Tag: Work

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Watch One, Do One, Teach One

Do what is right

Watch one, Do One, Teach One. One of the things I have learned in life is that original ideas come about once every one hundred years. Almost every new and innovative idea is a remake of a previous idea. Ányos Jedlik invented the electric car in 1928. We take something other people have already thought of, add our spin, and call it new. The idea behind watch one, do one, teach one is not new. It is biblical in that Jesus used this process to mature His disciples.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin.

Watch One

Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus was the consummate teacher. Reading, listening, and praying are the signs of a lifelong Christian learner. Jesus spent much time teaching the disciples the wisdom He wanted them to use when He sent them into the world. It was not learning for the sake of learning. He did not want them to be great Tanakh scholars; He wanted them equipped for the work ahead of them.

Do One

Matthew 10:5-8, “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Then Jesus asked them to do. He sent them out into the world to mimic what they had learned. They returned to Him to get instruction and advice. Jesus wanted them fully prepared to advance His Kingdom once He was gone.

Teach One

Matthew 28:18-20: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'”

Then Jesus commanded them to teach others what they had learned. Jesus watched His teaching go viral through His disciples. The best and fastest way to expand your message is to engage others in spreading that message.

What About Us

“I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.” – Confucius

As of 2024, there are approximately 2.6 billion Christians worldwide. That is quite a multiplier; twelve have grown into 2.6 billion. I don’t think I am going to have that impact. But I believe I will have an impact if I follow Jesus’ formula. It doesn’t make a difference what plan God has for your life; this formula applies. Wherever your passion, gifting, resources, or experience leads you, be a constant learner, do what you have learned, and then teach others.

James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

The idea behind Watch One, Do One, Teach One is pragmatic. Requiring the learner to do before they are allowed to teach means that the learner must have experienced life lessons from the learning before passing the knowledge to others. Do not skip over this phase. Doing infuses credibility into the audience when teaching. The teaching goes from theoretical to real life. Many spend their lives learning and trying to pass it on as teaching when we have never lived it. That is the definition of a hypocrite. To have an impact, you must live what you teach.

Romans 2:20-24, “An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

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Work as an Identity in the New Year

As we move into yet another year, the first question we should contemplate is where work as an identity fits into my New Year’s resolutions.  Keep in mind that the first act in human history is God working.  God was working before creation.  Genesis One describes a God that is continually working.  God is always moving; He is always doing something.  Work is a declaration of God’s identity.  Our identity is grounded in God’s identity, which is that of a working God.  So, what should we resolve to do in the new year regarding work?

Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

“To the degree that we embrace the truth that our identity is not rooted in our success, power, or popularity, but in God’s infinite love, to that degree can we let go of our need to judge.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Here and Now: Living in the Spirit

REST

If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.

Before we can resolve how much to do, we must understand how much we can rest from doing.  Rest is not the act of doing nothing; it is the rejuvenation of our soul so that we can continue to work; resting in work, not from work; rest is the natural extension of work.  To live in synchronicity with God is to rest.  There is dignity in all work; all work is dignified in the eyes of God.  Rest is not the equivalent of doing nothing.

Genesis 2:2, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

God rested from the work of creating.  Rest can be listening, seeing, thinking, or praying; all can be acts of worship if centered on God.  Resting can be mowing the lawn if that is your way of relaxing.  Resting can be any activity that brings you closer to God.

You can mistake adrenaline for the power of the spirit.  If there is no rest, there is no sustainable productivity.  Set aside a day every week where you let God guide your activities.  Spend time living with God, not just for God.

AMBITION

I am excellent not because of who I compete against but because of who I work for.

Another characteristic we must understand about ourselves is ambition.  How much and what kind of ambition should I have?  Ambition is an attribute of God’s identity.  In Genesis, God said it was very good.  He was impressed with His own creation.  He recognized a job well done.

Genesis 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:25, "And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1: 31, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good"

Do we believe that our work matters because we matter, or is it the other way around; we matter only if our work matters.  Our satisfaction does not come from the work we are assigned, but the fact that we matter is why God gave us work to do.  In everything we do, physical work, thinking, reading, or listening, we are to glorify God in the way we do it.  Work is a resource for us to demonstrate who God is.  We are flawed stewards, not proprietors.  Everything we have is God’s, given to us to manage, not to possess.  Our work is a resource God gives us to manage, not own.  Our ambition should be centered on doing a job well because it is an attribute of who we are in Christ, not because it gets us ahead in the world.

Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Nothing defames God more than a lazy Christian at work.  Your work is a gift from God to expand His kingdom here on Earth.  Not doing your best demonstrates to others a lazy God who does not value work.

BOREDOM

Discipline is the pathway to freedom.

Boredom, under-challenged or misplaced priorities, leads to arrogance and despair.  Burnout is not a function of overwork but a function of how we work; where do we find our identity?  Our identity in Christ is about putting our emotions between the banks of the river.  Because what we are doing amplifies God’s blessings in our life, not our worldly identity, we need to get up from self-introspection, put God’s plan for our life in gear, and think about our concept of identity later.  We can not let the world’s view of success interfere with God’s plan.  Burnout may be a manifestation of being misaligned with God’s plan for your life.  It is not the work itself but the nature of the work.

Ephesians 5:15-16, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."

Trying to satisfy the world’s hunger for success is not sustainable; if what God gave you is not enough, or if God Himself is not enough, then nothing is enough.

Who is your boss?  To whom are you responsible?  Who are you afraid of disappointing?

WE ARE NEVER NOT REPRESENTING JESUS

Accountability, Attitude, and Responsibility belong to us.  We never are not representing Jesus.  We own excellence.  Our attitude is not determined by our work context but by who we serve.  We are the salt of the world, and we are the light of the world;  we are not becoming salt and light; we are.  The way we work is an expression of who we are in Christ.

If we allow our success to go to our head because we identify with the work we do, not who we serve, we will constantly be dealing with exhaustion, depression, and a lack of self-worth.  Everything comes from God for use to glorify Him.

In 2024, resolve to reflect who you are in Christ.

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, "There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor.  This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.  "
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Godliness with Contentment

King Solomon was not only favored by God; he was considered one of the wisest men ever to walk the earth.  He made this statement:

Ecclesiastes 9:11, “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”

We all struggle with insecurity.  That insecurity can be job security, basic provisions, self-worth, or purpose.  We live in a marketing-driven world that demands that we strive for perfection.  We are continually comparing ourselves to others.  It is not always vanity that drives us; sometimes, it is pure competition, the need to matter,  or the need to stand out in a noisy world.

Galatians 6:4, “Each one should test their own actions.  Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”

When I think about what Solomon said, I sometimes go to Hugh Heffner.  That is right, Mr. Playboy.  Hugh Heffner lived a bohemian lifestyle, devoid of a moral foundation by almost any standard.  He promoted a completely hedonistic lifestyle, not just for himself but also for everyone; He carried the banner for Godlessness, yet he was a multi-millionaire.  The Playboy Enterprise was called an Empire.  What killed his business model was their success.  Pornography has become so widespread and accessible; Playboy could no longer make money.

If the measure of Godliness is worldly wealth and fame, why do the Hugh Heffner’s exist?  Just as Job’s friends tried to explain, we should be able to look at the material value of a person and see their Godliness.  But it doesn’t work that way.

 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “But Godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

King Solomon reminds us that we are not in control of our future.  We can do everything right, and it still can go wrong.  We can watch others do everything wrong and prosper.  Timothy tells us to be content with whatever happens.  He reminds us that we should seek Godliness with contentment.

Romans 14:17, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

As Christians, our purpose in life is to know God and bring Him glory.  Therefore, we should first seek His glory and be content with the outcome in everything.  Larry Crabb talks about making the first things first.  He warns us about putting worldly issues in front of God’s glory.  He states, “The forces of darkness value blessings; they call them life, they feel entitled to them, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get them.”

Augustine said, “There can be only two basic loves, the love of God -unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self-unto the forgetfulness of God.”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Do our words and deeds glorify God, or do they glorify ourselves?  If we live a life focused on praising God, are we content with the outcome?  God knows what we need as aliens on the earth.  He understands the environment in which we live.  He wants us to live a life that is attractive to others so that we can share the Gospel.  Therefore, everything we have or experience should glorify His name to attract non-believers to the contentment within us.

We should use the gifts that God gave us in the environment that He has put us in to succeed in what He has set before us.  But we do this for His glory, not ours.  We are working for Him, not for our gratification.

Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

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Greatness

Greatness: noun: the quality or state of being important, notable, or distinguished: The goal of greatness is to inspire others to achieve excellence by taking risks, working hard, and pushing their limits.

We all want to be the hero of our own story. This desire does not make us arrogant, narcissistic, or self-absorbed; it makes us human. In many, this desire drives over achievement. In others, it creates a vacuum that they fear they will never fill. God has created each one of us to be great, to be greater than great. God has created each of us to be unique and treasured in all the universe.

