Author: Jon Harris

The company where I’m employed is serious about its mission, and part of this involves giving back to our communities. For example, we’ve logged more than one million hours of community service since 2017. That’s a lot of hands and hearts working to make a positive impact!

Last week was our sixth annual “volunteer week” where thousands of team members joined to serve people in need. I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in one of the events, and it was fantastic! Everyone was energized, enthusiastic, working hard, and served with a smile. This was a great reminder for me as to why I love this company and my teammates so much.

While serving is a very important aspect of our company’s culture, it isn’t required, and it doesn’t indicate whether or not a team member is successful in his or her role. Serving is one thing, meeting the job’s performance expectations is another. I could serve 10 hours per week for a year, but there will be negative consequences if I am not delivering as per my job description.

Today’s reading: Romans 4

Romans Chapter Four has a similar theme as it explains that we are not justified by our works but by our faith. We can try to check all of the boxes when it comes to a list of rules, but what saves us is our faith in Christ alone. God’s “job description” for us isn’t a bunch of rules – it is about our hearts, minds, and souls being in a trusting relationship with him.

While I am thankful to work for a company that encourages service, I’m eternally grateful for the one true God who loves me unconditionally; all I need to do is trust and obey.

During a difficult time a couple of years ago, many of my posts on this site had a similar theme. I was crying out, filled with the rawest of human emotions. I felt oppressed, depressed, afraid, and more. What I also felt was a closeness to God that I hadn’t felt ever before. My prayers were specific, continuous, and genuine, and I was often moved to tears.

My last post talked about living with passion. The focus today is praying with passion via the assigned chapter, Psalm 17. This chapter reminds me of the passionate prayers I had a couple of years ago and serves as a reminder for us to open our hearts to God every time we pray –  earnestly, honestly, and intensively. In prayer, we are conversing with the God of the universe, our Creator, our Father in Heaven who loves us more than we can comprehend and knows us better than we know ourselves so there is no point in trying to hide anything from him.

Psalm 17 also reminds me of Christ and his passion on the cross. We are sinners in a sinful world but Jesus never sinned, he didn’t deserve the torture, hatred, punishment and judgment yet he faced it knowingly and willingly. All of the things David sought refuge from (deceit, violence, wickedness, arrogance, deadly enemies, ambush, and more) were directly experienced by Jesus as he became the substitute for our sins.

Whatever you are praying about today, seek the face of Jesus, envision to the best of your human mind the horrific impact of your sins, then praise him for what he did to erase those sins forever.

Let these words from Psalm 103 be the exclamation point to our praise and gratitude:

For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:11-12)

What are you most passionate about? Consider what makes your heart pound out of excitement, where it is clear your emotions and energy cannot be contained. Here are a few things that ignite that passion within me…

• The truth about God, his love for mankind, and my personal relationship with him. Dine in my home and pray before a meal and you’ll observe this passion.
• My wife and children. Ask me anything about any of these people and/or my marriage in general and you’ll know.
• Food, glorious food! Shopping for it, preparing it, smelling it, eating it; alone or with others, raw, baked, fried, smoked or grilled!
• My job and the opportunity to lead people, especially when teammates grow and thrive and show their passion for teamwork and results.
• God’s creation. The flowers I’m looking at right now, thunderstorms, mountains, vast seas, fresh water, forests, and the seemingly infinite attributes of every creature on this planet.

Showing and sharing our passion can reveal what we believe to be true about God and ourselves. Our healthy and God-honoring passions often influence others positively and ignite fruitful dialogue and relationships. For example, a cheetah can run up to 75 miles per hour. While this is both interesting and scary, it is also beautiful because cheetahs and all creatures exist and are unique because God made them that way, with intention, for a purpose, for his glory.

