Categories
Bible Ecclesiastes

Two are Better Than One

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Today, I get to teach kids about cooperation. It’s a skill that seems antithetical to American culture and politics. But as the good word says, “Two are better than one.”

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9 (KJV)

We see it all the time such as when two churches from two culture work to make a big impact. Businesses can’t expand if only one person remains the sole employee. Healthy marriages are far more effective than a Lone Ranger.

Mavericks are limited in their effectiveness. I hope to teach kids today that they are better together than alone. And I will need some all-star teachers and helpers to do just that. We really are better together!

Categories
Bible motivation

The Crucible of Suffering

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Who wants to experience more suffering? Nobody? Me neither! Whenever anybody sets up goals, nobody but a sadist eagerly plans for suffering. Yet, it is in the crucible of suffering we can become much better than we imagined.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

Helen Keller

7.9 Billion Crucibles

As I write this, there are 7,931,373,700 billion people in the world. There will be more by the time you read this. And every one of us on this planet experiences suffering.

  • Newborns come into a cold, disorienting world
  • Toddlers impatiently suffer when their needs aren’t meant and they come face-to-face with the word, “No!”
  • Children suffer rejection on the playground
  • Teens suffer through puberty and family vacations
Cartoon about two teen girls and vacation

And adults suffer in a myriad of ways. Even the most successful person experiences suffering. We can avoid it. It is part of life.

We have scars of suffering from the past. Some we can laugh about. An old football injury, in retrospect, can be a badge of honor. When someone says, “That had to hurt!” the old linebacker can smile and weave a tall tale about that fateful night against the crosstown rival.

The Choice in Suffering

So if it is unavoidable, what choice do we have in the crucible of suffering? First of all, don’t be surprised! We all go through it. The Apostle Peter knew this very well.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12–13 (KJV)

We may suffer when doing good. And we may suffer for evil or foolish acts. We may not have a choice on whether we will suffer or not. But we do have a choice in how we react when suffering comes.

Helen Keller’s quote is so powerful when we consider the suffering she endured. She lost her sight and hearing at such an early age. Yet through the patience of a faithful teacher, and the right attitude, she made an indelible impact on millions.

We will all experience the crucible of suffering. Our choice is not whether we can avoid it. Rather, it is how we respond in the midst of our suffering. That is what develops our character!

Categories
Bible Proverbs wisdom

What is the Wise Known For?

“The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.” Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

We need a lot of wisdom these days. It seems that there are plenty of problems and very few solutions. So how do we discern wise voices from foolish ones? What is the wise known for?

“The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.”

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

In this information age, we are deluged with facts and opinions. It can be very difficult to discern truth from fiction. We need effective communication more than ever before. Yet, that appears to be in short supply.

There is no lack of hysterical voices spouting opinions that stir our emotions. Angry, offended voices are everywhere. Instead of more effective communication, we get more emotional voices.

Today’s proverb reminds me to be very careful of the voices I listen to.

  • Is it a wise voice?
  • Does the speaker show understanding?
  • Are the words based on facts or opinions?

We can do better by considering if the voices we allow into our minds are wise voices, or merely meant to inflame.

Categories
motivation

How Risky is it Really?

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My dad was an insurance guy. He was a claims adjustor and an underwriter. His job was to ascertain risk and put a number to it. In other words, he would ask, “How risky is it really?”

He would travel to a building that was going to be insured. After examining it, he would report how much of a risk the building would be to insure. Were their fire hazards? Was the foundation sound? Were there any safety issues?

He would report to the insurance company and the customer. If the client made the improvements, they would save money. But if they took no action, it could cost the client more. Perhaps the insurance company would deem the property uninsurable.

We face risks every day. However, there are instances when we create a bigger risk by doing nothing.

“There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”

 John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Risky Homework

A few years ago, I drew a cartoon about a boy that missed a homework deadline. He concluded he needed homework insurance. But the real problem is that he didn’t take the action needed to complete the assignment.

Cartoon of a boy and a teacher. The boy says, "That was due today? Seriously? I need help.Where can I get some homework insurance?"

Perhaps he was distracted by something he considered more fun. Or he may have shunned his homework because he feared the risk of getting a bad grade. Regardless, his inaction insured that he would get a bad grade on the assignment. There are many ways we indulge in self-sabotage, isn’t there?

Take Action!

Sometimes, it is risky to take action. But may we have the discernment to realize when it is riskier to take no action. I don’t know if the JFK quote was about the space program. Perhaps it was. After all, sending astronauts to the moon was a very risky endeavor. And the president cast the vision when few thought it was possible.

As a result, the rewards outweighed the risks. But we didn’t know that until a country took the risk, did we? Comfortable inaction costs us much. It is better to take a risk. The cost of reaching a goal is far better than doing nothing.

Categories
motivation

How to Keep your Interest Strong

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When we start a project, we are excited about the possibilities. Something new can give us a jolt of adrenaline and give us a new passion for the days ahead. But how do we keep our interest strong when we are in the middle of a tough, drawn-out slough?

“The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well.”

Horace Walpole

This time of year, high school seniors are well into “senioritis.” They can see that the end is in sight, but the distance between March and May feels like a million miles away. We have all been there. I was probably thinking about this when I wrote this post on postponing school for lack of interest.

Boy asking why can't school be postponed?

How do you keep your interest strong when a project takes longer than the enthusiasm it initially produced?

Focus on One Thing

In the book The ONE Thing, by Gary Keller, the author states that the reason many projects fail is that we don’t focus our energy on the one big goal that matters.

Distractions can take us off course very quickly. The tyranny of urgent matters gets in the way of the big goal that is important but doesn’t seem as urgent when the result is months out.

Focus on the one big goal and visualize what it will be like when we hit that goal.

Remember the Why

Why is this project or goal so important? What results will it bring when it is achieved? When we achieve it, how will it make us feel?

We can get bogged down in the how of a goal and lose sight of the reason we started it in the first place. In Start with Why, Simon Sinek reminds us that when we know why we are doing something, it is tremendously motivational.

Acknowledge the Messy Middle

Every long-term project has a messy middle. We get excited at the beginning and rejoice when the goal is achieved. But in the middle are many obstacles, detours, and frustrations. If it was easy, someone else would have done it already, right?

Any worthy project will have a messy middle. We can acknowledge we are there, focus on the goal and remember the why. It can get us through challenging times.

Keep Your Interest Strong!

Today may be messy. We may be distracted for a moment. But keep going! Whether we have senioritis, a cumbersome project, or a life stage that seems to drag on forever, we can keep motivated and keep moving towards a worthy goal.