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Power

Weekly Thought – November 24, 2015

Fred believed gratitude was one of the most important emotions. He believed strongly in his admonition to “never lose the good of a bad experience.” To the very end of his life he expressed thanks to all, especially to his heavenly father.

We at BWF are profoundly grateful for you. May this Thanksgiving allow you a moment to stop and reflect on the blessings on our great God and Father.

Power

Any schoolboy with a B average can chant Lord Acton’s cliche: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Power gets a bad name and a bad rap. For all its addictive effects on many, power itself is a neutral instrument. Its morals have to be measured by the use to which it is put. It simply energizes.
Power rises from the spirit of the bearer.

I’m credited with original authorship on the story of the artificial fish which is a metaphor now widely quoted among Christians. It is an expression of the power of the spirit. If you put a live fish in a pool of artificial fish, everybody notices the difference immediately. The authentic spirit of the living fish stands out in contrast to the lump of plastic which forms the others. One after another, people marvel at the movement of the living fish which is doing what it was meant to do.

There are fewer situations which demonstrate the effect of power than retirement. The measure of the executive’s motivation becomes clear. Was the power for personal acclaim and acceleration or for the benefit of the organization? The self-serving conniver has to wear title as armor and power as sidearms.

Associates never want to see this person again after the obligatory retirement party. Some of the worst are the most vulnerable to vindictiveness once disarmed by loss of title and position. Rare is the executive who lives in such a way that colleagues miss the person more than the function.

A senior executive facing retirement asked me what to expect. I quickly answered, “No one will return your phone calls.” The “yes, sir” attitude is attached to the position, not to the person. Retirement awakens the realization of power’s privileges.

But, walking away from the position also provides the opportunity to create authentic relationships. And also, to understand the true power – that of the Spirit. We also can focus on our unique gifts and nurture genuine, appropriate personal power not based on title, but on contribution.

This week think about: 1) What is my power base? 2) How can I develop my gifts beyond title or position? 3) What creates gratitude today?

Words of Wisdom: “Rare is the executive who lives in such a way that colleagues miss the person more than the function.”

Wisdom from the Word: “And he displayed great power and awesome might in view of all Israel.” (Deuteronomy 34:12 NET Bible… speaking of Moses)

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