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  • What's God Telling You To Do?

    What's God Telling You To Do?

    What’s God Telling You To Do?

    Often in life, we find ourselves asking God what He wants from us. What do you want me to do? How should I react in this situation? Where should I set down this fear and anxiety?

    Life would be easier if there were billboards along the side of the road with personalized messages for us, answering all of these questions. The bad news is that’s not how our walk with God works. The good news is that God has other ways of communicating with us, one of the primary ways being His word.

    An example of this comes from the first few verses of Psalm 37, which I’ve repeatedly returned to over the last six months. There may not be a billboard, but we see that God has given us some powerful instructions on how to live and what He wants from us…

    “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;”

    – Psalm 37:1

     

    “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”

    – Psalm 37:3

     

    “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

    – Psalm 37:4

     

    “Commit your way to the Lord;”

    – Psalm 37:5

     

    “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;”

    – Psalm 37:7

    All of these verses point back to one theme: Confidence.

    As a business owner, a husband, a dad, a son, and as a man, I spent the first two-thirds of my life chasing confidence in many areas of my life. I wanted to feel like I was enough as a husband and a father. I wanted to feel like I belonged in the conversations I was having at work. I wanted to feel like I measured up as a leader. I wanted to feel like I was making the grade and keeping up in the world’s eyes.

    Over and over again, chasing confidence led me to chasing the wrong things—success, money, respect, titles, accolades, and attaboys. I wanted to be seen, valued, and in some cases, to be put on a pedestal. Over time, the chasing became exhausting.

    Then, I came to realize that my confidence comes from one place and one place only – from God. His message for us at the beginning of Psalm 37 is clear. Find your confidence in Me.

    Do not fret before Me.

    Trust Me.

    Delight in Me.

    Commit your ways to Me.

    Be still before Me.

    Wait patiently on Me.

    Find your confidence in Me.

    As men, the world attempts to eat away at our confidence every day. Sometimes it chips away at us aggressively, and other times, the wearing away comes in the form of ocean saltwater that crashes against our shores and erodes our coastlines over years and decades. We battle that voice on our shoulder that tells us we’re not enough, we’re not keeping up, and that we should keep chasing what the world has for us – that what the world offers will build us up and make us confident.

    It won’t.

    Instead, we lean into our Father. As sons of God, we approach Him expectantly. We trust Him, delight in Him, and commit our ways to Him. We make time to get still, and we practice patience. And we know that He has everything we need.

    If you’re anything like me, you need other men around you to remind you of these truths from time to time. When life’s challenges show up at work and home, we can find ourselves questioning God and if He is who He says He is. In those moments, the counsel of other believing men can be what points us back to truths like Psalm 37. Sometimes, when we’re tempted to chase our confidence, we need another man to remind us who we are and who we serve. It’s in those moments that iron truly does sharpen iron.

    Today, ask yourself, “Where does my confidence come from?” Spend some time with that. Wrestle with the tough questions, and ask God to show you how He wants you to show up, living life His way.

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Embracing Life in the Fire

    Embracing Life in the Fire

    In Daniel 3, we hear the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar had created an image of gold and instructed the people to fall down and worship it with this warning… Those who did not worship the idol would be thrown into a blazing furnace.

    In Daniel 1, we learned that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not followers. Along with Daniel, they had taken a stand and, unknown to King Nebuchadnezzar, they had refused to eat the choice food and wine from his table. Fast-forward to the king’s new golden idol, and these men would stand again. This time their stand would be visible and obvious to the king.

    In Daniel 3:12, the astrologers expose Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for their lack of worship. “But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

    Nebuchadnezzar is enraged and brings the men before him, confronting them with the blazing furnace, to which they reply in Daniel 3: 16-18, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

    Nebuchadnezzar’s rage grew, and he ordered the furnace to be heated to seven times its normal temperature. Then, the three men we bound and thrown into the furnace – into flames so hot that the soldiers who put them inside were killed.

    What happens next is the reason for writing this post… In Daniel 3:24, we read, “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

    Nebuchadnezzar is amazed and has the men released from the furnace. They exit unharmed, and scripture tells us that “the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.”