Interviewing Passion

I’ve recently interviewed six candidates for a job at my company for countless hours, and the thing I seek most to identify is their passion. One of the candidates stood out as the front runner when it came to skill, experience, eloquence in speech, and polite behavior. What was frustrating was that we spent several hours together, and I didn’t observe his passion for anything. I had so much hope to hire this person because on paper, he was perfect. Then, as a final attempt, I said, “Tell me something you are super passionate about, whether personally or professionally.” His response was, “I don’t know… my daughter” and as he said the words “my daughter”, it was almost in the form of a question. At that moment, I realized this candidate would not inspire others in the way that we need him to.

Paul’s Passion

In today’s reading (Acts 20) Paul is speaking to the Ephesian Elders and what stands out is his passion for:

• Doing the Lord’s work, despite the challenging circumstances. (v. 18-19)
• Sharing the gospel. (v. 20-21)
• Unwavering obedience to the Holy Spirit and trust in God’s will. (v. 22-24)
• Fearlessness and boldness. (v.25-27)
• Caring about people, seeing them as God sees them. (v. 28-31)
• Growing other leaders (handing over the mission when it was time). (v. 28-32)
• Integrity and selflessness. (v. 33-35)
• Interpersonal relationships and loving others. (v. 36-38)

Paul’s passion for Christ was unwavering and reminds us to live in such as way as God intended, with passion first for him and for others, to love God and love people. May we all strive to be more like Paul, and ultimately more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is and was the ultimate Passion as he suffered and died for our sins.

One of my favorite leaders lives by a great saying, “let’s catch people doing things right”. This is uplifting in a world where we can easily criticize or be criticized. This theme gives freedom from worrying about mistakes and instead gives freedom to try new things, and for our attitudes to transform from fear into anticipation. Freedom from fear can spark innovation and creativity, and enables us to experience joy.

Years ago, our son’s grade school student-led conference focused on accentuating the positive. He showed us his test results, shared what he believes are his strengths, and what he was working to improve. We wouldn’t typically refer to him as someone bursting with pride or exterior confidence, but that day he was bold and confident, yet humble as he conveyed his progress so far. The model was set up to build, not tear down, and it was successful: He was caught doing things right.

In Acts 10 we find two devout men who separately experience a vision from God. The two visions are tied together and are part of a greater purpose – to share Christianity with the Gentiles.

The thing that caught my attention in this chapter about Peter was his obedience to God. His whole life he was taught to avoid certain foods and certain people, then after one vision from God, everything changes. First, he can eat bacon (hallelujah!), and second, he can freely associate with non-Jews (hallelujah to that as well as I love my Jewish friends!).

As for Cornelius, Acts Chapter 10 verses 2 and 22 refer to him as devout, one who feared God, a generous giver, in continuous prayer, and well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation. Don’t miss the importance stressed here on giving to the poor. Jesus loves the poor, and the way we treat the poor is well-noticed by God.

⁴ Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.

And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! (Acts 10:4)

Peter and Cornelius had their hearts and actions right with God, they were caught doing things right, and that is why I believe they received such great visions and callings. Their prayers and the way they lived brought them into close fellowship with God, and in both situations after the visions they took immediate action.

Our God is not some lightning-throwing bully waiting for us to mess up; he is a loving God, seeking relationship with us, seeking for our hearts to turn to him as father, and to his son Jesus for salvation from our sins that separate us from God. He is the ultimate example of one who is looking to catch us doing things right.

but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (Acts 10:35)

Today let’s close with a reflection and paraphrase Acts Chapter 10 verses 38-43:

Jesus lived on this earth, did good things, and healed people. Regardless of his goodness and love, he was brutally tortured and hung on a tree until death. His accusers were dead wrong in their thinking that they had defeated him. Jesus came back from the dead, thus defeating death, and commanded us to share this story so that everyone who believes in him will be forgiven.

Takeaway actions and questions:

1. If you’re like me, there are people in your life you’ve tried to catch doing things wrong. Change your (and their) attitude for the better and catch them doing things right today!
2. Considering the focus on giving to the poor, in what way is God calling you to give more generously, especially to the poor?
3. What story do you have about how Jesus changed your life, and are you ready and willing to share it with others?
4. What are the big and small recent blessings in your life? Have you expressed the proper gratitude to God?

