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Archive for September, 2008

Head, Hands and Heart

Have you ever had a powerful phrase stick in your mind? One you don’t even have to try to remember?

 

This past Friday we completed the second of 15 Eight-to-Five Unplugged events being held in Fayetteville, Ark. and Rogers, Ark. Todd Simmons, COO and President of Simmons Foods was our speaker. During the summer, Todd and I discussed what he felt God leading him to speak on, and he talked about this notion of working with your head, your hands, and your heart.

 

 

It immediately captivated me! I have always been a head and hands guy.    I like to work. I like to make things happen. I like progress. Five years ago,   I was working at J.B. Hunt Transport as VP, Sales and Marketing, and God pushed me to start and lead WorkMatters’ first workplace small group. For the first time in my career, my HEART joined my head and my hands.

 

As I have continued to think about head, hands and heart, it has become so clear to me that this is one of the biggest issues we have in the workplace today. The world drives us so hard to be head and hands leaders. We focus on accomplishment, success, title, money, recognition. And, this is especially true today in this serious economic season where our basic survival instincts begin to drive us.

 

But without heart, what’s the point? If we don’t bring passion to our work, what’s the point? If we don’t build relationships with co-workers, customers, vendors, what’s the point? If we don’t work with all our heart (Colossians 3:23), what’s the point?

 

Jesus talked over and over and over about our hearts. If we could slow down just long enough to think on this for a while. Without our heart…what’s the point?

 

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.

Matthew 13:15

 

(You can listen to Todd Simmons Eight-to-Five Unplugged talk on our website or you can subscribe via iTunes… http://www.workmatters.org/events/eight_to_five_unplugged/listen_to_speakers )

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The Tin Man and His Heart

I am relistening to one of my all time favorite books on my iPod as I run…Waking the Dead by John Eldridge. Have you read it? This book followed another classic by Eldridge called Wild at Heart. I highly recommend both books if you are looking to really reconnect with your life, to get out of a rut, to rediscover your heart and passion for your life and for God.

 

In Waking the Dead, Eldridge tells a fascinating story from the Wizard of Oz. Actually, it is a scene omitted from the movie that is in the original book. The Tin Man, in turns out, has a real story. He was once a real man in love with a beautiful maiden. He dreamed of marrying her as soon as he could earn enough money. But he had an enemy (don’t we all?), the Wicked Witch, who cast spells upon him so that he injured himself. So one by one, the Tin Man would have his damaged limbs replaced with artificial tin ones. In the beginning, this appeared to be a great advantage as he could work with all his heart, but with the strength of a machine.

 

This, of course, was not what the Wicked Witch had planned. So once more, she cast a spell. But this time, it caused him to split his body in half! Not to worry, the Tin Man simply had an entire body made of tin. But now, he had no heart! His body was beautiful and he could out work any other man. But with no heart, he lost his love for his beautiful maiden.

 

Well, you know the story. The fully rusted Tin Man was discovered by Dorothy and the Scarecrow and they promised to take him to Oz to get a new heart. But listen to this exchange between the Scarecrow and the Tin Man: “I shall ask for brains instead of a heart,” said the Scarecrow, “for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.” “I shall take the heart,” returned the Tin Man; “for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”

 

Our enemy knows how vital our heart is. He knows if he can take out our heart, he can take us out. What does that look like for you at work? Busyness? Anxiety? Success? Some of us need to let our heart back into the game. For others, we need to guard our hearts from the enemy. Which are you?

 

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Proverbs 4:23

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Heart Matters

Do you ever have a topic or an idea that just seems to surround you all at once?

That has happened to me recently on the subject of HEART. Last Friday, Todd Simmons, COO of Simmons Foods, spoke at our Eight-to-Five Unplugged event in Fayetteville on working with your head, your hands, and your heart. My Influencers small group “coincidentally” is studying the heart. Then, on Sunday, I watched 12 of the best golfers in the United States play with more heart than I have ever seen.

Colossians 3:23 is the verse God stamped on me when I first started WorkMatters. The idea of “working with all my heart” inspired me. It gave me a new vision for what my work could be, or at least should be. It launched me on a journey to try and discover how you can have a heart for your work.

It’s easy to have heart for your work when you have a passion for it. You could see it pouring out of those golfers as they played with every ounce of heart they could muster. But what if you aren’t really passionate about your work? That’s an entirely separate discussion regarding our Calling, but let me suggest a very simple answer. Read Colossians 3:23-24. Study it. Pray about it. And see what God might do for you to discover how you can “work with all your heart”!

I plan to spend some time over the next several days exploring this thing called HEART. If you live in northwest Arkansas, you have an opportunity to hear Todd Simmons speak again this Friday at Eight-to-Five Unplugged event in Rogers, Ark. You can register by clicking on the Eight-to-Five Unplugged link to the right.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.”
Colossians 3:23-24

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Temptation?

