walking reflection

Which Way Does Our Mirror Point?

, , , , ,

 

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

— John [4:24]

WHICH WAY DOES OUR MIRROR POINT?

One of my clients was debating about starting a partnership and was seeking an opinion. From hearing about his potential partner from my client, I told him I believed it would be a fruitful relationship. The potential partner was smart, had good experience, and would help with the initial required working capital. However, while these are great starting points, they are not the final answer. The answer lies in which way his mirror points. In other words, when you engage in a conversation, does what you say come right back to you or are your partner’s responses thought through? Will differences of opinion with this partner end up right back in your lap? Does the other person take a shared accountability for the relationship or just turn the mirror back? 

“Everything always starts out well in partnerships, but the inevitable disagreements will arise. It is this part of the partnership that determines success.”

All partnerships will have disagreements. Marriages, friendships, and business arrangements are all partnerships. Everything always starts out well in partnerships, but the inevitable disagreements will arise. It is this part of the partnership that determines success. When we have a partner who takes our input, reflects on our point of view, and responds with logical conclusions, we feel that we have a voice, even if our partner doesn’t agree with everything we say. But when our concerns are just pointed back to us, we don’t feel like we have a voice. We ask for a conversation and we get back criticism. The conversation has generally ended at the point that the mirror is turned back. The conversation becomes one of deflection, not resolution. When this happens, the truth gets buried and the trust bank gets a withdrawal. 

“When we communicate with God in the back of our minds, it is easy to be truthful.”

Jesus points this out in the Book of John. If we want to have truth in our relationships, it must come from a spirit of being truthful. When we communicate with God in the back of our minds, it is easy to be truthful. This strengthens our partnerships. Our mirror is then always pointed to ourselves. When we deflect difficult conversations back to the other person, we aren’t searching for the truth, we are searching for our way.

As my client and I discussed his potential partner’s mirroring ability, he came to the conclusion that his partner had his mirror pointed the right way. In their past, conversations had been mutual. Disagreements were resolved without getting personal. They focused on the issue and not the person. There was an interchange searching for the truth. His partner usually responded by first telling my client what he agreed with and then where he was concerned. In turn he would ask my client for his thoughts. This process would go back and forth until they reached an agreement. Both parties had a spirit of searching for the truth. Neither had a mirror of deflection.

“Any work that is meant to help others and gives glory to God has sacred value.”

Hard work is important. It is better than plans that are left undone. But hard work whose purpose is to help someone else is more meaningful. It makes our businesses stronger. Our customers will notice this subtle difference. The attitude seeps into our work and becomes the light of that work. Hard work that is done with thought of giving glory to God inspires us to not miss any detail. It makes our work more sacred. It makes us try harder. We are doing our work  in a holy manner. Any work that is meant to help others and through our efforts give glory to God has sacred value. Like John’s samples, it serves to inspire.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Who do we work for?

Do we work harder when our work is for someone else and for God? 

 

/by
mountains

Hard Work That Inspires

, , , , ,

 

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

— Matthew [5:16]

HARD WORK THAT INSPIRES

I had just completed my book proposal and sent it off to my agent. I was proud of my hard work and was sure that this was going to be an easy path. John, my agent, is a kind man and very thoughtful. But his response back was not what I had expected; he felt I had to work harder. The e-mail was enlightening and revealing. It stated: “Excellent work, but here are some sample proposals you might want to look at.” I opened up the Word files and looked at the samples. At once, I saw why mine fell short. In the samples, I saw a little more depth, a little more work, and a better product. But I had been so sure that mine was perfect. That all my hard work was the best it could be. I hadn’t considered the reader. My work didn’t inspire, it was just okay.

“They reminded me that the goal wasn’t just to work hard. It was to consider my customer and to give glory to God.”

After a few moments of self-pity, I began to think. How kind of John to send me a present. I am sure he felt I had worked hard, but the samples showed me I could work harder. The samples shed light on where I could improve. They moved me from self-pity to being inspired. They gave me confidence. They reminded me that the goal wasn’t just to work hard. It was to consider my customer and to give glory to God. Using the samples, I rewrote the proposal with a different attitude. Not an attitude to prove I was the best and could work hard, but an attitude that my work was to be complete. To remember that my job was to inform and be accurate. To remember that the work wasn’t for my glory, but for God’s. With this new attitude, I completed a second proposal. The one that eventually got accepted by my publisher.

