JR. Forasteros - March 9, 2014

The God of Work

American Gods

We all know that hard work is a virtue. But we easily fall into the trap of turning work into a god, believing that we always need just a little bit more before we'll be content. We sacrifice our time, our energy and ultimately our families and lives to this god whose demands on us never end. Let's return to the Creator God who tells us we should do all our work in six days and spend the seventh, the Sabbath day, enjoying the life we're building. Let's remember that our worth and security come not from what we produce but from the God who created, calls and loves us.

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My wife Amanda is an Enneagram Nine. Not long after we were married, we were going to sleep. We were still getting used to each other’s sleeping habits, and mine involves turning a lot. I went to roll, and she was pressed up against me (which is adorable, isn’t it? Objectively yes.) I was in the process of falling asleep, so I said – much more curtly than I should have, “Could you give me some space?”

She rolled over and I passed out.

A couple of days later, as we were falling asleep, I noticed she was waaaaaay over on the other side of our king-sized bed. I thought back and realized she’d been sleeping like that for the last couple of nights.

I said, “Are you sleeping on the edge of your side?”

She replied, “Yes.”

I smiled despite myself and said, “Are you sleeping on the edge of your side because I asked you to scoot over a couple of nights ago?”

She said, “You could have been a lot nicer about it.”

I apologized, and we met in the middle – literally. And we laugh about that story now, but her actions there were classic Nine.

Do you know someone who absolutely hates conflict? Someone who would rather gnaw their own arm off than speak up for themselves? I bet that person is also a really great friend – they really care about other people in their lives too.

But Nines – it’s not good for you to ignore your own needs for the sake of everyone else. I know that’s really hard for you to hear, so today we’re going to ask: What is your path to spiritual wholeness? And how can the rest of us help you love yourself as well as you love us?

Join us Sunday as we learn how Nines show us the unconditional love of God.

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