Counting The Cost

August 23, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights Leave a comment

2007 RAAM Start in Oceanside, CA. Photo: Kayvo...

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I’d like to share a few leadership insights about counting the cost to finish well.  Recently I was part of an 8-person cycling team that raced across America in the 29th annual Race Across America bicycle race.  It took our team 6 days, 14 hours, and 55 minutes to complete the race and cross the finish line as the 5th place team in the 8-person team division and 14th overall.  As I look at the map and reflect upon what we did, I am still amazed that we were able to finish the race as well as we did.  And I’d like to tell you that from the very beginning, I had no fears or worries at all about completing the race; however, the truth is, I had some significant fears and worries about being able to do it because I had never done anything like that before.  Plus, the fact that the race is actually called the toughest bicycle race in the world, I had a pretty good inclination that it was going to be a huge challenge for me and our team.  In all seriousness, I was very concerned about the challenge of taking 14 people across 14 states, 3,005 miles, 24 hours per day, over 100,000 ft of elevation through the mountains of Colorado and West Virginia, the sweltering hot deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, and the windy plains of Kansas and Missouri from the West Coast of California to the East Coast of Maryland.  In other words, I was nervous about the magnitude of the endeavor and needed to seriously sit down and count the cost of what it was going to take in order to finish the race.    

Do you know that this is something we must all do anytime we want to seriously do something in life bigger than ourselves?  Therefore, I’d like to share with you some of the things I learned about counting the cost to finishing well with any significant challenge.  In retrospect, as I think about the Race Across America experience, I’ve come to realize and appreciate that my fear of starting the journey and potentially not being able to finish it, actually challenged me in some very positive ways and required me to ask myself three very important questions.   

The first question was: “Do I have what it takes to finish the race?    

In Luke 14:28-31, the Lord teaches the principle of counting the cost to finish well by sharing, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it —   lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’”  This is a scary thought and I can totally relate to it through my experience with RAAM.  After my friend Scot and I received approval from the Ochsner Executive Leadership Team to sponsor a RAAM team named Team Ochsner to support the fight against childhood obesity, the reality of meeting the RAAM challenge began to soberly set in as we left the executive meeting and walked down the hallway.   Our unspoken thoughts and fear was, “Do we really have what it takes to finish the Race Across America?”   

To adequately answer this question, each of our team members had to consider our foundation of health and fitness as well as develop an effective training plan to build upon it.  You just don’t decide to do Race Across America one day and then the next day get on a bike and ride all the way across America without having a significant foundation of health and fitness.  It really takes years of building a firm foundation of riding capability and physical health to even consider RAAM.  For me personally, it was 10 years of training – 3 years spinning and 7 years riding outdoors.  Additionally, to help me be accountable to my personal training plan and to my team, I began recording my daily training activity with the iMapMyRide training tool as well as sharing it on twitter.  Simply put, accountability for any project or endeavor, big or small, begins when you first tell others that you are going to do something and it continues every day when you daily affirm that decision by your disciplined actions towards completing that project or endeavor.    

Leadership Insight #1: Without a solid foundation, the discipline to build upon that foundation, and the commitment to be accountable to an effective training plan, it really doesn’t make much sense to attempt the achievement of something bigger than yourself.   

The second question I had to ask myself was: “Is God with me in this race?”   

In my walk with the Lord over the years, I’ve learned that things go much better when God is with me; therefore, with the Race Across America challenge, I needed to make sure that I wasn’t going to be picking up a load that God did not want or intend for me to carry alone.  In my prayer time, I had to seek the Lord about this matter and get the green light of His peace to proceed.  James 4:13-16, says “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit?’ whereas, you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.”   

For me, embracing the Race Across America challenge was more than just a huge potential accomplishment. It was actually something I felt the Lord leading me to do.  As a result, even though it was a tremendous weight for me to carry, I was well equipped to carry it in the strength of the Lord because I knew He was with me to do the race.  In my spirit, He was softly speaking to me, “From faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory, I will take you.”  With that personal word from the Lord to me, I knew that He would give me the strength and everything else I needed to complete the race, although I still had to trust Him and exercise my faith every step of the way.  And now that the race is over, I can honestly tell you that God was so tremendously faithful and the only reason that we were able to finish so well is because the Lord was with us.    

