Weekly Thought – August 23, 2016

Fred’s reputation for principle-based thinking continues on as part of his living legacy. His gift for understanding the way things operate and people think gave him great opportunities for his unique contribution.

Please pray for our fall BWFLI schedule. Our teams are diligently preparing for Asbury University and Palm Beach Atlantic University. Peter McNally will be the chapel speaker at Asbury and Steve Brown will challenge the students at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Principal-Based Thinking

While the book of Proverbs says “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” it does not give us a clear and succinct definition of wisdom. Personally, I think of it as the “knowledge and use of divine principles.” As Einstein said, “I want to think God’s thoughts after Him. To me, that is wisdom. Too many make the transition from data to information to knowledge, but fall short of the final step: wisdom.”

The understanding of divine principles is often conceptual and not always captured in chapter and verse. A fine example is the comment from my friend Ray Stedman: “My entire life changed when I realized God is for me.” This encapsulates the principle of God’s love for us.

The first step is acquiring knowledge. My good friend Jack Modesett, Jr. said, “My time at Princeton became enjoyable and profitable when I discovered learning was fun.” He has carried this attitude over into his Bible teaching where he thoroughly enjoys exploring the mysteries of God. Knowledge of God is exciting to Jack.

Another helpful principle: “God will not do for me what I can do for myself and He will not let you do what only He can do.” That is probably my paraphrase, but it has served me well. The Bible is replete with examples of taking the first step. He enables us, but also expects us to use the power He provides.

Oswald Chambers gave me a principle which serves me well during this season of disability. “God will not give you strength to overcome, but strength as you overcome.” Again, I am convinced God gives us the ability to take action. A friend called to ask how I was doing with my physical limitations. He bemoaned my handicaps. I put this principle into practice by responding: “I am not handicapped – I am delightfully dependent.”

What a treasury of wisdom we have in the saints who have gone before us. They point us toward God’s Word as the authority and the true source of wisdom. When we walk in obedience we understand the depth and reality of His divine principles. Fear is the beginning; obedience is the end.

This week think about: 1) Where do I need wisdom this week? 2) How can I grow in obedience? 3) What measures am I using to indicate wise decisions?

Words of Wisdom: “God won’t do for us what we can do for ourselves and He won’t let us do what only He can do.”

Wisdom from the Word: “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding was as infinite as the sand on the seashore.” (1 Kings 4:29 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – August 9, 2016

Fred’s belief in rhythm was well-known to his friends. He eschewed the philosophy of “every day and every day I am getting better and better.” He held to the belief of seasons and periods which allowed for growth and assimilation. He called them plateaus.

Please continue praying for the Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute as the two fall events are coming in September and October. Gratitude is certainly felt for those who stand with us.

Pit Stops

Sound development requires a program that provides plateaus in which our information is turned into knowledge through experience and then another climb. Personal growth is not a series of nonstop climbs. Plateaus allow for assimilation before starting the next ascent. Each person has his or her own pattern and must become adept at reading their graph of climbs and plateaus. Those who try to go up too fast either run out of steam or poorly assimilate their experiences. They develop hollow spots.

All of life doesn’t evenly and systematically move through the pattern. From a distance, a graphed line may look like a consistent incline. However, when studied up close, the viewer sees it is a pattern, up, down, and flat places. The macro view often looks different from the micro experience.

We have natural divisions in our life, such as family, career, spirit, finances, emotions, friends, acquaintances, and physical health. A friend of mine who consults with executives on personal development likens these segments of life to subsidiaries of a corporation. Each one “reports” quarterly to the individual who monitors and supervises the performance of each.

I like to think of the divisions as interrelated but distinct in their focus. Clearly, each has its own particular life cycle of climbs and plateaus. Therefore, it is important to track all areas of our life and keep time tables charted for each. As we undertake this exercise, we can measure the condition of each division. I do not attempt to have each area in the same mode. Ideally, each has its season for climbs and plateaus. For example, when one is climbing in one’s career, energy and positive stress are redirected to that subsidiary. To strive with equal energy and focus to each of the other areas hoping for marked climbs is asking for burnout and poor production.

Understanding the syncopation of life’s development rhythm keeps us in sync with progress.

