Forward Friday continues Tribe talks. Who is in our tribe and what is the difference they make in our life to help us get better in the important areas of our life?
There are many aspects for growth no matter what stage of life we find ourselves in and we zero in on the specific area of not settling plus a few quick ideas on what real strength looks like…
Let’s Get Into This And See Where It Takes Us!
I had the awesome privilege to speak at a high school graduation last week and if I had to put a title to it, it was simply….
Looking For A Strong Man/Woman..
I said to those students and I would say to us that we all need to have these attributes flowing out of us for the good.
Things Like:
A strong man/woman loves their family and they are loyal to family. (Not blindly being quiet, turning the other way when wrong is happening but still loyal)
A strong man/woman works towards goals that will bring about positive outcomes.
A strong man/woman is supportive of others and helpful in seeing them achieve goals and dreams.
A strong man/woman is honest. We need to be front runners in honesty because if anything has been laid open for all to see is that our politicians, establishments and officials seem to have lost touch with truth and honesty. We need to, in our corners of life do our best to walk in honesty.
A strong man/woman respects others.. it is fascinating that many people want respect but have a hard time giving the same to others.
A strong man/woman continually learns to grow patience. No matter the age, we don’t get a pass on learning the daily lessons of patience. It really does matter.
A strong man/woman is reliable. Man, it is scary how so many have lost the ability to be reliable. A great tribe will hold each other to account in many areas and one of these areas is being reliable.
A strong man/woman is trustworthy. That speaks right there.
A strong man/woman looks for ways to help those in need.
A strong man/woman figures out that some behaviors that haven’t worked need to be phased out of our decision-making process.
(A great tribe helps us with the blind spots that we all have and sometimes, we need to face the music that some things we do/have done don’t cut it anymore if they ever did and we must not be too proud to think we don’t have any branches in our lives that don’t need to be pruned.)
A strong man/woman Knows that it isn’t a weakness to ask for help.
At some point, we have to put our foot in the ground and say, no matter who is going to walk with me, I’m walking in a way where I can win in the game of life.
I/We need a tribe and it doesn’t need to be a tribe of many but even a very few who are going to walk with us so we can be productive change makers in our society.
Sometimes, we don’t want to put that foot in the ground to say we’re going to be different so we can win at the game of life because what will people say?
My dad said it often and it has always stuck with me that some people may swear at you because you walk to a different beat and you don’t do what the downstream fish do but if you can hold to your convictions long enough and swim against the current, sooner or later, people will swear by you.
Some people may swear at you because you walk to a different beat and you don’t do what the downstream fish do but if you can hold to your convictions long enough and swim against the current, sooner or later, people will swear by you.
So, Why not us?
Some Good Medicine….
I’ve been doing some studying in the Proverbs over the past few weeks and it has struck me that to be a strong man/woman is not some pie in the sky, can’t reach it, must be for someone else deal but we can each grow and become all that we were intended to become…
Because We Were Created Not To Settle…
Here are but a few encouraging thoughts to take us into Canada Day weekend.
Proverbs 24:3 A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.
Proverbs 23:12 Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge.
Through good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.
Proverbs 18:4 Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.
Proverbs 18:10 God’s name is a place of protection; good people can run there and be safe.
If there was ever a time that a good man, a good woman needs to put their foot in the ground and be different, it is now.
It’s not easy going against the flow but people are looking for someone(s) to risk the flow shift direction, to walk different, to be different so great change can come.
There is an old song that used to be sung in church back in the day but it still rings true today.
In it, there is a declaration of making a decision to go in a direction and even if no one is coming with us, we're going ahead. That last verse goes something like this:
Though none go with me, still I will follow…. Though none go with me, still I will follow…. Though none go with me, still I will follow…. No Turning Back, No Turning Back!!
I believe we can be well on our way to change but it will take some courage, some intestinal fortitude but it’s possible.
Maybe it’s linking arms with the tribe we run with to help make it happen but it is possible.
Our family, our neighborhood, our spheres of influence, our future is waiting for us to figure out that we can put our foot in the ground, so that we can be the best we can be in all the seasons of our life.
Looking For A Strong Man/Woman.. I want to be counted as a swim against the current guy and put my foot in the ground; will you join me??
Created not to settle…..
Dave
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