My manager is out all week long and I am taking over his role while he is gone. During this week my responsibilities have been increased and the payments I approve, the lawsuits I allow to be filed and all the other tasks I do are being viewed by others just as if they were done by my boss. The work I am doing reflects not only on me but also on him. For that reason, I am trying to make sure that I make the same type of decisions that he would make, exercise the same level of good judgment that he displays and represent him appropriately. I am taking the role very seriously since every thing I am doing I am doing in his name. It is very much like that for the Christian. The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:17
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” Col. 3:17
As followers of Christ, we have received great blessings. But we have also received wonderful responsibilities. We are called to be His ambassadors and representatives in this world. The work we do, the words we say, the things we do reflect not only on ourselves, but also on our Lord and Savior. We have increased responsibilities and we should take our responsibilities very seriously. We should try to make the same decisions the Lord would make and represent Him appropriately. Whatever we do we ought to be able to do in His Name, giving thanks to God the Father by Him! Some may see that as pressure but it is actually a privilege. Anything the Lord asks us to do, He will help us to do. He will empower us and equip us to represent Him well and to do the right things in His Name!
If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please feel free to email me directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com.
God has your back! 
Pastor Stephens,
Thank you for your information. I wished I would have found your information earlier, I had a TLIF L5-S1 July 2011. I am back to work light duty and experiencing some of the same residual effects that you mention. Still sore in the surgery site and the core and a little discomfort and tightness remains in the legs, mainly the left, which is where most of my work was done. I too am 47 years old and lived with and treated back pain with a myriad of things before giving in to surgery. Would you say that the last 4 months for you, that you have shown dramatic improvement? My Dr. also said it would be a year before the nerves all settled down. That seems to be a common denominator in testimony about this type of surgery.
Thank You
Todd
Good afternoon Todd,
As I recall, the nerve settled down a week or two after the doctor told me it was normal. From time to time after that I would feel a quick needle stick but generally speaking after 6 months, all of that was gone. This week I am one year past my surgery and feel great.
May God bless you with a wonderful recovery,
Phillip