Most of us never live up to our potential. For most it is because we set our goals too low. We look around our environment to determine our potential. We seldom look to our maker. We seldom look at our impact from an eternal prospective. We can’t visualize the ripple effect of our actions that send waves to the horizon and beyond. We are here, we produce and we are gone. Maybe we leave a little something for our children, but that is the extend of our vision.

Ephesians 1:11, “In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”

He works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. You must answer two fundamental questions before you can achieve His greatness. They are WHY and HOW. Most people start with the HOW because it is more objective. But without knowing the WHY, the HOW is almost irrelevant.

Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.”

God created each of us with a unique set of attributes; aptitude, passion, intelligence, skills, personality, and drive for Himself. No two of us are precisely the same. This stew of attributes is what God designed so that each of us could achieve His specific plan for our lives. If we choose to live a life that does not align with God’s plan, we will never achieve contentment no matter how worldly successful we become. We will not live to the fullness of His purpose.

John  15:11, “I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Before we start out investing in resources to achieve greatness, we need to assess our goal; is it mine or God’s? I can achieve worldly success outside of God’s plan for me, but I cannot achieve true greatness. I will always feel it is the next “thing” that is missing and will bring me that contentment, that ounce of joy.

John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who remains in Me  – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from Me you can accomplish nothing.”

A CAUTIONARY TALE

I have a friend who has spent the a significant part of their adult life being good at something; it’s been their chosen profession. The profession pays well. They came to this profession by looking at the job market and determining where the demand was today and which vocation had future growth potential. They then set out to be very good at what they do; God gave them this personality trait. They have been rewarded handsomely for their effort.

Now they are at the tail end of their career and are counting the days until they can quit. It is not that they hate their job, they feel blessed that it has supported their family for so long. They don’t love it; it’s just a job. It’s what you do, you work for a living. If they had just a bit more money, they could retire happy; they could finally do what they always wanted to do. They would be free.

Throughout their successful career, they have never experience contentment. They have met great people, had great experiences and had fun at times. But, they have never known what it feels like to be in the center of God’s will. Why didn’t they chase God’s plan in their life all along? They didn’t pursue their God-given passion because the HOW got in the way of the WHY. As time went on, what my friend was doing grew in monetary rewards so that they didn’t know how to transition from what they relied upon to what they loved. They kept doing what they were doing, building more skills around it, and eventually trapped themselves in a life less rewarding. Now they have lived the better part of their life waiting for this phase to end so that they can try again to be content.

Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.”

They do have an extraordinary skill that they have ignored. It is something my friend loves to do but doesn’t have time for doing it. Why? Their job keeps getting in the way. They have always passed it off as a hobby or non-profit passion. They never really looked at its monetary value because they would have done it for free if they could.

I know their story. I see the number of times they went without food or worried about the rent because they were starting their career. I know the times they did side jobs to make ends meet. They did all of this for something they don’t even like doing. They are good at it; over time, they have become proficient at it, and people are willing to pay them to do it; but it has never truly made them happy.

Don’t spend your entire life with the taste of bitter grapes in your mouth.

Hebrews 13:5, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He, Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

How do you think their lives might be different if they had applied that same grit to chase their passion? Do you think they might be good at it, might be proficient at it, and maybe, just maybe, people would pay them to do it?

PAYDAY

Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.”

We know from The Book of Ester that God’s will is unstoppable; if we don’t do it, He will raise someone else to take our place. Do you think that maybe today, my friend would still be counting the days until they can quit if they were living according to God’s will? Or, do you think my friend might be mentoring others so that those people could experience the same contentment my friend would have experienced?

Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

I assure you that you can monetize any skill, to varying degrees, of course. If what you are chasing is within God’s plan, He will not let you fail. He will always make sure to meet our needs. There might be a few terrifying times, God will test your resolve, but you will make it through those times. People will seek you out because of the joy and passion you bring to what you do.

What will be your legacy, will it be worldly possessions that will fade or wisdom passed from generation to generation?

John 4:13-17, “Some of you say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money.” Listen, think about this: You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Your life is like a fog. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away. So you should say, “If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.” But now you are proud and boast about yourself. All such boasting is wrong. If you fail to do what you know is right, you are sinning.”

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Impossible to Unbelievable

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God wants to take you from the mundane to the impossible to the unbelievable.

