A Heart for God

From In Touch Ministries' Life Principles Notes (www.intouch.org):

'What kind of person do you want to be? How would you like to be remembered?

• The priority of our life is our personal relationship with the Lord.

• We place our trust in the Lord when facing trials and difficulties.

• We have a strong, passionate desire to obey God.

• We demonstrate the spirit of humility.

• We demonstrate the spirit of a servant.'

Winners reflect God's heart, and influence those around them for good.

Strategies for Creating Wisdom and Purpose in Your Life

This is the final entry from the Inner Peace for Busy People book by Joan Borysenko [other entries 7/25,8/1,8,15,22]:
'

• Find meaning in your life -- it's often during the hardest times that you find a purpose that gives meaning to your days

• Get your priorities in order

[My father always taught me to do the important things first, not the urgent]

• Keep the faith! Leave the outcome up to God; He will take care of you!'

Winners find meaning in their lives, and always keep the faith!

Passing the Test

From the Jan. 26th Today God Is First devotional (www.TodayGodIsFirst.com):

'When God anoints a person, a pattern of testing appears to take place at specific times in the leader's life. God often takes each leader through four major tests to determine if that person will achieve God's ultimate call on his or her life. The person's response to these tests is the deciding factor in whether they can advance to the next level of responsibility in God's Kingdom.

Control -- Control is one of the first tests...Saul never got to the place with God in which he was a grateful recipient of God's goodness to him. Saul was a religious controller. This control led to disobedience and ultimately being rejected by God because Saul no longer was a vessel God could use.

Bitterness -- Every major character in the Bible was hurt by another person at one time or another...Every anointed leader will have a Judas experience at one time or another. God watches us to see how we will respond to this test. Will we take up an offense? Will we retaliate? It is one of the most difficult tests to pass.

Power -- Power is the opposite of servanthood...How will we use the power and influence God has entrusted to us? Do we seek to gain more power? There is a common phrase in the investment community, "He who has the gold rules." Jesus modeled the opposite. He was the ultimate servant leader.

Greed -- This is a difficult one. Money has the ability to have a great influence for either good or bad. When it is a focus in our life, it becomes a tool of destruction. When it is a by-product, it can become a great blessing. Many leaders started out well - only to be derailed once prosperity became a part of their life....

As leaders, we must be aware when we are being tested. You can be confident that each one of these tests will be thrown your way if God calls you for His purposes.'

Will you pass these tests?

Learning Makes It Happen

Another entry from the book Permission to Win by Ray Pelletier
[other entries 8/3,12,20]:

• Read. Enroll in seminars and workshops. Research on the Internet. Learning doesn't necessarily mean going back to formal schooling.

• No more excuses. You cannot let having no money or time defeat you. There is always a way to get your education if you really look hard enough.

• You are responsible to yourself to get the best education to prepare you for your dream.

Winners never stop learning.

[antoher entry from this book next week]

Follow Your Heart & Intuition

Two insights I read recently:

"The best antidote I have found is to yearn for something.
As long as you yearn, you can't congeal: there is a forward motion to yearning."

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
- Steve Jobs

Faith Does Not Panic

Sharing two insights I recently came across:

• From the study note for 1Kings 17:13-16 >> Faith is the step between promise and assurance. Miracles seem so out of reach for our feeble faith. But every miracle, large or small, begins with an act of obedience. We may not see the solution until we take the first step of faith.

• Faith does not panic, but realizes that what looks like devastating circumstances may be God's plan to bring glory to Himself by demonstrating His power. Trust God for His outcome in your situation.

God's Ways: Ordinary & Miraculous

From this weekend's In Touch devotional (www.intouch.org):

'...one of the biggest frustrations of the Christian life has to do with a lack of understanding about God's ways....

God works in both supernatural and ordinary ways, and He determines the method. Elijah ate food miraculously delivered by ravens, but his water supply from a brook was completely natural. When the water dried up, the Lord could have made more spring from the ground, but He didn't.