    This story brings us three truths we can all embrace today as men…

    1. We will be asked to bow down to idols. You and I experience this every day. Our idols may not be golden or brought to us by kings, but there are temptations around every corner trying to lure us into bowing down. Our careers and businesses can become idols, and even our marriages and children can become idols. When we take God down off the pedestal and replace him there, we worship idols in our lives – and this can be a very easy trap to fall into.
    2. Sometimes, not bowing down will land us in the furnace. It can come with challenges and friction when we resist worshiping the idols that culture brings us. It can feel like we are choosing to step into the fire when we choose not to worship the things of this world. Standing on our faith and choosing God over culture can be very uncomfortable, especially today.
    3. We can have confidence knowing that Jesus stands in the furnace beside us. Where idols and division and friction abound, the one thing we can lean into with confidence is this: We are not alone. No matter what fire we find ourselves in or how hot the world cranks up the temperature, we can stand firm, knowing that God is in control. The idols will not last – but God will, and that’s where we put our faith.

    We are called to stand as leaders, husbands, fathers, and men in our churches. We are called not to bow to idols but to keep our eyes and our worship on the one true God who stands with us in the fire. When we do that and exhibit that level of confidence to the world we live in, we can have the same impact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had.

    Daniel 3:28-29 shares that impact with us. “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • How's your quiet time?

    How's your quiet time?

    We ask this question like it’s expected that we all have a quiet time in our lives, but as men in the world today, making and taking the time to get quiet can feel almost impossible. There’s a lot of cultural noise to contend with, coming at us from every direction. Layer on top of that the challenges and expectations that can come with being a leader at work, and getting quiet becomes even more difficult. Add being a husband and a dad, and the noise can become deafening.

    Finding the mute button can feel futile and even impractical. We’ve been conditioned to prefer the noise, almost like we need it to feel productive. For some, myself included, the noise can sometimes become a badge of honor, and stillness can be elusive.

    The younger version of myself was always intrigued by the old men who talked about getting up at 5:00 AM for quiet time. “I get up before the sun, make my coffee, and spend an hour or so in my Bible with the Lord to start my day.” Their devotion and discipline were almost mythical. It was like listening to old warriors talk about the battlefields of their youth, and I always felt like they knew something I didn’t or had something I lacked.

    Over time, I learned what they had already figured out. I came across the scriptures that point to our best example of having a quiet time… Jesus. Who better to learn from than the Son of God when it comes to spending time with the Father? In scripture, Jesus left us some profound yet simple clues on how to get still with God…

    “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

    – Mark 1:35

    “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

    – Luke 5:16

    “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

    – Luke 6:12

    I picked up three things from Jesus’ example.

    Jesus made time to get quiet.

    Whether it was “very early in the morning” or late at night, Jesus set aside time to get still. This can feel futile for us today with overloaded schedules and packed calendars. “I’m too busy” can be an easy excuse. That said, we can assume that Jesus was also busy. He had a ministry to grow, a team of twelve to lead, and a full travel schedule. Amid all that, he was surrounded by individuals who wanted his time and attention. Sound familiar? Remember, despite all this, Jesus made time to get still. You can too.

    Jesus withdrew from the noise.

    One of the consistent elements of Jesus’ quiet times revolved around stepping away from the noise. Scripture tells us he withdrew, went to the mountains, and left for the lonely places. What this is really telling us is that Jesus departed from the distractions, which were many. He made time to get quiet and space to get still. This meant finding spots in his world where there was no noise – where he could find rest and hear from the Father. This means finding our own place to connect with God… a space in our home, out in the woods, walking through our neighborhood, or in our car during the commute. Jesus created space. You can too.

    When Jesus got quiet, He prayed.

    Jesus’ example for us is clear. Prayer and communicating directly with the Father are essential to our quiet time. I was reminded the other day that prayer is an open conversation that we enter into and not a challenge to use flowery words or Christian slang. It’s an opportunity to worship God, confess our sins, and bring Him our needs and challenges. It’s our chance to talk to Him… and to listen to Him. Don’t know what to say when you pray? Start with another of the examples Jesus left us with…

    This, then, is how you should pray:

    “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come, your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us today our daily bread.
    And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

    – Matthew 6:9-13

     

    Start there, and get quiet with the Lord. When you’re intentional about taking the time, making the space, and communicating with Him, He will meet you right where you’re at.