“Jesus reminds us that when we work, our goal is to inspire others and to give glory to God. That our work is sacred.”

Today’s passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’s introductory sermon on living a faithful life. Jesus reminds us that when we work, our goal is to inspire others and to give glory to God. That our work is sacred. That our work isn’t to show how good we are, but to be a shining example for others. He wants us to be great, but with a different purpose than our thinking too highly of ourselves. We work for two reasons. The first is to inspire and help others. The second is to honor and give glory to God. I have found that when I take this attitude, my work goes smoother. It seeps into my effort. Others see that this is my goal. It makes what I do be received with acceptance.

“Any work that is meant to help others and gives glory to God has sacred value.”

Hard work is important. It is better than plans that are left undone. But hard work whose purpose is to help someone else is more meaningful. It makes our businesses stronger. Our customers will notice this subtle difference. The attitude seeps into our work and becomes the light of that work. Hard work that is done with thought of giving glory to God inspires us to not miss any detail. It makes our work more sacred. It makes us try harder. We are doing our work  in a holy manner. Any work that is meant to help others and through our efforts give glory to God has sacred value. Like John’s samples, it serves to inspire.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Who do we work for?

Do we work harder when our work is for someone else and for God? 

 

/by
Pasadena United Methodist

The Peace of Christ

, , ,

 

“Peace be with you.”

– Luke [24:36]

THE PEACE OF CHRIST

C.S. Lewis, the great English writer of the twentieth century, had spent his late teens and early twenties angry at God. As he stated, “I was angry with God for not existing.” An atheist for an extended period of time, he continually wrestled with God. He found the church boring and religion a chore. His belief was that if God existed, he would not have designed a world “so frail and faulty as we see.”

One of my favorite things about going to church is the “passing of the peace.” When we lived in Pasadena, California, we went to the Sierra Madre Methodist Church. We had selected the church because of its openness and its pastor. The pastor, Richard Lashure, was a former engineer. Rich had left the engineering world to pursue a path in ministry. Richard encouraged those attending church each week to “pass the peace”. 

“We would greet each other by saying, “Peace be with you.” It was community time.”

When it came time for the congregation to pass the peace, he would allow it to go on for many minutes. We would greet each other by saying, “Peace be with you.” It was community time. A time to reconnect with our neighbors. It was a time when, for those moments, life was settled. We were removed from the world, but with each other. When the local bishop came to our church to participate in worship, he would remark, “That is the longest and sincerest passing of the peace I have witnessed.”

“The words, “The peace of Christ be with you” symbolize our deep commitment of faith. A commitment to our Christian beliefs.”

Later in life, when we were at another church, one of the congregants would say, “The peace of Christ be with you.” Each Sunday, I sought him out just to hear him say those words. In turn, I began to say them to others. The words “The peace of Christ be with you” symbolize a deep commitment of faith. A commitment to our Christian beliefs. An affirmation of the holiness of the passing of the peace. This deeper expression extended for me a more powerful meaning to the passing of the peace.

Jesus made this statement of “Peace be with you” after he rose. He made it to a group of people who were struggling with the events of his crucifixion. They were huddled in a small house, terrified and startled. Both by the recent events and by Jesus’s sudden reappearance. With these words, their terror slowly turned to joy. Jesus had risen. The events of the previous days began to make sense. They were alive again. They felt blessed. The word began to spread. 

“The passing of the peace is not just a greeting we share at each service. It is also a blessing we share with each other. We are praying for each other. “

The passing of the peace is not just a greeting we share at each service. It is also a blessing we share with each other. We are praying for each other. We are asking God to give peace to others. We also share in the initial moments of Jesus’s post-Resurrection ministry. He no longer was, but is. We cross over the threshold of our everyday world into a world of royal priesthood. We are empowered at least for that moment to be Christians.

The peace of Christ be with you. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

How deeply we do express our peace?

How comfortable are we in expressing “Peace be with you”?

 

/by
camel crossing

Being Born from Above

, , ,

 

“Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

— John 3:3(NRSV)

BEING BORN FROM ABOVE

C.S. Lewis, the great English writer of the twentieth century, had spent his late teens and early twenties angry at God. As he stated, “I was angry with God for not existing.” An atheist for an extended period of time, he continually wrestled with God. He found the church boring and religion a chore. His belief was that if God existed, he would not have designed a world “so frail and faulty as we see.”

