Thomas Alva Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
I'm in no position to argue with a genius, but let me pretend (maybe "presume" is a better word) for a minute to be in a place to offer a comment on this long-famous quote. Let's play a game of word-algebra while we're at it, too, OK?
A very-simplified definition of the word "genius" could be "a measurement of intelligence quotient (IQ)" which--from what I understand--has nothing to do with how smart you are, but how smart you could become... In other words, it's a measure of potential!
So, let's think about energy for a minute... Every chemical reaction has a specific amount of energy called Total Energy (ie all energy in the reaction) that is the sum of Potential Energy (ie energy available) and Kinetic Energy (ie energy in action). The mathematical formula looks like this: TE = PE + KE.
So, what if TI = PI + KI?
In other words, what if Total Intelligence (ie all intelligence or "real" intelligence) is a sum of Potential Intelligence (that's IQ, remember?) & "Kinetic" Intelligence (let's call it "intelligence in action")?
What is "intelligence in action"? Wouldn't it be fair to call it common sense?
Let me rephrase that TI equation... What if REAL Intelligence is the total of IQ & common sense? Hmmm...
Is it fair to say that common sense is intelligence applied over time? If so, that equation would probably look like this: KI = CS = I/t
So... Real Intelligence = IQ + I/t
Here's an interesting thought (it's interesting to me, anyway): What would you call common sense applied for an extended period of time? I'd call that perseverance, & that equation would be: P = CS x t = I/t x t
Wait a minute! I/t x t = I, so P = I!! In other words, perseverance = intelligence!
If that's true, then Real Intelligence = IQ + Perseverance. Since our IQ never really changes, that means that our real intelligence is directly proportionate to our perseverance!
That means the more we Persevere, the more Real Intelligence we have!!
So, while “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration,” Real Intelligence is 100% perseverance!
In other words, y'all: "Don't ever quit or you'll prove yourself to be a total fool, regardless of how smart you may be!"
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
A Sea of Hands, a Ray of Hope
Probably the most difficult thing for me in pastoring is not knowing if the things I share really make a difference in people's lives.
Seriously... I didn't give up my hopes, goals, & dreams to flounder in useless mediocrity! The bottom line is that I answered God's call out of obedience, but I never imagined my obedience resulting in failure. Come to think of it, do any of us dream about falling short?
No, when I felt God calling me to forsake my plans for my future for His, I imagined that I would always know a sense of purpose and accomplishment... How could I feel otherwise if I was in the service of the King of kings?
But the road from our dreams to our experience is long, hard, & rough, "paved" by these brutal things called "reality" & "time". As I've stumbled along this road, I've wondered at times if I will EVER have a story to tell. I don't mean that in some, read-my-new-book sense, but more along the lines of what would my story be if there ended up being one. Ultimately, only God knows the answer to that question, but something happened recently that--just for a moment--cracked the seemingly-impenetrable veneer of my temporal perspective & allowed me to see things from an eternal one.
I wanted to encourage people in our church that God was, in fact, moving in our lives. One way that I felt would be effective was be to ask a reflective question about a series or message I had recently preached. So, I started asking questions like, "If this series (or message) has ministered to you in some way, would you just raise your hand?"
The first few times I did this, there was a smattering of people here & there who sheepishly, cautiously slipped their hand about halfway up. I could tell by the look on their face that they wondered what I was up to. Then I would tell everybody to look around & see how God is ministering to people in our church. Without any additional fanfare, I would remark how good God is & continue on with my message.
Three weeks ago, however, something TOTALLY unexpected happened!
I was beginning a new series on prayer, & I began my message with a review of the 4 series I've shared so far in 2009. I then asked everyone to slip up their hand if God had ministered to them at any point this year through any of the messages. It was no different than all the other times I'd asked "The Question"... Or so I thought.
What happened next shocked me... A sea of hands shot into the air! Not timidly as before, but with great confidence as though silently boasting in God! I didn't count, but it looked to me like every single person in the room put their hand up. I was so stunned that I did a double-take. As usual, I asked everyone to look around at what God is doing in our midst, remarked at how good God is, and continued on with my message.
What happened in that split-second cannot be described in words, but I have to try! When I saw that sea of hands, I KNEW that God was moving in our church! I KNEW that if God was touching that many people, that it is only a matter of time until all the things that God has spoken & I have seen in my mind's eye are going to come to pass!
That voice inside my head that tells me how lousy, ineffective, inept, & fruitless my pastoring is was forcibly silenced! The years of its taunting while I fasted & prayed were suddenly sliced off into the sea of irrelevant memories! Its mocking calls & accusations as I battled through heartache, frustration, & pain totally evaporated like the last-heard echo of a shout in the mountainous wilderness!
There, in a sea of hands, I was almost blinded by a ray of hope! Thank you, Jesus!!
