Business & Jesus

I want to get some input on a thing that has been troubling me this past month. I work in the computer business fulltime and enjoy it.Money has been very tight in my household and it was brought up that maybe I should try some kind of side business fixing computers in my neighborhood at a cost on the side. I have had this idea brought up to me many times in the past years.This time I said that maybe I will have a go at it.The troublng part about all this is now instead of listening to sermons in the morning and reading biblical themed stories as I was used to, I find myself spending that time reading computer magazines and having less of a desire for GOD.In my heart, I desperately want to go back and give it all to GOD again, but I know my knowledge and motivation for computers will suffer and I will not want to go out and make more money for my family. How would you approach this? I know its a great opportunity to even witness to customers.I should say that I havent started this computer consulting yet, but this morning..I was listeing to Keith Green on my cd player and was so captured in the glory of GOD that I wanted nothing to do with computers.
Thanks and GOD Bless
John

Basicallly, no one can tell you what to do. You have to go by your own conviction. Thank God that you do have conviction and you are questioning what is taking place.

We all have to decide, individually, and from day to day, how and what we are going to do.

Either spend time with God, or not, work or not, read or not etc. Get the picture.

Best thing to do is simply to seek God in the morning and let Him guide you through the day.

And accept what He tells you.

I'm being vauge, not because I don't know what decision you should make, but because, it is up to you to make the decision.

God bless.

take care of your family, make sure your family is taken care of..if you dont the bible says your worse than an unbeliver.. as the man you must provide and protect your family, and im not talking about spending long hours working just for extra stuff that you can do without, but things you need. wake up earlier to spend time with God, and also make sure you minsiter to your wife and kids.Your wife and kids are thier because God has given them to you, Love them as Christ Loves the Church.
love andy

Bro jamccor,

i took a Tony Robbin's course in which it spoke of something he calls "chunking", which is doing two things in one time space ...

"Faith comes by hearing", and so i found that the 90 minutes i spend driving back and forth to work is a great time for listening to my Bible (on tape/cd) and any downloaded/purchased sermon/tape/cd series i might want to hear ...

i know you can't listen to spiritual things and study manuals at the same time, but can you work on computers and listen at the same time? ...

i'm a draftsman (CAD) and instead of working all day listening to junk i listen to SI sermons and other stuff (like information on our economy, news, etc) ... What i do is ask Holy Spirit to direct me to what He wants me to hear, and He always does ...

There are things/scriptures that i hear that i sometimes have to write down, and then i make time after work to follow thru in study of these things ...

i've found that like with anything, if we really want to spend time with God, we'll make the time/way.

Blessings in Jesus!

Rahman
We have very similar situations.On my way in and out of work i listen to my sermons. At work, I listen to sermons also.I find it hard to give half my time to GOD and half to my job.I feel as if Im guilty of not giving 100%

is listening to sermons, "your time with God?"

brother, i encourage you to read about brother lawrence. the book is called, The Practice of the Presence of God.

God bless

Bro Jamccor you wrote;
"I find it hard to give half my time to GOD and half to my job.I feel as if Im guilty of not giving 100%"

Amen ... i know what you mean ... As i've said, being the extremist/perfectionist that i've been, i still tend to want to do one thing or the other, but in regards work i find i have to do both ... Even Paul had to work some (tent-making) in his intense calling ...

i've prayed a lot that our Lord would make it possible for me to work for Him 100% of the time, and i do believe He's in the process of making it so ... But in the meanwhile, for there is a time for everything under the sun, and especially now as men in Christ, we still have to work, and provide for our families ...

This subject does require balance, and so yes we must acknowledge our Lord in all our ways, but as you and i both know if our work is related to the ever escalating computer technology we've got to keep up to remain viable in our jobs ... i think your attitude will keep you from making work/money an idol, but i'll share with you what my Dad taught me about work and you'll get some idea as to why perhaps i don't have as much a dilema with it as you ...

He taught me first of all that God said i have to work ... He taught me that knowledge in a skill, and a good job in that skill, are amongst "every good and perfect gift that comes from above", thereby making my work in itself a ministry, and one that often gives me ample opportunity to confess his name before men ... So in appreciation for God's goodness in this area then i am to "work as unto the Lord" and not man, therefore making it my business to be a wise steward in balancing what He (my heavenly work) and my earthly work requires ...

i take a similar view to work as this article;

Work As Unto the Lord
by Larry Burkett http://fm2.forministry.com/Article.asp?Channel=Home&SubChannel=Main&Record=1954

i'm one of those crazy Christians who believe that when i ask Holy Spirit to help me keep balanced, He will - And so since i believe it - He can - and He does ...

Blessings in our Lord Jesus! ... :-D

Rahman
I appreciate the encouragement coming from a brother who shares similar interests and you having had this dilema yourself.I feel more at ease now knowing that Paul also had his share of "balancing acts" being a tentmaker and also a disciple of Christ.
GOD Bless

myfirstlove
I do not consider listening to sermons "my time with GOD" as you mentioned. It definitely accounts for some of my time.I am not mentioning the prayer time with my family,the studying and daily personal devotion I spend with HIM.I will look into "The Practice of the Presence of God" as you brought up.
Thanks for caring
John

Personally the God I serve number one yes he wants your fellowship or time with him and he deserves it, but if money is tight at your household I don't think God is going to condemn you for taking on as many jobs as possible to support your family's "everyday needs" matter fact my guess would be that he will honor you for your stance as the head to provide for you family . Now on the other hand and maybe I don't quite understand you when you said "I desperately want to go back and give it all to GOD again" it's very possible to give God your all at work at play or anywhere because he see's your heart not what you physically do or what you might think honors him if your heart is set on him what other means would outweigh that? I know we all would just like to set at our little window at our little cottage high in the mountains drinking our cup of water tea or coffee reading our Bibles and praying all day but this is not reality, trust me the creator may be tough but he ain't blind and if I had my choice of what I would want him looking at with me would be my heart, not me reading my Bible or anything else that others could see, I want God to see in me what no one else can and that is my heart and love for him, but we all are different this is just my opinion and I hope I get the same respect for mine as I have others posted here.

Mr BillPro
I appreciate your response and it made me look at the way GOD sees us,with our hearts intent.
Thank You

I have the same problem with work becoming my God. I suffered greatly from this last year, until i realized my desperate spiritual state. The more i longed for Christ, the more i hated my job. The Lord has since led me to something better.

Matthew 10:37 "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."