Lewis was a member of the Oxford University community, surrounded by people like Yeats and Tolkien. He wrote his own conversion story, where it states: “You must picture me alone in Magdelen [College, Oxford], night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him who I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted God was God, and knelt and prayed; perhaps that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.” The searching had ended. Encouraged by his friends, like Tolkien, he was changed and reborn. 

“The acceptance of God comes from something done within us through the compelling force of God.”

Nicodemus, a leader of the ruling class, came to Jesus late at night to talk about faith. As a member of the ruling class, Nicodemus went at night so that his associates wouldn’t know about the visit. Jesus changed the paradigm for Nicodemus, by talking about being born from above. What Jesus was talking about was starting over, being different, desiring to be different, and accepting God. The acceptance of God comes from something done within us through the compelling force of God. This new birth is from God, unmerited but generously given. Jesus asks us to accept it, without benefit, this new way, this committed heart. 

“Many nights during World War II, C.S Lewis spoke to the people of London on the radio to soothe their hearts, while bombs rained down.”

Both Nicodemus and C. S. Lewis went on to become strong Christians. Lewis wrote Mere Christianity and was instrumental in helping the English people during the bombing of London in World War II. Many nights during World War II, C.S Lewis spoke to the people of London on the radio to soothe their hearts, while bombs rained down. Nicodemus came out of the closet and acknowledged Jesus publically. He was at the Crucifixion and worked with Joseph of Arimathea to provide the burial tomb and spices.

“God pursues us. We fall and fail, but God’s chase is never ending.”

Life gets in the way of God, as it did with Lewis and Nicodemus.  God pursues us. We fall and fail, but God’s chase is never ending. Once we give in to our gift, we are quickly whisked to life as another being. We are still “frail and faulty,” but our lives have changed. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

How does God pursue us?

What has been our journey in faith?

Why does God love us?

 

/by
Jesus and the marketplace

Christ is Christ

, , , , ,

 

“Are you a teacher of Israel. And yet you do not understand these things?”

– John [3:10] (NRSV)

CHRIST IS CHRIST

I had just received my grades from my last semester, and one of the notes from my professor,  said, “Good luck with your fledgling ministry.” The professor knew that I was involved in marketplace ministry and he thought this was a revolutionary idea. In relating this to my wife, she quickly picked up on the professor missing the point. She stated three truths, “People need to pay their bills. They need to work to pay their bills. People want a faith life.” There it was in three simple sentences. Almost everyone has to work at some time in the marketplace. In fact, at any one point in time over half of our population is in the workforce to pay their bills. This is where people are for a good deal of their lives.

Jesus went where the people worked and it was not a “fledgling ministry.”

Jesus was a marketplace worker and minister, prior to his three-year ministry. He was a carpenter. In the early Judean marketplace, they were considered artisans’. Of the forty-nine parables, more than forty relate to the marketplace. Of his one hundred and thirty-two public appearances, well over one hundred were associated with the marketplace. His ministry was where the people worked. He dined with tax collectors, helped farmers, instructed day workers and had fisherman as his Apostles. Jesus went where the people worked and it was not a “fledgling ministry.”

Jesus came to change the way the world thought about God.

In Today’s  verse, Jesus is continuing his discussion with Nicodemus, who is still struggling with the concepts Jesus was explaining. Jesus challenged this great religious leader, by asking him how he couldn’t understand. But Nicodemus was surrounded by religious and academic leaders daily. They concocted ways of thinking about God that supported their relevance. Under this onslaught of theories and doctrine, that were designed to support the self-interest of the religious elite, Nicodemus was weakened. To maintain his position, he had to somewhat agree with the religious elite of the first century.  He had arrived to talk with Jesus late that night, under the burden of theories designed to support the existing power structure. Jesus knew Nicodemus wanted the real truth and began to instruct him on the real ways of God. This was Jesus’s purpose, not just with Nicodemus, but for all humankind. Jesus came to change the way the world thought about God. 

But the most obvious truth remains, Christ is Christ, not a theory.

The simple truth is people work to live.  Jesus knew this and that is where he ministered. None of his twelve Apostles were from the religious elite. Jesus knew where the action was and where to be. Jesus didn’t use fancy doctrine or overly complex theories. He used simple words and stories. His ministry was where God’s people worked. Jesus’s ministry wasn’t a “Fledgling Ministry.” Over the last two thousand years theologians have discussed and analyzed every facet of his existence. Many difficult to read books have been published and careers enhanced by being able to speak eloquently about Jesus. But the most obvious truth remains, Christ is Christ, not a theory.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Can we see Jesus in the marketplace?