What are your deepest, longest-running prayers? Have you prayed over certain situations for months, years, or even decades? Our prayer lives are an indicator as to our trust in God. Are you like me where there are situations you’ve chosen to worry about instead of dedicating fully to prayer?

Consider an answered prayer in your life, big or small. Above all, think about and rejoice because of the eternal salvation we have when we put our faith, hope, and trust in Jesus.

From Sorrow

In Psalm 13, King David starts by crying out to God, sharing his own turmoil. It seems he has been struggling for a long time. The first four verses include the words or themes of being forgotten, struggle, anguish, sorrow, death, and defeat. Sometimes I feel like my prayers have to be long so that God knows how I really feel. David’s writing in this Psalm indicates the opposite; honesty and deep longing are enough.

Who is the wisest person you know? What attributes stand out that bring you to this conclusion?

One commonly used phrase within the company where I work is, “Don’t try to be the smartest person in the room.” This is meant to temper our pride. Just because someone is smart and has the answers, it doesn’t make them a good team member. It is meant to focus less on “being right” and focus more on listening to others before coming to a conclusion. This leads to better teamwork which increases innovation and job satisfaction.

Back to the questions about the wisest person: The wisest people I know are not those with the best answers, they are the people with the best questions. Albert Einstein once said:

“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask… for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”

Note the cover image quoting Luke 2:52 doesn’t say “Jesus became so smart…”, it says he grew in wisdom. This is the same chapter where Jesus was found in the Temple listening to the teachers and asking questions (ref Luke 2:46).

Transformed through prayer.

My prayer life recently has included the following questions and sentiment regarding a job transfer that will involve a move that my wife and I are struggling with:

1. God, why are you allowing this to happen? “You know what I want.”
2. God, what should we do? Where should we go?

Over time God has revealed that while these questions are fair to ask (as we can ask him anything), my questions were somewhat selfish. He is leading me toward better questions and statements that focus on Him and His will such as:

• God, where do you want me to go?
• God, how can I serve you where you are leading me?
• God, your will, not mine.
• God, thank you for this day, for all you have done, are doing, and will do in my life.

The change in questions and prayers has brought me from a posture of worry to a place of peace and hope. The right questions can lead us closer to understanding our purpose and God’s purpose, and the most important question is related to where we will spend eternity:

What do you believe to be true about Jesus?

But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. (John 20:31)

Wisdom isn’t just about having the right answers—it’s about asking the right questions. When we shift our focus from seeking control to seeking God’s will, we open ourselves to His guidance, peace, and purpose.

What questions are you asking? Are they leading you closer to trust, surrender, and your purpose?

The sound of footsteps upstairs in our home – I know whose they are. One stomps, the other walks more softly, and then slides with his socks on the wood floor.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs – I recognize these too. One goes slowly and methodically, and one comes down like lightning and thunder, bringing fear into my heart every time.

The sound of their voices – now men, their tones are distinct. However, the other day on the phone, one sounded so much like the other I had to pause and listen more closely.

No matter where we’ve lived, their footsteps and voices have given them away for over 17 years. Knowing their sounds brings joy to my heart. I know my boys and I love them dearly.

Similarly, with my wife whom I’ve known for more than 25 years, I can pick out her voice in a large crowd. Not that she is loud, I just know her voice, her pitch, and her laugh. I can almost hear her voice when she writes messages because she writes just like she talks, therefore an email imposter would be easy to identify. A relationship with her is truly a gift and I love her dearly as well.

How about the voices and sounds in your life?

There’s another voice in my life that I have known for many years. In some seasons the voice has seemed far and at other times it has been crystal clear. This voice is the whisper of the Holy Spirit and the more time I spend with God, the more I know his voice. While not specifically audible, it is an overwhelming sense of instruction, warning, encouragement, love, truth, patience, peace, wisdom, and joy. It is one thing to know his voice, it is another to listen, trust, and obey.

