Living The "Rollover" Life: A Mandate for Marketplace Ministers

Written by Theresa V. Wilson


We work in a society that thrives on an endless jargon of terms for building financial security and success. We can transfer “deposits,”multiply “dividends,” manipulate “stock portfolios,” and calculate “capital gains”. We understand depreciation of assets and can analyze and refocus options. We push buttons and punch keys. We re-route traffic, mark paper trails, and can “buy high and sell low.” As marketplace ministers, however, we need to perfect our ability to “roll” our problems over to God.

We are spirit beings living inrepparttar natural world. We are “passing through,” fulfilling our individual God-given assignments. By choice, we are not our own master, but rather lean onrepparttar 126865 unchanging nature of our God. Our assignments include livingrepparttar 126866 life of Christ, depending on God, and leading and teaching as He did during His “natural” walk on earth.

This life we lead requires that we handle our problems and challenges differently than we handlerepparttar 126867 stock market. By “rolling” our problems over torepparttar 126868 author and finisher of our fate, we acknowledgerepparttar 126869 gift of grace (which isrepparttar 126870 unmerited favor of God) and power we have been given. We also open doors of success in our business and personal lives.

We must learn to enterrepparttar 126871 “rest” of God, comfortable that whenrepparttar 126872 time is right what we need for our business and personal success will be in place. We must keeprepparttar 126873 “Word” before us, remembering that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, againstrepparttar 126874 rulers of darkness of this age (Ephesians 6:12). Our power and victory over business or personal challenges, therefore, cannot be attained through earthly means neither through our earthly actions.

We must turn away from our natural responses and stop “taking charge” over making things happen. We must transform our thinking and roll issues and situations over to God. We must seek His wisdom, knowledge, and His perfect timing. “Not my will but thy will”(Luke22:42) must be our lifelong philosophy. In so doing, we demonstrate to all who observerepparttar 126875 supernatural power we have within us to overcome and withstandrepparttar 126876 obstacles and succeed in our personal and business endeavors.

As children ofrepparttar 126877 living God, our response to our business struggles have far reaching impact on those who observe us. We cannot affordrepparttar 126878 luxury of wallowing or whining and complaining, fearing and fretting, or being anxious and distressed. Our steps are observed and critiqued by those who may be weak in faith, or who do not believe at all inrepparttar 126879 power of prayer through submission.

We must remember we exist on this earth to be living examples thatrepparttar 126880 God we serve will take care of us in time of trouble and struggle, stress or pain. Because of this fact, we cannot allow ourselves to be impatient or decide we will help God resolve our problems. We have a responsibility to remind ourselves and others that God’s timing is perfect, and He is working it out. “Unless God builds a house, those who labor will labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1) When we operate outside of God’s timing, we waste valuable energy and resources. We also begin to travel in circles accumulating fear, frustration, ill health and doubt inrepparttar 126881 future—all of which are darts of attack fromrepparttar 126882 enemy.

Livingrepparttar 126883 “roll over” life can reap enormous benefits which cannot be manifested without some actions on our part. We are required to have faith, be obedient and be committed. Faith inrepparttar 126884 power of God, obedience torepparttar 126885 Word of God, and commitment torepparttar 126886 Will of God are ingredients torepparttar 126887 successful rolled over lifestyle we must seek in order to defeatrepparttar 126888 plots and plans ofrepparttar 126889 enemy.

Faith is an action word. We must actively believe that God is in charge, with full oversight and control of our lives. In order to have faith inrepparttar 126890 power of God, you must recognize how to access that power.

Fear and Faith Cannot Occupy the Same Place

Written by Theresa V. Wilson


The product package and design meeting had been cancelled. The marketing staff was notified there had been another shooting. The interstate was a parking lot. Traffic jams and roadblocks were a daily routine. No one felt safe to travel in or aroundrepparttar area whilerepparttar 126864 sniper was still free to kill at will. They promised to do all they could to catchrepparttar 126865 culprit, but there was no relief in sight. “What were we going to do?” This scenario read like a story out of a detective novel that would have sold a million copies. Unfortunately, this was not a fantasy. We were experiencing a tragic event.

We lived in a city that was not alien to violence. Domestic upheaval, drug wars, school vandalism, parent and child tragedies—all of these were all too familiar to our lifestyle. But random violence from an unknown assailant day after day, this was new. This was mind blowing. This was fear. How could we operate with “business as usual” when we were awakened daily feeling no one was safe, and everyone wasrepparttar 126866 target.

Our employees, families and friends were openly confessing they were afraid to perform simple “daily living” tasks like going torepparttar 126867 store, mowingrepparttar 126868 lawn, or catchingrepparttar 126869 bus much less going to work. The local news media had been inundated with helplessness, frustration, sorrow and pain. In addition, our police security had confirmed our worse concerns. They had no idea how to fightrepparttar 126870 battle and guarantee our safety. Daily we facedrepparttar 126871 question what were we to do now? People expressed fear. “But God hath not given usrepparttar 126872 spirit of fear; but of power and love and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We must continue to remind ourselves that we are living in a time when we must know that we know who we are and whose we are. The enemy, working through men, has threatened to destroy our economy and abolish our freedoms. If we continue with “carnal” thinking, we will continue to respond to tragic situations with our natural eyes only. We will fall inrepparttar 126873 enemy’s hands and become slaves to follow their dictate and commands. We will continue to close schools, shut down businesses, avoid daily routines and hide in our homes awaitingrepparttar 126874 final blow. If we maintain carnal thinking, we will keep our youth from quality education, shut libraries, museums and other public facilities. If we respond to tragedy carnally, we will begin to trade our freedom for a hostage lifestyle and begin living like captives in our own land.

Faith is now. It is time for us to address our natural life challenges using spirit-based guidelines. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, againstrepparttar 126875 rulers ofrepparttar 126876 darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. (Ephesians 6:12 KJV)

We must acknowledgerepparttar 126877 real enemy when experiencing violence related battles, and take unto ourselvesrepparttar 126878 “whole armor of God” so that we may be able to withstand “inrepparttar 126879 evil day”. And, after having done all inrepparttar 126880 natural, stand in prayer “spiritually.” This is our charge as parents, businesspeople, law enforcers and politicians.

After all our efforts of closingrepparttar 126881 highways, arriving onrepparttar 126882 scene with guns blazing, pulling over mini vans and trucks, and shutting down schools and businesses has been exhausted, we must pray then stand. “Stand firm then, withrepparttar 126883 belt of truth buckled around your waist, withrepparttar 126884 breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted withrepparttar 126885 readiness that comes fromrepparttar 126886 gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take uprepparttar 126887 shield of faith, with which you can extinguish allrepparttar 126888 flaming arrows ofrepparttar 126889 evil one……and pray inrepparttar 126890 spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:14-18, NIV)

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