Lessons in Perseverance
Faith@Work is a Navigators sponsored monthly luncheon for business women in Albuquerque, NM. Its mission is helping business and professional women live out their faith more intentionally in their workplaces. We do this through several different means:
• Presenting challenging messages each month from local practitioners who are learning how to live on purpose for God.
• Promoting, developing and implementing Bible Studies in the workplace for women across the city.
• Recruiting, training and utilizing volunteers in a variety of ways to reach out and connect with other business women each month at the luncheons.
Faith@Work Message, July 18, 2011; "Lessons in Perseverance" Albuquerque, NM
Speaker: Ethel Maharg; Former mayor of Cuba, NM
• Presenting challenging messages each month from local practitioners who are learning how to live on purpose for God.
• Promoting, developing and implementing Bible Studies in the workplace for women across the city.
• Recruiting, training and utilizing volunteers in a variety of ways to reach out and connect with other business women each month at the luncheons.
Faith@Work Message, July 18, 2011; "Lessons in Perseverance" Albuquerque, NM
Speaker: Ethel Maharg; Former mayor of Cuba, NM
“If you died tonight do you know if you’d go to heaven?”
God sent an angel into Ethel’s life 28 years ago to ask her this question, and shortly thereafter her life was changed forever. In seeking the answer to that question, she met her Savior, Jesus Christ. What she didn’t expect was that the trials in her life were only going to get tougher!
Ethel has a charming personality, a sense of humor and a passion to share her faith with others. But her joyous outlook on life was carved out of suffering. A serious car accident, her husband’s lay off at work, the loss of their home and even a brief consideration of divorce to get out of debt challenged every aspect of her faith. As one trial ended, another would appear on the horizon. Through it all, she learned to persevere, by following David’s example in 1 Samuel 30:6 of strengthening herself in the Lord her God.
After getting back on their feet financially, Ethel started her own business, which led her into politics and an opportunity to become mayor of the small community of Cuba, NM. What seemed like a sign that their fortunes had changed though, only led to more trials. Now she faced opposition from other politicians, pressure to change her stand on issues and criticism from the public. Once again, she had to rely on God’s strength rather than her own. She had to learn not to quit, to submit to authority, to serve with humility. Most of all she had to learn to pray about everything.
In the end, she considers her greatest success in her role as mayor to be the opportunity to lead one of her co-workers to Christ. By walking the walk every day, she was able to show Jesus to someone who was watching her, who decided that faith in Jesus was worth it! And by persevering, she learned that God is always present, always ready to hold us up.
Here are the key points she challenged us to remember, when facing opposition from the world:
1. Ask yourself, is there any truth to what is being said?
2. Pray that God would help you learn the lesson quickly!
3. Know that God has your best interest at heart—He’s using people to shape your character.
4. Know that God loves you.
5. Know that God has a plan and a purpose for you. Let Him work it out in you.
To reserve a copy of the audio CD of this message, email Rebecca Apodaca at apodacar@comcast.net.
