Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new opportunity begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! I also sincerely hope that you have had a great week - personally & professionally!
Before diving into this Happy Friday, I would respectfully like to ask you to pray for those who have been impacted, and continue to be impacted, by Hurricane Dorian. Thank you.
This week I want to share a scripture with you and the profound revelation that came to me from it. 1 Corinthians 8: 10 - 12 says:
"I want to suggest that you finish what you started to do a year ago, for you were not only the first to propose the idea, but the first to begin doing something about it. Having started the ball rolling so enthusiastically, you should carry this project through to completion just as gladly, giving whatever you can out of whatever you have. Let your enthusiastic idea at the start be equaled by your realistic action now. If you are really eager to give, then it isn't important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven't."
There are two parts of that scripture that hit me profoundly:
1. "...giving whatever you can out of whatever you have."
2. "If you are really eager to give, then it isn't important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven't."
Have you ever noticed how people, including us, will fight for our inadequacies? Instead of simply giving our very best to whatever it is we are doing, we will focus on whatever parts of it we feel are lacking. Instead of just being the best person we can be, we talk about the talents, gifts or abilities we do not have. Instead of just being the best Mom or Dad we can be, we tend to focus on the lack of time we have to spend with our kids, or the amount of money we have to provide the things we think they just have to have. And yet, the scriptures quite clearly tell us to give whatever it is we have to give.
So let's talk for a moment about the Big 3.
Time - While it is true that some of us - that includes all of us at some point or another! :) - need to get our priorities in order, to align our time with the things that truly mean the most to us, the simple fact is that if we will wholeheartedly give whatever time we have to whoever is in front of us, it is enough. Instead of saying something like, "I wish I had more time with [fill in the blank]" what if we were just fully present in the time we do have? Ever been there? I have been in situations where I knew I only had a set amount of time with someone and while I am with them, instead of simply living fully present in the moment, I spend time lamenting how I wish I had more time with them. Sounds crazy even typing it! :) When the scripture tells me that God wants me to give what I have, not what I haven't, it seems to me that what it is saying is that if I will give my time fully to whatever is in front of me, He will take care of the rest, it will be enough.
Talent - We see this one all the time. We live in a world that is so used to comparing and competing that we don't simply give our best to something and then have a deep peace about the effort we have given. Isn't it interesting that nowhere in the Bible does it say to be sure you are better than everyone else or you must perform flawlessly? No, it does say to do whatever you are doing as working for the Lord, not man and give what you have. So what if we really walked that out? What if, instead of worrying that our work is not good enough, we simply did the very best be can and used those talents to love, care for and serve others? The scripture above tells us that if we do that, it is enough. Give whatever talent you have, not what you have not...
Treasure - Again, a huge one! We love to play the comparison game. There should be no comparison and this is definitely not a game! Giving - whether time, talent or treasure - is all about the heart, the condition of the heart, and not how much or how good we think whatever we are giving is. If our hearts are convicted to give money to someone or some cause, we should give in accordance to what we feel convicted to give and then have a deep peace in our spirit knowing that whatever it is we have given will fulfill its purpose.
Sweet Friends, let's stop fighting for our perceived inadequacies. It is neither right nor Biblical. You are enough! Everything filtered through a pure heart, the time you can give is enough! You are talented enough! The treasure you give is enough! Please do not believe the lies - Satan is referred to as the the Deceiver for a reason! :) You are enough! Please stop questioning your ability as a person, as a spouse/partner, as a parent, as a leader! Whoever you are and wherever you are on this beautiful day, you have everything it takes to walk your life journey. You are a blessing! Please simply be the best version of you and give whatever you have to give to love, care for and serve others!
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
Friday, September 6, 2019
Monday, September 2, 2019
Integrity
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Labor Day!
Is this Happy Friday this weeks Happy Friday or last weeks? The thought, the conviction, for it started last week however due to the craziness of life I am not writing it until the beginning of a new week! The struggle is real my Friends! :)
This week I want to talk about integrity. Usually when we talk about integrity, we say things like "do what you say, say what you do" or "your words and deeds matching." Most of the time when you look up integrity it will say things like "honesty," "being true to your word" and the like. This morning I want to take a little bit deeper dive into integrity...I want to look at the root.
