Like many of us who are products of a highly individualistic culture, I used to think of my purpose as being nothing more than the fulfillment of my personal dreams and desires. When I came to understand that my relationship with Christ demanded more than this, I started looking for ways to use my talents to serve others.
Purpose isn’t static. It is in motion! Wherever God calls me, my purpose is to fulfill His desire.
Listening is the language of love. Listening creates value. Listening is a skill to learn. It’s a craft to master. It’s a gift to give. It’s a way to draw close and minister to others.
Here are three signs you may have a problem with listening:
1 – If you interrupt the person before they answer, you may have a problem with listening.
2 – If you don’t allow people to finish their sentence, you may have a problem with listening.
3 – If you’re forming a sentence and response while the other person is talking, you need a little help.
Leadership is not easy and not always fun.
My dad use to say that if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Thick skin is a must in leadership. If I can’t take shots then I can’t lead.
“There is a time in every man’s education that he arrives at the conviction that imitation is suicide. He must take himself for better or for worse.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
I think there are two simple principles that ought to guide us:
1 – Keep learning
2 – Be yourself
It’s easier to stop learning and begin copying. You are an original! Be yourself and create the future.
Aesthetics are important. Why else would a dozen chapters in Exodus be devoted to the aesthetics of the Tabernacle including the color of the curtains and the exact recipe for the incense? Pay attention to the aesthetics of your workplace and home.