Sometimes God uses ordinary means to move us in a new direction. The curtailment of his water supply opened the door for Elijah's next "assignment." When the Lord withholds miraculous intervention and lets your brook dry up, He has something else planned for you.

Seeing the work of God in the miraculous is easy, but He's just as involved in the commonplace aspects of life as He is in any supernatural event. Look for His "fingerprint" in the day's mundane activities. He is there, opening and closing doors, drying up one opportunity but initiating another.'

Winners look for God to be at work in both the miraculous and the ordinary.

Strategies for Developing Compassion and Kindness

Another entry from Inner Peace for Busy People by Joan Borysenko [prior entries July 25th/Aug. 1st/8th/15th]:

• 'Build your heart intelligence
• Be a source of kindness
• Practice forgiveness
• Judge not
• Guard against gossip
• Tap in to the power of your authentic self
• Be a good listener
• Communicate honestly
• Watch those assumptions
• Spread civility
• Put love in to action'

Winners develop compassion and kindness.

(final entry from this book next week)

Success Blockers

From Tuesday's In Touch devotional (www.intouch.org):

'Scripture identifies areas that can impede achievement. These include fear, doubt, excuses, procrastination, and laziness....

First, when we experience fear - whether of failure, criticism, rejection, or anything else - our focus shifts from Jesus to the very thing we want to avoid. Such apprehension can become bondage. The antidote is to bring our focus back to the Lord.

Second, doubt is a lack of assurance that God will help us to succeed. Past failures, negative influences, and ignorance of His Word can all lead to this obstacle.

Third, excuses are an effort to make disobedience more comfortable.

Fourth, procrastination - or delaying an action that causes discomfort - also inhibits success.

Related to that is a fifth roadblock: laziness. This ungodly behavior can, for obvious reasons, prevent our achieving God's purpose.

Wise people check their "path" to identify anything that inhibits following Christ fully.'

Winners push aside roadblocks that impede success.

Mental Coaching

Continuing to share from the book Permission to Win by Ray Pelletier (other entries Aug. 3rd/12th):

'Every winner knows there is a price you have to pay for maintaining the winner's edge. You will have to put in the hours to achieve your dream.

You need to find yourself a coach. Where can you find the best coach? Look in the mirror.

If you are going to be a long-term winner, you have to access your subconscious mind and re-program it with the positive thoughts and experiences that will keep you on top!

You can re-program yourself to think you are a Winner. Here's how >>

• Do some positive reading every day.
• Take a walk and listen to a motivational tape.
• Stop hanging around people who are negative.
• Create a positive, winning environment at home.
• Winners dress like the champions they expect to be. Always maintain a well-groomed image. Looking good gives you more confidence in every aspect of your life - from facing clients or the public, to going out and entering the dating/social scene again.'

Winners take advantage of the magic of mental coaching - attitude!

(more next week from this book)

Don't Neglect Public Speaking

Adapted from the book The Management Methods of Jesus by Bob Briner:

'Jesus, of course, was a masterful public speaker. He drew large crowds everywhere he spoke. Any list of great public discourses would have to include the Sermon on the Mount. It is a classic of both poetic beauty and powerful content.

Too often people fail to use opportunities of public speaking to inspire and to inform.

Instead, they often use stale, statistically heavy speeches with no life and no fire. This is a mistake.

Don't fall into the trap of routine reading to a captive audience.

Find yourself a peer who is willing and able to honestly critique your performances. Make sure they know you want to get better, not flattered.'

Winners use opportunities of public speaking to inspire.

Manage Differently Now

Gary Hamel was one of the speakers at the recent Willow Creek Leadership Summit. Mr. Hamel is a visiting professor with the London Business School, is ranked #1 as "The World's Most Influential Business Thinker" in 2008 by the Wall Street Journal, and is called "The World's Leading Expert on Business Strategy" by Fortune magazine.

