The Power of Your Words

Watch your thoughts; they become your words.
Watch your words; they become your actions.
Watch your actions; they become your habits.
Watch your habits; they become your character.
Watch your character for it will become your
destiny.

The child had grown from being a sassy baby into a rebellious young man.  No matter what the mother would instruct the boy to do, in his disobedience he would snap back with harsh words.  Each day became more and more difficult for the mother as the boy had come to the point of disregarding anything she told him to do.  The father was tired of coming home each evening to spank the boy, as it seemed that the spanking didn’t have the same effect as it had in the past. 

The father soon took the boy to the woodshed but this time didn’t remove his belt to deliver the consequences of the boy’s actions.  Today he handed the boy a hammer and one nail.  He told the boy that instead of spanking he would have to hammer a nail into the door of the shed.  At first the boy believed that he had truly won the battle, he would gladly go down and pound another nail into the door for each time he was to be punished.  On his twelfth birthday the mother took him to the woodshed and explained to the son about this door.  This door came from the old home place where she grew up.  It used to be a great reminder of her wonderful childhood but now it was full of nails.  The mother explained that this door was like the door to her heart and that just as the nails would splinter the surface of the wood; his vicious words were splintering the very heart of his mother.  The boy immediately picked up the hammer and began removing each and every nail, sobbing as he progressed through the hundreds of nails that he once laughed as he hammered in.  After a couple of hours, he had removed all the nails and he saw how each nail had left an indelible mark. 

Know that every word you say has an effect.  Will your words encourage or discourage?   We can ask to “take back” what we said but like the many nails driven into it scarred the door, our relationships at work and beyond will be permanently affected by the words we use.  Begin today to really focus on using your words to make your team stronger.  Do your part to lift your team members to new heights and you’ll find yourself soaring above mediocrity and low thinking into a future that is filled with greatness.

See Yourself Successful

Norman Vincent Peale wrote a great deal regarding the picture in your mind of your future success.  Examples were given of people who would see the opportunity, see themselves at the point of their success in that opportunity, then following that vision until it became a reality.  The important part of all this was to see it in the mind and believing the picture in the mind enough to act on it.

Consider anyone who has reached the top of Mount Everest.  How many of those people started out with the idea that reaching any part of the mountain would be sufficient?  Those that have reached the highest point on earth had to see themselves reaching the top in their minds before they ever began training to make the climb.  Essentially, they had to sell the idea on themselves enough to see it happening before they could engage in accomplishing this difficult climb.

One of the most important things that we must do in order to really be a success is to know where we are going.  We must know what has to be done in our life to achieve what we believe to be success.  This is discovering your passion, the reason you wake up in the morning and begin that day’s journey.  Everyone’s passions are different, they aren’t all career or financial based, so when you take time to visualize your success just focus on what truly matters to you.  Envision yourself in the situation as already accomplishing the goal and then set your mind toward diligently following the path to that vision.

Why is this important?  You must believe that you are truly a success and can accomplish the things that matter to you before you can really achieve them.  Success isn’t just at the end of the journey, rather it is every step of the way toward the goal.  So each day when you see yourself in the mirror, begin mentally labeling that view in your mind, that the person you see in the mirror is a great success.  Doing this will add energy to your day-to-day activities leading to reaching your higher level of achievement and allowing you to enjoy the fruits of your success.

Burden Bearing

Who cares?

This may be the question that you are asking as you are in the middle of a struggle.  This may be the question asked by the person you casually passed by.  Do we care enough to help others?  We are designed for relationships and can benefit as well as be beneficial to others when we are open to helping others.  It’s not uncommon for us to quickly step up and help someone with a bulky item, it is a good feeling to help bear the burden.  Maybe we are quick to do this because we instinctively know what needs to be done. 

How do we expand our ability to share burdens that aren’t intuitive to us?  We need to have a solid understanding that we don’t know everything.  Maybe the best way we can help someone who is hurting is to simply listen, to be a shoulder to cry on, to simply be present.  Caring enough to care is a solid first move for those willing to help others with their burdens.  An investment of time, energy and emotional strength is needed to help others, so it is imperative that a person is prepared in order to be effective at sharing the load of others.  Much like the instructions on an airline flight regarding the oxygen masks that may drop down in case of pressure loss in the cabin, secure your mask first, then help others.  You cannot give what you do not have, so be certain that you enrich your life with positive emotional and spiritual substance to have your tank full.

In the days ahead, prepare yourself to help others, look for opportunities and step up when the opportunities arise.  You were designed to make a difference, don’t miss your chance to lighten the load that those around you might be carrying today.

Triumph from Troubles

There are two ways of meeting difficulties:
You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them.

Phyllis Bottome

You can make a positive difference in your life and those around you even when in extremely difficult circumstances.  It isn’t necessary for you to be perfect in order to be a difference maker.  You will often find that some of the world’s greatest leaders were forged by going through incredibly difficult times but never lost focus on their goal.