    –       John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Taking God Out of Our Small Boxes

    Taking God Out of Our Small Boxes

    I opened my Bible this morning for quiet time and landed in Jeremiah 32, and was reminded that it is time for me to take God out of the small box I keep Him in…

    To quickly put Jeremiah 32 in context, it begins with Jerusalem under siege by Babylon’s army. The city is at war, and the walls are closed off. As this is happening, the prophet Jeremiah finds himself imprisoned in the city for sharing a message from the Lord with King Zedekiah – words that the leader did not want to hear. The book reveals how God tells Jeremiah that his cousin will come to him asking him to buy a certain field in Anathoth. Keep in mind Jeremiah is imprisoned in a walled-off city. How is this possible? God continues by telling Jeremiah that he should accept his cousin’s offer and purchase the land.

    To recap…

    • Jerusalem is under attack.
    • The city is shut up, and its walls are closed.
    • Jeremiah is stuck in jail.
    • In the midst of this, Jeremiah’s cousin is somehow going to make it to him.
    • When his cousin arrives, there will be an offer to buy a piece of property.
    • God tells Jeremiah, from jail, to act on the offer.

    That’s a lot to process, especially if you are in Jeremiah’s shoes. As he’s accounting for all of this in verse 17, Jeremiah prays to the Lord, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Later, in verse 27, God responds, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

    Think about what God is saying there for a moment…

    “Is anything too hard for me?”

    God’s response is clear. Even though it ends with a question mark, there’s no question as to the answer. Nothing is too hard for God. It’s not too hard for God to get Jeremiah’s cousin to him in jail or to make the offer of the land possible, even in the middle of a war in Jerusalem. At the same time, for you and me, it’s not too hard for God to show up in our challenges and circumstances. God is able, and He doesn’t fit in my small box.

    This led me to ask myself… Do I have that level of confidence in God? He says nothing is too hard for Him. Do I believe it? Do I trust Him and His abilities enough to bring him my struggles, my stuck moments, my goals, and my dreams? The big things and the small ones?

    I find it easy to keep God in that small box up on the shelf. It’s easy to underestimate his power in our lives or to look at our challenges and think they are impossible and unworkable. It’s what leads us to be hopeless.

    What if, instead, we reminded ourselves that nothing is too hard for God?

    • The struggles we face in our marriages are not too hard for God.
    • The challenges we face in our businesses are not too hard for God.
    • The trials we face as leaders are not too hard for God.
    • The conflicts we face as dads are not too hard for God.
    • The battles we face with pornography and addiction are not too hard for God.
    • The clashes we face with pride and our egos are not too hard for God.
    • The assaults we face financially are not too hard for God.

    All of those challenges, when we’re trying to master them under our own power, can seem impossible. Our relationships, businesses and teams, sins and financial stresses… We may not have the strength to face those alone, but God does.

    Men, nothing you are facing today is too hard for God. It’s on us, though, each one, to take him out of that small little box on the shelf and trust Him to be enough. It’s on us to invite Him and his power into our challenges, leaning away from our own abilities and toward His. It’s time to take Him out of our small boxes. When we do that, we will see that nothing is too hard for God.

    Lean into that today. His power, not yours. Nothing is too hard for Him.

    –       John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

    CBMC Webmaster

  • The Power of Your Words at Work

    The Power of Your Words at Work

    Our tongue is the most powerful of all the tools we use as leaders and influencers within our work. It can lift up those around us and show Christ’s love in our workplace, and it can also create the most damage. Someone we work with frustrates us, and we greet them with a snide remark. Someone misses a deadline, and our words light them on fire. Someone fails, and we meet them with sarcasm.

    When we get called out on our words, it can be easy to dodge responsibility. Our response is, “I didn’t mean it like that,” or “I’m just really direct.” Make no mistake about it. Your “directness” is no excuse for not keeping your tongue in check. And, just because you didn’t mean a comment in a certain way doesn’t make your response acceptable. If anything, it may mean that you need to reassess what you have defined as “OK.”