In yesterday’s post on John Chapter 9, Freddy shared the story about the blind man who was healed by Jesus by putting mud on his eyes. The man told the Pharisees what happened and then they asked him again as they were still in disbelief.

He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” (John 9:27)

They wanted a sign, they got a sign, yet they didn’t believe. The blind man sees but the Phari”sees” didn’t see. How ironic!

In today’s reading (John 10) we know that the Pharisees were well aware of some of the miracles of Jesus. Some were even first-hand witnesses to his miracles.

 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” (John 10:32)

Even seeing and hearing of his miracles the people in the Temple questioned Jesus. They wanted him to tell them if he was the Messiah, however he had already told them.

²⁴ The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

²⁵ Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. (John 10:24-25)

Just like the story of the blind man in Chapter 9, why did they ask him again? Why didn’t they believe? They “heard” yet they didn’t truly listen, they didn’t accept him.

but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:26-27)

Alas, it is also the same for us when the signs are all around us yet we choose not to listen, not to obey, not to trust, not to believe, not to draw nearer by spending time with our Lord Jesus. Notice the very important “and” from Jesus in verse 27: “and they follow me“. We must not just listen and hear, we must choose to follow.

The world is full of voices trying to tell us its version of what is best; what to buy, where to spend our time, what love is, and what truth is. Only one voice leads to life, and that’s the voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus. Will you recognize and choose His voice, His love, His truth, and ultimately His eternal promise today?

In a conversation with colleagues this week I made a controversial statement. One that you as a reader may be offended by but please bear with me as it was meant to ultimately bring glory to God and deeper conversation. I said (quoting a friend), “The worst thing about Christianity is Christians”.

Years ago when my friend said this, as a Christian, I was initially offended. As he went on I realized the logic: Humans are flawed, God is not. We mess it up, he cleans us up. We are prone to be unloving, he loves unconditionally. We get in the way, He is the way.

Christianity in its purest form is perfect.

He is a loving God who made the greatest sacrifice, calling us to know him, to do His will to serve and love others. He calls us to His son Jesus, Immanuel (meaning, “God with us”). He was God in the flesh, he lived a perfect life, he died, he defeated death, and we can have a deep and meaningful relationship with him. He is with us always, every moment.

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:23)

Christianity includes the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternity with God. With this, we are called to share God’s love and hope with others so that they too can be saved. Our instruction manual is flawless, holy, and wise and contains wisdom regarding all of life’s hardships, opportunities, and experiences. Knowing and serving God brings peace beyond all understanding.

“Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.” (Psalm 46:10)

Even this morning after waking up three hours before my alarm I have had focus time with God in prayer and scripture reading, being still in the presence of my maker. The problems of this world are still present but the peace in my heart right now is indescribable.

The beauty of Christianity isn’t found in our perfection but in God’s. He redeems and works through our flaws, offering love, grace, and peace beyond understanding.

May this truth inspire us to reflect His love and point others to Him—not for our glory, but for His. He is Immanuel, God with us. Be still in His presence, and trust His work in the brokenness.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)

How are your interpersonal relationships? Are they filled with joy and peace, marked by challenging conflicts and bitterness, or perhaps somewhere in between? Relationships can be both rewarding and demanding, especially when conflicts arise. When facing conflict with another human, we have a few options:

1. Stand firm. Continue the conflict and stick to our point of view.
2. Let it go. Forgive and forget.
3. Change the subject completely. This approach reflects the “flight” response in the classic “fight or flight” scenario.
4. Change the conversation. Without abandoning the subject, we shift to a different angle or perspective.

The Cost of Standing Firm

Continuing the conflict and maintaining our point of view puts us at risk of being prideful with the focus on winning – which equates to someone losing, and in this, everyone loses. Do you want to win (be right) or do you want to be loving?

The Beauty of Letting Go

Letting something go can be a beautiful gesture of forgiveness as long as we have truly committed our hearts to saying “it’s not worth it” so that the same conflict doesn’t rear its ugly head over and over.

