You can tell a lot about a person by their eagerness to share what they have with strangers and how well they cook coffee.”
–Cliff Hudgins (The Cry Not Heard)
“When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart.”
–Acts 11:23 (HCSB)
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Good morning, Greetings, Howdy, Hey You-all, Hi, Hello, are all terms of greeting. Stop, now and think how you greet people, not just in the morning but throughout the day. First impressions are important so if you have never met or seen a person before, how do you greet them? Do they see Christ, or a growly, grumbly person? How about employees, if you’re a boss, or fellow-workers if you’re a colleague? Most people grumble and complain when Monday morning rolled around, but my favorite day at work was Monday. A new week, a fresh start–let’s go get ’em right out of the chute!
I was reading my devotions this week and a verse in Ruth caught my attention. “Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, ‘The LORD be with you!’ And they answered him, ‘The LORD bless you!'” (Ruth 2:4, NKJV). New worker or old familiar hand, they caught immediately the temper and character of Boaz. His relationship with the Lord also became clear. “Boaz lived with the awareness of God’s presence, and it showed in his daily routines.” (Alistair Begg) What would happen in the workplace if the boss had an attitude like Boaz? Or, what would it be like if the workers didn’t grumble and complain, but greeted their employer as Boaz was greeted? My, my, wouldn’t there be a change in production, in attitude, in relationships.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (NKJV) Boaz was not flippant in his greeting, it came from a daily walk with the Lord. He did not throw out the Lord’s name, he did not OMG with an exclamation. No, he honored and revered the name of the Lord.
“He set the tone for his workers by blessing them.” (Begg) We should examine ourselves to see what type of “tone” we are setting wherever we are. Paul states that whatever we do we do it as unto the Lord, and in that he includes the term “heartily.” (Colossians 3:23) If you are blessed by the Lord, you have an obligation to then bless others. Remember, a blessing doesn’t have to include money, though it might.
“You’ll never be able to bring others into the presence of a God in whose presence you do not live. Speak of Him in your conversation. Bring His presence and promises to mind in the small triumphs and difficulties of your day. Seek to form a habit of conversing with Him throughout your waking hours. Live with an awareness of God’s presence, and it will show in your routines and reactions.” (Begg) As I have said earlier this week: Life is Living. Live in pessimism, live in despair, live a life of complaining and you will hurt yourselves, those around you, and the kingdom of God. Recognize that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore, represent Him properly throughout the activities of the day.
“Are you giving to the world a smile,
Helping lessen someone’s dreary mile?
Do you greet the world with song as through this life you pass along
Cheering those you may meet along life’s way?
…Let your life so be that all the world might see
The joy of serving Jesus with a smile.”
–Otis Deaton
————————————-
Good morning, Greetings, Howdy, Hey You-all, Hi, Hello, are all terms of greeting. Stop, now and think how you greet people, not just in the morning but throughout the day. First impressions are important so if you have never met or seen a person before, how do you greet them? Do they see Christ, or a growly, grumbly person? How about employees, if you’re a boss, or fellow-workers if you’re a colleague? Most people grumble and complain when Monday morning rolled around, but my favorite day at work was Monday. A new week, a fresh start–let’s go get ’em right out of the chute!
I was reading my devotions this week and a verse in Ruth caught my attention. “Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, ‘The LORD be with you!’ And they answered him, ‘The LORD bless you!'” (Ruth 2:4, NKJV). New worker or old familiar hand, they caught immediately the temper and character of Boaz. His relationship with the Lord also became clear. “Boaz lived with the awareness of God’s presence, and it showed in his daily routines.” (Alistair Begg) What would happen in the workplace if the boss had an attitude like Boaz? Or, what would it be like if the workers didn’t grumble and complain, but greeted their employer as Boaz was greeted? My, my, wouldn’t there be a change in production, in attitude, in relationships.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (NKJV) Boaz was not flippant in his greeting, it came from a daily walk with the Lord. He did not throw out the Lord’s name, he did not OMG with an exclamation. No, he honored and revered the name of the Lord.
“He set the tone for his workers by blessing them.” (Begg) We should examine ourselves to see what type of “tone” we are setting wherever we are. Paul states that whatever we do we do it as unto the Lord, and in that he includes the term “heartily.” (Colossians 3:23) If you are blessed by the Lord, you have an obligation to then bless others. Remember, a blessing doesn’t have to include money, though it might.
“You’ll never be able to bring others into the presence of a God in whose presence you do not live. Speak of Him in your conversation. Bring His presence and promises to mind in the small triumphs and difficulties of your day. Seek to form a habit of conversing with Him throughout your waking hours. Live with an awareness of God’s presence, and it will show in your routines and reactions.” (Begg) As I have said earlier this week: Life is Living. Live in pessimism, live in despair, live a life of complaining and you will hurt yourselves, those around you, and the kingdom of God. Recognize that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore, represent Him properly throughout the activities of the day.
“Are you giving to the world a smile,
Helping lessen someone’s dreary mile?
Do you greet the world with song as through this life you pass along
Cheering those you may meet along life’s way?
…Let your life so be that all the world might see
The joy of serving Jesus with a smile.”
–Otis Deaton