    Sharp responses are just one area of our work where our tongues can lead us off course. A coworker or client uses some language we would normally avoid, and we catch ourselves chiming in. Someone tells a joke that crosses a line, and we add to the conversation. Again, the tongue may be a small set of muscles in our body, but its strength is hard to contain.

    James 3 gives us a stern warning about the power of our tongues…

    “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

    – James 3:3-6

    A bit in a horse’s mouth. The rudder of a ship. The spark that sets the whole forest on fire. James gives us some clear insight into how powerful our tongue can be. As he shares in the verses above, it can be downright deadly. Fortunately, that’s not the end of the story. Consider these two verses…

    Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

    – Colossians 4:6

    Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

    – Ephesians 4:29

    Just as we battle our tongues in those moments of anger, stress, and frustration that meet us at work, our tongues can also be a source of grace and build one another up. This is one of our greatest opportunities as Christian leaders at work – to use our words to pull people toward the kingdom, not push them away.

    That’s our encouragement to each of you today. Guard your tongues, for they are a rudder and a bit that controls where we go. Be careful that your words do not spark fires in your workplace. Instead, focus on using your tongue as a source of encouragement, grace, and growth. Work hard to ensure that your words are an example of Christ wherever you go. It all begins with creating an awareness of the words you’re speaking, the direction those words are leading you, and their impact on others.

    – John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Doing It Myself, Trusting in the Lord… or Both?

    Doing It Myself, Trusting in the Lord… or Both?

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes”

    -Proverbs 3:5-7

    I am a “make it happen” kind of guy. Like many other men, I was trained at a young age that if I wanted something, I needed to go get it. That journey began as a kid when I started my first lawn mowing business. I learned quickly that if I wanted things, it was up to me to go get them – and I had the power to make that happen. Align that with an inner desire to build, create, and hunt, and it was easy to slide into an “I’ll do this all myself” mindset.

    That mindset stuck with me. In my career, leadership, and running a business, it followed me. Years later, I am still that 12-year-old boy with a lawn mower on a mission to make things happen.

    Sound familiar?

    Proverbs 3 challenges that thinking. We are warned not to be wise in our own eyes or to lean on our own understanding. Instead, it reminds us that we need to trust in the Lord, not our own abilities, and that God alone will direct our paths. Proverbs 16:9 shares a similar message.

    “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”

    What does this mean for us? The Word clearly tells us to trust the Lord, lean into Him, and allow Him to establish our steps. None of those include a “now, go make things happen” directive. Hearing this, it would be easy to take a step back and become passive, but go back to those two verses we shared above…

    “He shall direct your paths.”

    “The Lord establishes their steps.”

    Clearly, in both cases, we are called to move. These verses tell the story of a man on a path, not sitting still but moving. We are called to take our steps and do our part to make things happen while God does his. It’s a collaborative partnership of epic proportions. God does his part, and we do ours. He makes things happen on His side, and we make things happen on ours – working together.

    So, yes. As men, we’re called to make things happen. There is work to be done, and God expects us to participate actively in that work. At the same time, we are called to trust God with the results, the direction, and where our work takes us. We’re reminded that as much as we know the course and where the journey is leading, God may take us in a different direction. Wherever that is, we need to trust Him to lead our lives, provide for our needs, and make things happen for us. Do your part… and let God do His.

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Your Legacy Begins Today… And it Begins with Serving Others

    Your Legacy Begins Today… And it Begins with Serving Others

    There comes a time in every man’s life when we grapple with this question. “What’s my legacy going to be?” Asking this question can be especially timely as we transition from one year to the next, setting goals and looking toward the future. We’re all going to leave a legacy. The question is whether we’ll leave it intentionally or it will just be created by accident. 

    As young men, this idea of legacy rarely shows up on our radar. We’re focused on other things, and the runway in front of us to create our legacy is long. Legacy seems far away and can be hard to focus on amidst everything else. Who has time for this?