Think about this.  We rode day and night for 3,005 miles from California to Maryland and we did not have a drop of rain nor did we have any significant head wind. For me, this is a miracle and a true testament to the awesome faithfulness of God and His goodness!  Additionally, while we were in Kansas riding through the plains, one of my team mates decided to ride along with me while the wind was at our backs.  And I can tell you, it was so much better to have the wind at our backs propelling us forward than to have it working against us as a headwind.  Similarly, it is the same way with God for any endeavor purposed in your heart.  It is so much better to have Him with you to strengthen and help you accomplish the endeavor He has put on your heart rather than trying to do something big on your own and God has not given you His grace nor His favor to do it.   

Leadership Insight #2: Don’t dare go if God says no; but in faith go large if God is with you to help push the barge.   

The last question I had to ask myself was: “Who will go with me and what character do they have to meet the challenge?”    

I knew that this race was going to be tough and everyone was going to be tested along the way; therefore, I knew that I needed to choose team mates with the strength of character to withstand the testing and be willing to work together as a team to overcome every challenge and adversity in faith.  Proverbs 17:17 states that “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”  Furthermore, Matthew 7:24-25 says “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Without much exception, the people on our team were strong believers in Christ which helped us to lift one another up during the tough moments and demonstrate that the foundation of our team was built on a rock of strong character in the Lord.  And when the testing came – and it did – everyone overcame the challenges despite our differences along the way.  There is no doubt about it, without the character and commitment of every person on the team to do their part, stay in faith, and work as a team, the Race Across America would have been an impossible challenge for our team.   And this holds true for any team with dreams and goals bigger than themselves.     

Leadership Insight #3:  Everyone on a team must do their part, stay in faith, and work together as a team to see God do the impossible in and through them as a team.    

All praise, glory, and honor be to the Lord for strengthening my Race Across America team and protecting us every pedal stroke of the way!   

Counting The Cost Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Counting The Cost, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved. 

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A Shepherd’s Heart

August 17, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family Leave a comment

Scripture

Jeremiah 23:3-4 “’But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will setup shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,’ says the Lord.”

Observation

In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of a time when the Lord will call His people back to the land He has promised them.  If that were not enough, the Lord also promises to provide good shepherds to take great care of His people when they return.  With the help of the Lord and His appointed shepherds, the Lord’s people will be fruitful and multiply in His blessing without any fear or dismay, and lacking no good thing. The awesome picture that Jeremiah paints of the future He is prophesying about comes straight from the shepherd heart of God for taking great care of the people of His pasture. Additionally, these passages also clearly indicate that the Lord appoints spiritual leaders in His kingdom with the tremendous responsibility of representing Him as a shepherd appointed by Him to take great care of His people as well.

Application

As Jehovah Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd, God promises to take great care of those who love Him and are the called according to His purposes. In fact, in Psalm 23:1 David declares, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” meaning that God Himself is more than enough in the life of someone surrendered to His Lordship.  Furthermore, God alone appoints leaders with the spiritual authority to lead and guide others into the good land that He has prepared for them. Through my submission to the Lord and those whom He has placed in spiritual authority over me, I will be spiritually well fed, full of courage, undeterred, and lacking nothing in the pursuit of God’s perfect plan and purpose for my life.  Plus, as a leader of the people that God has entrusted to my care, I must be careful to fulfill my God-appointed leadership responsibility with the shepherd heart of God so that the people on my team are also well fed, full of courage, undeterred, and lacking nothing in their pursuit of God’s perfect plan and purpose for their life…a huge responsibility and privilege indeed.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise You for You are Jehovah Rohi, the Lord my Shepherd! Thank You Lord for caring so much about me to leave the ninety-nine behind to find me in a far off place, bring me back to Your fold, and place me in divinely appointed relationships with good shepherds who care for me in the same way that You do. Help me Lord to be a good shepherd like You too. I love You Jesus! Amen!

