How do I glorify God while working 40+ hours a week?

After clocking 62 hours of work this week I feel like I must ask the question... or at least define my focus a bit on this blog.

A Snapshot of Joy

Acts 7:54-60
The Stoning of Stephen
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together [2] at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.


Nehemiah 8:10
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Taking that word 'strength' and diving deeper into the original meaning you get: defense, force, fortress, strength, stronghold, and rock. Christian joy is all of these things. Happiness is fleeting and has nothing to do with what we are talking about here. I can prove this simply by referring to those times that everyone has had when a beautifully happy day is torn into pieces with a single life altering sentence... Joy is God exalting, worship creating, dark-day sustaining, and life-giving because it comes from the only one who can give life. Here Stephen follows in the footsteps of His master and bares His cross with joy (Hebrews 12:2).

John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

Hating Your Family

1. "This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love then to lay down's one's life for one's friends." -- John 15:12-13
2. "To be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison-your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even your own life. Otherwise you cannot be [mine]." - Luke 14:26

How do we handle Christ's commands to love and to hate? Do we love with a kind of hate or hate with a kind of love?

God was designed to be our only fulfillment. Our relationships can be idolatrous, If we make them ultimate, above an eternal satisfaction in God, then we will destroy it. Relationships were created to make God glorified (representing him, showing others His worth).

"Sin is building your self worth on anything, but God." -- Soren Kierkeguard

We Are Not Entitled to Happiness

Joy and Happiness are not the same thing. They cannot be when dealing with Hebrews 12:2 -

"12:1 Therefore...let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

For along time I thought this was joy:



Hebrews 12:2 tells me that this (Christ, before He was crucified) is a more accurate depiction of the joy that is promised by God to those that are His:


Mark 12:23 "And he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.'"

And remember John 13:16!
"Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him."

Happiness is NOT promised to us. Try as we might, but if God commands, and we shake if off saying, 'This would make me miserable and God would not want me miserable, so this must obviously not be for me' then we are basically worthless (Luke 14:34-35)... If we are servants of Christ then the best we can expect is death on the cross... We have all heard the Christianese phrase "Bare your cross." Well, Jesus was not happy carrying His cross, but Hebrews 12:2 said He endured it with joy.

Happiness is fleeting. The first thing to go when difficulty comes is happiness. That is why Christ cried out for us to chase joy, not happiness - God exalting, worship creating, dark-day sustaining joy.

(thank you Matt Chandler)