BOOK REVIEW: H3 Leadership: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle by Brad Lomenick

H3 Leadership: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle by Brad Lomenick 

I have been a motivational follower for some time, and have had the opportunity to sit and hear some of the top speakers of this industry. While there has always been a slightly spiritual element to the speakers, and some have cited Bible references, I have found only two books in my 30+ years that have dealt with the subject using the scripture as the base of the discussion. This is the second. I'm not saying that there aren't more out there, but this is only the second in my encounters that I felt worthy even to pick up and read. 

At first, the book has the typical motivational book read about knowing who you are and where you are going in life and I wondered, "Where are the scriptures?" Then, I went back and re-read the preface and understood that we already know the scripture (or should) - so what we need to do is implement the principles. So, I began reading the book in a new light. I saw the habits that he refers to about developing, the goals seeking were already things Jesus taught in the sermon on the Mount and throughout the gospels. It intrigued me that the author brought these principles to play in the ever changing world of today's workforce. Where jobs aren't certain and life is ahead, these principles are good on any resume'.  I also found it enlightening that the author also appeals to other authors and sources to refer the reader to to further equip themselves in the endeavors that he promotes. I also liked the tips that he gives you in each chapter, that act as a personal application of the principles taught in the chapter. He also includes tips from other authors and those considered experts in the field which I thought was a unique twist.

This book gets a high mark from me. I found myself getting involved in the book and wanting to apply what it taught. However, it is not for everyone. If you are wanting to learn how to improve yourself motivationally, and wanting to be a better leader - then this book is a good one to have in your library. It will be one that you go back and re-read and refer to often. In some circles, it could even be used if accompanied by a workbook as a Bible Class on Leadership.  Even if you are not "Biblical" inclined, don't shy away from this book just because it is.  There are good principles taught here that you will find useful and that will make you a better person.

Mother's Day - A Twist for You

Being Mother’s Day upcoming, my advice is love your mother while she is with you. There will come a day when she is not, and her care will have to be entrusted to another.  In remembering my own mother, I put my mind back to Jesus and his mother and the scenes of Jesus’ birth and ultimately His death.  “Mary Did You Know,” a popular song is reflective of these happenings.  It is also an important thing to note, that Jesus left the care of His mother to his disciple John.

John makes a change in his life that is worth noting, in order for this event to happen.  It is significant that John is introduced is a typical fisherman, yet as with his brother prone to anger issues (Mk.3:17; 9:33-40’ Lk.9:51-56).  He also had a degree of covetous pride that would show itself occasionally (Mt.20:20-28; Mk.10:35). So the question is, what changed in John over a period of three years, that would make him at the cross, someone that Jesus would entrust the care of his mother to.

It is a significant thing, that Jesus taught his disciples that He did not “come to destroy, but to save (Lk.9:55,56). This would require John learning restraint of his temper and control of his ego in order for him to learn this.  Significantly, Jesus told his disciples that they would not be like the world and would behave differently (Mk.10:43), because they would march to the beat of a new commandment (Jn.13:34,35). The fact that John internalized this teaching is seen in his own writings and epistles.  1 Jn.2:24-28 is an example, where we see John emphasizing obedience and control, love, humility, and unity. The John of these epistles is not the John of the gospels. He is a changed man. A man that would be one of Jesus’ closest and most endeared disciples, enough that Jesus would entrust his mother to this man.

What does this have to do with Mother’s day? 

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1.    Love your mother while she is with you and you with her. Jesus did this and the scripture is filled with passages that provide commentary to “honor your father and mother.”
2.      John shows us that you can change and what changing for the good bring about in your life. He teaches us in 1 Jn.3:18 to love with our actions as well as the words of truth.
3.     That we transcend living as in a world of death, to a life of true living when we learn how to love and show that love to others (1 Jn.3:14)
4.      When we learn to help one another (3 Jn.8) then as Jesus said of Himself,  Matt. 12:50  For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

So, honor your mother today. Mend fences if they are broken, it will be worth it.  Change your life and you  might just find that the world is a better place and the people around you appreciate that change.

Jim

Does God want us to cast our burdens on Him even if their burdens we have created?

Does God want us to cast our burdens on Him even if their burdens we have created?

