Recently I had an opportunity to attend a Vous Conference. It is apart of a young adults ministry known as the Rendezvous that my cousin Rich Wilkerson Jr. is the pastor of. I have attended this for a few years and I can honestly say that I never had more fun or my life more impacted than at this conference. I want to encourage you to listen to this powerful message titled, "The Bulls and The Bees." ENJOY!!!
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“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Matthew 7:12 I was doing some research about service and came across this simple yet powerful story about the idea of service. I felt it was too good not to share. A man was driving his car, when he saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road. He saw that she needed help. So he stopped his Pontiac near her Mercedes and got out. He smiled, while he was approaching her, still she was worried, as nobody had stopped for hours. Moreover, he did not look safe, as his appearance was so poor and shabby. He could see, how frightened she was, so he tried to calm her: “ I‘m here to help you, don‘t worry. My name is Bryan Anderson“. The tire was flat, so he had to crawl under the car. While changing the tire, he got dirty and his hands were hurt. When the job was done, she asked how much she owed him for his help. Bryan smiled. He said, "If you really want to pay me back, the next time you see someone, who needs help, give that person the needed assistance. And think of me.” That same evening, the lady stopped by a small cafe. That place looked dingy. Then she saw a waitress, nearly eight months pregnant and exhausted. However, the waitress had a sweet friendly smile, although she had spent on her feet the whole day. The lady wondered how someone, who has so little, can be so kind and giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. The lady had finished her meal and paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress went to get change and when she came back, the lady was gone. She left a note on the napkin: “You don‘t own me anything. Somebody once helped me, just like now I‘m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, do not let this chain of love end with you.” The waitress found four more one hundred bills under the napkin. That night the waitress came home earlier. She was thinking about the lady and the money she left. She was wondering, how the lady could know, how much she and her husband needed it? Especially now, when the baby will soon arrive, she knew, that her husband worried about that, so she was glad to tell him good news. Then she kissed him and whispered “Now everything will be all right. I love you, Bryan.” You see serving one another is powerful. It is so powerful; we have no idea the impact it will have on the person or persons we are serving. In addition, serving others has the opportunity to unlock the potential blessings on us. Although many acts of service are very challenging, because they go against our human nature, the reward in our spirit is gratifying. Having the knowledge that we have had some significance in another person life is spirit lifting. My question is, “how can you change someone’s day by serving? “ RAGGED OLD FLAG by Johnny Cash I walked through a county courthouse square, On a park bench an old man was sitting there. I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda run down." He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town." I said, "Your flagpole has leaned a little bit, And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it. He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down. "Is this the first time you've been to our little town?" I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag, But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag." "You see, we got a little hole in that flag there When Washington took it across the Delaware. And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key Sat watching it writing _Oh Say Can You See_. And it got a bad rip in New Orleans With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams." "And it almost fell at the Alamo Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through. She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill. There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg, And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag." "On Flanders Field in World War I She got a big hole from a Bertha gun. She turned blood red in World War II She hung limp and low by the time it was through. She was in Korea and Vietnam. She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam." "She waved from our ships upon the briny foam, And now they've about quit waving her back here at home. In her own good land she's been abused -- She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused." "And the government for which she stands Is scandalized throughout the land. And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin, But she's in good shape for the shape she's in. 'Cause she's been through the fire before And I believe she can take a whole lot more." "So we raise her up every morning, Take her down every night. We don't let her touch the ground And we fold her up right. On second thought I DO like to brag, 'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag." The 3rd Characteristic of Leadership from Jesus is Seek Counsel/Prayer. This idea of seeking counsel is critical to any sort of leadership. It is always better to take the lens we look through and get a different perspective. I remember when I was a freshman in college and would write a term papers and turn it in to check it off my list. However, I would always get the same comment back in big red letters from my professors, "Please have someone else proof read." As I grew as a writer, I began to understand that I would be blind to my own weakness. I believe that this is also true of us as leaders. We have a tendency to let our pride take over, rather than getting input to better strengthen us. The greatest example in Jesus is in Matthew 26:36-39. Jesus and his friends were in the Garden of Gethsemane. In mere hours Jesus would be arrested and His future uncertain. During this time His heart was frightened and he was overwhelmed. Jesus knew exactly what to do, he sought counsel through prayer. While Jesus was there, crying out to God for help, provision, and protection. Jesus understood the ultimate plan, with a heavenly perspective. It might seem to be a simple concept, but when put into action it is so powerful. I have learned that when I am uncertain about situations, whether personal or professional, prayer uncovers answers to those questions. Reason, is that when we pray and seek counsel from God, we take the lens of us off and put the lens of God on. Just like Jesus did on that night in the garden. He received peace through His time in prayer. As we seek counsel through prayer we begin to get a heavenly perspective in a earthly situation. The more we put this into practice the more we uncover this idea. Is it easy? NO. Do I always get the answer I want? NO, but I trust in the Almighty as I seek His counsel. As we seek counsel through prayer, our perspective change, our outcomes change and more importantly we change. I encourage you to try this for a few day, or maybe a week and watch what happens in your life. It doesn't need to be long eloquent prayers. Just something very simple and your life will never be the same. In life I have met many people that struggle to prioritize and create balance. I have a simple concept that could change you as well as those you lead within your team/organization. It potentially can carry over into other areas of your life if you allow it.
It is called the WIN concept. WIN stands for: What's Important Now Basically you look at the more pressing items within your team/organization. You take the major task that you must complete and you do those first. Most people look at all the work they need to do and get overwhelmed. Then they choose to do the things they are most comfortable with and easy successes. Instead, doing what is most important for maximum success within your team/organization. When you do this, you gain maximum productivity. Same is true within your personal life. When you are at home with your family and friends. Take the WIN concept and put it into action. At home choose to be home. Your family is What's Important Now. Try your best not take work home with you because your family is the most important thing. Time is valuable and you never get it back. Often within our age of technology and cell phones. We are constantly checking our phones or email making sure that we are on top of things which makes us distracted, because we get a bad email. Thus losing valuable time spent with those who are most important. Losing the balance that is much needed. From this concept, I have seen amazing growth at work with my team/organization as well as my personal life. I force myself to create a healthy balance and understand What's Important Now. When I am at home with my family, they are the most important. When I am as work with my team/organization, that is what is important. The same is true at church. This allows me to maximize my productivity within all these areas of my life, because I am refreshed and re-energized. Try your best to take the WIN concept to heart and watch how you start to WIN more with your family, team/organization and relationship with Jesus. Because you have the balance required for success!! If I were to ask you the question, Do you think that being successful leads to happiness or does happiness lead to success? For some this could be a tough question, because so much of what we do in our life is geared on how much success you have. For example, people many times are categorized by having a successful business, successful marriage, or being a successful parent. Rather than having a happy business, happy marriage or happy children. I believe that personal happiness will lead to great success. When success becomes your focal point, you will have a tendency to lose sight of what is really important in life. However, when you decide to be happy in everything you do, the success becomes more enjoyable.
This concept is very challenging, because we are so concerned about making sure that we are successful in what we do. Many times with our team/organization we press the success button, thus steamrolling those around us and pushing those we need away. When we do this we lose credibility and productivity. If we press the happiness button in our team/organization we create a environment that is enjoyable. This makes people want to be around you and increases productivity, in turn great success is reached. It is all a choice though. As a leader of a team/organization you have the opportunity to create the culture. Will it be pushing continually toward success risking being the only one that celebrates or will it be happiness, celebrating together of what you achieved!! It comes down to a choice, because you are influential!!! I suggest trying happiness and watch how fun and quick the success will come. |
Coach Corrigan
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