This week consider: 1) What are the major areas of focus for me? 2) Which area of my life is receiving the greatest attention toward climb mode right now? 3) How am I avoiding burnout?

Words of Wisdom: “To strive with equal energy and focus to each of our life areas, hoping for marked climbs in each is asking for burnout and poor production.”

Wisdom from the Word: “For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’”(Hebrews 4:4 NET Bible)

Fred seriously considered the use of his time and energy, especially as his physical condition deteriorated. He carefully weighed each activity, measuring the “emotional output” each required. His wise use of time and resources enabled him to be productive to the very end of his life.

Powered Up

We are always warned by the electric company to avoid overloading the circuits. This is right, although I noticed that I have six plugs on one outlet, there is no potential danger because I only use one thing at a time. Each one alone doesn’t come close to maxing out the circuitry. We get in overload trouble by using more than one or two – that maxes it out.
The same thing happens in our lives. We get overloaded by having too many demanding involvements, emotional experiences, or commitments of time all at once. When we do so, we blow a fuse. It isn’t how many connections you have on a circuit; it is how much potential there is for an overload. Sometimes we can take on multiple activities so long as none of them requires too much or is plugged in simultaneously with too many other demands. When they compete for our energy current, we are in danger.

We draw different amounts of current depending on the emotional output require by any particular commitment. I used to speak to very large audiences, and it took practically no energy because the input was matched by the output. If there had been no positive input, such friendly reactions, laughs, agreements, interest, and so on from the audience, it would have take a great deal more output from me.

The power draw is not static. There are times when it takes much more energy to complete a task or go through an experience. I find my physical and spiritual condition greatly affect the flow. When I try to overreach in a weakened condition, I run out of energy more quickly. And when I am feeling the current strongly, I accomplish the tasks with less energy cost.

You must reach a balance where the amount that you give and the amount that you receive are equivalent – a zero sum game. We burn out when we are not sharing the energy load in the task, whether intellectual, emotional, physical, or spiritual. It is not the number of tasks, but the net energy required that determines the point of overload.

This week think about: 1) What draws power from me? 2) What gives me energy? 3) How do I measure the give and take in order to stay balanced?

Words of Wisdom: “It is not the number of tasks, but the net energy required that determines the point of overload.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Now the Lord energized Elijah with power; he tucked his robe into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.” (1 Kings 18:46 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – July 26, 2016

Fred’s ability to distill information into memorable wisdom bites. Most people who knew him quickly remember beneficial phrases. He called them “one-liners.” We now call them “Fred Saids.” This week’s thought features one of those well-known pithy statements: ritual versus reality.

Uncovering the Meaning

I recently had an interesting discussion about ritual versus reality, recognizing ritual was originally established to perpetuate reality. However, we humans have a tendency to keep the ritual and let the reality slip away. Theologically, this may be a subtle attempt on our part to put ourselves in control of what is actually divine.

When we do this, we feel free to augment the ritual to please ourselves. This way we can make the ritual so elaborate that it becomes what we would want it to be if we were God… not bearing much resemblance to the sandals and seamless robe exemplified by Jesus.

Often I have asked husbands if they still kiss their wives as they leave for work. Almost indignantly, they will say “yes, of course.” I usually then ask them if they have ever considered the difference between the first kiss on the honeymoon, and the one they now give each morning. The first one was probably a pretty mushy one – even a double dip! The husband might have even thought about calling in sick! Now his wife gets a little peck as he hurries through the door on the way to the car. Occasionally, they may even miss, but at least they tried – and the ritual goes on, while the reality suffers.

Then we ask: “Should vacant ritual be discarded?” Not at all. We need, instead, to return the reality to the ritual.

When I was chairman of the Youth for Christ board I asked a young man why they were trying to destroy the traditions of the church with contemporary music and casual dress. He replied, “Mr. Smith, we are not trying to destroy the traditions of the faith, but we’re not willing to perpetuate them without the experience that created them.”

Excellent answer and well said. Let’s uncover the ritual to discover the reality.

This week think about: 1) What rituals have I bought into and lost the reality? 2) How can I bring more meaning to my daily activities? 3) When does status quo hinder fellowship?

Words of Wisdom: “We humans have a tendency to keep the ritual and let the reality slip away.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 NET Bible)