Working Worship

Weekly Thought – August 11, 2026

Fred appreciated mothers. His Mom, Mrs. M.B. Smith, was the wife of a Baptist pastor who raised 5 boys in the mill district of North Nashville. Her consistency formed Fred’s view of parenting. One of his favorite conversations was overheard in Blowing Rock, NC. “It’s time to leave, come on.” The little girl responded, “I don’t like you anymore!” The Mom quietly said, “I will always like you and we are going home.”

Working Worship

Work is worship (or it should be). This was very much part of our early American beliefs, but as churches became more organized and staffed by vocationals, we moved away from this idea. We secularized our work and left worship to the professionals. Is this the best approach?

The Shakers, for example, were known for the perfection of their woodworking because they believed the work of their hands was praise from their heart. I think it is time to get back to that.

When we take this view it does not mean our only option is “full-time Christian service.” Our skills, training, and talents should be used for the common good. If I am a Christian architect, I don’t have to limit my work to churches. It is the motivation that counts.

The word “excellence” has become part of the modern lingo. Long before, it was a craze it was the modus operandi for God. He is the author of perfection. I guess we could say, “He wrote the book on it!” He wants our work to represent Him through our integrity. I believe “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work” is part of my worship. If I accept money and not fulfilling my responsibilities, I am being dishonest. That is not worship.

Honesty, loyalty, and credibility are critical to me. We once built a house and hired a tradesman who was a pillar in the community church. I visited the job site, found him resting, and inquired about his condition. “Well, Mr. Smith, I am fasting and praying this week, so I am too tired to really do much work.” When I mentioned he should be exercising these disciplines on his own time and not receiving my money, he was quite incensed. He thought I would be pleased with his spirituality. That was a workman not worthy of his hire.

Paul wrote to his converts that whatever they did, it should be to the glory of God. I don’t think he just meant this for church service. When Christians segment their lives they lose the joy of wholeness. I see people who live like grapefruit – with little sections for each area. Until it becomes unified, the value of work as worship is lost on them.

Think carefully about: 1) How often do I stop and think of my work as worship? 2) What tempts me to do “grapefruit living?” 3) Who can I encourage with this idea today?

Words of Wisdom: “He wants our work to represent Him through our integrity.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people.” (Colossians 3:23 NET Bible)

Selective “Selectric” Thinking

Weekly Thought – August 4, 2026

Fred “changed his address from earth to heaven” on August 17, 2007. It is one of the few times in the year of weekly thoughts, his daughter and BWF President Brenda steps out and makes personal remarks. Dad’s desire to be helpful, productive, and useful marked his entire life. The thousands of pieces of paper in my BWF files attest to Dad’s belief in writing everything down he believed worth remembering. I am most grateful for this habit, for it makes breakfastwithfred.com and the Weekly Thought possible.

Some of my most prized possessions are letters from him. A few were pages long; many others were ripped off scraps of paper with simply a scripture reference or a phrase, but all were sent to encourage me on the way .Thank you for sharing in the legacy of his God-given wisdom. Continue to stretch others and as he would say, “write it down.”

Selective “Selectric” Thinking

Writing gives one many advantages: clarity in our thoughts, precision in our words, additional tools for thinking, and organization in our presentation. A writer doesn’t have to be a literary stylist. You must decide what you need to say, how you can best do it, and of course, always determine your purpose for saying anything at all. Speaking has always come more naturally for me, although I work very hard at honing my skills. Having a message is critical to both writers and speakers. My good friend, Zig Ziglar, tells of the young man who rushed up to him almost breathless, “I want to do just what you do!” “Well, young man, what is your message?” “Oh,” he answered, “I don’t have one, but I can get one – I want to be on stage.” Writing is like that because you have to have a message.

Brevity is a beneficial byproduct of writing. In ordinary business writing we must be our own editors. Most want more space than they deserve. Rewriting is a courtesy to the reader and to us when making decisions. Concise writing indicates clear thinking. Writing it down burns the fuzz off.

