Questions

We have already talked about the importance of questions in helping those we lead. Now I would like to suggest a few questions that may serve that purpose. A friend of mine asked me “what is going on in your life right now that can be celebrated?” That question helped me see I had allowed myself to degenerate into a negative place. That negativity was contaminating everything I was doing. That simple shift toward a positive outlook changed everything for me from that day to this one, and I have been much more productive. For others the questions can be just as simple. What are you good at? What are you passionate about? What things have you been involved in that were surprise successes? What has your history shown you about yourself? What types of opportunities are there that seem to present themselves to you repeatedly? What resources do you need to be more effective? Who could come beside you to help you reach your goals? These are a sampling of questions that may help people in your circle of influence. Have a great day asking and watching the light come on in the eyes of your friends.

Making The Switch

There is a famous saying that could be slightly adjusted. We have been told if at first you don’t succeed try, try again. That is a good challenge to be persistent. We cannot give up because things do not immediately slide into the realms of success. However, we can take that too far and simply spend way too much time barking up the wrong tree. Some of us have a tenacious grip on some things that just are not going to work. It can be equally true that if we are not seeing success it’s time to try something else. There is no profit in clinging to a thing that is dead. Ineffective effort can also be switched to a thing that could bring more positive results. We know that there is only so much time, talent and treasure to use in a lifetime. None of us can afford to waste what we have been given because of some sort of martyr complex. Our lives were designed by the Lord be fruitful. If we are not bearing fruit it could simply mean we are occupied with the wrong things. We cannot be afraid to try new things. Have a great day taking a small step toward what is next.

Freedom

Freedom represents the potential to be. Freedom is not a guarantee to be. We have to be careful not to think our freedom causes things to fall into our laps from never never land. I have always told my kids that increased freedom increases responsibility. Good choices and habits as well as bad choices and habits are all wrapped up in that powerful word freedom. Obviously, the freedoms that we have in America do not guarantee success. Putting on paper our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness does not make it a reality in every case. We have on a higher level been granted great freedoms from our Lord and King. One such promise is "He whom the Son sets free is free indeed." God's word is absolutely true and yet we see many people in our churches that still experience bondage. For freedom to come out of the realm of theory and into the world of reality it must be embraced and operated in. Have a great day seizing an opportunity, no matter how small, to walk in your freedom!

People Are Designed To Have Power Over Things

Things were never meant to have power over people. God created everything there is and then created mankind. He instructed people to exercise dominion over everything else. We were made to be in the driver's seat. Our status comes from the fact that we are God's crowning work. We are, according to His own statement, the apple of His eye. What kind of house we live in does not raise or lower our value. What kind of car we drive does not do anything to change our standing. What type of clothing we wear is an irrelevant factor. It's advertising and warped perceptions that drive that kind of thinking. That kind of thinking then puts us in a weakened position were things actually gain more power than they were ever meant to have. We actually have the ability to be content in whatever state we find ourselves in materially. It is part of the authority we have been endowed with by our creator. Do not let the pressure to acquire things twist your mind into believing you are either more or less than who you are. When God looked at us after making us with His own hands He said we were very good. Have a great day enjoying your power over things!

Check On It!

It's not what we expect but what we check that gets done properly. Another lesson I have had the misfortune of learning the hard way. Many people are not concerned about doing things just because they are supposed to. If you are from my generation you may be familiar with a time when doing things the right way for the right reasons was much more common. It was just ingrained in us by our parents. We knew that if our hands were caught in the cookie jar there would be consequences that would not be pleasant in the least. As a result of the clear boundaries we had, we knew doing the things we were supposed to do was the best option for us. That ideal translated to school work, job performance, community conduct and virtually every area of our lives. Well, those days are gone. If something is important to you and is being done by others, you better build into it a regular system of evaluation. In today's climate once folk get the idea that they are not being monitored the quality of their work tends to go way down. Restaurants, schools, retail stores, community groups and churches have all fallen victim to this new mindset. Folk seem to be content with doing as little as they can and getting away with as much as they can. We must do more than expect quality. If we do not inspect for quality we will not likely find it in the final outcome. Have a great day checking on it!

Team Work!

A necessary question to ask is do the others on the team buy into the choice to do a particular thing? When the desire to accomplish something involves others, it needs to be owned by those participants. No matter how wonderful the idea is, if it is not appreciated by team mates it will be ineffectual. Unfortunately, I can speak on this with some experience. Your team must also become excited enough to participate to get things done. An idea will remain in the realm of good intentions until there are enough helpers that buy into what needs to be done. Until the team understands and values the dream it will never come out of dreamland. Ask God to teach you how to develop a winning team. It is not easy, but it is necessary to build anything great. We multiply our impact by the number of people we really have on our team. I'm not talking about the people who say they are on board. It is the folk who are really on board that are extremely valuable. We need to know who those people are and learn how to best work with them. Have a great day looking for, or working with your team mates

Is It Right?

Decision making is the element in life that can cause many people to live in constant misery. There are some simple things that we can do to make better choices in life. The most basic thing that will guide us to higher ground is to consider what's right. Before we think about what we want. Before we think about who will be affected. Before we worry about what is acceptable to others that will evaluate our choice. We need to ask is this thing I'm considering right? Is it right according to God's Word? Is it right according to the values that have been established in my heart by the working of the Holy Spirit? Is it right according to the promptings that are at work in my conscience? Is it consistent with the things that I have been taught by godly individuals that are close to me? If you are at the crossroads of an important decision and you know that one side of the choice violates what you know to be right, chose to go in the other direction. Making a firm determination to do what is right will change lives dramatically over time. Have a great day choosing well!