“I wonder if I should omit that piece of information?” he thought.  “It might help me sell this deal, and man do we need the money.”

Integrity is one of our Seven Pillars of Faith and Work.  Never in recent history will we be as tempted to bend the rules as we are right now!  The issues this week on Wall Street created some real fear for many people.  As we battle through these stormy economic waters, the word TEMPTATION has been brought to my attention.

As I read My Utmost For His Highest this morning, along with some related scripture, it gave me a different perspective on temptation. Chambers said that temptation itself is not a sin.  It is a natural part of being human.  And if we read Hebrews 2:18, we are reminded that Jesus’ life proves that point.  “Because He Himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Temptation confuses us, doesn’t it?  In a particular moment, we don’t know whether something is right or wrong.  Or we at least consider our ability to get away with something we know is wrong that will selfishly benefit us.  This is now the moment of truth!  Will integrity or the world win out?

Sometimes our lives are such a blur that our line of temptation moves.  More and more decisions are no longer temptations, but rather a way of life.  “My competition is doing it, so must I.”  Or, “my spouse will never know what I do on the road.”

Temptation will happen.  It happened to Jesus.  How we handle the temptation is what matters.  Hold onto this word in that moment:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13

Prayer Reguest: …for Todd Simmons, COO Simmons Foods, who is our speaker at Friday’s Eight-to-Five Unplugged event and for all in attendance, that lives would be impacted to take Sunday to Monday.

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One final word on Encouragement as we wrap up our focus on “National Encouragement Week”.

Do you know someone going through something tragic? Maybe a job loss? A marriage crisis? Overcoming an addiction? Even a death?

What do you say to that friend or co-worker? Are you afraid to bring it up? So, you just walk on eggshells, right?

I spent some time this morning with a close friend who is going through a very difficult season. He commented on how uncomfortable it is for him because he knows that most people at work know about his situation, but they are afraid to say something. They just walk on eggshells around him.

He said he received a phone call from a co-worker recently who said, “I know about your situation. And I just want to tell you I’m here if there is anything I can do for you.” That was it. No advice. No questions. No probing.

I certainly don’t want to tell you how you should handle your particular situation. I struggle with this just like you do. But, this is what I feel God has been trying to teach me recently.  Go to their office, or call them, or email them, or text them…and simply encourage them. David, don’t worry that you might say the wrong thing…just say something.

Our opportunity to influence lives at work is so much bigger than most of us can fathom. Let’s be great ENCOURAGERS.

“…but let us encourage one another…”      Hebrews 10:25

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Step Up and Speak Up

You have been there.  Probably more times than you would like to think.  Feeling that you are just working day in, day out and no one really cares about you.  Just get the work done. All that really matters is the almighty dollar.  Did you close the deal? Is the project going to pay for itself?  Run those numbers again, but do it with the following three unlikely scenarios, just in case. 

You just want to smack something in frustration.  There is no one who seems to care  about who you are or what you think.

There is alot of that going around today.  I hear about things like this almost every day.  There is such a mindset in the marketplace today that seems to say, “Just do your job and be lucky you have a job….there are many others who would love to have your position.”

What will distinguish us from the rest of the workplace is having the sensitivity and the ability to rise above the crowd and provide something different to those working around you.  If we can be just a little more aware of what most of the workplace is feeling, we will make a huge difference.  Encouragement is in such short supply today that even a little will make a significant and lasting difference.

Knowing what it feels like to not get it at times should make us all the more aware of how important it is to hear a encouraging word or to have someone ask about what might be going on in your life outside of work.  As Christ followers, lets go just a little farther and learn to courageously reach out and be the source of encouragement to those around us. 

How much of a difference would it make in your day to have someone speak a truly encouraging word to you?  Would probably make your day, wouldn’t it?  Lets all make a special effort this week to speak up and use our influence to  make a difference in someones day by telling them how much we appreciate what they are doing and the efforts they are making for the organization.

Acts 13:15  After the usual readings from the books of Moses and the prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message. “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.”

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Rivers of Encouragement

“A river reaches places which its source never knows.”

 

That, is a powerful statement from Oswald Chambers’ classic book “My Utmost For His Highest”. Marry that thought with these words from Jesus. “Whoever believes in me…streams of living water will flow from within him.”

 

This past weekend, my 9 year old son Tyler and I went canoeing on one of the most beautiful rivers in the United States, the Buffalo National River. I grew up paddling this river and it’s a place where God whispers from 200 foot bluffs and pristine white water.