What does the Bible tell us about who he met with?

Why did Jesus pick twelve everyday people to be His Apostles?

 

/by
Nativity Scene

Jesus, God’s Christmas Gift to Humankind

, , ,

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

– John [3:16] (NRSV)

JESUS, GOD’S CHRISTMAS GIFT TO HUMANKIND

For many of us we have seen the people holding up signs that say, “John [3:16]”. We have seen it at the World Series, at the Masters, at All Star games and on street corners. Long held as the principle statement of Jesus’s purpose. For some this message has been associated with crazy people and for some as an enduring statement of their faith. It is both a controversial and revealing statement. But many things have been missed in this statement.

“When we look at this statement with this revelation, it expands who Jesus is to us. He is God.”

Jesus is making this statement about himself. This wasn’t a pronouncement by a well-known leader or religious scholar. This verse was said by Jesus. When we look deeper into the statement, we see that the word Son is capitalized. In the Bible, we always see the word God Capitalized. In fact, any reference in the Bible that refers to God is always capitalized. Son is capitalized in this statement and Jesus is referring to himself as God. Jesus, is making a bold statement that he is God. When we look at this statement with this revelation, it expands who Jesus is to us. He is God. 

“Through Jesus, God has revealed God.”

Jesus is God. Through Jesus in human form, God is revealing God to the world. Revealing God’s values and expectations. Revealing God’s purpose and God’s purpose for humankind. A revelation that God is with all humankind. A generous gift for all humankind,  whom have been created in the image of God. A revealing of the values that God wants us to live by. A revealing of our purpose, to love God and love our neighbor. A revealing that through believing in the Son of God we will have eternal life. This revelation extends beyond just a life of eternity. It extends to a way of life that when followed provides eternal peace. It reveals a life of confidence that our lives and our purpose matter. Through Jesus, God has revealed God. 

“Jesus is God; and is God’s Christmas gift for humankind.”

This simple statement said by Jesus reveals who He was. A wonderful Christmas present for all of humankind . Many of us Christians spin off into different directions when we try to describe Jesus. We have our theories and we have our arguments. Some think he was a great teacher and he was. Some think he was the “Lamb of God” and he was. Scholars spend years describing a single aspect of Christ. Theories are developed. Jesus is all these things we labor to describe. Jesus is God; and is God’s Christmas gift for humankind. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Who is Jesus to you?

Why was God revealing God to us through Jesus?

 

/by
snow covered morning

Faith and Work

, , , ,

 

“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and by my works I will show you my faith.”

— James [2:18]

FAITH AND WORK

I love the snow. As I was getting ready to shovel for the last time the driveway of the house we had just sold, I thought about why I loved shoveling in the dark of an early morning. It is a time when I can be alone in my mind. The systematic process of shoveling snow inspires my thoughts. The stillness of the morning, surrounded by a moment of pure white. I am bundled up and warm and I know my driveway well. I know where to start and how to finish. This rhythm allows me to reflect on God. I connect the events of my life and silently both pray and am thankful. 

“I ask, is this the way Jesus would want me to do it?”

I am glad to do this task that helps my family. When they wake up, the cars are clean and they can safely go about their day. Both my parental and husbandly instincts are satisfied. I take pride in making everything just right. I work hard to do the best job. I ask, is this the way Jesus would want me to do it? And when I finish, I rest and look at my good work. I make the sign of the cross and move toward the house. My work is done. 

“Through faith we receive the grace of God. It manifests itself in our good works for others.”

Buried deep in the New Testament is this seldom read verse. We venture into the Gospels. Talk about the mighty writings of Paul. We recite and memorize the Psalms. But this little verse contains both the assurance of faith and its outcome. Through faith we receive the grace of God.  It manifests itself in our good works for others. This grace is bestowed upon us from God without merit. But with this grace and faith we work, and our works become a reflection of this faith and grace.

Over the centuries many wars have been fought over whether it is through grace that we are saved or through works. Martin Luther believed that it is only through grace. This became one of the major tenets of the great Protestant revolt. But others will say it is only from our works. However, two things are clear. We are given unmerited grace, and our faith inspires our works. 