Earlier this week I came across a piece on integrity that I thought was absolutely beautiful. It said:
"When something has integrity, it means that thing is undivided. It is whole. Solid. Intact. Think of the concept of structural integrity in engineering. When a building has structural integrity, it means that it can sustain and support the load for which it was designed. In the technology world, data is said to have integrity when there is no corruption in it. For something to have integrity means that all is as it is intended to be." - Rick Burgess & Andy Blanks
THIS is what I want to talk about briefly this morning - "it can sustain and support the load for which it was designed" and "all is as it is intended to be." How about me and you? How do we measure up to those standards of integrity?
In doing research on customer service, I once came across a saying that said something like, "Everyone is worried about what they are going to "do." Instead, worry about what you are going to "be." This makes so much since to me. What if, instead of worrying about all the things we are going to do, we focused our attention instead on what we are going to be? Instead of focusing on the fruit, we focused on the root? If the root is good and right, the fruit will be as well. If the root is bad however, no matter how hard we try, it will never produce good fruit consistently.
Let's bring it home to the very level of who we are, who we really are, not what we pretend to be. Within each one of us is great passion and purpose for something. The "somethings" are as vast and diverse as the number of people walking the face of the earth. And yet, sadly, many are not walking out their passions and purposes, they are not walking in integrity. Instead, they are walking out whatever someone else, or society, told them they should be. And here is where the real problem comes in, those passions and purposes, though perhaps buried beneath years of hurt, rejection and the like, will continue to cry out from the depths of our souls. They will present themselves in the form of frustration, rudeness, anger or perhaps hostility. Just like a building that lacks integrity will eventually crumble and fall, so will the person who fails to walk in their integrity.
You and I were created on purpose, for a great purpose. We are perfectly equipped to fulfill that purpose, we lack nothing. We, however, are not perfectly equipped to fulfill purposes for which we were not created. And yet, so many of us try! Instead of embracing the people we were created to be, instead of relentlessly pursuing our great talents, gifts and abilities, we foolishly try to be someone we were never created to be. Just because what we were created to be is different than what someone else was created to be, it does not mean that we are less...it just means we are different and different is beautiful! Can you imagine what this world would be like if we all had the exact same talents, gifts and abilities? Not only would it be extremely boring, it would be terribly ineffective and inefficient!
My Sweet Friends, let's stop focusing on the things we are going to say and do. Let's focus on understanding who we were created to be and then spend the rest of our lives relentlessly pursuing our greatness in those areas and tirelessly using whatever talents, gifts and abilities we have to love, care for and serve each other. Then, and only then, will we walk in our integrity! Then, and only then, will the words and actions match!
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 Labor Day, and please cherish your precious families!
Kev
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Labor Day!
Is this Happy Friday this weeks Happy Friday or last weeks? The thought, the conviction, for it started last week however due to the craziness of life I am not writing it until the beginning of a new week! The struggle is real my Friends! :)
This week I want to talk about integrity. Usually when we talk about integrity, we say things like "do what you say, say what you do" or "your words and deeds matching." Most of the time when you look up integrity it will say things like "honesty," "being true to your word" and the like. This morning I want to take a little bit deeper dive into integrity...I want to look at the root.
Earlier this week I came across a piece on integrity that I thought was absolutely beautiful. It said:
"When something has integrity, it means that thing is undivided. It is whole. Solid. Intact. Think of the concept of structural integrity in engineering. When a building has structural integrity, it means that it can sustain and support the load for which it was designed. In the technology world, data is said to have integrity when there is no corruption in it. For something to have integrity means that all is as it is intended to be." - Rick Burgess & Andy Blanks
THIS is what I want to talk about briefly this morning - "it can sustain and support the load for which it was designed" and "all is as it is intended to be." How about me and you? How do we measure up to those standards of integrity?
In doing research on customer service, I once came across a saying that said something like, "Everyone is worried about what they are going to "do." Instead, worry about what you are going to "be." This makes so much since to me. What if, instead of worrying about all the things we are going to do, we focused our attention instead on what we are going to be? Instead of focusing on the fruit, we focused on the root? If the root is good and right, the fruit will be as well. If the root is bad however, no matter how hard we try, it will never produce good fruit consistently.
Let's bring it home to the very level of who we are, who we really are, not what we pretend to be. Within each one of us is great passion and purpose for something. The "somethings" are as vast and diverse as the number of people walking the face of the earth. And yet, sadly, many are not walking out their passions and purposes, they are not walking in integrity. Instead, they are walking out whatever someone else, or society, told them they should be. And here is where the real problem comes in, those passions and purposes, though perhaps buried beneath years of hurt, rejection and the like, will continue to cry out from the depths of our souls. They will present themselves in the form of frustration, rudeness, anger or perhaps hostility. Just like a building that lacks integrity will eventually crumble and fall, so will the person who fails to walk in their integrity.