Seriously... I didn't give up my hopes, goals, & dreams to flounder in useless mediocrity! The bottom line is that I answered God's call out of obedience, but I never imagined my obedience resulting in failure. Come to think of it, do any of us dream about falling short?
No, when I felt God calling me to forsake my plans for my future for His, I imagined that I would always know a sense of purpose and accomplishment... How could I feel otherwise if I was in the service of the King of kings?
But the road from our dreams to our experience is long, hard, & rough, "paved" by these brutal things called "reality" & "time". As I've stumbled along this road, I've wondered at times if I will EVER have a story to tell. I don't mean that in some, read-my-new-book sense, but more along the lines of what would my story be if there ended up being one. Ultimately, only God knows the answer to that question, but something happened recently that--just for a moment--cracked the seemingly-impenetrable veneer of my temporal perspective & allowed me to see things from an eternal one.
I wanted to encourage people in our church that God was, in fact, moving in our lives. One way that I felt would be effective was be to ask a reflective question about a series or message I had recently preached. So, I started asking questions like, "If this series (or message) has ministered to you in some way, would you just raise your hand?"
The first few times I did this, there was a smattering of people here & there who sheepishly, cautiously slipped their hand about halfway up. I could tell by the look on their face that they wondered what I was up to. Then I would tell everybody to look around & see how God is ministering to people in our church. Without any additional fanfare, I would remark how good God is & continue on with my message.
Three weeks ago, however, something TOTALLY unexpected happened!
I was beginning a new series on prayer, & I began my message with a review of the 4 series I've shared so far in 2009. I then asked everyone to slip up their hand if God had ministered to them at any point this year through any of the messages. It was no different than all the other times I'd asked "The Question"... Or so I thought.
What happened next shocked me... A sea of hands shot into the air! Not timidly as before, but with great confidence as though silently boasting in God! I didn't count, but it looked to me like every single person in the room put their hand up. I was so stunned that I did a double-take. As usual, I asked everyone to look around at what God is doing in our midst, remarked at how good God is, and continued on with my message.
What happened in that split-second cannot be described in words, but I have to try! When I saw that sea of hands, I KNEW that God was moving in our church! I KNEW that if God was touching that many people, that it is only a matter of time until all the things that God has spoken & I have seen in my mind's eye are going to come to pass!
That voice inside my head that tells me how lousy, ineffective, inept, & fruitless my pastoring is was forcibly silenced! The years of its taunting while I fasted & prayed were suddenly sliced off into the sea of irrelevant memories! Its mocking calls & accusations as I battled through heartache, frustration, & pain totally evaporated like the last-heard echo of a shout in the mountainous wilderness!
There, in a sea of hands, I was almost blinded by a ray of hope! Thank you, Jesus!!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Making Vision Stick 11: A Final Word
So, now we’ve chewed through the meat of Andy Stanley’s Making Vision Stick… Are ya feeling stuffed? Let’s finish this adventure together with 2 things: a summary of what we’ve learned & a challenge from me to you…
A Summary…
Vision doesn’t stick naturally, so it’s our responsibility as leaders to make our vision “sticky”. Here are the key disciplines: State Our Vision Simply, Cast Our Vision Convincingly, Repeat Our Vision Regularly, Celebrate Our Vision Systematically, & Embrace Our Vision Personally. Once we’re in the habit of doing those 5 things, we must be aware that our vision will tend to slip. When it does, we have to look for Projects, Products, & Programs that distract from our vision and listen for Requests, Stories, & Complaints that reveal what people are thinking.
Remember: we should have a pretty good idea about what people are saying & thinking if our vision is sticking… If they’re not saying & thinking those things, we’ve got to get them headed back in the right direction.
A Challenge…
This comes from Pg 72-74 of the book & it’s just too awesome not to share with you. “It will always be difficult to make vision stick. After all, vision is about creating something new—something that should be, but won’t be, without someone’s dogged determination to see it through to the end. If God has given you a picture of what could be and should be, embrace it fully and refuse to allow the busyness and urgency of life to distract you... It will require you to develop a healthy intolerance for those things that have the potential to impede your progress. All the leaders I’ve met have mental pictures of what could be and should be for theire organizations, but not every leader is willing to pay the price to turn his or her ideas into reality. It takes more than imagination and passion to make what could be and should be into what is. Seeing a vision become a reality requires more than a single burst of energy or creativity. It requires daily attention. Daily commitment. If you are consumed with the tension between what is and what could be… if you find yourself emotionally involve… frustrated… brokenhearted… maybe even angry about the way things are… if you believe that God is behind your anguish… then chances are you are on the brink of something divine, something too important to abandon. Pay the price. Embrace the vision. And do whatever it takes to make the vision stick!”