Here are some of the things he shared:

• It's no longer possible to do things the same old way
• Organizations [People] lose their relevance when their rate of internal change lags behind the rate of external change; inertia kills organizations
• The world is becoming more turbulent faster than the organization [the person] is becoming more resilient'

'4 Key Imperatives for Change:

1. Overcome the temptation to take refuge in denial [face the facts, question how you do things, listen to the renegades/dissidents]
2. Generate more strategic options - get creative! [you must diverge - a lot - before you start to converge]
3. De-construct what you already know/do - be radical! [examine everything that hasn't changed in a long time and ask whether change is necessary]
4. Remove 'top-down' power structures; the organization should be able to function without a "superstar" leader [there aren't too many Steve Jobs', Jack Welch's, Bill Gates', Warren Buffett's around]

New reality key characteristics: mobile, connected, supportive, dynamic, malleable, experimental, flat, meritocratic, vibrant'

Winners manage differently, changing as fast as the world around them.

Success God's Way

From today's In Touch devotional (www.intouch.org):

'...Contrary to society's definition - which usually involves fame, fortune, or power - true success means becoming the people God wants us to be, and reaching the goals He has set for our lives....

...the keys to success. First, it is important to find encouragement from the lives of other believers who have seen Christ's faithfulness and followed His direction.

Next, we should get rid of anything that holds us back from obeying God.

Finally, we are to persevere, even through difficult or discouraging times.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight"
- Proverbs 3:5-6

This passage answers the question - what causes some people to fail and others to achieve their goals? Relying on Jesus for guidance and strength is what enables us to succeed.

God has a wonderful plan for blessing and fulfillment in your life, and part of His plan is that you live with purpose and perseverance.'

Winners follow God's way to success.

Things I Cannot Understand

From Friday's Today God Is First devotional (www.TodayGodIsFirst.com):

'If there was any one man on earth who had reason to question God's love, it was Job. He lost his family, his health, and his wealth - all at the same time.

His friends came to his side only to question his spirituality. God had already answered the question of his integrity. Job was described in the opening verses of the book as "blameless and upright" (see Job 1:1). His calamaties were not born from sin. Job acknowledged God's right to do anything in his life until one day he could take it no longer. He questioned God's motives.

God answered Job, but not in the way he wanted to hear. God answered him with a series of questions that represents the most incredible discourse of correction by God to any human being. Three chapters later, Job realized that he had questioned the motives of the Author of the universe, the Author of love. He fell flat before his Creator and realized his total depravity.

"Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." - Job 42:3b

Have you ever questioned God's activity in your life? Have you questioned His love for you based on circumstances that came your way? The cross at Calvary answers the love question. He sent His only Son in replacement for your sin. If you were the only person on earth, He would have done the same.

His ways cannot always be understood or reconciled in our finite minds. That must be left for a future time when all will be understood. For now, entrust your life to Him completely. Embrace Him in the hard times and the good.'

Winners trust God.

Managing Your Mind

Another entry from Inner Peace for Busy People by Joan Borysenko [prior entries July 25th/Aug. 1st/8th]:

'Strategies for managing your mind:

• Make the mind your ally instead of your enemy
• Exaggerate the negative - sometimes accentuating the negative creates such a hilarious parody of the situation that it can help you change your mind even faster
• Reframe that problem - sometimes a different perspective helps
• Try power-whining
• Cultivate gratitude
• Walk with a positive attitude - body posture affects the mind
• Listen to your heart
• Meditate'

[Another entry from this book next Saturday]

Winners manage their minds.

Leadership is a Journey

David Gergen was one of the speakers at last week's Willow Creek Leadership Summit. The former White House advisor to four presidents (Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton) and current CNN political analyst, Gergen shared what he observed/learned from his wealth of unique experiences:

• Leadership is a journey; a journey that is traveled differently by every person; there is no one leader like any other
• You must learn/grow and constantly be better
• You must read; a lot!

