King George VI of Great Britain was known as the stuttering king and dreaded public speaking, a responsibility every monarch was expected to do often and well.
But as Germany threatened to invade England, King George rallied his strength, faced the people and found the resolve to inspire the nation as England declared war on Hitler. King George rose above his difficulties to lead a nation into war! With the help of Australian born speech therapist, Lionel Logue, he rose above his disability and courageously inspired a nation to action.
If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,000—but carried over no balance from day to day, allowed you to keep no cash in your account, and every evening canceled whatever part of the amount you failed to use during the day, what would you do? You would draw out every cent every day, of course, and use it to your advantage!
Well, you have such a bank, and its name is TIME! Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it rules off as lost whatever time you failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balances and allows no overdrafts. Each day it opens a new account with you. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against tomorrow.
Scripture: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15
Have you thought about the importance of instilling vision in others? Let’s look briefly at three words: Magnetic, Magnanimous & Majestic.
Is your vision MAGNETIC? Is it attracting interest from others? Is it drawing resources to you? Regardless of your socioeconomic status, the world around you has extra resources looking to be employed, and your vision will provide a road map for resources and people to travel along! Ask yourself, “What am I attracting to my vision? Is it what I want? What I am expecting?”
The second word is MAGNANIMOUS – Are you generous of spirit? It will take quite a bit of generosity of spirit, time and talent to get you to your destination. The word ‘magnanimous’ means to be royal in nature, noble in character, capable of gracious behavior. Are you forgiving, charitable? Learn to think like nobility. You will need these characteristics when friends, family and those you have trusted fail you on the pathway to your dream! The result of being magnanimous is that you won’t sweat the small stuff. That’s what happens when you know who you are and when you know where you are headed! You are made for royalty! For destiny!
MAJESTIC—is your dream memorable? What value will it add to society and others? Is it quantifiable? What great results do you anticipate? How many people will you help? How much income will it generate? What great issue in society are you addressing? http://bit.ly/1Eyv40n
Hours before the opening night of a large mass miracle meeting in Africa, the evangelists we were told by the organizers, “Don’t expect to start on time! Here in Africa the opening night is just a test run where we work out our problems.”
Can you imagine? 75,000 people are preparing to gather. People are already standing on the field hours before the meetings are to begin! Yet, the expectation of a group of adult men was – ‘don’t worry if we don’t start on time, we never do!’ In other words, failure is acceptable!
Ask yourself a simple question: Where have I set the standard for my life? Is failure my expectation, or is overcoming the impossible where I set my goal in life?
How would you handle a situation like this if in one hour you were to address this crowd, and you had no lights and no sound? Action was required, so the 30 organizers were fired, and forty 14-year-old male volunteers were recruited from the crowd. Why? They had not yet experienced failure! They would climb where no one else would climb, lifting lights and scaling poles! Are you willing to scale insurmountable odds?
If those 40 boys had not stepped to the line, what would have happened that night? 75,000 people who came looking for hope, searching for a miracle, and expecting good news would have left disappointed! http://bit.ly/1NAmfV0
Quote: “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” – Albert Einstein
How do you overcome apathy? First we have to understand it! What is apathy?
They observe but do not act.
They know but they do not care.
They hear but they do not respond.
They think of themselves rather than thinking of others.
Are YOU a part of the collective ‘THEY?’ Helen Keller said, “Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all – the apathy of human beings”.
How many destinies can be changed when we emerge from apathy to action? Consider it: wherever you are today, you have power to initiate change! It does not matter your sex, age, or culture!
Just as Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Helen Keller overcame apathetic concern for their causes, you and I can discover renewed hope and expectation! Why wait? Let’s do it now! http://bit.ly/1NvFLQy
As a young woman Mother Theresa, who was suffering from tuberculosis, heard the “call within the call” and knew she was to leave the convent in Calcutta and work with the poor living among them. With only 5 Rupees in her hand, she started a school in the slums to teach the children of the poor. Mother Theresa, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and India’s highest Civilian Award, Bharat Ratnanow, set up nearly 570 homes for the poor in 125 countries.