I strongly recommend making notes of what you hear. Retention is better and they spur our own creative thinking. Notes are a storehouse for future reference. Over the 46 years of association with Maxey Jarman I took voluminous notes. What better source of reading than the ideas you have been impressed with enough to capture? No one has a good enough memory to recall one-tenth of all the good and helpful things we hear. Write them down.

May I say a warm word for letters? I may have written a few thousand personal letters in my life. It is my joy and curse. I probably think more letters than I actually get down for I thoroughly dislike courtesy only, fluffy ones. “Smith’s Night Letters” are typed with two fingers on my old IBM Selectric with a continuous roll of paper fed through the back. Sometimes a friend gets two inches of letter. Other times, they get one three feet long! I don’t have copies of those letters, but I have the memories of great nocturnal journeys spent in conversation pecking away.

This week think about: 1) How much clearer is my thinking when I write it down first? 2) Where do I do my best thinking? 3) What letter is in my mind that should be put to paper?

Words of Wisdom: “Writing burns the fuzz off our thinking.”

Wisdom from the Word: “David said, ‘All of this I put in writing as the Lord directed me and gave me insight regarding the details of the blueprints.’” (1 Chronicles 28:19 NET Bible)

Meaningful Success

Weekly Thought – August 28, 2026

Fred distinguished between intrinsic and accumulated value. “When someone says so and so is worth a million dollars, I always think, ‘He may have accumulated a million, but he may not be worth a plug nickel.’ I am valuable because Christ died for me and so are you – not because of the balance in your checkbook.” He thought of success as part of a process and not just the gathering of material goods.

Meaningful Success

I believe in working for success much more than just praying for it. Pray for maturity and work for success. If both come together, then you will know best how to use it, how to enjoy it, and how to perpetuate it. As you work, do so enthusiastically, intelligently, intensely, and ethically.

A friend wrote this reminder on his wall: “A thing that needs doing can be done honestly.” Good ends never launder dirty means.

I find the way to go includes three elements:
1) Get yourself a clear definition of success. The dictionary always uses a financial measure, but to me that isn’t it. Success is using your talent and gifts to their highest advantage and contribution. Wealth may come with it, or it may not. My associate, Joe Dominy gave me this one: Something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to. The reward is usually paid in the “coin of the realm.” In business this means money; in politics, power; in ministry, blessing and respect; in teaching, the satisfaction of passing knowledge from one generation to another. Ironically, the only coin that gets criticized is money. No one is lambasted for too many degrees, or too much respect, or even too much power. The multiplication of money should be seen as necessary for the multiplication of ministry.

2) Clarify your philosophical base. Behind every plan of action, every commitment of time and energy, should be a solid philosophical base. From it comes the answer to the question, “why.” For example, why not stay where it is comfortable? Why push ahead, risking failure? Those answers are found in the fundamental belief system we each have. This will then be translated into that unscratchable itch. Some call it stewardship; some call it ego drive; others see it as responsibility. If it is only for materialistic accumulation, often it ends up like the scripture verse, “He gave them their desire, but sent leanness of soul.” Life is a two-stage rocket. The first is physical energy – it ignites and we are off. As physical energy diminishes, the spiritual stage must ignite to boost us into orbit or we fall back.

3) Select a pleasant route. Too often we think only of our destination and not the possible ways of getting there. Recently, on the west Coast, I decided to turn off the interstate and follow a small scenic road. It is so easy to use the “A to B in the fastest possible time” way of living, we miss so much. I must admit I took this approach when our children were small. We pulled into the Grand Canyon, I pointed out the big hole, and then off we were! Too often, we have our goal so much in mind we fail to take another, more leisurely way. Goals and destination should both be interesting. We spend a lot more time getting there, so it should be pleasant. As I like to say, look for the joy in the journey.

Think about: 1) How fast am I traveling? 2) What is my personal definition of success? 3) Who models success for me?

