Sunday, February 21, 2010

What's in Your Closet?


I'm not a devotee of Tiger Woods, but the recent exposing and confessions of Golf's most elite player certainly should prove a lesson for us all- and not about amassing fame, fortune or female acquaintances either.

We had placed this man- and many others- on a pedestal, somewhere above failure. He had become the epitome of what we thought a gifted superstar should be. But alas, he was found to be just as human and subject to the guiles of sin as the rest of us.

So let's consider a few thoughts in light of human frailties.

First, regardless of accolades, absolutely no one is out of reach of the temptations of sin. The Bible tells us, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We live in a world contaminated with the effects of a spiritual outlaw. Satan despises humanity and is relentless with his pernicious efforts. Guard your life carefully- temptation is lurking in the shadows.

Second, it's critical we deal with sin quickly and honestly. The ultimate effect of concealed sin is destruction. Truth is, we'll never hide it from ourselves or God, anyway. Try holding burning coals in your lap and not get burned. We can't! God has promised to forgive our sin when confessed from a repentant heart. Let's not kid ourselves with feeble attempts at hiding our wrongdoing behind a closet. Eventually, someones going to open the door and find out.

With the unescapable truth that we're all going to fall at some point, are we hopelessly doomed to a life harassed by sin? Remember that even Jesus Christ was tempted; but, unlike the rest of us, he never once fell short of the title of Champion. He was and always will be the only one ever to emerge from temptation sinless (Hebrews 4:15). The good news is, because of his accomplishments, we're offered the right to stand along side him free from the dominance of sin. We must however, be honest with ourselves and with him. We must learn to trust him.

Has sin left you hopeless? Are you struggling with sin? There is a way out! Write us today for more info.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Passion...


Martin Luther had a desire. Hitler had a desire. Mao Tse-tung had a desire. Walt Disney had a desire. Erik Weihenmeyer had a desire. The list is endless, but the results are the same. Each of their achievements speaks for itself. Each started with a desire- good or bad.

It was passion however, that drove each to pursue their desires to the extent that they did. Passion became the fuel of their desire. Desire points the way, but passion carries a person beyond mediocrity, beyond adversity to achieve the extraordinary.

I remember meeting a gentleman several years ago who raised pigeons. He raised this unique breed for the sole purpose of competing. They were raised and trained to be taken, eventually, several hundred miles from their home and then released! These incredible birds knew exactly where they were headed and amazingly, knew the way to get there. You talk about having GPS! Of course, the purpose was to see who's pigeons arrived "home" first.

We too, need clear direction- a desire. But it will take more than just a desire. It took those pigeons a couple days to get to their destination. I suppose they could have settled down at any spot along their journey, but they'd been bred and trained to finish their race. Getting home was now "in them"- it had become instinctive. They weren't about to be detoured. We too, will need something extra to get us to our destination; and the more grand the desire the greater the need. That something will need to be passion! But how does one get passion?

Passion is a "heart-thing". It's a drive that originates from inside. In essence, you build your desire within before you ever attempt to start. Passion can however, be cultivated. By reading and studying what it is you want to accomplish you build an inner image. Spend time observing others who have thought or who think similarly. Train and practise whatever it is you want to accomplish. Eventually, passion will begin to push you beyond just imagining and drive you to the point of acting. That's when passion becomes the fuel of your desire.

So let the fire begin. But a word of caution: Once the fires of passion begin to burn, they can become difficult to put out!

Is there something you feel passionate about?

Saturday, February 6, 2010

The Power of Positive


Looking for a way to supercharge an individual on your team or even your entire team? Among other suggestions, one of the simplest yet most often overlooked ways is by offering words of encouragement regularly. Encouragement provides fuel for the soul. It nutures and stimulates positive performance.

"Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul,", says leadership and motivational speaker and author John Maxwell, "Everyone needs it and they perform better when they get it".

Without trying to oversimplify, positive comments promote positive results; negative comments invoke negative responses. It's a knee-jerk reaction. When I speak critically to someone, it's human nature for them to feel immediately defensive- even if they know they're in error. Conversely, as I offer positive comments, that same person can feel inspired to press on even if adjustments might still be necessary. This doesn't mean we throw around flowery words at the expense of being honest. That's manipulative. There's no quicker way to jeopardize ones credibility than with disingenuous comments.

To quote Proverbs 16:24, Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweeeeet to the soul and health to the bones (emphasis added!).

Sincere words of encouragement demonstrate ones own personal confidence, the same confidence you want your team to carry. However, a leader who is insecure can have difficulty helping others feel confident. John Maxwell continues, "Good leaders liberally hand out encouragement. It cost little to affirm others ,yet pays great dividends".

Here are just a couple of suggestions to help you become a better encourager:

1. In spite of what you may know about someone, make it a habit to identify something positive and mention that first.
2. Maintain reasonable expectations. No one is perfect, not even you!
3. Whether anyone else does, find reasons and the means to encourage yourself.

Does offering encouragement come easy for you? Do you think others see you as motivational?