Sometimes HE uses a 2 X 4…

The past few months I have become a little frustrated because it seems every where I turn in my life I’ve needed to be more and more focused on motivating others. Towards the top of my “Things I don’t like to Do List” is of course motivating others. This is the main reason I am not in sales. I’ve found that motivation in most cases is a warm fuzzy version of coercion. As I’ve pondered how I can influence my toddler, my employees, my clients, and the people I have stewardship over in religious capacity I have found that it has come down to the fact I just don’t want to motivate anyone.

So of course as I have sat through various church meetings this month Heavenly Father has decided I need to be hit between the eyes with a 2 X 4. I was thinking about the parable in Luke 19 about the pounds and cities (a variant of the parable of the talents.) I want to do great things in my life and be a an instrument in God’s hands for the establishment of his Kingdom. As I sat through the meetings Luke 19 kept going through my head. What I finally took away from the meetings is if I want to become great then I have to be a great steward over what I have. I need to show the Lord that I can manage my affairs both temporal and spiritual in a way that is pleasing to him. I guess recently I have been acting like the kid who is fresh out of college. I think because I have the “Degree” I‘m ready to be the CEO. Sometimes I have to laugh at the audacity of the premises we set out for ourselves without being fully aware of what we are basing our decision off of. I want the things I want but I haven’t done everything within my power to be all that I can be, and I think that is why people stagnate.

Part of being “great” means going above the norms. Recently my wife and I have joked about me dropping out of Grad School and being normal. There are those around me who get off work and go watch/participate in sports or just read the books they want to (of course for me I’d end up substituting sports for video games) and spend their money on motorbikes, entertainment systems and other “fun stuff.” For example I was speaking with my boss about his newest toys and I couldn’t take it anymore and I burst out laughing. He gave me a questioning look as I explained how all my “extra” money goes towards a house I no longer live in (couldn’t sell it before the job transfer) and Grad School. But once again being great means going above the norms. I could buy my toys and dropout of school (not that a college education = greatness) and be satisfied with whatever comes my way but I view that as being normal. The people I look up to professionally and religiously skipped ESPN and spent their time working on thermos, business, and religious works. So while not watching TV isn’t a big deal for me, I probably need to spend a little less time playing video games and follow those who are my examples.