"Not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader." - Harry Truman

• Don't confuse motion with progress; choose your specific goals and go after them tenaciously
• You've got to be honest with yourself, and willing to wrestle with yourself
• It's important to step back and reflect, even during times of crisis
• Sometimes for a leader INSPECT is as important as RESPECT
• Leaders get the best results when they have a great team; the days of the "lone ranger" are over; inspire your team!
• If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together
• Leadership = the inspiring/influencing of others
• Leadership branding is important (examples - Churchill's "V" for victory sign, Gandhi's simple plain clothes, Reagan sitting on a horse)
• In the great cacophony of communications 'noise' people listen to someone they trust
• Self-discipline is critical for leaders
• It's important to be physically fit; you need endurance to lead well
• Life balance is important for leaders

I really enjoyed this session. More info is available at www.willowcreek.com/summit, and in Mr. Gergen's book Eyewitness to Power.

I'll also share more from some of the Summit's other speakers next week.

Say "Thanks"

From the book The Management Methods of Jesus by Bob Briner:

'Golfing great Jack Nicklaus is legendary for saying thanks. This began back in the early days of his career when he would stay in private homes during tournaments. Some people still prize the note of thanks he wrote them back in those days. As he became a superstar of golf and in business, Nicklaus continued to look for ways to express his gratitude, and it has paid off in many ways for him.

You will note that Jesus always gave thanks for food before he ate. He was exceedingly thankful to his Father for the power his disciples demonstrated when he sent them out two by two. His appreciation for the demonstration of love by the woman who bathed his head with expensive oil and who washed his feet with her tears is another fine example of his gratitude.

In business, really in all of life, it is impossible to say "thank you" too many times. Do as Jesus did. Say it often.'

Winners never hesitate to express gratitude.

Work SMARTER not harder

Continuing to share from the book Permission to Win by Ray Pelletier (my first entry was Aug. 3rd):

'S.M.A.R.T.E.R >>

S in smarter means Specific. You need to set specific steps and targets for the gradual achievement of your goals.

M in smarter stands for Measurable. You need to measure your progress with concrete to-do's.

A in smarter stands for Attainable.

R stands for Realistic.

T stands for Timely. You need to see how it aids others and the planet.

E stands for Exciting. Dream like a kid, get excited about your dream like a kid.

R stands for Ready, get set, go!'

It's not working harder that counts - winners work smarter!

(more from this book next week)

The Nature of Discouragement

Sharing from today's In Touch daily devotional (www.intouch.org):

'Discouragement is a powerful, destructive force...we must recognize its harmful nature.

Understand that discouragement >>

• Is something we choose. Nobody else can make us discouraged.
• Is universal. Everybody will face periods of disappointment and discouragement from time to time.
• Can recur. Sometimes we think we've settled an issue, which later resurfaces when we least expect it.
• Can be temporary - or it can destroy our life. The choice is ours.
• Is conquerable. With the Lord's help, we can choose not to be discouraged. If we don't believe discouragement can be conquered, then we're actually saying that God doesn't want His children to have a rich and fulfilled life.

Are you stuck in the throes of discouragement? If so, it will simply be impossible to experience the peace and inner joy that God wants for His children. Let Him help you out of that lowly state: start by believing that the Father wants to lift you up and get your life back on track with Him.'

Winners recognize and guard against the harmful nature of discouragement.

A Trio of Winning Quotes

George Washington said:

'Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.'


Former Head of IBM Thomas J. Watson Sr. said:

'The outstanding leaders of every age are those who set up their own quotas and constantly exceed them.'


General H. Norman Schwarzkopf said:

'The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.'


Winners are disciplined at constantly exceeding expectations in doing the right thing.

Betrayals

Here's a deep, thought-provoking topic, from the 12/18/2008 Today God Is First Volume 1 Daily Devotional (www.TodayGodIsFirst.com):

If you're a winner, '...God has called you to bring people together and to impact other people's lives as a result of this anointing in your life....Yet there are times that no matter how righteous you are, when someone means to betray you, he will do it.

Psalm 55:12-13 >> "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend."

