He Couldn't Argue With The Chocolate ... But He Did.
As the mother of three boys who have grown into uncommon men, I must say, there is nothing like a sprouting, determined boy to challenge the wits out of an otherwise sane woman! When a mother meets an infant son for the first time, the atmosphere is charged with an assignment from heaven itself! But as the spritely little boy grows into manhood, moms often loses focus and forget the importance of our heaven-birthed commission. One of our sons had a problem telling the truth. Our little boy was known for exaggeration, story-telling and complete deception. My pastor-husband and I had sought diligently to make our home a haven where truth was valued and where integrity mattered greatly. How could we have a son who was so truth-impaired?! Our children were not allowed to indulge in treats, unless they had earned the treat by a particular act of obedience, kindness or disciplined behavior. The reward candy was carefully hidden where no one could find it. One afternoon, while all 5 of my children were having a much-needed hour of quiet time, I sat on the back deck immersed in a good book. When the hour was complete, I went back into the house to call the children to the school table. When this particular son trotted into to the room, it was apparent that my husband and I were not as shrewd at hiding goodies as we had thought. Chocolate adorned his shirt, his hands and his face. This boy, with the evidence painted all over his 7-year-old body, denied having eaten the candy! He even cried and begged me to believe him!
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” ― Abraham KuyperHow silly of us to think that we have the power to shove Jesus into one small room of our lives, even if we’ve tried to dignify that room by hanging a cross on the door. The King of Kings is Lord over the rise and fall of every nation and the rise and fall of every loaf of bread regardless of our stubbornness in recognizing this fact. But humans are good at ignoring facts and so we often live our lives as if our Christianity is only relevant to the “churchy” stuff. But Jesus purchased this whole crazy world on the cross and we are simply stewards of all He has placed in our care. This includes our jobs. Yes, Jesus is even Lord over our work, and the fact that we are citizens of God’s kingdom must impact how we operate within the workplace. But how practically speaking should we be expressing the Lordship of Jesus in our work? It’s easy to see how a pastor can glorify God in his work. You can’t get more “churchy” than a pastor. That job has “Jesus” written all over it. But our modern eyes have a difficult time seeing how we might seek the glory of God as a plumber, park ranger, or proctologist. And even before we get to careers, how are we to teach our sons to recognize the Lordship of Jesus in his work around the house like cleaning toilets, doing laundry, and actually taking care of family pets? I want some real world examples, not just theory (even if it is sound biblical theory).
You may find these discussion ideas regarding work helpful for talking to your boys
That’s why I was so excited when I got to talk to Lewis Ten Have, Chief Operating Officer of Christian Brothers Automotive, a Christian business with 154 franchises in 23 states. I quickly realized there was a lot to learn from how this amazing company is seeking to honor God. Here’s just a few things I picked up from him as I tried to learn some practical ways they try to live out their faith in the world of business.