The Power of Changing the Subject

Changing the subject completely is quite useful when things get too hot to handle. It is like the “eject” button from a fighter jet about to explode. We can’t always just change the subject, and avoidance is not always the best way either, so this must be used with caution.

The Art of Changing the Conversation

Changing the conversation is often the most challenging because it requires tactfulness, humility, and patience. This method is a great step toward a win-win because it helps to bring both parties to the table with an attempt to bring peaceful resolution without belaboring or ignoring the issue.

Lessons From The Book of Job

In Job Chapter 24, Job continues his long dissertation and asks why the wicked aren’t punished. He makes good points and as we read this we can understand his frustration and sorrow.

Next comes Job Chapter 25 where Bildad responds. Did Bildad roll up his sleeves and let Job know where he had misspoke? Did he call him a fool, escalate, or dissect his many points? No. Bildad chooses a different approach – he changes the conversation. He doesn’t directly answer Job’s questions nor does he try to argue or reason with Job. He doesn’t change the subject. He keeps his response simple and gives glory to God.

Transforming Our Relationships

When conflicts arise, consider how we can respond thoughtfully. Whether it is the freedom of letting go, diffusing tension with changing the subject, or changing the conversation. Whatever we do we must do it lovingly with Jesus as our example and savior, for God’s glory. Our responses say a lot about who we are and where we are in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Today’s reading: Job 24-27; Rev 17

This summer, my father-in-law, Charles “Chuck” Keever, and I discussed faith. Although this can be a touchy subject with family members, Chuck has known me for nearly 25 years. He’s heard me preach God’s word and pray over many meals, and most importantly, he has a close view of how I live. In turn, I have insights into how he lives and I knew it to be true when he said “I try to do what The Good Book says”.

Chuck is a giver. He loves to give to his family and friends as well as bless those who are less fortunate. He’s a gifted dentist (now retired) and one of my favorite chefs. The beauty of the combination of dentist-chef is that he utilizes science and art to curate amazing foods such as briskets, breads, dips, and meats. If it once moved slowly, he’ll grill it or smoke it and it will always be good – and you’ll always have enough, even if you’re a random guest in his home.

In short, Chuck shows his love for others by giving to them.

What then does the “Good Book” (The Bible) say to Chuck and the rest of us?

Today’s assigned reading includes 1 John 4. Within this chapter, there is a section titled “God Is Love” (verses 7-21) where we find the word love twenty-seven times (twenty-nine if you count “beloved”). Here are some of the things these verses teach us about love:

1. To love one another, that love is from God, and that those who love have been born of God and they know God. (v7)
2. That if we do not love, we do not know God. (v8)
3. That God is love. (v8)
4. That God showed his love for us by sending his only Son into the world to give us life. (v9)
5. God loved us first (even if we don’t love him, he still loves us). (v10)
6. Since God loves us, we should love each other. (v11)
7. As we love others, God in turn lives in us, and his love is expressed in us. (v12)
8. God’s perfect love eliminates fear. Fear relates to punishment yet we need not fear when we are abiding in God’s perfect love through Jesus Christ. (v17-18)
9. If we say we love God, we must love others (if we hate others, we then show we do not love God). (v20-21)

These verses help us understand why we exist on this planet. To know God and have a relationship with Him, to experience His love through Jesus, to love Him back, and to share His love with others, so that we can spend eternity with Him.

Dear readers, upon the publishing of today’s post, Chuck will be undergoing major surgery so this is a call to prayer in this serious situation. Will you please pray with me?

Father God, thank you for loving us, for showing your love through your servant Charles as we lift him up to you in this moment. Guide the hands of the medical staff, and grant them wisdom and courage. Strengthen Chuck’s body so that it can undergo the necessary procedures. Please comfort and give peace to his family and friends as they surround Chuck from near and far. We ask for miraculous results and full healing, beyond our own understanding, for your glory. We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.