The Right Gift

I find myself praying for many of the same things on a regular basis. I obviously ask God to protect my family and to keep us focused on Him as we grow together. I pray for my extended family as well and for their physical and spiritual well-being. I talk to God about our church, the staff I get to serve with, and the community we all live in together. There are always specific people on my prayer list as well--especially those God brings across my path during the week.

As a leader, I am also always praying for wisdom, clarity, strength, and intentional focus. I see these as key personal areas and know God is the best source of these in my life. I don't think these are bad things to pray about, but it hit me this week that I should be focused on something more. Maybe the better thing for me to pray for is my character. I can ask for gifts from God, but if I don't have the right heart or level of integrity to match the rest won't matter much.

I know I have to make the right decisions to stay on that straight path, but a prayer focus asking for God's strength and help certainly can't hurt.

(Un)predictable

There is a part of me that doesn't want to be predictable. I want to be able to change my rhythm even though I have routines and certain habits that will lead those around me to know certain things about me. I like being able to surprise people based on the circumstances of a particular situation. I hope it's a sign of personal growth even though I will readily admit part of it is attributed to my stubborn nature that will make changes when I feel I am too predictable.

In spite of this, there are certain areas where I want to be positively consistent. I want there to be things about me which can be projected based on the core of who I am.

• Integrity of my character
• Love for family
• Love of God
• Dependability 
• Wisdom
• Steadfastness of spirit
• Model of generosity
• Lifestyle of grace & mercy

I don't mind changing things up now and then, but there are certain parts of my life in which I want to maintain a more predictable focus. I believe we need to determine what those solid pieces of our foundation will be and work to make them a consistent part of who we are.

Deflated Character

The current sports headline dominating the news is over the allegedly deflated footballs used by the New England Patriots in last weekend's AFC championship game. It seems to be all that the sports world is talking about as they try to determine who is at fault and whether or not the Patriots bent the rules for their own gain. Blame is flying around and journalism experts are picking apart the evidence to figure out what is going to happen next.

I understand something like this is going to make some noise, but the final score in the game was 45-7. I seriously doubt the amount of air in the footballs made a significant difference. It's fairly obvious the Patriots were the best team on the field regardless of any supposed attempts to create a competitive advantage.

This really isn't about the footballs though, but about the character of those involved. It speaks more to the integrity of a group of people and their willingness to abandon principle for the sake of success. Choosing to cheat in a small way isn't different from cheating on a larger scale. They both reveal flaws of character and a desire to cast aside integrity for personal benefit.

Man of Integrity

It takes a great deal of courage to take a stand in the face of adversity. While we may find like-minded people willing to unite with us, there still has to be a certain level of individual strength. People of integrity possess a sense of what is right and aren't willing to tolerate the suppression or perversion of those values. They are willing to take action even when they aren't surrounded by supporters. This is the true mark of character-to peacefully call attention to inequity and injustice while seeking solutions that elevate people without diminishing others.

 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man who refused to accept the status quo, but instead gave himself unselfishly for what was right. His legacy of action will continue to be an inspiration to men and women regardless of race or social class. I am grateful for his vision of unity, peace, and restoration, and pray that we will continue to strive together in pursuit of his dream. Change is possible if we will stand for what is right regardless of whether anyone else will stand with us.

May we walk in the footsteps of Dr. King as we seek a better community. Pursuing that dream of unity will reveal our character and honor the memory of the man who helped lead the charge of change.

NSFW

The four letters "NSFW (not safe for work) indicate an online item isn't acceptable to view while on the job. Attaching those four letters to a link, picture, or video is intended to provide a warning. If you see it, you should either wait until you get home to view it or at least be very careful not to get caught. I guess the premise is that something may not be tolerated on the job, but is completely fine at home. 

The bigger question for me is whether it should matter where you view it or not. I'm not suggesting that the work place should become a place of extreme tolerance. I'm making the argument that if something isn't "appropriate" for work it shouldn't be acceptable anywhere. It's a reflection of our character and what we are willing to call right and wrong instead of our present location. If we feel the need to hide something we are looking at should it be allowed to enter our mind at all? If the material is so objectionable that it may cause disruption at our job shouldn't we avoid it entirely? 

NSFW shouldn't stop us from looking at something. Our desire to have a certain level of character should have already made that decision for us.

Class Action

Isaiah Austin is a young man who played college basketball at Baylor University and had dreams of being drafted by the NBA. It was discovered through a physical exam this week that he has Marfan's syndrome and will no longer be allowed to compete in sports. Having your lifelong dream taken away from you before you had a chance to see it fulfilled would be devastating to anyone. While his situation can't be changed, NBA commissioner Adam Silver decided to do what he could in a tough situation. Commissioner Silver invited Isaiah's family to attend the NBA draft and in the middle of the first round chose to honor him by using an honorary league pick to draft him. This was a chance for Isaiah to have his name called out, to have the crowd cheer for him, and to be treated like a draft pick on stage.

Adam Silver and the NBA could have let this moment pass and no one would have thought any differently. Instead, they chose to act with tremendous class and provide the best experience possible under the circumstances. Leaders who are positive role models not only care deeply for others, but think creatively about ways to make the best of situations while doing it with integrity and class.

What's Left?

Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, "Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job 2:8-9  

Job is an iconic man of suffering from the Bible. He was blessed with livestock, children, a large home, possessions, good health, and his wife. In one quick afternoon he lost all of it except for his loving wife. Even though I have tended to be a little harsh in my assessment of her, I need to remember that she had suffered great loss as well. She and Job were now at the point where everything that had once been important to them both was gone. Mrs. Job speaks out of frustration when she wonders why her husband is clinging to his integrity.

