Better luncheon seminar will be presented. This event will help you develop greater intimacy with God as you develop greater consistency with God. We have a proven and effective strategy for making this happen. More information and Register HERE
- Year End Update. Through 11 months we have met 74% of our annual need; halleluiah and thank you to everyone helping us succeed. This month we need $39,000 in giving to make 100% of expenses/budget. Your investment helps us win the most difficult to save, the rich man, disciple men in the marketplace, and focus on building businesses that glorify God. Help us finish strong. Invest in CBMC. GIVE today.
CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com
MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
A Publication of CBMC International
December 17, 2018
Shake It Off And Step Up!
by Jim Mathis
I was having breakfast with some friends when one of them mentioned a co-worker who was always having bad things happen. He had been suspended from work because he was late too many times. He was late because he ran out of gas. He ran out of gas because his fuel gauge didn’t work. Presumably, he could not afford to get the fuel gauge repaired because he was suspended from his job.
Apparently he failed to realize that he could just keep track of how far he had driven and fill up every few hundred miles, even though the trip odometer makes a good substitute for a fuel gauge. His story of woe became even longer with additional problems arising due to not taking control of common situations.
Our breakfast conversation then turned to choices. Important choices start at least as far back as high school; some can date back to our pre-school days. Every choice we make has an effect on our life. Sometimes even small choices have a huge impact for the future.
This reminded me of the fable about the donkey that fell into a well, and nobody could figure out how to get it out. Eventually the townspeople decided to be merciful on the donkey by burying it alive in the well. They began to shovel in dirt, but with each shovelful, the donkey shook off the dirt and stepped up onto the growing pile of dirt. As dirt filled the well, the donkey continued stepping up. Eventually the mound of dirt inside the well had piled so high, the donkey was able to step out of the well onto level ground and safety.
This story’s moral is a simple one: The donkey could have decided he was doomed and accepted his fate. He could have given up at any time and become buried under the dirt. Instead, he kept shaking it off and rising up under the challenge until he had overcome his dilemma and stepped out into freedom.
Like the donkey, in the business and professional world we often find ourselves deep in a “well” of difficulties, with people shoveling dirt on us, trying to cover us up. This leaves us with a choice: We can either become buried by the adverse circumstances, or keep stepping up to confront the new challenge.
In the Bible, we can find many examples of individuals and groups that determined not to succumb to their problems. They would pray for wisdom, sometimes for outright deliverance, then devise strategies to address their challenges. This is why passages like Romans 5:3-5 tell us to “rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us.”
This means rather than bowing down to the pressures of adversity, we can rely on God’s strength to endure our hardships, grow through these experiences, strengthen our resolve, and overcome our challenges so we can excel and thrive, both personally and professionally. James 1:3-5 offers similar sentiments: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
One could say that we are never completely out of the “well” as long as we are still walking around on Planet Earth. There are constant challenges to face and dirt to be shaken off as long as we live. With God’s strength and guidance, we can overcome them. Keep stepping up!
Jim Mathis is the owner of a photography studio in Overland Park, Kansas, specializing in executive, commercial and theatrical portraits, and operates a school of photography. He formerly was a coffee shop manager and executive director of CBMC in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
A Publication of CBMC International
December 17, 2018
Reflection/Discussion Questions
- Why do you think some people seem to encounter one problem after another, each one compounding what’s gone before? Do you agree with Mr. Mathis that these adversities can often result from choices we have made in the past?
- Had you heard the fable of the donkey before? What lessons or practical insights does it provide for you? What deep “well” do you find yourself stuck in at the moment?
- If you are familiar with some of the stories in the Bible, who can you think of that was able to overcome extremely difficult circumstances by rising up to face and overcome them?
- How can someone seek the power, guidance and wisdom of God for facing times of great difficulty and hardship? Have you had experiences like that yourself? Explain your answer.
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Habakkuk 3:16-18; Psalm 27:114; Matthew 6:1-12; James 1:5-7,12; 1 Peter 1:6-9
CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996 lansing.cbmc.com