A great example of the fact that you can triumph from troubles is Nelson Mandela.  His leadership didn’t begin after being freed from his prison cell.  During his 27 years in prison, he grew into the person that would lead millions of South Africans to freedom.  He didn’t allow his imprisonment to destroy him, instead he focused on changing himself.  By focusing on positively changing himself he ultimately became the leader of those jailed with him on Robben Island and of course went on to make an incredible difference in world history

The challenges that everyone faces will be vastly different than what Mandela faced but we all share the same opportunity to become a “victor” and not a “victim” of our situation.  When trouble comes your way, look first for any personal growth opportunity.  Find ways to make yourself the best “you” that you can be.  Second stay focused on your long-term goal so that you truly understand that every challenge is only temporary and that you have the ability to work through it to reach the finish line.  By looking at troubles as unique opportunities to improve yourself, you can triumph in both troubled times and good times.

Better to Give

Have you wished that those that you work with in your department or company could give a better effort so that greater success could be achieved?  Human nature works against this because people are wired to serve themselves first and then act in charity to those around them.  One way to see your group be more productive and your company more profitable is by making it a habit to give of your time and effort to be an encouragement and example to those around you.  People are inspired to move when they see another person working at something with great fervor.  When this passion is for a common goal, large groups can actually work together as one to reach this greater success.   To remember the foundational keys to finding success in this, use the word G.I.V.E.

G = Greatness  I = Involves V = Valuing E= Everyone

If you really want to reach the highest goals, you will certainly want to encourage those on your team to grow in confidence and skill.  This will require you to give encouragement and training first in order to see the results in the future.  When we truly value those on our team and freely give encouragement and instruction we can experience a higher level of success and enjoy greater joy in life.

Commitment – A Path to Effectiveness

In today’s world of loose commitments, Christians are to certainly be counterculture in our approach to life.  Our society seems to thrive on attempting to be free of anything that ties them to anything that could bring clear definition of who they truly are.  The danger in cloaking the real person we are is that it can quickly spin out of control to the point that we really do not know ourself.

Why do we avoid being defined as a Christian?  Our Quest Class discussion this weekend brought up things like the restrictive nature of the workplace and the social backlash that could be aimed at us by non-Christian influences.  On a personal level we each need to determine which side we are going to affiliate with because on Judgement Day there will be a clear definition of who will be entering eternity with Christ in Heaven and who will not.  Approaching eternity as a “double-agent” is not a good plan, you cannot serve God and Satan, it’s One or the other.

When considering the “cost” of being clear of who we are as a devoted follower of Christ, doesn’t it make sense to sell out completely to Him?  Worst case scenario, you live a long life here on earth and everyday you face opposition to your faith, you’re not invited to the booze-fest, or to the fancy social gatherings.  Try calculating what lasts longer, 100 years here on earth or eternity in Heaven, then decide where to invest your days.

Serious consideration must be made by those who want to take a casual approach to their salvation.  We believe that salvation cannot be lost which is an absolute truth from the Bible.  However, it is imperative that we KNOW that we are saved as the Bible also tells us that there will be many who cry out, Lord, Lord, and He will respond, “I never knew you”.  Here’s some help with this scenario, complete the ABC’s of salvation.  From my observation most folks quickly accept the A & B of salvation as it is easy to see where we have sinned and can admit to it.  Acknowledging and believing the Christ paid the price for our sins with His death on the cross and subsequent defeat of death through His resurrection and ascention to Heaven, takes some faith but can be nailed down in our soul.  It is the “C” of the ABC’s that will be the missing link for folks come Judgement Day as Confessing Christ as Lord of our life requires a complete submission to His control in our life.  The C can also be approached as our “Commitment” to Him, anything short of 100% means that we are operating under “Co-Lordship” in our life, Christ and self or something along those lines.  Co-Lordship isn’t an option for Christians because we were completely bought out of the slavery of sin when we accept His salvation.  If we do not turn over our life to Him, we essentially short change Him and will miss Heaven.  Be certain that your commitment is to Christ and Christ alone.

Here are some practical ways to be certain your are committed to Him.  Evaluate your life, are you producing fruit?  Are you plugged in to the church?  The church is His design and offers many ways for you to engage your spiritual gifts for the good of His Kingdom.  Understand this clearly, I am not saying you’ll earn salvation through works but that works prove out your salvation.  Christians are those who are desiring to grow into Christ’s likeness, through devoted study of His Word, engaged in communicating with Him through a robust prayer life and serving the world through the work of His local church.  He has provided all the tools necessary to enjoy a successful life here on earth and assurance of eternity with Him, take advantage of these and grow into the person He designed you to be.

Make Every Day Count

The average human lifespan is currently between 77 and 79 years.  This gives us roughly 28,500 days here on earth to become all that we can be.  Figure that by the time you finish high school you have a little under 22,000 days left.  This sounds like a huge amount of time but how many of those days, especially the ones still to come, do you want to just throw away?  I mention the days still to come, those are the ones that you can do something about.  Do not languish in “what ifs” or “I wish that I would have..”, just decide today that you will focus on making each day count toward becoming the best you that you can be.

