Clutching an onion tightly in my hand, I slowly and purposefully walked around the church where we held our women's Bible study.

Two women teaching on bitterness had sent us outside on a prayer walk. They developed a creative idea on how to make their topic tangible: Using an onion (which represented bitterness harbored in our lives), they told us to examine our encounters with bitterness and reflect upon its internal and external effects. As we recognized all our sin in this area, we were to symbolically peel away the layers of the onion and toss them to the ground.

No sweat, I initially thought. Bitterness is not a problem area in my life.

But just in case, I grabbed my onion and headed out the door, determined to make the most of my prayer walk.

The sun was setting, and with each step, I asked the Holy Spirit to reveal every hidden instance of bitterness in my life. I enjoyed an initially clear conscience as I strolled around the parking lot, trying to extract names, faces and confrontations that I had long forgotten.

To my surprise, the fresh air on my walk quickly grew pungent. Specific people came to mind—people I needed to forgive. As I thought of each name, I dutifully peeled off layer after layer of the sharp-smelling vegetable in my hand.

My pace increased and my eyebrows lifted in surprise as memories surged forth at a constant rate. The onion was stripped to the core just before I made it back to my starting point. Holding the petals in my clenched fist, I uttered a heartfelt prayer to Jesus: "I don't want to hold onto this any more. Forgive me for my bitterness." With that, I released my grip and tossed loose onion petals, along with the core, to the ground.

The lingering scent of the onion drifted up from my empty hands and stung my eyes. Walking back up the ramp to the study room, I realized that bitterness, which seems so private and personal, has more than just an internal effect. The stink of what I may not claim as my own current problem may still harm many others who were touched by its ill effects.

Bitterness leaves a stench on us that affects and repulses everyone around us. When we finally release our bitterness through repentance, we're not only setting ourselves free, but others as well.

That night, as I confessed my bitterness to Christ, He washed over my empty hands with the fragrance of His forgiveness. And every time I come to him in confession, onion or not, He does the same thing, again and again.

Some may say, "I work 8 to 5, but my real ministry begins when I get off work and lead a Bible study." But since much of our week is spent at work, why shouldn't it be our primary mission field?

Wherever we work, God calls us to be ambassadors for Christ. Here are some tips for effective evangelism at work:

1. Work hard and gain a reputation for excellence.
2. Enjoy work—our enthusiasm makes others curious. If you don't enjoy your job, pray that you will.
3. Have lunch with co-workers—get to know them outside of work.
4. Ask questions that prompt co-workers to consider spiritual issues, such as "What do you think happens after death?"
5. Be equipped with an effective evangelism tool, such as the Four Spiritual Laws booklet. Consider hosting a lunchtime Bible study for spiritual seekers (like LifeFocus, a six-week study available at www.campuscrusade.com).
6. Invite co-workers home for dinner or to special services at church.
7. Be wise in choosing the time, place and manner of explaining the gospel. Remember, your boss is paying you to work.

There were only seven disciples instead of 12. The blind man was actually a woman, and the two Roman guards were father and brother to Barabbas.

Our church was performing a Passion Walk, following the story of Christ's final week. As Mary, I didn't have to say anything—only kneel before the cross at the end.

I slipped easily into the same blue robe and pink headdress I had worn at Christmas, when I had also played Mary. Our Jesus doll was still in the box with the rest of the Christmas props, and I chuckled when I saw the doll's loose eye still rolled back into the plastic head. The doll had worked great; we could hide it behind the hay bales during our Nativity, then pull it out at the "and Mary had a child" part.

My friend Chris was playing Jesus in this year's Passion Walk, and we had worked on his script the day before.

"All set?" I asked.

"I guess," he said with a shrug and a smile.

As we walked out into the crowd, I thought about the Christmas doll again. Chris played a much better Jesus than the doll. He could walk with the disciples and talk to the crowd. This "Jesus" was real, not a prop.

The play went smoothly, but as I knelt before the cross, I was filled with emotions. This wasn't some stranger hanging there; it was my friend. Just the day before, Chris had beaten me at pool in the youth room, and now he was up there on the cross with the crowd shouting at him.

My mind knew it was just a play, but my heart wanted to let him off the cross. I didn't want my friend to go through this.