You and I were created on purpose, for a great purpose. We are perfectly equipped to fulfill that purpose, we lack nothing. We, however, are not perfectly equipped to fulfill purposes for which we were not created. And yet, so many of us try! Instead of embracing the people we were created to be, instead of relentlessly pursuing our great talents, gifts and abilities, we foolishly try to be someone we were never created to be. Just because what we were created to be is different than what someone else was created to be, it does not mean that we are less...it just means we are different and different is beautiful! Can you imagine what this world would be like if we all had the exact same talents, gifts and abilities? Not only would it be extremely boring, it would be terribly ineffective and inefficient!
My Sweet Friends, let's stop focusing on the things we are going to say and do. Let's focus on understanding who we were created to be and then spend the rest of our lives relentlessly pursuing our greatness in those areas and tirelessly using whatever talents, gifts and abilities we have to love, care for and serve each other. Then, and only then, will we walk in our integrity! Then, and only then, will the words and actions match!
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 Labor Day, and please cherish your precious families!
Kev
Friday, August 23, 2019
Just Love
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day - full of hope, opportunity and promise! - begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!
I read something, or perhaps heard a message, this week that has had me thinking all week. The funny thing is when I went back to look for it in preparation for this Happy Friday, I could not find it. Perhaps it was simply the conviction of the Holy Spirit! :) Regardless, having thought about it numerous times throughout the week, I am highly confident this message can be shared...
1 Corinthians 13: 1 - 3 says this:
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."
Are you, Sweet Friends, feeling the depth and breadth of those words? I can be the greatest orator the world has ever known; I can have more knowledge and wisdom than any other human being walking the face of the earth; I can have such great faith that I can actually move a mountain; I can appear to selflessly serve others by giving away literally everything I posses; and I can endure great hardships however if I do not have love, if I do not love others, I have gained absolutely nothing! Please let that sink in...
We live in a world that is so concerned with who is right and who is wrong. We spend an inordinate amount of time judging each other. We love - sad to use that word here! - to point out the speck of dust in anothers eyes while ignoring the 2 x 4 in our own eye. We work so hard at putting on these great facades. We strive to be better than everyone else in all our endeavors. We are so concerned with who is right and accusing others of being wrong. We have made everything into such a great competition, like somehow your success could minimize mine, that your joy could steal mine, that your peace takes mine away. And we do all these things and yet 1 Corinthians 13: 1 - 3 tells me I can accomplish everything I ever hoped and dreamed but if I do not love, I have gained nothing. What if, instead of focusing on winning, being better than every one, being right, etc., we focused as much time and energy on loving others? What would our world look like then?
The type of love that 1 Corinthians 13 talks of is referred to as agape. Here are a few references I found for us that describes what agape love is/means:
"Agape is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, 'the highest form of love, charity.'"
"it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of the circumstance."
"It goes beyond just the emotions to the extent of seeking the best for others."
* The emphasis' are 100% mine! :)
And here is a great quote that captures it pretty darn well:
"Agape has to do with the mind; it is not simply an emotion which rises unbidden in our hearts; it is a principle by which we deliberately live." - William Barclay
So agape love, the love we are called to have, is universal, unconditional, transcends and persists regardless of circumstance, goes beyond emotions and is a principle by which we deliberately live.
As you and I shift in our chairs we say something like, "But you don't know what a [fill in the blank] he/she is!!!" or "But you don't know what they have done!!!" You are right, I don't. And you don't know some of the things that others have done to me, things that have bruised and broken the deepest, most tender parts of my soul. And just like I am challenged, I challenge all of us with Luke 6: 27 - 36:
"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
At this moment I am reminded of two sayings one of our Pastor's used to throw out there when he had just delivered a zinger...kinda like I just did! :)
1. It is the Spirit that convicts, not me.
2. What part of the Bible to you believe? The part you actually walk out!
Yes Sweet Friends, I get it. It is hard...So! Very! hard! But just because it is hard doesn't mean it is not right. And just because it is hard doesn't mean we cannot do it, with God's help.
The bottom line Friends is we live in an evil, fallen, broken world that wants to tear anyone and everyone apart. We live in a world that wants to judge and assign labels. Here is the thing, if we are Christians, we are no longer of this world. We live in it however we are not a part of it. As a dear mentor used to say, "Why are you surprised by the anger, hostility, etc.?You are not playing a home game!"