The thought occurred to me this morning: maybe he's hanging on to his integrity because it's all that he has left. Isn't that true for all of us though? We might surround ourselves with other things and even inflate our own ego with possessions, talent, and influence. If all of those things are stripped away however, there should be something that is stable and unchanging. When everything else is removed our character should still stand strong. It's in these desperate moments when we find out if our integrity has the value we think it does.

When all of our "stuff" is gone-who are we? If we can't answer that with confident authority we might need to start working on reshaping our character.

Pathway Predicament

Those who do not conform will one day realize that the path of doing the right thing has diverged from the path of success, and then they must decide which path they will follow through life. Robert Coram

There will be moments in our life when we are faced with a crucial, character-shaping decision. It will be an opportunity to betray our values for a chance at success or the satisfaction of a base desire. In that moment we will determine whether or not we will sacrifice our character for advancement, temporary pleasure, or ill-gotten gain. The pathway we choose will reveal the depth of our integrity and what we hold to be most important. While we can eventually recover from the effects of a poor choice, the process of rebuilding our reputation can take longer than the perceived benefit of our immediate reaction.

It helps if we know the quality of person we want to become and keep our vision fixed on choosing the pathway that leads in that direction. Don't allow the moment to overwhelm the path to your preferred future.

Winning Streak

The Miami Heat had their winning streak of 27 games broken this week by the Chicago Bulls. There was a lot of hype about the potential for setting the record for the most consecutive games won and a lot less focus on the team now that it's over. The interesting thing is that unless the Heat win 16 total games once the
playoffs start, the winning streak won't matter at all. To be a champion a team has to win the right games at the right time otherwise it's merely a footnote in a season where someone else was the biggest winner.

Are we winning when it counts? Are we available for our family when they need us the most or only when it fits into our schedule? Are we stepping up to make the tough decisions or only making the easy ones? Are we taking a stand for Christ when there is opposition or just when no one else notices? All of the "wins" count, but we need to be willing to do the hard work to succeed when it really matters to the people around us.

Top Rated

It's national signing day for college football programs and the debate over which school has the best recruiting class is in full swing. Experts (both paid & amateur) have been analyzing the talents of young men and their potential impact and future success. I admit to reading the reviews of the programs and their new players (especially in regards to my beloved Gators who have either the 1st or 2nd rated class depending on who you believe.) It is a time of year that brings increased hope to some programs and lowers expectations for others.

The truth is that no games are won in the recruiting wars. Just because a young man had great stats in high school football doesn't mean that he will succeed at the next level. Opposing teams are not going to automatically forfeit just because their opposition had a higher recruiting rating either. The game must be played within the same set of rules for each team and the team with better preparation and execution will win most contests. The success these recruits have had in their past only serve as part of the preparation for the future, but don't guarantee a win alone. 

The same principle applies to leadership. Our past success does not guarantee future gain, but provides a foundation to build on. We have to continue to be diligent in our preparation, execution, and protection of our integrity to experience the victories we are working towards.

Out of the Spotlight

It's much easier to lead people from the platform than it is in the trenches. Time on the stage is always limited and focused--the spotlight is only on for a short amount of time. It's the leading that is done alongside staff members and shareholders that reveals depth of character, level of integrity, and true leadership potential. Daily interaction in positive & negative situations will highlight who a leader is when they aren't working to impress someone. It reinforces John Wooden's quote, "Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."

To be an effective, respected leader more time should be spent in the daily discipline of maintaining integrity than establishing an impressive stage presence.

Losing It

My beloved Florida Gators were beaten soundly on national television last night. With no other games being aired there was a large national audience to witness the whooping too.

There are many areas of poor play that I could point to as the cause for our embarrassing loss, but I believe that game really changed in two 15 second chunks of time. The game opened by our quarterback throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The 2nd half opened with a failed onside-kick, 30 yards in penalties, and an immediate touchdown on the next play. You could argue that this one small increment of time drastically altered the outcome of the game for both teams.

It really isn't that different for our personal lives. It doesn't take much time for a bad decision to radically effect the rest of our lives. Speaking rash, harsh words, choosing immediate pleasure over maintaining our fidelity, and destroying our integrity can all happen in a very short period of time. This has the potential to wreck our relationships, eliminate future career & financial options, and ruin our reputation and character. A lifetime of good decisions can be severely damaged by abandoning our principles in the short term. It would bode well for us to not underestimate the opportunities we have each day to do the right thing and not forfeit our future for short term gain.

What Matters

I was listening to the radio while driving in my car a couple of weeks ago and a local commercial came on. I honestly don't remember exactly what business it was advertising (car wash or car care of some kind), but I do remember two lines in particular that stuck with me.

The voice on the radio said, "Your vehicle is a reflection of who you are," and "Take care of your image."

I actually found myself laughing out loud (albeit sarcastically) and thinking to myself, "Who knew it was that easy?" Now I just need to go into debt enough to afford a fully-loaded, expensive-looking car and then spend hours each week keeping it sharp looking. No need to focus on maintaining my character, being a man of integrity, caring for those around me or spending quality time with my wife and children. I can take care of a positive image by simply having the right car.

Building and maintaining an image that is a true reflection of who we are takes hard work. It is an intentional choice to live a certain way each day and then follow through on that decision. The goal of being that person of integrity can't be obtained through a shortcut or defined by a piece of property.