Tag: work

Priorities

Priorities

by Nikki Rich Writes ♥ 2 Comments

““You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of My house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.” – Haggai‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As twenty-somethings, we’re often told that this is the prime of our lives. Many remind us that we have all the time, opportunity, and optimism in the world to  pursue our dream lives. Heeding this encouragement, many of us decide to do just that. We go and travel the world. We go and start the business. We go and get the degrees. We go after it all! Have you ever wondered, however, if all that hustling was actually beneficial for you? Have you ever considered that our pursuit for “best” could actually be damaging, especially if not properly directed? According to this verse in Haggai, I’d venture to say that our pursuits may have some critical flaws.

For context, this verse shows God speaking to the Israelites (His chosen people) through a prophet named Haggai. These Israelites were banished from their homeland for many years due to their grave disobedience to God. When God eventually delivered them from the Babylonians (the people who took them captive) and returned them to their homeland, He gave them an assignment. He commanded that they rebuild His temple (His house of worship), which was destroyed during their capture. By the time Haggai shares this prophecy, it had already been 16 years since they returned and the temple was still not complete! Instead of following God’s command, they decided to focus on prospering themselves: building houses, spending money, and harvesting their crops. Simply, they were trying to live their best lives. In all they did however, nothing stood. God refused to let them prosper.

God’s rebuke of them, in this verse, was not evil or mean in intent, as we often conclude when God seems to go against what we want. God’s word was in love and in deep desire for the Israelites to get their priorities straight. This verse serves as a prompting to check where our priorities lie also. How can we expect God to bless our works and plans when we put Him on the back burner? How can we expect to prosper in things God’s hand was never in to begin with? While we might have a nice run for a little while, inevitably, as many of us can attest to, there often becomes a point when we realize we can’t sustain on our own. We get burnt out. We get frustrated. Plans fall through. People become flaky. It becomes too much! If you’re looking for the solution to this problem, the answer, thankfully, is quite simple. Like the Israelites, God is calling us to focus on Him and start doing, first, what He said to do.

“To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” – Proverbs‬ ‭16:1-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You may feel stuck after hearing that. If you’re anything like me, you’re reading this thinking “Well what did God even tell me to do?!”. While you currently may not have a specific revelation about your calling, thankfully, the core of God’s will (listed below) is the same for everyone. Start to prioritize and pursue these things in all that you do.

1. Have gratitude in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
2. Go after holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
3. Seek and show wisdom (Ephesians 5:17)
4. Be just, give mercy, and walk humbly (Micah 6:8)

Know that no matter what you do, it must be with God’s glory in mind. God can’t accept your works, no matter how awesome they are, if your heart, your character, and your motives aren’t of Him (Haggai 2:14). In all that you put your hands to: that degree, that business, or whatever else you desire, seek to do His will in all of it. As you continue to please Him in all you do, He will begin to lead you in the way that you should go. God will prosper those whose hearts and personal wills are submitted to Him.

“From this day on I will bless you.” – Haggai 2:19 NIV

This was God’s promise to the Israelites after they humbled themselves and reprioritized building God’s house. Thankfully, that promise still holds true for us today. Go forth and prosper, not by your own power and might but by God’s spirit at work in and through you (Zechariah 4:6). Trust Him to know what’s best for you.

First things first, twentysomethings. ❤️

Mind Your Business

Mind Your Business

by Nikki Rich Writes ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

“Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.” – Ecclesiastes 4:4

There is nothing that defines adulthood quite like working. For me, just starting almost a year ago, adulting really began to settle in as soon as I started punching the clock. While working has been a great experience, with a lot of professional and personal growth, there’s one thing that really annoys me about it: its spirits of competition and envy.
As someone who has battled deeply with comparing myself to everyone else and feeling like I never measured up, I believe I’m sensitive to these spirits now. I can spot them a mile away in myself and in others around me. I’m hoping that this post can shed some light and help provide you with a new perspective on how to overcome this battle within yourself and how to ignore it from others. This is a how to guide on minding your business!

“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” – 1 John 2:16-17

I think one of the biggest lies we all accept is that we have to prove ourselves. It starts from childhood. We have to get the best grades and hang with the coolest kids. As we get older, that turns into having the best car, going to the best college, and making the most money. We are constantly trying to meet these standards to assert our importance and value. While there may be nothing inherently wrong with attaining these things, the problem lies in your motive behind it. What/who are you doing it for? Why are you striving for it? God didn’t tell you that you were worthy or shined bright because of what you did or attained. You shine and you slay because of Him and His spirit within you. The first step in minding your business is realizing that this life and its standards are problematic. I’m not telling you to be lazy and complacent. I hope that you continue to grow and prosper. That being said, please pay attention to your reasons why. The world is passing away and all that work and struggle to outshine someone else won’t matter in the end.

“Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?” – Isaiah 2:22

Other people can really shake you if you let them. Speaking for myself, when I was younger and heavily trapped in the spirits of comparison and envy, I was miserable and literally sick at times. It was hard for me to feel like I mattered and had value because I wasn’t like “them”, doing what “they” were doing. I thought that I would fall by the wayside, never seen, never heard, and never cared about. Even now, I feel those spirits try to creep back up in me. Thankfully, it doesn’t have the same effect on me anymore (shout out to the pruning process). Whereas before I was terrified that I would be forgotten and deemed unimportant, now I know that I matter regardless of whether or not someone affirms my value. I am God’s child and I’m here because He has found me valuable. He has given me a specific destiny to walk out. He has given me certain tasks to complete. I am in the mindset now that what’s happening in the world can’t and shouldn’t affect me. God’s hand is on me so what am I tripping for? Whether it is you dealing with envy or someone else is envious of you, remind yourself that we are all on our own paths. God’s purpose for us is unique. You can never be them and they can never be you. The sooner you release the fear associated with not measuring up, the easier it’ll be to mind your business and stay in peace.

“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.” – Deuteronomy 28:1

My hope for this post is to have you begin to see yourself as already of greatest importance and value. The spirits of competition and envy, rooted in our feelings of inadequacy, have no place in you as a child of God. If you didn’t have purpose and power, you wouldn’t still be here. I encourage you, in the workplace, at school, or wherever else, to shine on. Continue to operate in the gifts that God has given you, constantly learning and growing along the way. Do this for God. Honor Him with your knowledge, your skills, and your attitude. In the middle of all the competition for the promotion, accolades, praises, or anything else, don’t be bothered. Be still and know that God already has you in His hands and will elevate you in ways that baffle others around you. Stay the course and God will show out on your behalf. Watch Him work!

Mind your business, twentysomethings.