The Make It Happen Moment ® Win With Integrity

August 15, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® 1 Comment

Quote: “It’s not winning that counts. It’s integrity!” – George Foreman

One evening at church, my father-in-law was serving as an usher while my family and I attended service.  He was wearing a name tag that identified him with the word “Usher” underneath his first name.  Afterwards, my youngest daughter was talking with him and became curious about his name tag.  Pointing to it, she said, “Paw Paw, is that your real name?”  Not thinking anything of it, he said, “Yes baby, that’s my real name.”  So then later on at home, my daughter asked my wife an interesting question, “Mom, what’s Paw Paw’s last name?”  Bewildered by the unusual question, my wife answered, “You know Paw Paw’s last name.  It’s Scheurer.”  My daughter’s emphatic response, “No mom, what’s his real last name…the one that begins with ‘U’?” 

So let me ask, what name tag are you wearing?  Does it accurately reflect the truth of your real name?  Recently, I learned that truth is the most powerful force in the universe because truth can never be changed…it is eternal.  Hebrews 13:8 states that “Jesus Christ [truth eternal born in flesh] is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  Therefore, we can take heart as believers in Christ, saved by faith through grace, because we carry the spiritual surname of Christ, the Name that is above every other name.  This truth can never be changed, regardless of the facts and circumstances of life that try to rename us.  You see, while truth is eternal and cannot change, facts and circumstances are temporal meaning that they are temporary, transient, and susceptible to change.  Understanding this powerful spiritual principle opens the door to our winning in life with integrity built upon a foundation of unchangeable, unshakeable, eternal truth. 

Webster defines integrity as the state of being whole; however, a better definition of integrity is taught by one of my pastors as the complete agreement between body, soul, and spirit.  In other words, integrity is all about being whole and complete from the inside out, today and forever.  And do you know that we can still be whole, complete, winning in life with integrity, even if we have made life mistakes?  To do so, we must embrace truth that never changes, the Lord who makes us whole.  In Job 5:17-18 the truth states, “Happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore, do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.  For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.”  Friend, the good news is that our loving Father God knows how to correct those whom He loves and at the same time make us whole and complete in Him! How great is the integrity of Almighty God – the complete agreement between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Because God’s tender mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness reaches to the clouds, the temporary facts and circumstances of life have no power to tarnish our integrity in God, nor our ability to win in life with Him in our corner!  With a spirit of humility, thank the Lord who gives beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, so that His children may be called trees of righteousness!

The Make It Happen Professionalism Value: “Make It Happen” People Are Professionals!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Win With Integrity Copyright 2008, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Win With Integrity, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Spirit Of Inclusion

August 12, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights 2 Comments

Today I’d like to share with you some leadership insights about the spirit of inclusion – an essential ingredient for building a healthy growing community.  Last week as I was driving to work, a group of bikers passed me on the other side of the highway riding the kind of bikes you don’t have to pedal. As I think back on the Race Across America, it would have been a lot easier if our team would have learned how to ride bikes like this group…with motors instead of pedals.  However, in many respects, that group of riders was very much just like our Race Across America team.  They were all riding bikes, they all had helmets, they were all going in the same direction, and they were all wearing the same shirts.  On the outside, the only real seemingly difference between their team and ours was that they rode bikes with motors while we rode bikes with pedals.  And the thing that caused me to begin thinking about this in terms of community was the fact that each of the bikers in the motorcycle group was wearing the same bright red color t-shirt indicating that they were all part of the same group just like the really cool team uniforms that my team wore for the Race Across America.

When our 8 person riding team had completed the 3,005 mile bicycle race across America in 6 days, 14 hours, and 55 minutes, we were given the opportunity for the entire team to parade across the finish line together, including our 6 crew members and our two support vehicles.  Although difficult to adequately describe, it was a tremendous experience when our entire team successfully paraded across the finish line as a road tested, RAAM accomplished, 5th place team in the 8-person team division. It is still hard for me to believe that our team successfully rode day and night nonstop over 100,000 feet of elevation through the mountains of Colorado and West Virginia, through the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, the plains of Kansas and Missouri, across 14 different states from the West Coast in Oceanside, California to the East Coast in Annapolis, Maryland.  And I can tell you that the only way we were able to accomplish this huge challenge was to do it together as a team.