Like Mother Theresa – ONE IDEA – ONE THOUGHT from God can bring significant change, not only to your life but to the lives of those you know in your community and in your nation!
When we are facing life’s deepest tragedies and our most serious personal problems, often the thing we need the most is to hear the voice of someone else who is asking for help! Have you heard that voice?
Ask yourself this question: Who needs help in my community? YOU can become a modern day missionary of Good News! You can overcome the hardships of life! You can rise above poverty like Mother Theresa who had only 5 Rupees and was sick with tuberculosis, yet made a better life for millions of people!
Scripture: Romans 10:15
http://bit.ly/1E0i6YV
Quote: I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.
~Maya Angelou
Have you ever had the question arise in your heart of why something happened to you that you did not want or expect? Does God want our hearts to be broken or our energy diminished? No, He does not! He said that in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, He has overcome this world. It is clear that in this world circumstances and people can throw unexpected curve balls at you, but be of good cheer!
All that you are is NOT based on all that you have. Your value is based on the image God has of you as His righteous, holy, empowered son or daughter. The great apostle Paul went through shipwreck, near drowning, and two weeks of being tossed like a ball on the ocean before he was finally delivered and made it to land. You would think angels would have started a chorus of praise as their main man survived, but instead he gets a snake bite! What does he do? Should he get mad at God for adding insult to injury? No, He just shakes it off. He has places to go and people to meet!
Whatever happens to you, SHAKE IT OFF!
Scripture: John 16:33
What standard or values have you set for your life? Have you considered how unique you are? When you stop comparing yourself to others you can rise above average and become truly exceptional!
Remember, comparison limits your expression to what you have seen in others. Identifying YOUR uniqueness will allow you to shine with ease.
A life lived with dignity is not a life where we measure ourselves by the standard of others. A life of dignity is where we measure ourselves according to the values that we have set for ourselves. You may adopt the values of your faith, your family or your country. Choose a standard and live by it. Young people often determine to measure themselves by the value of the group around them and drift with the whims of the crowd. You were not created as a crowd! You were created unique! And to live with those unique qualities!
Your uniqueness can be as simple as the thing you love to do. No one is just like you! And no one is truly an enemy to your future except you! Dignity is the discovery that you have power to live your dreams not because of your parents, or education or even your possessions. Dignity is the realization that I have personal value today right where I am. I was created to experience greatness in life regardless of my station in life.
Right now, consider your own unique qualities and write down one of these qualities! Consider what door of opportunity this uniqueness could provide for you. You have been created for divine purpose! God is for you and NOT against you so I challenge you today to search out your dignity! Romans 8:31 http://bit.ly/1E0ePso
“Today, people have the means to live, but nothing to live for.” – Victor E. Frankl
Human dignity is an internal characteristic that allows us to draw an image of self not dependent upon what others say or what others do, but dependent upon an inner source of spiritual strength. Have you found this source of inner strength?
Victor Frankl connected with this strength, and in his mind found the true meaning of life. Yet, as many would observe, this spiritual strength comes from a living “God” connection with the true spiritual self. This “God” connection as some would say, has little to no meaning if the word “God” is meant to include everything or all things worshipped. But, this “God” source that penetrates throughout eternity has a name and a purpose: to restore humanity to the “true” dignity for which we were created.
Scripture: Psalm 8:4-6,9
Have you ever heard of the “Tall Poppy Syndrome”? Really, this just means that anytime anyone raises their head higher than others, they are cut down. Essentially, the purpose is to keep everyone running at the same pace.
God does not see you as a tall poppy, He sees you as a crown of splendor! Regardless of missed or failed opportunities, we can take courage and recognize that if God lifts your head no one can put it down! Today allow God to be the lifter of your head. Reach out and receive the true dignity He offers to those who call upon His name!
Scriptures: Isaiah 62:3, Psalm 3:3
