You Are Incomparable

Happy Friday, Friends:

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

How is it already May 1^st?!

 

I am reading a wonderful book by Todd Mullins titled Don’t Let Doubt Take You Out: Replacing Fear and Doubt with Faith and Truth. In Chapter 4, The Comparison Game: Why nobody wins and how to stop playing, I came to a part that really stood out to me. I want to share it with all of you this morning.

 

“Anytime we compare ourselves to others – what they have or what they’ve accomplished – it can only lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. We end up undervaluing the good in our lives because it doesn’t seem as good as what others have in their lives. Comparison is more than a harmless habit; it is a corrosive force that undermines our self-worth and distorts our perception of reality. When we measure our lives against the perceived success or happiness of others, we fail to see the unique journey God has laid out for us. Instead of celebrating our own achievements and blessings, we become fixated on what we lack.”

 

Pretty powerful, isn’t it? I want to share a few more things with you and simply allow you and your Spirit to work through them.

 

Galatians 6:4-5

4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load.

 

Hebrews 12:1-3

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

Galatians 1:10

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 

“When you compare yourself to others, you either elevate them and devalue yourself or you elevate yourself and devalue them. Neither is pleasing to God.” – Unknown

“Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Oliver James

 

Friends, you are a unique, beautiful, one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Please simply become all that you were created to become and use all that you are to love, care for, and serve others. Truly, when it comes to you, there is no comparison!

 

I want to close with another excerpt from this great book. It is found in Chapter 5, When Doubt Drives You to Dependency.

“…the way you see yourself is not the way God sees you. God sees all the gifts and abilities He has put inside you. Often we focus on our flops, failures, and mistakes. We think, “How could God use me? I have messed up so badly.” But God is not worried about how much you’ve messed up; He wants you to step up and become the person He’s created you to be.”

 

Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, be kind, and stay well!

 

Kev

Responsibility and Accountability

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! This day is going to be a great one – I believe and declare this to be true!

 

Last week’s Happy Friday was about ownership and stewardship – who owns our time, talent, and treasure, and what our responsibilities are with those. While most of us like privileges, we are not so fond of responsibility and accountability. The way I explained it to my Tender Warriors when they were younger was: “Most want the privilege of being a man and the responsibility and accountability of a little boy.” Our world is full of people, and the resulting outcomes of people who live life this way.

 

This morning, I want to share excerpts from What God Does When Men Lead by Bill Peel again. This is the continuation of the excerpts I shared last week. They are in Chapter 2, Everyday Leaders.

 

2. The principle of responsibility.

 

“We are given authority and are held responsible as God’s stewards for what happens on earth, to the physical world and the people and creatures that dwell here.”

 

“Whether or not we like it, we are responsible for what God has given.”

 

“God owns everything; we’re responsible for how we treat it and what we do with it.”

 

“Owners have rights; stewards have responsibilities.”

 

“As His stewards, we are to manage His holdings well and according to His desires and purposes.”

 

“A lot of men tell me they’ve never considered that they are responsible before God as leaders for the way they deal with others. But they are, and when it comes to people, God is very clear. They belong to Him, not the leader, and they must be led according to His purposes.”

 

“As Peter reminds us, we are each responsible to use our gifts according to God’s will.”

 

“…one of our most important responsibilities is to empower the people under our authority to discover, develop, and use the abilities God has given them.”

 

3. The principle of accountability.

 

“As we’ve learned, when a leader is given responsibility, he is accountable to the one who gave it.”

 

“Each of us is a steward of everything we have been given, including our time, money, abilities, information, wisdom, relationships, and authority. And we will all give account to the rightful Owner as to how well we managed the things He has entrusted to us.”

 

“For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” – Romans 14: 10 – 12

 

“When we stand before God at His judgment seat, He won’t be interested in how difficult our wives were to love, how uncooperative our children were to parent, how difficult our boss or employees were to deal with, how obstinate the people were at church, or how corrupt a culture we had to endure. We’ll give account for what we did with what He gave us.”

 

Great stuff! Challenging and inspiring! My goal this morning was simply to make sure we all know; it is up to each one of us as to what we will now do with this information.

 

Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day, a wonderful week, please cherish your precious family, please be kind, and stay well!

 

Kev

Lord or Teacher

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

This week’s Happy Friday is simply a rhetorical question. Our Pastor asked the question during his sermon last week, and I found it challenging and thought-provoking.

 

“Is Jesus the Lord of your life or just a really good teacher?”

 

A couple of things I will offer all of us as we think about, and ultimately answer this question, for ourselves.

 

Teacher (source: usdictionary.com)

1. Teacher (noun): A person who instructs or educates others, especially in a school or formal educational setting.

2. Teacher (noun): A guide or mentor who imparts knowledge, skills, or values in informal settings or through example.

3. Teacher (noun): An individual whose occupation involves delivering lessons, facilitating learning, and evaluating students' progress.

 

The term "teacher" embodies roles of mentorship, guidance, and knowledge-sharing, spanning formal education and informal instruction. It is a versatile term that captures both the professional responsibilities and the personal influence a teacher has on learners.

 

Lord (source: merriam-webster.com)

: one having power and authority over others:

: a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due

 

Lord or teacher?

 

I also want to share a few excerpts from the exception book, What God Does When Men Lead, by Bill Peel. The excerpts come from Chapter 2, Everyday Leaders, and in the sections titled The Nature of Steward Leadership and 1. The principle of ownership.

The Nature of Steward Leadership

“By definition a steward is accountable to his master for how resources are invested. So how does this apply to us today? Since God owns all things, He is the Master; He distributes gifts and resources at His discretion. We are stewards, accountable to Him for all that we do with all that we are given.”

 

1. The principle of ownership.

“A leader has privilege, responsibility, and authority because he has been given these by his master. A steward doesn’t own; he holds in trust and uses what he has been given for the one who owns it. Arrogance and pride don’t have any wiggle room in this equation.”

 

“An organization – be it a family, company, or church – is not created for the leader, nor is it created by the leader. Everything we have comes from God. The Bible is clear, He owns it all: “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1).”

 

“Nothing, not even our very lives, belongs to us in an ultimate sense. As much as we might like to define ourselves by the size of our home, the speed of our car, or our title at work, everything we are and have is God’s. As men whom God has called to be leaders, we must be constantly aware that our time, skills, and energy, and every resource, person, and opportunity comes from God. These are not ours to use as we wish, no matter how hard we may have worked and no matter what we have contributed. We are stewards, not owners.”

 

One final time: “Is Jesus the Lord of your life or just a really good teacher?” We all answer this question every day, not through our intentions or the words we speak, but through the lives that we live.

 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, be kind, and please stay well!

 

Kev