Realistically, you will not instantly become all you can be.  That is the beauty of life’s journey.  The experiences of each day help shape us into who we are today and who we will be in the future.  The challenge of life is to not reach the end of life and realize that you didn’t become all that you were designed to be.  Therefore, it is so important to develop a plan of action, a roadmap that takes you from where you are today to achieving and surpassing the goals you have in life.  Develop your plan in three levels: Life plan, 10-year plans and 6 month plans.  Be sure that your life plan covers all aspects of who you want to be and then develop a realistic timeline to build yourself into that person.  Taking the timeline, break it down into 10-year segments and again realistically develop what you can do in each decade to fulfill your life’s purpose.  Look at the current 10-year segment and break it down into 20 segments of what you can do in the next 6 months to build the solid foundation that your life plan will be built on.  Soon you will see that each day is important and that reaching the goals in the short term will energize you to persevere through challenging times to ultimately become all you were truly designed to be.

Stephen A. Brennan says it well, “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”

Paid in Full

It is amazing to me how quickly the general public can become nonchalant about things that are simply priceless.  This Memorial Day, I turned on the morning news and the biggest concern  for the newscasters was that we would have great weather for a baseball game this afternoon.  It was much the same following the September 11 attacks when a surge of patriotism spread across the United States but within a couple of months the feelings cooled.  The effect of freedom on those who haven’t had to live without it makes it very easy to take it for granted.  Watch closely those who have lost a loved one in the defense of freedom and freedom is much more valuable to them.

In the days ahead it would be wise for us to take inventory of the many facets of freedom that shine on our life.  Each day take a moment to be thankful for each freedom you enjoy, the freedom to travel, the freedom to bear arms, the freedom to speak your opinion, the freedom to work hard and prosper, the freedom to__________, on and on.  If it takes a couple of minutes each day to be thankful for your list, stick with it because it cost many lives for us to enjoy these.  Families of these fallen heroes live each day..all day without the loved one whose life was cut short, so for us to take a couple of minutes to be thankful is really not asking much.

Our nation needs a resurgence of patriotism in order to strengthen our country.  More than simply waving a flag and wearing garments with USA all over them, we need to have a heart for our country.  Our country isn’t perfect but that shouldn’t stop us from making it the very best it can be.  Each of us need to take responsibility for our life, to be thankful for what we have and diligent to use the talents we have to improve our family, community and nation.  Together, giving our best we have for the benefit of all, we can see a stronger nation in the days ahead.  The key thing we must always remember is that there are many people who gave everything for our freedom, don’t take it for granted.

Wrapping Up the Relationship Principles of Jesus

How do we love like Jesus loves?  In our own capacity we don’t have what it takes to love everyone the perfect way that Jesus does but through His power we can come much closer.  He didn’t have to buy expensive gifts or put on a facade to express love, He loved genuinely.

During our study we picked up on some principles that make the difference.  First we make relationships a top priority by investing time and energy in them.  We should love others just as Jesus loves us, unconditionally.  We need to communicate honestly and be brave enough to allow others to communicate honestly with us.  It is imperative that we understand the danger of judging others because we will be judged in that same manner. Finally, we need to understand that when we focus on giving or serving instead of being served we help the relationship get stronger.  The very best relationship would be where both parties practice the principles listed above.

The question now is, “Will we practice the principles we have learned in order to do my part in strengthening our relationships”?  We cannot wait for others to make the first step toward a better relationship, so it is important that we get started right away.  Choose to begin now and you’ll be on your way to loving more like Jesus does.

Who Do You Love?

The Golden Rule is working us hard this week.  The world works us hard from the other direction every day, testing our resolve to be like Christ in our daily life.  Who do we love?  It’s easy to love those that are friendly, helpful, generous and watching out for our best interest.  The scripture challenges us by shining the light on the fact that even those who do not have Christ in their life will love those who love them back.  The tough thing is to love those who do you wrong.

For Christians it should be easy to get things in perspective when we truly thing of Who we did wrong.  Our sins were carried to the cross by Jesus, we did Him wrong, yet He loves us unconditionally.  When we get real with ourself and see the forgiveness He has shown us, we should be able to forgive the things that have been done against us.  Once we do, we can live a life of love and honestly pray for good and do good for those who have worked against us.  It doesn’t mean we have to be buddies or be a doormat to anyone but to love others enough to forgive them and not seek revenge.  When we have accomplished this and make it our default action when done wrong, we are much closer to the design that God has for us.

Love and forgive everyone and remember that the Model Prayer that Christ provided us states that He forgive us as we forgive those who have harmed us.  Do we want complete forgiveness?  If yes, then we need to be completely forgiving so that we can honestly love those who trespass against us.  By living out this model it will greatly expand the the number of folks that are in the category of “Who Do You Love?”