Loving those who betray you is "graduate-level Christianity." The religious community and one of His closest friends betrayed Jesus. Those who were closest to David betrayed him. Joseph's own family betrayed him.

Loving our enemies cannot be accomplished by mustering it up. It can only happen when we have come to a death in ourselves so that Christ can love through us. It is truly one of those acts of identifying with the cross.

If you are a winner, you can be sure God will allow you to experience betrayal. It is one of those courses in the Kingdom that may not be required until God has seen that you have successfully passed other tests. It is the most difficult and most gut wrenching of all tests.

Our natural response is to protect, retaliate, and retain unforgiveness and bitterness. Our natural response is Satan's most powerful weapon; to overcome it requires much grace from God. Ask God to build His nature in you now so that when such attacks come, you will be aware that it is a test and you will respond in righteousness.'

Winners maintain a godly response to acts of betrayal.

Your Relationship to Time

Here's a third entry from the book Inner Peace for Busy People by Joan Borysenko [first entry - see July 25; second entry - see Aug. 1]:

'Strategies for Changing Your Relationship to Time

• Understand what saving time really means >> Saving time is not a matter of anxiously packing more things into our day - not a breathless race to an exhausted finish - but of experiencing the essence of what unfolds within each moment; Relax and enjoy each task - savor life!
• Give up perfectionism - Perfectionism is actually an addiction
• Surrender your resistance - Don't let undone tasks drain you
• Learn to say 'no' - Saying no is actually part of self-care
• Live in Rhythm Time - Western culture thinks of time as linear. We are born, we walk a plank of time, and then we die. Days are linear as well. But other cultures approach time in a much gentler, more rhythmic way; there is a flexible nature
• Take time for simple pleasures
• Choose wisely: time or things
• Take time to get organized'

(I'll share more next Saturday)

Winners don't let time manage them, they manage their time wisely.

The Power of Inspiration

Inspiration = the lifting of spirits

Author, senior pastor, visionary Bill Hybels spoke about this at the 2007 Summit:

'How much does it really matter to be motivated/inspired?
BIG! A 40% differential between motivated and not motivated people.
It matters a lot.

Who's job is it to keep you motivated?
Your own! YOU are responsible for motivating yourself.

What's the best way to be inspired and to stay motivated?

• Stay crystal-clear about your mission
• Make sure you are leveraging your spiritual gifts as God has given them to you
• Make sure people on your leadership team (or your support network) are inspiring also; people will either motivate each other up or de-motivate each other down
• Read motivational and inspirational books
• Rub shoulders with exceptionally-inspiring people every so often
• Participate in exceptionally-inspiring events - it is your job to keep your life batteries charged
• Pay attention to your physical disciplines (exercise, diet) - if you do you will experience up to a 20% gain in your energy level
• Pay attention to your work environment - make it inspiring since you spend so much of your time there
• Do some inspiring recreation outside of your work world - you need this to re-create your energy
• Practice daily spiritual disciplines that keeps your spirit fresh - you are sought after by the God of the universe!'

Winners stay motivated and inspire others as well.

Powell Principles

The annual Willow Creek Leadership Summit occurs today and tomorrow, live and via satellite at 140 locations across the USA (www.willowcreek.com/summit). This year's featured speaker is former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

I've attended this fun event for the last two years and will attend this week as well. To commemorate this event I'll share both days from the 2007 Summit.

Colin Powell was one of the featured speakers of that Summit. Here are some of his 'Powell Principles' for leaders and winners:

'Necessary leadership qualities - be action-oriented, be a spark!, be a change agent, be an example, be a problem solver.

• Promote a clash of ideas, then make a decision
• Encourage a noisy system - find out what people know
• Realize that only people get things done
• Constantly probe the organization
• Reward your best performers; get rid of non-performers
• Be prepared to disappoint people & make them angry
• Check your ego at the door
• Have expectations
• Have discipline
• Have fun along the way
• Always be optimistic about the next day
• Perpetual optimism is a 'force multiplier' - it becomes infectious'

Winners convey confidence, trust, and passion.