    As we mature, physically and spiritually, the runway gets shorter – and our relationship with legacy changes. It becomes more of a priority and something we think about more frequently. “When I’m gone, what will I leave behind?

    That can be a daunting question. It can be easy to make our legacy about many things, some of which are very good and even Biblical. Using your finances to leave a legacy and further the kingdom is one way to approach answering what you’ll leave behind and where your priorities live. Equally important, though, is the imprint we make in the world when we serve others.

    Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

    -Matthew 20:26-28

    Jesus spoke about servant leadership, but even more compelling, He lived it out. Specifically, the story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet at the last supper illustrates what servant leadership looks like with a command that we follow His example.

    So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

    -John 13:4-5, 14-15

    From our businesses to our living rooms to our communities, living a life focused on serving one another is one simple path to creating our legacy. A powerful way to live this out is to invest in the lives of other men. As we search for significance and generational influence in our lives, the brotherhood we share with other guys is significant.

    What are some examples of this?

    • Disciple another man through Operation Timothy
    • Lead a Bible study at your church
    • Support a man you know who is going through trials
    • Spend time investing in the spiritual foundations of your sons
    • Slow down and take time to share a meal together
    • Be there for a brother who is dealing with health challenges

    For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

    -Luke 22:27

    Becoming the man God wants you to be includes leaving a legacy behind that is based on investing in other men. If you want to reach your full potential and become more like the man God designed you to be, begin by serving your brothers, their families, and their children.

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Lead Like a Baby

    Lead Like a Baby

    “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

    -1 Peter 2:2

    None of us wakes up in the morning thinking, “I’m going to lead like a baby today.” Instead,we’re grown men who often try to lean into our strength, experiences, and intelligence as welead in the workplace and at home. Culture tells us we can do everything we need to on ourown. The Bible tells us something different… that we should live life and lead like babies.

    Babies are hungry… and we should be as well.

    When the verse above says babies crave spiritual milk, it’s because they are hungry. They needmilk to grow, so they have an appetite for it. In the same way, as growing Christian men, we need to have an appetite for God’s word. Here’s where we are different from the babies, though.The baby naturally craves milk. As busy leaders, it can be easy for us to crave things other than God’s Word and ignore it. In those instances where we’re not hungry for God’s Word, we need to drink it anyway. Over time, God will increase our appetite for it and remind us of our dependence on it, which leads us to our second insight for the day…

    Babies are dependent… and we should be as well.

    Babies need their mothers and fathers to meet their basic needs–feeding, changing, and living them. They don’t choose to be dependent; they just are. They can’t take care of themselves on their own, so they look to their parents for everything. In the same way, we should look to God to meet all our needs. That’s where the challenge comes in for men. We believe, incorrectly,that we can meet our needs on our own. We’re tempted every day to be self-sufficient, surviving by our strength. That’s where the baby has an advantage over us. Infants never entertain the thought that they can survive on their own. Just like those babies, we should never entertain that thought, either. We need God, who provides everything we need according to His richesand glory–not ours. This leads us to the third insight…

    Babies make their needs known… and we should as well.

    When a baby needs something, they ask. They cry, fuss, and scream when they are hungry, sick, or need a diaper change. Yet, too often, as men, we hesitate to bring our needs to the Father. Again, we try to control everything and make things happen independently. By not bringing our needs and challenges to God in prayer, we take away His opportunity to feed us and care for us.

    Leading Well…

    Here’s the reality, men. We need God. Just like that baby needs their milk, we need to get fed by God. We need to be hungry, dependent, and willing to ask. We need to drop our pride, set aside our egos, and let God in. Where we end, He can begin.

    Iron Sharpens Iron

    If you’re interested in joining men like you who are learning what it means to be men of God and strong Christian leaders, visit us today at: connect.cbmc.com

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Wearing the Full Armor of God to Work

    Wearing the Full Armor of God to Work

    As Christian leaders in the workplace, we’re called to show up differently from the rest of the world. At the same time, there are moments when our workplaces become spiritual battlefields, where we can be tempted to lean into our own power to get through some of the challenges we encounter. Looking at Ephesians 6, the Word is clear. God has provided us with the armor weneed to stand firm. To do that, we need to understand the armor God has given us for our workplace battles…

    The Belt of Truth – Ephesians 6:10-14

    It’s fitting that we begin here. Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” As we walk into our workplaces each day, we need to show up with this as our foundation. Thinking about this through the lens of a modern-day soldier, for today’s elite warriors, their tactical belt is not an after thought. It is an essential piece of equipment that serves a multitude of purposes on the battlefields of life. For us, the belt of truth is the same.

