Organized...

Happy Sunday!

Dr. Bill Winston said, "God will Supernaturally add to your life as you are sufficiently ORGANIZED to continue".

John 6:3-13 tells the story of the feeding of the 5000.  It was probably more like 20,000 because in those days the women and children were left out of the count.  We've read this scripture many, many times.  But lets notice something that we may have overlooked.  Jesus asked Philip where could they buy enough bread to feed the people.  The disciples went into panic mode.  In verse 7,  "Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a BITE!”(NIV).   Today, let's focus on verse 6, it says,  "He asked this only to TEST  him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.(NIV).  Don't miss this!  Jesus already knew how he was going to feed the multitude, but he was testing or proving his disciples.  Why would Jesus want to test his disciples?  Great question!  I'm so happy you asked!  Jesus was the greatest leader that has ever walked on earth.  If you are a Christian, His leadership is still at work in you, in the earth, after thousands of years.  His leadership team had to put their FAITH training into practice.  Even on your job, there are evaluation processes.  Whether yearly, or monthly, your management wants to know if you really get it!  Do you understand the goals and culture of the business?  Are you willing to do what it takes to help this company succeed?  If not, perhaps this position is not for you.

God is the God of Unlimited Potential!  When you sign on to this team you must know that there is abundance and no lack!  God wants your needs to be met without you leaving your assignment!  If he called you to be a missionary to Zimbabwe, he doesn't want you to give up on that dream just because your corporate benefits are more attractive.  If he called you to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company, he doesn't intend for you to leave it just to prove you are a good person and can be a missionary.  God made you unique!  He knows what makes you tick!  He knows what you enjoy doing and what you do best!  He also knows the workplace is a fertile mission field.  The Apostle Paul said it like this, "Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work."(Colossians 3:22-25, Message).

John 6:10 says, "And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand."(KJV).  Thousands of hungry people all trying to get the little boys fish dinner, could have caused a stampede!  Jesus knew what to do!  He organized the process.  Dr. Bill Winston said, " Order produces the desired result.  You are only as organized as the unsupervised areas of your life!"  Take a moment to let that sink in.  Unsupervised area?  Perhaps it's your closet.  When I was younger, my mother was a representative for Queen's Way to Fashion.  The company brought clothes to women's homes for them to try on, and order.  In the same manner that a Queen would shop.  Of course you know the Queen wouldn't be caught shopping in the Galleria, or your favorite mall.  My mother also educated customers about organizing their closets.  Many times, she would find that the women would have duplicates of the same pieces.  If they were like me and liked Black pants, an examination of their closet would reveal several pairs of Black Pants.  She would encourage them, and show them how a few new pieces could expand the wardrobe they already possessed.  The money they save by being organized could be used elsewhere.  Think about debt.  If you have no idea who you owe, and how much you owe, how are you going to pray or pay?  Are you going to say, "Ok, God...I think a million dollars will be enough"?  Sweetheart, I could spend a million dollars in one day!  The houses in my area are going for $500,000 and up, a nice vehicle comfortable for a tall woman could run $170,000.  That's an S600 Mercedes, just in case you want to get me one for my birthday!  LOL!  So organization is imperative!  Proverbs 24:30 says, "I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;"(KJV),  Just in case you don't know what "slothful" is, here's another translation.  The Voice translation says, "Once I passed by the property of a slacker, by the vineyard of a foolish man".  OUCH!  A slacker, a fool?  Don't be that person!

Mikael Cho wrote an article entitled, "Clutter’s Impact on Your Brain".   Here's an excerpt..."Whether it be your closet or office desk, excess things in your surroundings can have a negative impact on your ability to focus and process information. That’s exactly what neuroscientists at Princeton University found when they looked at people’s task performance in an organized versus disorganized environment. The results of the study showed that physical clutter in your surroundings COMPETES for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress.  A team of UCLA researchers recently observed 32 Los Angeles families and found that all of the mothers’ stress hormones spiked during the time they spent dealing with their belongings. Similar to what multitasking does to your brain, physical clutter overloads your senses, making you feel stressed, and impairs your ability to think CREATIVELY."   Looks like the Bible was on to something..."Just maintain the proper order in all things."(1 Corinthians 14:40, Voice).  

Love and prayers, Cynthia