Words of Wisdom: “Good ends never launder dirty means.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity – every good way. For wisdom will enter your heart and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.” (Proverbs 2:9,10 NET Bible)

Older, But Never Old

Weekly Thought – July 21, 2026

Fred finished well. His mental, emotional, and spiritual disciplines overcame physical immobility. One of his favorite illustrations was the young man with severe limitations who sat on the front row as Fred spoke. Afterwards, he said, “I have disabilities, but they don’t have me.”

One of Fred’s best-loved Leadership Journal articles was titled, “Older, But Never Old” These timely and timely principles bear repeating in this excerpted section on the benefits of aging from this classic piece.

Older, But Never Old

When I heard a friend call himself old for the first time he was seventy-six. I was offended. It’s a serious problem when people start thinking of themselves as old because they’ve accepted that categorization. It begins feeling like a holding pattern. They are starting to coast to the finish line.

Older is a fact, but old is an unhealthy attitude.

I think it is important to look at some of the benefits of getting older:
1) Selective tension – Older people are usually tense over important things, not over everything. As we age we shouldn’t lose tension, but should apply it selectively. Getting older means we should be able to allocate tension to the important instead of the trivial.

2) Clarified values – Who we are influences our happiness much more than what we have. One concern is our eagerness to pass on values, but need to do it in a way that is received. We can’t expect younger ones to accept our values with the same certainty we have gained over a lifetime.

3) Experience – Experience turns knowledge into wisdom. Experience, like faith, is a teacher, but faith keeps us from bearing the scars of willful experiences. Wise experiences should direct us to the wisdom of “this is the way, walk ye in it.

4) Increased excitement – As the years get shorter, the excitement of fully utilizing them can be a great motivator. Just like reaching the 400 mile marker while driving the Indianapolis 500, the last 100 are exciting because they are the reason you drove the first 400. Aging is like that.

5) Tested relationships – As we grow older, relationships mature. We begin laughing about the things that caused us tears. I used to tell Mary Alice, “the things we cry about today we’ll laugh about tomorrow.” We discover what is important and what is not; we know which friendships will hold and which ones will always be tentative.

6) Death is part of life – Whatever I have known to now has been fragmentary and transient. The great hope of heaven is that I will know the full truth. I think it’s important as we go through life to create thirsts only death can satisfy. For example, the thirst for truth, for God, for immortality, and renewing relationships who have gone ahead.

This week carefully consider: 1) Who do I know who is getting older but not old? 2) What lessons can I learn about aging? 3) Where does fear immobilize me?

Words of Wisdom: “The wise man fears the loosed lion; the fool fears the lion in a cage.”

Wisdom from the Word: “The glory of young men is their strength; and the splendor of old men is gray hair.” (Proverbs 20:29 NET Bible)

Managing Fear

Weekly Thought – July 14, 2026

Fred was a realist. He looked at life through a theological grid which saw mankind as fallen with the opportunity for redemption. Their son, Fred, once asked his Dad, “If you had only one speech left to give, what would be the topic?” Fred, Sr.’s answer: “The nature of man and the nature of God.” He understood the human condition, but also accepted the good news of God’s word.

Managing Fear

Most of our fears are the everyday garden variety, but they are still very real. We have nagging fears of self-doubt and discouragement. We dread sickness and loneliness. We, as Christians, God doesn’t give us a “spirit of fear.” We know He doesn’t give us a constant fearful condition. However, we must still fight against destructive anxieties in order to experience the “love and power and a sound mind” which is promised.

Some of our fears are natural reactions to hurt and inadequacy. They are not phantom emotions; they are surely real. Because they are, we must deal with them realistically.

When fear becomes unbearable we run in terror or strike out blindly without a plan. Once I suffered a terrible embarrassment. I knew right then what people meant when they said they wanted to scream or faint. To scream would be to let others know of my fear. I wanted to faint to avoid the entire situation.

It is only when fear becomes a hindrance to our concentration and an impediment to our normal functions of life that we need to attack it. Oftentimes, we must just wait it out. If it hangs on, then we must take the responsibility to drive it away or keep it manageable.

