A Few Things

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 one right here is a going to be a great one!

On the spectrum of encourage, empower and equip, this Happy Friday is going to be about encouragement. I want to encourage you this morning, wherever you are. And I am not speaking of your physical location, I am talking about the condition of your heart.

Earlier this week I had a dear colleague rush into my office to tell me of a mistake that she had made. There was panic and brokenness. Tears filled her eyes. She was so upset and my heart immediately went out to her. And, it was a simple, rather insignificant, error. Have you ever been there? I know I have.

Friends, we are not called to be perfect. We are going to make mistakes. It is true that we are called to do the best we can at all times and in all situations however that does not mean perfection. You and I are human. We are going to make mistakes. We cannot live and die with each one...if so, I am going to do a whole lot of dying! :)

I just want to encourage you, and me, to do the very best we can in each and every situation. Sometimes the outcome will be what we want and sometimes it won't. All situations give us the opportunity to learn, grow and become the best we are capable of becoming. When mistakes are made, we would be wise to accept responsibility for them, look at what we can do to insure the mistake does not happen again and then go on. Just as the successes do not define us, neither do the failures. You and I, our purposes, are so much greater than a single event - and that is all that successes and failures are, they are events. On this beautiful journey called life, we are all going to make a lot of both. It is all a part of the finishing and perfecting of who we are, of what we are called to be.

I was also reminded this week of doing what we can do and not fighting for our weaknesses, what we cannot do. Have you ever noticed how often people talk about what they cannot do? Instead of doing the little bit of good they can do, they do nothing because they can't do more. It really doesn't make much sense, does it?

Here is what I believe based on the Bible which I choose to believe; you and I were created on purpose for a great purpose. We lack nothing! We were given the talents, gifts, abilities and passions we have to fulfill the purpose for which we were created. And a couple of real key points:

1. Every single life matters. God has never created an insignificant person. Everyone has something to teach the rest of us. Every single one of us has a great purpose in this life. 

2. Our purposes are all different. We don't have the same talents, gifts, abilities or purposes, thank God - literally! :) Can you imagine what this world would look like if we all had the same talents, gifts, abilities and purposes?! We would be really good at something however I have no idea what that would be! :)

Look Sweet Friends, instead of talking about what we can't do, let's simply do what we can. Whether it is time, talent or treasure, let's honor the calling on our lives by giving the best of it. Don't worry about what someone else is doing or not doing. As my Tender Warriors love to say, "Just do you!"

And finally, I want to encourage you to reflect on what you are using to fill your bucket. What are the things you are pouring into your heart, mind and spirit every day? We would be very wise to consider these things because, as Pastor Ken Whitten once said, "What is in the well always comes up in the bucket." We all want to meet the need when the need needs to be met. We all want to be great when our greatness is needed. However it is not our "wants" that will determine how we respond when we are needed. It is what we have intentionally poured into ourselves day after day that will be pulled up when the greatness that is within us is required.

I want to close with a scripture that sums this all up pretty well.

"Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won't need to compare himself with someone else. Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own. For none of us is perfect!" - Galatians 6: 4 - 5.

Be encouraged Friends! A glorious new day is here! We have never seen this one before! It is a blank canvas, completely untouched! You have the brush in your hand at this moment! You get to choose what this day will look like! You were created for this! Live your beautiful life to the best of your ability and create your masterpiece! The world needs you and all that you have to offer! :)

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 and please cherish your precious families.

Kev