Icy Paint Buckets
Posted by Dion Todd July 14th, 2024 1,301 Views 18 Comments
He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? Luke 16:10β12 WEB.
It was a gray, cold morning in Myrtle Beach. The wind blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean caused the paint in our buckets to have small slivers of ice floating to the top. I had recently started to work with this company, and we were painting an eight-story condominium right on the oceanfront during the winter. It was the offseason after the tourists had gone home.
I worked hard. Partly to keep warm, but mostly because I try to do everything as unto the Lord, wholeheartedly (Colossians 3:23). When a job gets difficult, I turn it into a game where I am working directly for the God who put me there until He provides a way for me to get out of there. I talk to Him about it throughout the day. If I am working at the coffee counter at church, I act as if each cup I make is for Jesus Himself.
If you understand that you are working directly for the Lord and that He intentionally put you here to do this job today when you could have been elsewhere, it will give your work new meaning. Also, my dad taught me that if you focus on getting the job done, the day will go by much faster, and it is true.
Later that day, the lead man on the crew came to me, and in a hushed, slightly embarrassed tone, he explained that I was making the rest of them look bad. They were all doing just enough to get by, which mostly centered around finding a corner to stay warm in. Where I had made a good show and painted nearly as much as all of them together, they intended to stretch the job out as long as possible, and even the foreman was in on it.
The Holy Spirit groaned within me. I smiled, continued working, and began to whistle the tune from the Andy Griffith show. Within a month, I was the lead man on the crew, and that guy was unemployed. In time, God gave me my own painting business. He that can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot. If you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?
I try to work for the Lord wherever He places me, and it's not always a bed of roses. He has often put me in some interesting places to reach someone there. I have dug miles of ditches if they were placed end to end. For a while, I pumped out septic tanks. I painted houses, cropped tobacco, changed automobile transmissions, polished brass, installed computer networks, wrote software applications, and played music in bands at night.
If He opened the door for me, I would step through it. Each time I was faithful in the job, He would promote me, and no one could stop it. Yet, he often closed that door and opened a new one somewhere else when the task He put me there for was complete. I would lead someone to the Lord, then get laid off, or another door would open somewhere else, and the game would begin again. Unemployment to me means a promotion is coming.
You can thrive wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Joseph prospered while he was a slave. Then he flourished while in prison. Then he was a great success at ruling Egypt. If God puts you there, work hard, and keep a positive attitude. It will lead to your promotion or something better. Your attitude at work directly reflects on the God you serve. So be faithful in what God has given you. Work hard at it, for there will be a reward in due season.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please give me the grace to perform my best. Equip me with the skills I need and help me make the right decisions today. Please open the next door for me and give me a clear vision. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
Note: Happy Sunday! For those who would like to join us, today we will be hosting our RHM Live Online church service. This is a special time of interactive worship, prayer, fellowship and an inspiring message. All are welcome! The service starts at 10am EDT. Here is the link to join: RHM Live
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Sherry Mccosh commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
Heavenly Father, please give me the grace to perform my best. Equip me with the skills I need and help me make the right decisions today. Please open the next door for me and give me a clear vision. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
I know what you mean Pastor Dion when you say that when God places you somewhere he equips you to do it and even if things are n't going all that well we need to stay put because God handed us this position for a reason. I was looking for a job and I got called for an interview. I went to the interview but I wasn't sure that this job was something I wanted to do and it was a little too far from my house to drive. I prayed about it and God told me to take it. I had a lot of ups and downs but I ended up working there for 13 years and God blessed me so much. I met so many great friends and through one of them was able to buy a huge beautiful house for an incredible price, which was all Gods doing. I told everyone that I worked with that if this job ends for me, God will provide something better for me They did lay me off , but I got 2 weeks severance pay and unemployment payments from the state. What ended up being the better job that God was giving me was to watch my own two granddaughters which I really wanted to do more than anything but I couldn't afford to leave my job, but when they laid me off I was free to watch my grand kids. God is so so good !! He will always take care of us and if we put Him first in our life He will give us the desires of our hearts.
Liesel aka lisa Wardle commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
AMEN!!! Dear Heavenly Father, please give me the grace to perform my best. Equip me with the skills I need and help me to make the right decisions today!! Please open the next door for me and my entire family I pray, and give me a clear vision. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray!!! AMEN!!!
David Krull commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
Amen Lord.. in Jesus Christ Name
Lynn Brown commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
Heavenly Father, please give me the grace to perform my best. Equip me with the skills I need and help me make the right decisions today. Please open the next door for me and give me a clear vision. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
Marisa Jackson commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
Amen ππβ€οΈβ€οΈ!!
Wanda Pennington commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
Amen and Amen. Thank you Jesus.
Theresa Bright commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
Thank you Pastor. I try to keep my focus on the Lord and do the best I can. lol, I think of what you said every time I have to clean a bathroom and itβs good.
Yvette York commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
Good Morning Everyone Have A Bless Sunday π
Sylvia Todd commented on Dion Todd's blog post: Icy Paint Buckets
1 month ago
Good morning, y'all, happy Sunday ππ»π!
Michele Copley
1 month ago
How wonderful, the ways God led you through the right doors, and is watching over you and your grand kids, never leaving you, your family, but fulfilling His purpose and blessing you, your needs, desires and while you sought the Lord!
Sylvia Todd
1 month ago
PTL for His guidance, sister π!