Some fear is good. A true existence requires healthy fear. Most winners are driven by the fear of failure. Athletes call it, “playing for pride.” Fear turns on our juices, but we must use them constructively. Properly controlled, fear becomes our cautious guide. Treated intelligently, it guides us around dangers. Only when it gets out of control does it begin to guide us into the dark places which lead to immobilization. The wise man fears the loosed lion; the fool fears the lion in a cage.

Years ago, Charlie McCormick of spice fame, gave me a line he saw on an English pub wall: “Fear knocked at the door; faith answered, and no one was there.” “Perfect love casts out fear.” The reason simply this: fear is recognizing our vulnerability and love is accepting it. Fear respects vulnerability and love, like a sponge, absorbs it.

This week think about: 1) How healthy are my fears? 2) When has fear protected me? 3) Where does fear immobilize me?

Words of Wisdom: “The wise man fears the loosed lion; the fool fears the lion in a cage.”

Wisdom from the Word: “For I am the Lord your God, the one who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’” (Isaiah 41:13 NET Bible)

Head in the Game

Weekly Thought – July 7, 2026

Fred loved exercise, if done by others. He teased Dr. Ken Cooper, founder of the world-renowned Cooper Clinic and Aerobics Center in Dallas one of his favorite activities was driving through the donut shop, parking, and eating while he watched others run. But he believed serving others meant taking care of himself. He chose manual “temporary” projects around the house as his favorite outlet for fitness. He was the king of duct tape!

Head in the Game

As a way of starting, let me ask you to take a piece of paper, draw a line from top to bottom, dividing it into two columns. On the left, list those emotions which you must discipline in order to stay mentally healthy. These are the ones that bring us mental discomfort or even make us sick. On the right, list the one that move us toward healthy living. For example, unrestrained anger, jealousy, greediness would be on the left; gratitude, excitement, and positive tension would be on the right.

The next step is to use our willpower to focus on the healthy and avoid the unhealthy. Until we identify them and their affect on us, we cannot do anything about it. But we need to recognize that emotions vary in their affect. Fear may be paralyzing and immobilizing to one person, while it is only distracting to another, or even energizing. I cannot make a list for you, nor you for me. But we can think about it together.

One important point is most emotional problems are not sin, per se. they are the result of being human and living in a human, fallen world. But we have to recognize that sin does play a part in some situations. When this is true, willpower isn’t the answer – repentance is. We must take responsibility for emotional difficulties that are sin-based. I cannot handle my rebellious spirit by calling it an unhealthy attitude. No amount of counseling will cure me. I must confess, repent, and go God’s way.

I wish there were an easy way to maintain a healthy mental life without discipline, but there isn’t. In many ways our will is who we are and who we will become. Actually, a harmful emotion can be turned into a good one by the action of this will.

Scripture talks about self-control and it speaks of it as a purposeful action. That is the way to emotional health. I found out a long time ago, if you decide to live with the unhealthy emotions, decide also to indulge and suffer. Health is a choice.

This week consider: 1) How do I handle negative emotions? 2) Which emotions are the best for my mental health? 3) Who models emotional health for me?

Words of Wisdom: “If you decide to live with the unhealthy emotions, decide also to indulge and suffer.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NET Bible)

Ask Fred

Weekly Thought – June 30, 2026

Fred believed in focused effort. Random activity rarely produces results. He also believed in effectiveness. Doing something for the sake of efficiency had little appeal to him. He was hired as a management consultant because he could identify the sticking points in organizations and make recommendations for positive, remedial solutions.

Paul D. Robbins and Harold L. Myra interviewed Fred for Leadership magazine, asking about his philosophy of management. This week’s thought features an excerpt.

Ask Fred

Paul and Harold: “You always appear so relaxed, even casual, yet there is below the surface, a lurking intensity. Does this intensity have a special meaning for you?”

Fred: Yes, I guess it does, for it is one of my gaugepoints, like a channel marker for a ship’s captain. Intensity is the boiling point of effort; the concentration of energy’ the tip of the welding flame. Most men of accomplishment have a special ability to develop intensity at the right time over the right issue. Jackie Robinson at second base could come out of his relaxed pose, snap into action as the play came to him, and then go back into poised relaxation, saving himself for the next time. Most pros have this ability. Only amateurs keep jumping up and down constantly. Many hardworking people fail to accomplish much because they lack intensity at the crucial time.