“While none of us will always be completely faithful and none of us will always do good work, we are saved by the good work of God through grace.”

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

How strong is our faith?

How does this faith manifest itself in our work?

Are we always faithful and do we always perform good work?

What does grace mean?

 

/by
long distance running

Are We Willing to Pay the Price?

, , ,

 

“I do not understand my actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

— Romans [7:15]

ARE WE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE?

One of my clients is trying to lose a substantial amount of weight. We have been working on it for some months, with stop-and-go results. Finally, she revealed to me, “I just can’t give up the food, but I want to give up the food.” It would be easy to judge her and say “you have to” or “you are not hard enough on yourself.” But it is more complex than that. There is an underlying issue that won’t let her move forward. It is two things. First, it is the natural human condition that Paul talks about in the book of Romans. We all try to do what we should, but often fall short. Second, it is giving up control. For my client it’s about control. In everything she does she needs that feeling of being in charge. Food is a form of that. The food is hers; no one can tell her what to do with it.

“I asked her, ‘Are you willing to pay the price?”

After a long discussion, I suggested her husband start buying the groceries. That her husband be allowed to control what gets ordered and what gets brought into the house. A huge sigh came out at that suggestion. Enough to terrify her husband. I asked her, “Are you willing to pay the price?” We debated the issue for a long time. I pointed out to her that it was this sense of controlling everything that had led to her overeating. It appeared in everything she did. I also showed her this verse, which comforted her. The great apostle Paul had the same issue she had. He also didn’t do what he should. My client was amazed and strengthened to discover that her affliction was a natural human instinct. It gave her hope. She agreed to let her husband shop for their food and to live with what he bought. 

“Our natural human instinct prevents us from reaching our goals.”

Today’s verse sums up the natural human instinct of avoidance, procrastination, and the delusions and misdeeds that go with it. It is those things that prevent us from having a fuller life. Our natural human instinct prevents us from reaching our goals. It is actually the mind playing tricks on us. Telling us what we deserve. Telling us it’s okay, just this once. It tells us that we are justified, even when we know we are not. Afterward, the  results reveal the full impact of our misdeeds. And then we dive into remorsefulness. We chastise ourselves silently. We vow to never to do it again. But we do. Even Paul did. 

“Change will happen when we give up the control of a natural life.”

We want to go the extra mile. We want to be the best. We want to have faith. We want all this. But we have to pay the price. Thankfully, we have Jesus, who lives among us. Who is always with us. When we begin the cycle of doing what we don’t want to do, we should try praying, with and for Jesus. Ask for a brake on our actions. For within us we also have the spirit. When we turn from what we don’t want to do, to Jesus and the spirit of God within us, we begin getting off the merry-go-round of leading a natural life. We begin leading a life led by the spirit. Change will happen when we give up the control of a natural life. 

“Through our faith we begin to notice that we are now willing to pay the price.”

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What do we do that we don’t want to do?

What are the things we rationalize?

How do we manifest the spirit within us?

 

/by
path through the woods

The Kingdom of God is Among Us

, , , , ,

 

“The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”

— Luke [17:20]–21

]THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AMONG US

One of my clients, Bill, had been on a long search for a job. Each day he met disappointment with this search. He is skilled in his craft and has an amazing amount of insight. He would be a great person for someone to hire. But each door got shut and he was thrown into despair. He was well off, with enough to allow himself to not work. But he wanted to do something and searched every day. He prayed and asked Jesus to help him. He went on long retreats and asked Jesus to give him answers. One retreat at a Catholic center required him to be silent for three days. It was a place with little to distract him, which would allow him to be in a constant state of prayer. Where was his answer?

“His gift was of a bounty that would allow him to be whom Jesus wanted him to be.”

Bill was looking in the wrong places. His answer was right in front of him. He had been given a gift. He didn’t have to go back to the old life, and in fact he didn’t really like his old craft. He just wanted to work. His despair was centered on doing the same thing he’d done before, which he could no longer achieve. His gift was of a bounty that would allow him to be whom Jesus wanted him to be. He had freedom to go wherever he wanted. To be whoever he wanted. Letting go was causing his despair. 

“It is the spirit of God that lets us know what our gifts are.”

