Wednesday; April 1

I have never been a big fan of April Fools Day.  Maybe it is my skeptical nature or my dislike of being made to feel foolish, but I would be okay if we just got rid of this social convention.  In all honesty, with everything that is going on around us in today’s society, I can’t imagine there will be a lot of joking and hijinks, but it is still a good day to be reminded of just how much our world needs honesty.  There is too much dishonesty in our society and that has led us to distrust too many people – especially those who hold themselves out to be leaders.  Folks, I am not trying to point out any one party, leader, business or media outlet; there is more than enough blame to go around.  We don’t need a day dedicated to playing tricks on people, we need a grassroots effort that promotes and practices truth and transparency.
After calling on some of the 1st Century Christians to move beyond their old ways of living, the Apostle Paul called on believers, “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”  (Ephesians 4:25).  Does this mean that Christians can’t play practical jokes on each other?  No, I don’t think that’s the point.  Paul’s challenge is to be known as people who treat each other with enough love to be honest and straightforward with one another – even our enemies. 
What would happen if we invested in the truth?  Not only would it bring more peace to our neighborhoods, I am sure it would bring more pleasure to the God of love.
         Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app
Read more