Expectation

From the book Minute Motivators by Stan Toler:

'Great leaders are never satisfied with current levels of performance. They are relentlessly driven by possibilities and potential achievements.

The task of a leader is to show people the future. Visionary leaders have been to the mountaintop. They have seen the other side, and they can't wait to take others there.'

Winners are enthusiastic about the future.

Understanding the World Order

Adapted from the July 30th In Touch devotional [www.intouch.org]:

'...Christians have to participate in their culture's systems (John 17:11-16), which include such spheres as commerce, politics, law, religion, art, education, and science - believers keep homes, go to church, make and spend money, create objects, etc. But no matter how fulfilling those involvements are, God's children are to value the heavenly Father above all earthly pursuits (Matthew 6:33)....

...we should be aware of what's driving the world system. The Devil corrupted God's perfect order, with a goal of diverting devotion away from the Lord. Where God intended that we receive peace and contentment from obeying Him, Satan promotes the delusion of self-fulfillment.

No pleasure offered by the world system is permanent or truly rewarding. One day it will be destroyed and replaced with a kingdom devoted to God (2 Peter 3:13).

Until Christ establishes a new heaven and earth, believers must take part in this world. But we are to see it as it truly is - a place corrupted by Satan. Earthly success or pleasure can never equal the soul-satisfying kingdom that awaits us. So be sure your heart stays turned toward God.'

Winners are continually in tune with God.

Permission to Win

I discovered a very interesting book called 'Permission to Win' by Ray Pelletier. Sharing some of his great insights:

'The first step to winning is: You need to decide to win.

• Winning is acknowledging one of life's greatest truths - "It doesn't matter what happens to you, just what you DO with what happens to you!" - a winner is someone who knows how to overcome adversity.
• For most of us, the "Circle of Life" is a balance wheel with ten spokes - family, financial, educational, attitude, physical fitness, spiritual fitness, charity, goals, professional, and leisure. When you apply "permission to win" to each of those ten spokes, devoting time and attention to each, you'll achieve the balance and inner peace most winners exude.'

I'll share more from this book in future blog entries.

Winners decide today and everyday that they are winners.

Experiencing God in Your Business

Taken from the July 25th TGIF Volume 1 entry (www.TodayGodIsFirst.com):

'Hebrews 11:1 >> "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

The CEO walked into the president's office after reviewing his new marketing plan for the next year. It was a well-prepared, thoughtful plan.

"This will not do!" exclaimed the CEO. "This plan describes how you will achieve these objectives through your own planning. I am certain you can achieve these objectives through normal business operations; however, you have allowed no room for faith in your plan. Now you must determine what God wants us to trust Him to accomplish through this business. You must go beyond what you can naturally achieve." What was this CEO saying?

If you and I want to experience God in business at the practical level, we must be willing to trust Him for more than what our natural abilities can accomplish. God likes to show Himself in the midst of unlikely circumstances. This is the place that God receives the glory...

The world is looking for real faith. Perhaps you are the instrument that He wants to use to demonstrate real faith to the unbelieving business world. It will require courage, faith, and action; also, it will require risk. You may risk finances, reputation, and being misunderstood. This was the risk of all leaders in the Bible. It was a risk worth taking.

Are you willing to see God move in your business life? Ask Him what this might mean for you.'

Winners experience God in both their business and personal lives.

Taking Care of Yourself

Here's a second entry from the book Inner Peace for Busy People by Joan Borysenko [first entry - see July 25]:

'Strategies for Taking Care of Yourself

• Honor the precious person inside of you
• Keep track of your energy reserves
• Choose activities that bring you to life
• Ask for help
• Take a sabbath
• Go out into nature
• Enjoy music for peace, creativity, and healing
• Nap to awaken the genius within
• Just do it - and shed those bad habits!
• Focus on making small changes'

(More entries from this book in the coming weeks)

Winners manage and maintain self-care.