It is interesting to me that no matter how young or old someone may be in life, whether it’s a t-ball team, a high school volleyball team, an NFL football team, a group of red hat ladies, or even an informal group of motorcycle riders, people have an inherent desire to belong to a healthy community of people who accept them, embrace them, and help them accomplish something bigger than themselves.  But unfortunately not every group welcomes people and instead of cultivating a spirit of inclusion, some groups cultivate a spirit of exclusion which in the end produces an unhealthy, dysfunctional community. As soon as a group begins to think “us four and no more”, it becomes warped because people are created in God’s image and He thinks of community in terms of inclusion, not exclusion.   Genesis 2:18 states, “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’” With that Word, God created Eve as a helpmate to Adam.  Furthermore Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states that “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”   It is clear from the Bible that there is great value in friendship and even greater benefit in community.

Think about this reality expressed in our culture through America’s beloved television shows of the past: Andy Griffith had his deputy friend Barney Fife; The Skipper had his little buddy Gilligan; Oscar Madison had his opposite roommate Felix Unger; and even The Lone Ranger had his Indian riding partner Tonto.  And even though these awesome television shows are of a time long past, it is still true today: people need one another to successfully do life. We are all created by God to be in healthy relationships with other people and if we want to become more like Him we need to embrace people into our communities with a spirit of inclusion. In Acts 10:34-36 from the Message Bible, Peter states, “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from — if you want God and are ready to do as He says, the door is open.” So it doesn’t matter who you are, if you want to be part of God’s family, He will welcome and include you in His family.

Have you ever seen a flock of geese with little goslings in their flock?  If so, you may have noticed that there is a lot we can learn from them about real community.  Since we actually do have a little “goose family” on our church property, it’s been fun to watch the little baby goslings follow their “goose parents” all over our property and actually grow up into full-fledged flying geese.  And you know, the way that the little “goose family” has lived together and taken care of their goslings is in many ways similar to the way we take care of people in our spiritual family. 

On the weekends, the Lord will bring lost hurting people into our family so that we can help take good care of them and help them grow up into full-fledged spiritually mature Christ followers. When new people come into church many are born again as babes in Christ needing a lot of care and spiritual development.  As a result, we invite them to go through biblical foundations to learn the Bible and how to feed on the word of God by themselves, just like the momma and poppa geese teach their little goslings how to find food around our ponds.  Then we encourage new people to get connected in a small group with a small group leader to learn how to apply the Bible in real life practical ways in the same way that the mamma and poppa geese teach their goslings how to fly.  And then once new people have been flying in small group long enough to know how to fly on their own, we release them into leading their own small group to help take good care of people and help others grow into full-fledged spiritually mature Christ followers as well.  And this is basically the way we do life together and learn how to fly in our church family.  And because we do not have an “us four and no more” spirit of exclusion in our spiritual family, but rather, have an “us four and many more” spirit of inclusion, the Lord continues to bless our house with growth and favor in our community.

In fact, in John 15:9-17 we can learn straight from the Lord Himself about how to build a healthy community with a spirit of inclusion.   The scripture reads, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.  This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another.”

Therefore, from the Bible, we can learn five specific ways to build community with a spirit of inclusion:

 1.      Love others in the group in the same way that Christ loves you.

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 2.      Sacrifice personal comforts to make room for new people in the group

John 15:13, states “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”” and Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

3.      Become genuine friends with new people in the group

John 15:15 states that “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

 4.      Intentionally choose to invite new people to the group

John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” 

 5.      Intentionally receive new people in the group as Christ has received you.

Romans 15:5-7 “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.”

In closing, I’d like to emphasize that we should never underestimate the power of inclusion in the family of God as a child of our heavenly Father.  When we embrace others and help them become all that they were created to be in Christ as a child of the living God, there is no telling who they may become or what impact they may have in the world!

Spirit Of Inclusion Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Spirit Of Inclusion, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Prayer Of A Child

August 7, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family Leave a comment

One evening I came home from work and noticed on my bedside night table, a little picture frame with a hand written prayer enclosed.  The prayer was written by one of my daughters who was 1o years old at the time.  Her prayer is posted below:

“May the lord god give us peace in our house and to keep us safe from any danger that comes upon us. May the lord god make us and everyone around us peaceful and caring. The lord is our strength and our shelter. May we worship him with our heart and our mind.” 