Paul and Harold: “Do you have a management system?”

Fred: “Yes. I like to find the essence of each situation like a logger who finds the key log, blows it out, and lets the stream do the rest. Almost all problems have a key log if we learn to find it. I try to decide what I’m trying to do, what it takes to do it, and who I can get to do it better than I can.”

Paul and Harold: “Say a word about executive systems.”

Fred: “I use this definition: “An executive is not a person who can do the work better than the others; he is a person who can get others to do the work better than he can.” My responsibility is to be a supervisor, not a superworker. This requires competent people. Selection, development, and motivation are key to the effective use of this system.
It is very important that the people who work for me understand my job. If they don’t, they often try to do it. That’s why I must know what I want to control. This is simple: I make a list of what only I can do. I add a few things that I prefer doing and that is what I hold on to. The rest I assign until I can delegate.”

This week think about: 1) What question would I have asked Fred? 2) How am I defining leadership? 3) What can only I do best?

Words of Wisdom: “Many hardworking people fail to accomplish much because they lack intensity at the crucial time.”

Wisdom from the Word: “But as for you, be strong and don’t get discouraged for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NET Bible)

True Comfort

Weekly Thought – June 23, 2026

Fred’s friend Steve Brown urges believers to be “free in Christ.” Freedom comes at a price – whether the blood of Jesus or the blood of Americans throughout the centuries. Independence Day reminds us of Fred’s last days when he learned to be “delightfully dependent.”

True Comfort

We walk together in this “vale of tears.” No one is exempt from the dark that sometimes obscures the path. We can comfort or we can sympathize – I prefer comfort.

Oftentimes sympathy is synthetic empathy. Sympathy is sometimes offered to a troubled person by one who is not with relative ease. Sympathy can get in the way of God’s work as Chambers points out, “Be careful not to work against God in sympathizing with those with whom He is working.” Strong words!

Sympathy can be an addictive emotion and one that cripples the receiver. Loss can develop into a syndrome of sympathy blocking healthy relationships. Conversations begin and end with an emotional discussion of the loss. No doubt Christ was cutting through this psychological thicket when he asked the man at the pool, “Would you be made whole?”

I usually ask, “When do you want to get over this hurt?” Then I follow it with, “What are you willing to do to get over it?” Pharaoh was not willing to do what it took to rid himself of the frogs. Too often when we have problems we, too, want “one more night with the frogs.”

I have talked about the ills of empathy to set the backdrop for the merits of true comfort. Comfort recognizes the hurt without placing blame. Comfort shares the hurt. The word “compassion” means “with pain”… when we are compassionate we are with the other person in their hurt. I saw an older widow comfort a younger one by simply asking, “It hurts, doesn’t it?”

Serious hurt always casts a shadow over alternatives. A man facing serious financial disaster came to talk. We explored options he hadn’t considered. They shed small rays of hope. When he left I thought how hypocritical it would have been to appear sympathetic, quote some scripture, and promise to pray for him.

Comfort is a process by which we try to find opportunities for healing, unknown avenues of explanation, and understanding. Comfort is never clichés. True comfort is unique, personal, one to one.

Comfort lights a candle in the darkness.

Think carefully about: 1) Which is easier for me – sympathy or true comfort? 2) What brings me comfort? 3) Who is hurting I can comfort?

Words of Wisdom: “Comfort shares the hurt.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4 NET Bible)

Setting The Direction

Weekly Thought – June 16, 2026

Fred and Mary Alice were married 67 years when she died in 2004. On June 25, 1937, they had $5.00 between them. Fred always laughed and said, “If she had wanted more, she should have saved more!” For their honeymoon, they took a ride on the trolley to downtown Nashville and split a Krystal hamburger. But they knew the direction they wanted for their lives. They were committed to family, contributing to the good of others, and serving Christ.