I thought about the real Jesus, and how I had often treated him as thoughtlessly as the doll, not letting Him into my life like a friend. But Jesus lives. He wants me to deeply understand His sacrifice and His love. And my Savior invites me to know Him as my best friend.

Have you ever been faced with a difficult decision, one where there seemed to be no right or easy answer? Have you wished the solution was written in the clouds or in a book somewhere? No one relishes making a significant decision when the important things in life are on the line.

We all have those anxious moments, but we also have the Holy Spirit to come alongside and help us make the right decision. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11, New Living Translation). God knows the future already; it is lovingly worked out with our welfare in mind.

We need to discern clearly the voice of the Master and follow Him obediently. Hearing God's voice is not only important for knowing the general plan that applies to all believers, but also for knowing the personal plan that God has for each individual believer.

My mentor from many years ago, Henrietta Mears, provides a good example of someone who discerned God's two different plans: general and personal. Early on, she believed God would call her to go overseas as a missionary. But in time she recognized that her poor eyesight would be an obstacle and that a call to the mission field was not forthcoming from God.

Meanwhile, she was growing to love a young man who was not a believer. Because he was not a Christian, Miss Mears had to break off the engagement. The issue of her personal vocation was difficult, and it clarified only over time; the issue of marriage to an unbeliever was simple and general. She recognized that the Bible says this is forbidden.

Ultimately, Miss Mears became the director of Christian education at the First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood. From that position she had a global impact, influencing me, my wife Vonette, Billy Graham, and thousands of others. Her life and work contributed to hundreds of thousands experiencing new life in Christ. But she had to be patient and obedient as God worked out His perfect will for her.

So how does the Holy Spirit guide us toward the correct decision?

The most common way is through His Word. The Bible is the yardstick we must use to measure all other forms of guidance. The psalmist declared, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105, NLT). Most of our important decisions would be far easier if we would only read, understand and obey the Scriptures.

As we read the Word, the Spirit will also guide us through prayer. Pray consistently about any matter, and I believe you will find guidance: "If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask Him, and He will gladly tell you" (James 1:5, NLT).

After examining the Word and committing to prayer, we can look to the Holy Spirit to guide us in other ways, such as providential circumstances and inner impressions. Since these are subjective, we need to remember that any prompting we receive from the Spirit will always honor God and be faithful to Scripture.

The Spirit will also lead us through common sense: "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7, New King James Version). This verse tells us that a sound mind, or common sense, is a gift of the Spirit in the same way that love and power come from Him. When we feel that God has not spoken clearly, but an immediate decision must be made, we should use rational thinking grounded in the truths of God's Word.

Finally, no believer should make an important decision without seeking godly counsel from a respected man or woman of God. Solomon reminds us, "Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success" (Proverbs 15:22, NLT).

Did you realize that there are so many ways in which God can reveal His will to us? Finding His perfect will is no simple matter, for we can only see in a mirror dimly. But the time will come when we wake up in that perfect world of paradise and have all our questions answered. Until then, we must walk by faith and not by sight. That is the adventure He has chosen for us.

Adapted from His Intimate Presence, © 2003, by Bill Bright. New Life Publications, Campus Crusade for Christ. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

I was in a financial quandary. Because of a check I wrote and forgot to record, overdraft fees assaulted my bank account like a rebel platoon. Each purchase I made that weekend—dinner, a movie and a visit to Starbucks—carried a nasty $29 fee. A latte cost me $32!

Using a debit card for the purchases, I thought I had plenty of money. But I didn't, and my account dipped perilously in the red.

I called the customer-service line for help, but a man stoically told me the mistakes were my fault and I'd have to foot the bill. He was right.

Still, I hoped for a loophole.

I visited the branch where I first opened my account. There a friendly bank associate listened to my story, empathizing with my plight. "Wait here," she told me.

Walking to the other room, she talked with the manager. Through the glass window, I could see she was trying to convince her stone-faced superior to help me. A few minutes later, she returned with good news.

"We can cut your fees in half," she told me.

I was shocked and more than satisfied.

It reminded me of the mercy I constantly receive from above. Because of the sin quandary I'm in, I often stray from God's righteous path. For such deeds, I have no excuse. Yet God shows me grace—He doesn't just cut my debt in half, but pays it fully through Jesus.

He helps keep my spiritual accounts in check.