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.

2 Corinthians 12.10 observes, I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I am not a fan of any of these things Paul says he will boast of, for when he is weak then he is strong. Paul says these things because the presence of the Lord within Him becomes increasingly obvious through Him when he is weak.

We all want to be strong then do great works for the Lord. Most of us will attempt nothing for God unless we feel sufficient to accomplish it. We are great at relying upon our own abilities but poor at relying upon God’s abilities. God wants us to be weak then do great things for the Lord.

It is in weakness that we demonstrate faith. In strength we demonstrate self-sufficiency. We are not stronger than the Lord. The world does not need our strength but God Himself. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is that distance between our abilities and God’s abilities.

We demonstrate our faith when we walk in that gap, the distance between our ability and obedience to God’s will, trusting that God will walk with us regardless of the results. We want positive, successful, results. God wants glory which may come from a kernel of wheat falling into the ground and dying before it bears much fruit.

The mature in Christ, and we are all to be mature, are servants of Christ. As servants, Jesus is free to do with us as He deems best – if we let Him. His goal is to use us as much as possible to accomplish His will on earth so that His glory is revealed, and men are restored to Him.

His use of us properly, most productively, comes from His strength in us and not our strength for Him.

Our Opportunities

1.     A mission opportunity is available to you every third Wednesday of the month at the new Rescue Mission Drop-in center. We are looking for one or two men a month to share their story of God’s work in their lives for about 20 minutes from 10-10.20ish. Interested in encouraging the homeless by sharing what God has done in your life? Next opening, November 20. Email Mike to sign up.

2.     Our final outreach luncheon for the year is Thursday, October 17th at the View from 11.45 -1pm. If you have not shared your relationship with Jesus with anyone this year, or even if you have, this is your best opportunity to change the eternal destiny of your unchurched friends through the testimony of a man whose destiny has been changed by Jesus Christ. Mark your calendars, start praying for men and register here.

3. Third quarter needs help, please support CBMC today. https://give.idonate.com/cbmc-inc/lansing

 CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917  / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com 

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

September 30, 2019 

Humble, Hungry and Hard-Working

by Robert J. Tamasy 

Everyone, it seems, wants to know the secret to success. I recall as a young journalist looking around and seeing people I admired, individuals who were already making their mark in the world. “I want to be like them!” I thought. “How do I get to where they are?” 

Unfortunately, there is no single, universal secret to success. Bookstores and libraries are filled with copies of books by authors who claim to know the secret. If we go to an online retail site that sells books, and enter “Success” in the search box, we can find numerous choices written by people who will tell us with great conviction how they achieved success. 

There are countless slogans, philosophies and strategies for becoming successful, but sometimes it helps to realize that while there is no magic, one-size-fits-all formula. For most people, success requires a few very simple ingredients, things that do not require very specific skill sets. 

Usually I put little stock in what actors and other entertainers have to say, even rich and famous ones. Because their careers consist of pretending to be other people that they are not, living in worlds that do not exist. So how can they be experts on reality? However, recently I came across a quotation by an actor that suggested a time-tested path to success that made so much sense I could not ignore it. 

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, an actor who has appeared in many commercially successful films, said, “Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room.” That resonated with me, and I suspect it has appeal for others as well. He did not say we must be the smartest people, or the ones with the most status, or the most impressive resumes. Johnson simply said we must be humble, hungry, and willing to outwork everyone else. This is exactly what the Bible teaches in the book of Proverbs: 

Humility can be a very attractive quality. In a world where many people are seeking to draw attention to themselves, there is something refreshing about people who work quietly, efficiently and with excellence, not overflowing with egotism. “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12).“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4). 

Hunger can be an excellent motivator. Complacency and self-satisfaction can inhibit top performance, but hunger – whether to pay bills, gain a client, make a sale, or achieve a goal – can inspire our best work. “The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on” (Proverbs 16:26). “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment” (Proverbs 12:11). 

Hard work, with excellence, receives notice. Which would you rather see: Someone trying everything possible to be noticed, or someone whose work is of such high quality that it speaks for itself? One’s diligence and excellence serve as outstanding character references.“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4). “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29).

If success is what you seek, cultivate humility, stay hungry, and never stop working hard. 

© 2019. Robert J. Tamasy has written Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Tufting Legacies;coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring, and edited numerous other books, including Advancing Through Adversityby Mike Landry. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. 

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com 

 MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

September 30, 2019 

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. If someone had asked you before reading this, what would you have said is the secret to success? Has reading this week’s “Monday Manna” given you a new perspective on that?
    
2. How does a person cultivate true humility?
    
3. What good does hunger serve in a person’s quest to achieve success? What does this look like, in your opinion?
   
   
4. Why is being known as a hard worker cited as a key ingredient for attaining some level of success? What should we do if people not working as hard as we are receive recognition and promotions? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages:

Proverbs 10:5, 11:2, 12:24, 13:4, 13:10, 16:18, 18:9, 25:6-7, 27:2 

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com