I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. I kidded about a GED being our diploma and an actual High School diploma being an advanced degree. There wasn’t and still isn’t much opportunity in small-town America. It seems like the only path to real success is either being born into the family business or starting one. I was a kid like everyone else in my class; my future wasn’t bleak; it was confining.

Somewhere along the line, I started to understand that impossible was just a word. It wasn’t because I looked at the impossible as something to be done, as it was that I looked at my past and saw that I had done things that I would have thought impossible; the impossible became unbelievable.

Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I was the kind of kid that people would say; he might get out of High School, but he will never get accepted into college. If he does somehow get accepted, he doesn’t have the tenacity or ability to graduate. Graduate School, not a chance he could get in. I was average, and dreams were bigger than me. I looked at these achievements as impossible, but other people had done it, why not me?

FULTON’s FOLLY

The great thing about chasing the impossible is there is no shame in failure; it is almost expected. In the early 1800s, there was a painter named Robert Fulton. Robert studied art in Paris and London but wasn’t successful in getting commissions to paint. He married the daughter of the American Ambassador to France, Robert Livingston. Mr. Livingston had seen one of Mr. Fulton’s drawings of a submarine and suggested that he go into the business of designing steamboats.  Robert Fulton then had a vision of building a steamboat that would carry passengers up and down the Hudson River. The problem was that no one had ever done that; it was impossible. Steamboats were dangerous and unstable; they were in the realm of hobbies and toys. They had novelty value and nothing more. Fulton had not invented the steamboat; he would be the first person to make it commercially viable.

On August 17, 1807, the Fulton steamboat the Clermont made history. The small, snub-nosed boat made the 150-mile run from New York City to Albany in 32 hours. Regular passenger service was inaugurated, and a new era in water transportation began.

Robert Fulton’s great quest is now known historically as Fulton’s Folly. How would you like to fail on a scale so large that your name becomes a historic by-word? But his name is not a historic by-word because of his many failures; it was his one great success; the impossible became unbelievable. Robert Fulton went from a failed artist to the father of water transportation.

DREAMS AND VISIONS

Dreams are things you see in your sleep and dissipate like the morning fog once you arise. Visions are those haunting thoughts that won’t let sleep come quick enough.  Visions are ideas do delicious; you can’t stop thinking about them. Visions are not always impossible, but many seem that way. To change a vision to reality, you need resources, time, and chance. Visions of greatness start as impossibilities. They are long shots beyond our reach. There is so much that has to go right and so little that needs to go wrong that the prize is scarcely worth the effort.

2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

THE POSSIBLE

Well, I did graduate from college, then I did it again, then I graduated from graduate school. I didn’t get to go to Frat parties or throw a Frisbee across the quad; I worked nights as an Orthopedic Technician in Surgery at a trauma center.  I did it because I had this vision in my head that said this was the direction I was to go. God had a plan for me before I knew what life was about. As a result, I ran companies and built companies; I traveled all over the world. Impossible was a thing I hadn’t done yet. I have never done anything that has never been done before me; I have only done things that I thought I could never do. Now I look back at my life and shake my head; unbelievable. If my sixteen years old self could see me now, what would they think?

Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and replied, ‘This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.”’

All things are possible to those that believe. God made each of us amazing creatures, capable of accomplishing almost anything to which we set our minds. The major constraint before us is not an opportunity, or resources, or chance; it is the will to live the life God created us to live. Something is impossible until you do it, then it becomes unbelievable. I am always amazed at things that I would never have expected I could do that seem mundane once I have done them; mountains do not look as tall from the top as they do from the bottom.

Stop fearing the impossible and start chasing the unbelievable. Become the person that people say, “If they say they are going to do it, it might be unbelievable, but not impossible.” Be the person God made you be.

Matthew 17:20, “And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible to you.”

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A Quick Thought for 2021

1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”

Teddy Roosevelt, April 23, 1910, Sorbonne in Paris  

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

May 2021 be filled with visions of greatness followed by the efforts of zealots. Do not resolve to do better or be better, just get up every morning and do it. Dreams are for those who sleep, vision are for those who achieve. Organization don’t publish dream statements, they publish their vision statement. Visions are filled with plans, and tasks, and goals. Remember that true greatness is not about today, or tomorrow, or next week, or next year; it is about a life worth living. Do not measure yourself by others, but measure yourself by the potential God gave you.

May you look back on 2021 to see that you accomplished the impossible, or at least the unbelievable.

Proverbs 14:23-24 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly.

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