Setting The Direction

Most career counselors make choosing a goal in life our most important decision. I differ. Choosing the direction is more important than the goal. Our mature success comes in the direction we move, not in the goals we attain. Goals are more impressive, but direction is more satisfying.

Harvard Business School found many of their bright students learned to solve problems rather than identify opportunities. Setting goals is secondary to setting direction.

I oppose setting an ultimate tangible, measurable, quantitative goal for one’s life. Too many people reach the goal and find the joy was in the journey, not the arrival. “Is this all there is” is the natural response to those who set a title, an income, a financial networth, or possession as the goal.

Goals are set to confirm we are moving in the direction we desire. They are the road markers, not the destinations.

I prefaced my decision about life I wanted by visiting a graveyard and thinking about what is really important in life. When young people ask me for advice on finding a direction I ask, “Do you want to be useful or self-fulfilled? As long as they see these as opposites, it is going to be difficult for them to have a mature view of life. There is great truth in the paradox of the lost life as the found life. Being useful to others is the best way to receive fulfillment.

The best way to be useful is to use the talent we have been given. What we do well is sometimes so natural it is often overlooked. We are troubled calling something work that is easy and pleasant. If a person is talented in several areas, it becomes difficult to discern the key uniqueness. I ask them, “How do you want to be recognized by others? What do you feel most worthwhile in doing? What do you feel strong enough about to perfect? What do you enjoy completely, even the details?”

Then I ask, “What do you want for your epitaph?” for those are the words that ultimately identify the direction.

This week think about: 1) What do I want my epitaph to say? 2) How pleased am I with my direction? 3) Where am I deriving my greatest satisfaction?

Words of Wisdom: “The best way to be useful is to use the talent we have been given.”

Wisdom from the Word: “For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NET Bible)

Boy in the Mirror

Weekly Thought – June 9, 2026

Fred loved golf. He began playing when he was 50 and never stopped studying the game. At one time they had a weekend home on a golf course. He started picking up lost balls – when he ended up with 1000, Mary Alice called a halt. And, just like every other area of his life, he grew by asking questions and by continually learning.

Boy in the Mirror

When I wake up at 2:00 am and the little boy inside won’t speak to me, I know I am in trouble. For me, self-respect is measured by my relationship to that little boy. I like to stay on good terms with him.

Self-respect is the basis of excellent internal relations. It calls us to fulfill our mission, to use our talent, to improve ourselves, to become a person we enjoy living with. Self-respect must be a permeating influence in our life, centered in our heart and radiating out through our actions.

I was active in the development of 26,000 acres in Colorado which drew families from all over the country. The grandeur of the mountains, the beauty of the lakes, and the mountain climate attracted many who came for tranquility. Too bad many of them thought the surroundings and the excitement of a new development would ensure a fresh start and a peaceful life. Instead, the contrast between their external environment and their internal turmoil drove them away. They looked into the mirror and only saw ugliness. So, they packed up and took their problems to the next place.

There are some questions we can use to measure (or at least approximate) the state of our internal relationship:
1) Is my self-respect increasing? Where are the hollow spots? Are they growing or decreasing?
2) Am I content with who I am becoming?
3) Am I willing to be known for who I am rather than an acquired mask?
4) Do I have to maneuver my relationships to avoid closeness?
5) How deep are my relationship roots? Can they withstand adversity?
6) Do I feel alienated from my own relational history?
7) Am I trying to buy my way with others, binding them to me with a golden chain?
8) Am I making peace with my own mortality?
9) Is gratitude a growing emotion knowing I have nothing but what I have been given?
10) Am I increasingly willing to give before I get?
11) Do I feel my life becoming more integrated, bound together by my faith?
12) Can I love?

This week think about: 1) Which question is the hardest to answer? 2) How am I doing with the little boy (little girl)? 3) Where am I growing?

Words of Wisdom: “Self-respect is the basis for excellent internal relations.”

Wisdom from the Word: “May grace and peace be lavished on you as you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!” (1 Peter 1:2 NET Bible)

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