In today’s verse, the Apostle Paul talks about the gifts bestowed on us by God. It is the spirit of God that lets us know what our gifts are. At times we may forget them, and other times we may try other things. But knowing them becomes our purpose. Given by God and centered by God. How many of us can write a life plan that capture our gifts and fit it into seven words.  Our talents are the gifts bestowed upon us and worth writing down.

When I was working as a Fortune 500 CFO and responsible for hiring people, I used an approach called the “profile employee.” While their gifts were important, it was who they were that mattered the most. It was how well they understood themselves that counted. In review meetings the managers would say that he/she was a “profile employee.” To an employee it was the highest compliment. We didn’t care about any “ism”; we hired anyone who was positive, wanted to learn, and wanted to do “good.”

“The Kingdom of God can be found down a new path in our lives, which we don’t know. One that isn’t familiar. But that has always been among us.”

Many of us look in the same places over and over again for what we want. Those familiar places of our past. We know the path and it is comfortable. Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, but it is among us. It is here! But we cannot see it.

Our journey in life will often send us down the old familiar paths. A path we can see and trust. It is like an old friend whose every nuance we know well. The Kingdom of God can be found down a new path in our lives, which we don’t know. One that isn’t familiar. But that has always been among us. 

“He had a different purpose now. Not to be given to, but to be giving.”

Bill finally got his answer, by asking a different question: “Jesus, what do you want from me?” Not “what can you do for me?” Bill knew he had to become an inward person and not look outward so hard, because he had already found the Kingdom of God. His new job was to be among people. To help them. He had a different purpose now. Not to be given to, but to be giving. It cheered him up. It gave him value and joy to know he was helping God. His Kingdom of God was to help, and that was the way his heart was quieted. A sense of peace. Many times we look and the answer is among us.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Where are we looking?

What questions are we asking in prayer?

How do we feel the Kingdom of God?

 

/by
waves over rocks

Our Life Plan and Our Gifts from God

, , , , ,

 

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.”

— 1 Corinthians [2:12]

OUR LIFE PLAN AND OUR GIFTS FROM GOD

Sitting in Starbucks with a friend I was helping, I saw it. There it was, a perfect seven-word life plan. It said, “Be happy, continue learning, and do good.” Simple, but complex when I got to know  Richard, the man who wrote this plan for his life. Richard is a happy person, but very thoughtful. He is a person you can trust and is extraordinarily humble. He serves as crew chief for his local EMT squad. When he shows up to help you, you are in good hands. He won’t panic, and for those moments he is in control, you can trust he is with you. He does good in places where others would cringe. He knows a lot. He can perform expert activities on Excel. He knows how products flow in business. He studies a lot and has an incredible desire to learn more. 

“Be happy, continue learning, and do good.”

Richard is also unemployed. Why won’t anyone hire Richard? Simple: He is over fifty. He isn’t the  latest model. He is part of the largely ignored sector of our workforce that is considered too old. We have all kinds of “isms” for all kinds of biology. Some real and some perceived. But ageism is real. People like Richard have to work harder to find a job. When people find out their age, the phone line goes dead. Ironically, people like Richard will stay working for companies longer than the newer models. They offer experience that is time tested. They know how to tell their bosses the hard answers. In Richard’s case, many in the workforce who are younger and amazing, profess skills with Excel, but let me assure you they are not as capable with Excel as Richard.

But Richard has a life plan, and it fits him. He will continue looking for a job without bitterness. He just wants to work. He will continue to exist not being the new shiny penny. He will continue to be happy and do good. He will continue to look for a job. 

“It is the spirit of God that lets us know what our gifts are.”

In today’s verse, the Apostle Paul talks about the gifts bestowed on us by God. It is the spirit of God that lets us know what our gifts are. At times we may forget them, and other times we may try other things. But knowing them becomes our purpose. Given by God and centered by God. How many of us can write a life plan that capture our gifts and fit it into seven words.  Our talents are the gifts bestowed upon us and worth writing down.

When I was working as a Fortune 500 CFO and responsible for hiring people, I used an approach called the “profile employee.” While their gifts were important, it was who they were that mattered the most. It was how well they understood themselves that counted. In review meetings the managers would say that he/she was a “profile employee.” To an employee it was the highest compliment. We didn’t care about any “ism”; we hired anyone who was positive, wanted to learn, and wanted to do “good.”

Richard is a profile employee and I am happy helping him find a job.

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

What are the most important characteristics in a life plan?

What are our gifts?

Do we allow others to define us?

 

/by