 

I love the mental image of a flowing river as we talk this week about the word Encouragement. On the surface, encouragement feels like a linear transaction. You take the time or make the effort to sincerely encourage a friend or a co-worker. He or she is impacted positively (hopefully) by that transaction. But now, consider the “streams of living water” and that linear transaction now has an exponential feel to it. The river reaches places which its source never knows!

 

As believers (“Whoever believes in me”), Jesus promises us that “streams of living water will flow from within us”. And, it seems to me that encouragement is one of the most powerful ways we can do that.

 

As we navigate the difficult waters of this economy, let’s be encouragers. Let’s pray and see who God would point us to that needs a phone call or a cup of coffee. Who knows what place THAT river will reach.

 

“Whoever believes in me…streams of living water will flow from within him.”

John 7:38

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You know someone, don’t you? Someone whose work, or lack thereof, has them in a very difficult place. Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s a close friend. Or maybe it’s simply an acquaintance or co-worker.

These are serious, serious economic times we are living through. Everywhere I look, people’s lives are being impacted. Some people are simply tightening their belts at home. Others are living day-to-day with deep anxiety over their businesses or jobs. Still others have already lost their jobs. In just the last few days, I have had a friend email me with news that his office had been abruptly shut down; had a good friend and business leader lose his job in a downsizing; and, a close friend who is in the middle of an anxiety riddled dogfight trying to make decisions about the future of his business.

My intention is not to completely discourage you. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I want to propose that this week be National Encouragement Week (N.E.W.)! I want to invite every person reading this blog to find at least one person this week who is really struggling with their work…and find a way to encourage them. Maybe it’s your boss, a peer, or a good friend. But be intentional about encouraging at least one person this week (maybe more). Meet them for a coffee on the way to work. Or send them an email or card in the mail. You would be amazed at the power of a simple text message.

Influence is such a potent weapon. We can influence people’s lives in powerful ways by merely slowing down long enough to encourage a friend. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A once said, “How do you identify someone who needs encouragement? That person is breathing.”

We are in difficult economic times. Let’s make this week a N.E.W.!

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”
1 Thessalonians 5:11

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Creativity

So, by now most of you have seen your new blog, From Sunday to Monday. We are getting some great feedback and some interesting interpretations of the fish bowls.  We would love to hear more about what you think. Your feedback is very important as we launch this new phase of WorkMatters ministry.

In the process of delivering this blog, we had lots of internal discussions about every possible aspect of it.  Once we got on the path of developing it, we found that it was not quite as simple of a process as we thought.  There is a simplicity to it that is somewhat deceptive, as is often the case with things that look easy on the surface.  Of course, the blogging Web sites try to make it sound like anyone can do it.  And to a degree, that is true. But what we are finding is that in order for our blog not to look like everyone else’s, some customization is needed.  We wanted our blog to try and reflect who we are and there was no “standard template” that really fit.  So we spent lots of time searching and deciding what needed customizing in order for us to hopefully stand out.

In a way, we all want to stand out and reflect who we are.  The marketplace so often wants us to conform and be just like everyone else. But as workplace believers, we are called to be different, to reflect how we have been “customized” by our new life in Christ. How we get customized is often times not easy, but it provides us with “widgets” (another blogging term that reflects customization) to be unique and to better reflect your calling.

Be confident that Christ has created you to be unique, and that you are right where He wants you to be today.  Just like we will be working hard to continually fine-tune and customize our blog, our Creator is constantly working on us to make us better and more effective. Accept this, and you will be such a blessing to those you work with.

“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.”  Daniel 1:17

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Old School Integrity

I went to a funeral today. A parade of people stepped up to the microphone and painted a beautiful picture of a man that did it right. His story sounded almost fictional. A high school student council president, National Honor Society member, all-State and all-American in football. A three-year letterman for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team. An accomplished career in Engineering and Accounting. And, more church and civic volunteering than I can list here. But most of all, 76-year-old Dave Lashley was married for 53 years and was the father of five wonderful daughters.

As I sat and listened, I began to see a picture of old school integrity. I thought about my Dad, who played football with Mr. Lashley at Arkansas. It seemed that the legacy of these men, and others from that generation, is one that we should pay close attention to. A legacy that shouldn’t be lost. I wonder if younger generations (including my own) have embraced a lifestyle of watered down integrity?

The speakers used words like reliable, devoted, excellence, influential, servant, inspirational, tenacious, role model and a Godly man. They talked about a weekly prayer group, doing work for clients who he knew couldn’t pay, a determined work ethic, and a total love for his family.

Those are powerful words. What does integrity look like to us today? Does it include those words? Will our legacy be a picture painted in such a way? Psalms 78:72 says, “David shepherded them with integrity of heart.” Mr. David Lashley certainly did. Will we?

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7

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