A few more things I want to share and then I will wrap this up with a challenge for all of us.
"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"Love is not what you say. Love is what you do." - Unknown
That one is attributed to so many people I have no idea who actually said it first! :)
"Kindness - Loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness." - Unknown
And finally, do you remember the song, "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love"? Please let me share a couple of stanza's with you:
"And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians
By our love"
"We will work with each other
We will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride"
I need to spend more time in Children's Church! :) Did you know that last stanza was there? No wonder our kids set such a great example for us!
As for the challenge for all of us this week? Just love.
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
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day - full of hope, opportunity and promise! - begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!
I read something, or perhaps heard a message, this week that has had me thinking all week. The funny thing is when I went back to look for it in preparation for this Happy Friday, I could not find it. Perhaps it was simply the conviction of the Holy Spirit! :) Regardless, having thought about it numerous times throughout the week, I am highly confident this message can be shared...
1 Corinthians 13: 1 - 3 says this:
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."
Are you, Sweet Friends, feeling the depth and breadth of those words? I can be the greatest orator the world has ever known; I can have more knowledge and wisdom than any other human being walking the face of the earth; I can have such great faith that I can actually move a mountain; I can appear to selflessly serve others by giving away literally everything I posses; and I can endure great hardships however if I do not have love, if I do not love others, I have gained absolutely nothing! Please let that sink in...
We live in a world that is so concerned with who is right and who is wrong. We spend an inordinate amount of time judging each other. We love - sad to use that word here! - to point out the speck of dust in anothers eyes while ignoring the 2 x 4 in our own eye. We work so hard at putting on these great facades. We strive to be better than everyone else in all our endeavors. We are so concerned with who is right and accusing others of being wrong. We have made everything into such a great competition, like somehow your success could minimize mine, that your joy could steal mine, that your peace takes mine away. And we do all these things and yet 1 Corinthians 13: 1 - 3 tells me I can accomplish everything I ever hoped and dreamed but if I do not love, I have gained nothing. What if, instead of focusing on winning, being better than every one, being right, etc., we focused as much time and energy on loving others? What would our world look like then?
The type of love that 1 Corinthians 13 talks of is referred to as agape. Here are a few references I found for us that describes what agape love is/means:
"Agape is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, 'the highest form of love, charity.'"
"it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of the circumstance."
"It goes beyond just the emotions to the extent of seeking the best for others."
* The emphasis' are 100% mine! :)
And here is a great quote that captures it pretty darn well:
"Agape has to do with the mind; it is not simply an emotion which rises unbidden in our hearts; it is a principle by which we deliberately live." - William Barclay
So agape love, the love we are called to have, is universal, unconditional, transcends and persists regardless of circumstance, goes beyond emotions and is a principle by which we deliberately live.
As you and I shift in our chairs we say something like, "But you don't know what a [fill in the blank] he/she is!!!" or "But you don't know what they have done!!!" You are right, I don't. And you don't know some of the things that others have done to me, things that have bruised and broken the deepest, most tender parts of my soul. And just like I am challenged, I challenge all of us with Luke 6: 27 - 36:
"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
At this moment I am reminded of two sayings one of our Pastor's used to throw out there when he had just delivered a zinger...kinda like I just did! :)
1. It is the Spirit that convicts, not me.
2. What part of the Bible to you believe? The part you actually walk out!
Yes Sweet Friends, I get it. It is hard...So! Very! hard! But just because it is hard doesn't mean it is not right. And just because it is hard doesn't mean we cannot do it, with God's help.
The bottom line Friends is we live in an evil, fallen, broken world that wants to tear anyone and everyone apart. We live in a world that wants to judge and assign labels. Here is the thing, if we are Christians, we are no longer of this world. We live in it however we are not a part of it. As a dear mentor used to say, "Why are you surprised by the anger, hostility, etc.?You are not playing a home game!"
A few more things I want to share and then I will wrap this up with a challenge for all of us.
"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"Love is not what you say. Love is what you do." - Unknown
That one is attributed to so many people I have no idea who actually said it first! :)
"Kindness - Loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness." - Unknown
And finally, do you remember the song, "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love"? Please let me share a couple of stanza's with you:
"And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians
By our love"
"We will work with each other
We will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride"
I need to spend more time in Children's Church! :) Did you know that last stanza was there? No wonder our kids set such a great example for us!
As for the challenge for all of us this week? Just love.
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
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