    The Breastplate of Righteousness – Ephesians 6:10-14

    For Roman soldiers, their breastplate was critical to protecting their internal organs, specifically their heart. For today’s warriors, tactical vests do the same, eliminating some of their vulnerability to attack. As Christians in the workplace and at home, protecting our hearts and leading with righteousness is key to leading well. What’s righteousness? It’s our ability to live and lead in alignment with God’s divine will for us. It helps guide our decision-making, set goals, and walk with integrity daily.

    The Shield of Faith – Ephesians 6:10-16

    Alongside a soldier’s breastplate, being equipped with a shield is essential. As a Christian man in the workplace, especially one who is leading with their faith-forward, you will face attacks from culture on all sides.The devil will take every opportunity to challenge your authority as aman of God and try to minimize your influence. Ephesians 6 compares this to being attacked with fiery arrows. How do you deflect those attacks? As a shield, your faith won’t prevent the attacks but will provide you with God’s protection when those attacks come.

    The Helmet of Salvation – Ephesians 6:10-17

    As Christian men, in the workplace and at home, one of the main battlefields where Satan will attack you is in your mind. This is where our fight against pride, temptation, and fear begins. 2 Corinthians 10:5 is clear. The helmet of salvation allows us to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” As men who are working to take every thought captive, we can ensure that our leadership is pure and effective.

    The Sword of the Spirit – Ephesians 6:10-17

    As young men, many of us got excited when we picked up toy swords. As we got older, we set our weapons down and settled into our careers and lives. The attacks we face didn’t stop. In fact, they probably increased on some battlefields, but we found ourselves with no weapons to fight with. Picking back up the sword of the spirit equips us to protect ourselves,our destinies in Christ, and our families. So, what’s the sword of the spirit? It’s your Bible. Hebrews 4:12 tells us,“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The only way to wield this weapon in our lives is to open up our Bibles and spend time hearing from God.

    Leading Well…

    Guys, this is the armor that God has equipped you with. We all have access to it, but it only works if we use it. So today, think through this list and consider what pieces of armor you’re using and which pieces you’ve been neglecting. Your ability to lead depends on it.

    Iron Sharpens Iron

    If you’re interested in joining men like you who are learning what it means to be men of God andstrong Christian leaders, visit us today at: connect.cbmc.com

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • An Attitude of Gratitude

    An Attitude of Gratitude

    The end of the calendar year is fondly referred to as the “most wonderful time of the year,” and is traditionally a season for spending time with loved ones and reflecting on your blessings. However, it may not always be easy to express gratitude after troubling times. Here are a few reminders as to why you should be thankful during this holiday season.

    Remember What God Has Done
    “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 8:11)
    He has created a world with variety and beauty. God has given us a magnificent world and, although we each experience difficulties, it is up to us to walk through life with our heads held high. He has provided, and we should remember His sacrifices and love.

    God Has A Plan
    “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34, NIV)
    During challenging times it can be hard to remember to think positively. Remind yourself that everything is part of His plan, and He never gives you more than you can handle. Everything you experience has a purpose, so maintain your faith and trust in Him.

    You’ve Been Given the Greatest Gift
    “Each day is a gift from God. What you do with it is your gift to Him.” – T.D. Jakes
    The pandemic has shown that tomorrow is not guaranteed. More than ever before, we should each be grateful for our health. He has given us life and now we must live it to the fullest in His name.

    When Christian Business Men’s Connection was founded during the Great Depression, it was to bring together believers who were struggling individually. This year has brought forth many similarities, and it’s clear we need support from like-minded individuals who understand our desire to balance our work and faith. Connect with fellow Christians and share your experiences by becoming a member of CBMC.

    CBMC Webmaster