Kaye Wingham

Q2. (2:18) If we are to submit to our employers and respect them, what is that saying about God's expectation that we do a good job? In what sense do we dishonour God when we don't give our full effort to our jobs? In loving and following Jesus we submit to His Way, Truth and Light therefore, we are bringing the teachings of Jesus into our life and employment. Jesus teaches us to for example; Love thy Neighbour and to follow the Commandments through which we are taught not to sin but to respect the other, inc. employer Jesus' teaching of the parable of the Talents, teaches us to work unconditionally. Jesus teaches us to do unto another as you would have done unto thy self Hence our response to employment and to life is shaped by God. Anything less than submitting to Jesus' teachings disrespects God. Jesus also teaches us to clothe ourselves in Him; casting off the old and putting on the new. In this we are all called to recognise the God within us and the God within each other consequently, if we offer anything but our best to our employer, friend or stranger we are not giving ourselves to God as He gives Himself to us.

Q. Why do ambitious Christians struggle so much when they don't seem to be doing anything important? Ambitions for many defines who they are in life and amongst family and friends; the same effect as a Cuccio bag. So, ambition creates an issues for Christians because ambition often leads to wealth, status, power, prestige plus many other trappings that raise the question, do you really need God? After all ambition seems to be giving you all you need. The crunch comes for ambitious christian's in that the teaching of Jesus exemplifies that less is more, dependency on prayer and God the Father is everything, the Father will provide for all our needs in a manner that will deepen out spiritual growth. So why be ambitious? We can be ambitious because ambition is a part of us and we are God made, so ambition is a gift and the importance of the gift is how it is used and shared; Parable of the talents. So, there should be no struggle with being an ambitious christian, rather ambitious or not they should live life being the beautiful people God created us to be to the glory of His Name. Why do ambitious Christians struggle when they think they are doing nothing important? All people are invited to lay their lives at the altar of God and live a kingdom life shaped by God. Some will be priests, another a disciple and another a learner, some roles carrying more authority and responsibility than another. Ambitious Christians who feel they are doing very little may struggle because their ambition causes them to think big and so they miss the fact that, "whatever you do for one of these little ones you do for me." may limit time spent with God and cloud their understanding of God at work in their lives. The fact the ambitious christian is struggling with the question that they are doing nothing may mean that they need to consider. *"What is God teaching them at the moment."? For God has given life to all for the purpose of being ambitious towards living out His will in His strength. * God provides work that should feed our needs, bring healing, use our gifts and deepen our faith and relationship with Him. *Maybe God is wanting the person to use their ambition for the kingdom or in a different way All that we do we do for God, no matter how small.

We are all born of Christ, so what ever we do to another we do to Him. In situations where we do not show 'Christ' like love to another we are stepping outside being of Christ, stepping away from Him and acting in our own strength and reasoning. Un-Christ-like behaviour persecutes offends another but also the God within; resulting in a God who sees and knows all that an individual does. Goads, tend to be gentle reminders that something needs attending to, and tend to re-occur until they have been tended. Inevitably goads lead me to where God is wanting me to be or they bring clarity of understanding that provokes a response.