A Summary…
Vision doesn’t stick naturally, so it’s our responsibility as leaders to make our vision “sticky”. Here are the key disciplines: State Our Vision Simply, Cast Our Vision Convincingly, Repeat Our Vision Regularly, Celebrate Our Vision Systematically, & Embrace Our Vision Personally. Once we’re in the habit of doing those 5 things, we must be aware that our vision will tend to slip. When it does, we have to look for Projects, Products, & Programs that distract from our vision and listen for Requests, Stories, & Complaints that reveal what people are thinking.
Remember: we should have a pretty good idea about what people are saying & thinking if our vision is sticking… If they’re not saying & thinking those things, we’ve got to get them headed back in the right direction.
A Challenge…
This comes from Pg 72-74 of the book & it’s just too awesome not to share with you. “It will always be difficult to make vision stick. After all, vision is about creating something new—something that should be, but won’t be, without someone’s dogged determination to see it through to the end. If God has given you a picture of what could be and should be, embrace it fully and refuse to allow the busyness and urgency of life to distract you... It will require you to develop a healthy intolerance for those things that have the potential to impede your progress. All the leaders I’ve met have mental pictures of what could be and should be for theire organizations, but not every leader is willing to pay the price to turn his or her ideas into reality. It takes more than imagination and passion to make what could be and should be into what is. Seeing a vision become a reality requires more than a single burst of energy or creativity. It requires daily attention. Daily commitment. If you are consumed with the tension between what is and what could be… if you find yourself emotionally involve… frustrated… brokenhearted… maybe even angry about the way things are… if you believe that God is behind your anguish… then chances are you are on the brink of something divine, something too important to abandon. Pay the price. Embrace the vision. And do whatever it takes to make the vision stick!”
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Making Vision Stick 10: VSIs Part 2
When we feel the passion for our vision “slipping”, we must look for Projects, Products, & Programs, & listen for these signs…
VSIs (Vision Slippage Indicators): Requests, Stories, & Complaints
The questions people ask & the complaints they make communicate what is important to them. The stories they tell are moments of spontaneous celebration. Together, these 3 things reveal a great deal about what’s on their hearts & minds. This is a crucial exercise: imagine everyone has bought into our vision… What questions would they ask? What stories would they tell? What would get on their nerves?
Now, listen.
If what’s being asked doesn’t matched what should be asked, then we have slippage. The same is true of complaints & stories… Make sense? I constantly share testimonies (stories) that reinforce our vision. If we stop getting those stories, I’m gonna be concerned!
Here’s the “bottom line”: Slippage happens… It’s part of life! But the sooner we recognize it, the sooner we can do something about it!
Next time, I’ll finish off this series with a summary & a challenge... See you then!
VSIs (Vision Slippage Indicators): Requests, Stories, & Complaints
The questions people ask & the complaints they make communicate what is important to them. The stories they tell are moments of spontaneous celebration. Together, these 3 things reveal a great deal about what’s on their hearts & minds. This is a crucial exercise: imagine everyone has bought into our vision… What questions would they ask? What stories would they tell? What would get on their nerves?
Now, listen.
If what’s being asked doesn’t matched what should be asked, then we have slippage. The same is true of complaints & stories… Make sense? I constantly share testimonies (stories) that reinforce our vision. If we stop getting those stories, I’m gonna be concerned!
Here’s the “bottom line”: Slippage happens… It’s part of life! But the sooner we recognize it, the sooner we can do something about it!
Next time, I’ll finish off this series with a summary & a challenge... See you then!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Making Vision Stick 9: VSIs (Vision Slippage Indicators)
Andy warns us that there will be times when we feel the passion for our vision “slipping”. Here are some signs to look for…
VSIs (Vision Slippage Indicators): Projects, Products, & Programs
Beware of ANYTHING—no matter how new, popular, or powerful it may seem—that distracts from your vision! Let me be clear: new projects, products, & programs are fine (here’s the key) as long as they are vision-centric. Here’s a phrase that will help you look at new ideas through the vision lens: “Think steps, not programs.” It’s great to want to get people involved, but we’ve got to do it right… If it doesn’t help fulfill our vision, we’re contradicting ourselves.
So, keep your eyes on new things. While you’re watching, be listening, too… I’ll share 3 VSIs to listen for next time.
VSIs (Vision Slippage Indicators): Projects, Products, & Programs
Beware of ANYTHING—no matter how new, popular, or powerful it may seem—that distracts from your vision! Let me be clear: new projects, products, & programs are fine (here’s the key) as long as they are vision-centric. Here’s a phrase that will help you look at new ideas through the vision lens: “Think steps, not programs.” It’s great to want to get people involved, but we’ve got to do it right… If it doesn’t help fulfill our vision, we’re contradicting ourselves.
So, keep your eyes on new things. While you’re watching, be listening, too… I’ll share 3 VSIs to listen for next time.
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