Cedric Dukes's Blog, page 2

Forgiveness in the Workplace

Forgiveness is probably the single most recurring issue you will encounter daily, whether it is work or personal life. Someone treating you wicked or someone calling you a name or someone not sharing their work with you will offend you every time. It is hard not to say anything or give them a piece of your mind. Remember, God has placed you in this position to become a light. It’s okay for them to think they are getting the upper hand. Forgive and pray for them and allow God to work in their heart. Now, if it continues to be harassment, you must report it. There have been many times where I was offended by someone calling me a name or somebody telling me to pound sound because of a late request. I had to fix my attitude first and then put myself in their shoes and understand their issue. I had to forgive them because they are reacting out of emotion. Two negative emotions do not make it right. So as Jesus said, going to the cross, “Father forgive them.”  In retrospect, I must continue to forgive them and continue to work with them despite our differences in opinions. Use your company’s blog posts to opine on current industry topics, humanize your company, and show how your products and services can help people.

Luke 23:34 – Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Prayer – Father, please forgive my coworkers and forgive me for the lack of faith and lack of obedience and the way we treat one another. Let us reconcile to make things right again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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What goes into a blog post? Helpful, industry-specific content that: 1) gives readers a useful takeaway, and 2) shows you’re an industry expert.

Use your company’s blog posts to opine on current industry topics, humanize your company, and show how your products and services can help people.

Positive Vibes

Philippians 2:14 – Do all things without complaining and disputing

I have found that it is easier, much easier to to be negative than positive. To tell the truth it feels good to complain because you feel powerful. To be truthful,  it is easier to complain. Negativity does not change the situation. Instead of looking at the glass half full, one will look at it half empty seeing the downside of things, decreasing expectation and hope. Negativite talk starts in your mouth and ends up in your heart spoiling your work experience and relationships at that moment. The negative spin leads to a downwards spiral in performance  and behavior because every situation can become worse than what it was. To combat negativity, try silence. It stops the words coming from your mouth even though it is in your head. If you keep your mouth closed nothing can come out. It also give you time to think and redirect the tone of the conversation. Slowly ease your way back to the positive of the conversation with constructive feedback. Many times I  have changed a word or two using positive and uplifting words which changes the meaning and the approach of the conversation. 

Prayer – Lord, help me to stay away from being negative. Holy Spirit please keep my mind and heart free from  complaining and arguing. I can’t do this by myself. Amen

Victorious Champions

Though it may look bleak and defeat is certain, give it one more try. David had an insurmountable trial against the lion in the den. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers then reunited with them. God parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites who were fleeing for Pharaoh. Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood. We are in a unique position where we can go to the Father and ask him to do the hardest things for us. No problem is too hard; no mountain is too high.

God works independently on His own time and schedule. The only thing that He requires is our faith and obedience. The problem is already solved before we ask. The victory is ours. Adhere to His will for the victory. Our victories are won before we fight. It is a setup for success. Jesus came for us that we have life and have it more abundantly according to John 10:10. We can enjoy what God has given us because the victory is ours.

Deuteronomy  20:4 – for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

I Corinthians 15:57 – But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:4 –  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 

Prayer  – Thank you, Jesus, for securing the victory for me. Continue to fight against the enemies and those things that I cannot see. Thank you that I have the victory over every entity that is against me and no problem is too hard for me. In Jesus name Amen.

Pray more, worry less

Worrying does not add a single second to your life or solve any problems. I have come to learn that worrying makes us feel good for a momentary second. It gives us something to believe. It occupies our mind until something else comes up. Worrying gives us the battle scars. It does not do anything good for the body, mind, and soul. It causes headaches, body aches and lessens our immune system. 

Worry can become common nature if we don’t control it. Those problems that we worry about are probably too big for us to resolve or too many moving obstacles in the way. We can give it to the Lord for Him to resolve. He said specifically to trade our problems for His peace. He wants us to have a life that is not in turmoil and surrounded in unbelief. We must believe in Him to resolve it better than we can in perfect timing with ultimate peace. Pray more to worry less. 

Psalm 37:25 – I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.

Matthew 6:27 –  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

1 Peter 5:7 –  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Prayer – Father in Jesus name, I ask for your peace for my worry. I ask for your help in times of turmoil. I thank you are caring for me at this time and I give you the problem to resolve. In Jesus name, Amen.

Superior Knowledge

The wisdom of God is far superior to our human comprehension and our mental competency. We don’t have the slightest idea what is good for we mix it with selfish motives and desires. What we want may not always be what God wants for us. Our Father wants something much better for us or something far less attractive because it may hurt us. The only way we can know if we ask Him. 