The passage referred to is 1 Pet.5:7. Study of the context of the passage will tell us what we should know...

1Pe 5:6-8 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the right time he may lift you up. Throw all your anxieties upon him, because he cares about you. Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

The first thing you notice, is the passage refers to humility. Defined, this is is the quality of being modest, reverential, even politely submissive, and never being arrogant, contemptuous. The passage beckons us to humble ourselves before God. So, in first response to your question, if the situation is one that I have created, it would depend upon my attitude. Is my attitude one of "Hey God - Guess what, I'm here again. Now get down here and help me out" -- then the answer to my prayer and behest of God is going to be a flat NO! Because until I learn humility, "God opposes the arrogant, but to the humble he gives grace." James 4:6

If my attitude is, "not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God! Have mercy on me, sinner that I am!' (Lke.1813), then the answer would be yes, God would look upon my anxiety and strive to help and be gracious.

The second part to this, is that God does care for us, even when we walk into the devil's jaws. He does not promise us that we will not be hurt, suffer consequences, or even have to wallow in the manure of sin for a while before we come to understand what God offers and that what He offers is not to be taken for granted (Lk.15:11-32)

Third - Notice vs.8. Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Sober here means just that - the opposite of drunk! Not drunk as in intoxicated, but to keep my mind clear at all times. To not allow my thinking to become mottled with intoxicants, life, sin, or anything else that will cause me to drop my guard. Because when I do, that is when Satan will attack and temptation will be least likely to be resisted. I am to stay alert so that I can see what is going on around me at all times, and so that I can see clearly the dangers in front of me and avoid them. It doesn't take too many times stubbing toes in the dark and running headlong into sharp cornered furniture in the dark to realize that it is better to navigate the room with the light on.

We are all prodigal sons at some point, gathered all together, and taking our journeys into a far country, and there wasted our substance and ourselves with riotous and reckless living. It is the HUMBLE, that come to their senses, realize what they have given up, what they have done, and returning to their Father. These are the ones that God seeks.

Lesson of the Day: Humility

This is not "humility" in the sense of being humiliated, but humility in the sense of the giving over of oneself. I have learned through the course of time, the proverb, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the All-holy is understanding (Prov.9:10)." I have learned through experience Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all thy heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding." Yet, I am impressed day by day that as much as I think I have learned, there is always room to improve and grow. Sometimes that means taking steps back and sometimes it means relearning what you already know.

Humility is one of those things that creeps up on you. You think you have a handle on it and then POW....something happens to remind you that you aren't as humble as you think yourself to be. I have had that happen many times. I thank God that at least I have begun to learn how to recognize some things that are triggers that can come to be used of evil intent. One of these is when you get into a particularly "grumbly" mood. By this I mean that things aren't going right for you and you start getting perturbed.

• Being perturbed starts leading to complaint and complaint begins to lead to finding fault.
  
• Finding fault leads to supposition
• Supposition to accusation
  
• Accusation to hurtful speech.
  

Thus the cascade. Interesting how it all starts with a shift in mood. I don't intend to get into any of these and I most certainly know that each of these can lead to wrong. Yet again, I am impressed at how easy it is to fall into this in a heartbeat's breath. I'm also impressed at how easy it is to go from one to the other without thinking about it.

I know that many have differing thoughts on how God "operates" in the lives of people. That said, I believe that God's Spirit resides within us, reminding us of what He has written at times just as this. My revelation was like a flagman on the side of the road warning of danger ahead. I could sense the change in mood, feel the tenseness of being perturbed and had made it to "grumbly complaint" within myself when I caught myself.

God's Spirit here, Hey...Jim...that kind of thinking is not a good thing."

"Hey....Hey...Jim...I know you're in a mood, but really this is starting to get a little out of hand. You know they aren't like that...."

"JIM....wake up man! What are you saying? Didn't you just study the other night, to think more of yourself than you ought to (Romans 12)? Now look at yourself. Complaining and now starting to accuse and no one has even done anything except yourself!"

Need to say more? Lesson learned. My lesson for the day is humility, with a shade of shame that I had to rethink and in some sense relearn what I thought I already knew. Thank you Lord for revealing this to me, and help me please to do better.