Weekly Thought – July 24, 2018
Fred valued his friendships and peer relationships. His generosity of time and mental energy endeared him to those around him. He once said he was going to the grave with a lifetime of confidences. He could be trusted to be who he said he would be and certainly trusted to do what he said he would do.
Fall 2018 is quickly filling with What’s Next Roundtable events. The excitement about sharing experiences and Fred’s ideas on mentoring, networking, and persevering grows week by week.
Responsibilities to Our Peers
I see two clear ways we can benefit our friends and peers:
1) Be an individualist. Oftentimes when I am lecturing to college students, I toy with them a bit by asking all those who feel they are non-conformists to hold up their hands. Without fail, nearly 95% of the audience raise their hands. I always laugh, if only to myself.
Actually, a conformist and non-conformist are the same personality types because they are both outer directed. They both form their opinion and behavior by finding out where the “in” line forms. The non-conformist wants to know where the line is, so he won’t be in it, just as the conformist wants to know where the line is to make sure he is first in the queue. They are just two sides of the same personality.
The nature of an individualist is having a friendly attitude, being part of what is going on, while not jeopardizing their values. He hopes the peer group is right and joins them enthusiastically, but removes himself if they are wrong. He takes the responsibility of challenging the peer group.
2) Be redemptive. When I have the opportunity, my responsibility is to be redemptive. Transformation isn’t just a personal process designed for me alone; it is a process I participate in for the benefit of my peer group. I am responsible for creating an atmosphere of redemption. The ultimate is bringing God’s power to the people and situations in which we find ourselves. I define redemption as simply evil with good wherever we are.
Being redemptive is played out in the Biblical analogies of salt and light. Chasing away darkness is not the function of light; it is to provide an atmosphere for clear sight. When we are salt, we are a preservative – we preserve the rightness of life. We also bring a constructive attitude to our peer group.
Redemption takes discipline. I do not pray for miracles, but rather a willingness to join God in His process or working out matters. Prayer is not for me to change God, but for me to conform to Him. Biblical principles discipline our thinking and our contribution to our peer group. I believe there is a genuine gift in delineating the principles in order to face the day to day situations with discernment.
This week think about: 1) How am I bringing redemption to each of my environments? 2) What am I doing to clearly hold to my principles? 3) Who models these principles for me?
Words of Wisdom: “Transformation isn’t just a personal process designed for me alone; it is a process I participate in for the benefit of my peer group.”
Wisdom from the Word: “When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name. (1 Chronicles 16:2 NET Bible)