The wisdom of God is that thought that comes into your mind when you are at the end of the ropes. His wisdom can come from the mature man, woman or child who says something that turns your entire thinking around. We can seek God’s wisdom through His Holy Spirit. We can invite Him to every activity. He will give us the knowledge and know how to do that very thing we don’t know how to do. We can ask for assistance. God has an unlimited supply of wisdom for us to ask and to us  He wants HIs children to have their best and to glorify Him. 

Psalm 37:23 –  The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.

1 Corinthians 1:25 – Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

James 1:5 –  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Prayer – Holy Spirit, I ask for your wisdom for today. Show me how to do the very thing that I don’t know how to do. Help me with my lack of wisdom so I can glorify you in my activity. In Jesus name, Amen.

Waiting for a purpose

Waiting for God is hard. Sometimes you think He is not listening or seeing what you are doing. It makes you want to take action yourself because we believe He does not care or to slow for Him to respond. The good news is, He sees and hears everything. He sees your future and your past.  He sees stuff that we don’t know while we see only one dimensional. He hears every prayer, every cry, and every scream. He wants the best for you at the right time.

Wait for Him. Wait on Him. There are some things that He is trying to work in you while you are waiting. Ask Him what you are waiting for and what you can do in the meantime.  Waiting is part of the process similar to a seed that turns into a blade. It pushes through the ground. It weathers the storm, then transforms into a bud, which the process is now complete. Our process is not finished until we are turning into the flower that our Father meant for us to be.

Lamentations 3:25 – The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

Psalm 27:14-  Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!

Habakkuk 2:3 –  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Prayer – Holy Spirit, help me to wait on God during this trying time. Help me to see the good that He is doing for me. Holy Spirit strengthen me, gives me the courage to face my daily trials. Let me not go ahead in front of you. Father, can you tell me what I am waiting on in Jesus’ name, Amen?

Strong and mighty

Today’s world says becoming strong is an attribute of a successful person. Strength is a relative term in the eye of the beholder. When a person sees one strong they are seeing the physical result, not the pain or suffering one went through to get there. Real strength in the time of hardship does not necessarily come from human capability but it comes from the Lord who through your experiences have made you stronger. When we are weak, He becomes strong for us. God takes our shortcomings and weakness and makes it our strength. That weakness brings him so much joy and glory because of your dependence upon Him. God’s strength now becomes our strength and we can do anything that He asked us to do. 

Scripture says in 1 Timothy 4:8 that physical training has some value which does not profit in the long run to your life but godliness has value now and the life to come. Not that physical training and or exercise is not good it is excellent for the physical stamina for the rest of your life. Bu

t becoming spiritually strong is the trait that God wants you to have to weather the storms to come both physically and spiritually.

Nehemiah 8:10 – Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Psalm 46:1-3 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

Ephesians 6:10 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

Prayer – Father in Jesus name, I declare that I am strong in the Lord. Your joy brings me strength. I know that you will take care of me so I thank you for what you are doing for me right now. Amen.

Walking in Freedom

Stress comes in different forms and it leads us away from our dependence on God and moves the focus to us. Stress can come from family members jobs, bills, debt, friends, and coworkers. It comes from the decisions that we make. Stress is prevalent in everyone’s life. Stress comes from trying to do it all by ourselves in solving the problem. We as humans cannot fix every problem and every issue. We must depend on Him. Once we place our trust in Him, God and heaven goes to work for us. Our issues become His issue. Our destiny is found when we are not in our stress. 

Psalm 56:3-4 –  Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Philippians 4:6 –  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 

Prayer – Father in Jesus name, I refuse to walk in stress. It is not healthy and is ungodly. You said that I can ask you for anything and I know it is within your will to rid stress from me. Please take this burden away from me, Amen.

Freedom of the Past

We all wrestle with shame. It is a temporary memory fixating on something that you did wrong.  Because of Jesus, God has ended shame for all mankind as He has taken and defeated it. The shame was nailed to the cross forever. So if shame is no longer with us why do we continue to walk in it? It becomes a crutch to us not moving on.  Shame is harmful and damaging to our self and the soul man. Shame is where habits start that are not good for us. As humans, we sometimes want to hold onto hurt, pain, and grudges. It feels good to us. God wants to wipe away our shame. He has given us the power for not allowing to reside in us. We no longer have to walk in shame and walk with our heads held high.

Isaiah 50:7 –  For the Lord God will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.

2 Corinthians 3:17 –   Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 

Hebrews 12:2 –  Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Prayer – Lord, I am telling my shame to go. It is not healthy for me. You are the author of my life and I have no reason to walk in shame. I am walking in total freedom in Jesus name, Amen.