When I read her prayer, I was warmed in my soul by her innocent faith in God and her transparent dependency upon the Lord. I keep her framed little prayer at my bedside to remind me of the importance of cultivating a childlike faith in my own prayer life.  It’s my hope  that her prayer will encourage others to do the same.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Life On Purpose

August 6, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® 1 Comment

Quote: “Great works almost always begin with great dreams!” – Chip Ingram

Several years ago, my oldest son came home with a dream of God in his heart.  His dream was to start a bible club at his junior high school where children could have the freedom to learn about God and live a life of victory in the Lord.  He had a little trouble getting started at first so he wasn’t actually able to do it before graduating on to high school; however, his dream didn’t die.  He carried it with him to high school and with some help from his pastors and a school teacher to sponsor the club; his dream came alive with a student led bible club named Life on Purpose.  Since its founding, the Life on Purpose bible club has reached hundreds of high school students with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ right in their school, with many beginning to pursue their destiny and purpose in God.  And guess what?  My son’s younger brother has followed in his footsteps, starting a Life on Purpose bible club in his junior high school – the same school where my oldest son first dreamed of starting a club.  God is so good that when He gives us a dream, He knows how to make it happen, even when it looks like it will never happen.  You see, God’s dreams aren’t just good dreams, they are great dreams that make an impact in His kingdom!  The seed that my son planted in faithfulness and obedience to God will definitely produce a fruit of righteousness in his generation that cannot be taken away.

No matter what, God’s dream and purpose for our lives will always come alive when we take a risk to respond in faith to His calling in our hearts.  And it’s not because we are so good and faithful, never falling down or making any mistakes.  It’s simply because we are God’s workmanship and He is faithful to complete the good work that He begins in us.  The Truth states in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”  Therefore, God’s will and desire for us is to walk in the good works that He prepared for us before we were even born.  And as the apostle Paul states in Philippians 1:6, we can be “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  I am so thankful that God Himself is the faithful Author and Finisher of our faith and not us; otherwise, I don’t believe any of us would ever make it to the finish line. 

Lastly, the Truth states in 2 Timothy 2:13 that “If we are faithless, He [the Lord] remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”  Selah!  Because my children are born of my loins, they carry my genetic DNA and are biologically identified as my children forever.  There is no possible way that I can ever deny them because of this genetic truth.  I am so grateful that God our Father is the exact same way with His children whom are born of His loins and carry His spiritual DNA in Christ!  As a father, I give thanks to God for His faithfulness that reaches to the clouds and His mercy that endures forever!  With a spirit of wisdom and excellence, take a risk, seek the Truth, and live life deep on purpose as a child of God!

The Make It Happen Risk Taking Value: “Make It Happen” People Take Calculated Risks In The Pursuit Of Excellence!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Life On Purpose Copyright 2008, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Life On Purpose, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Honor Principle

August 6, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® Leave a comment

Quote: “To honor is to value!” – John Bevere

Growing up as a young man, I was often taught by my father and my grandfather that your word was your bond.  In fact, even my Italian great grandfather whom I knew and loved, valued his word so much that his friend gave him a piece of land right next door if only my Paw Paw Tony would promise to build a house and live there.  Because my great grandfather honored his word and fulfilled his promise, he was blessed by his friend with a piece of property free and clear.  As John Bevere teaches in his book, Honor’s Reward, there is an honor principle in the kingdom of God which I believe was foundational in my great grandfather’s life and character.

The Webster dictionary defines honor in the verb tense as: “to hold in respect and admiration; to prize.”  This means that when we honor our word, we hold it in high esteem, prizing what we say and the promises that we make.  In Psalm 15:1 of the New International Version, David asks the Lord, “Lord, who may dwell in Your sanctuary?”  The Lord responds in 15:4, “He who keeps his oath, even when it hurts.”  God says that those who keep their word, even when it hurts, are invited by the Lord to dwell and sup with Him in His holy presence.  Personally, I don’t believe there is any greater honor’s reward or blessing in life than to be able to dwell in the presence of the Lord and to abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Furthermore, I thank God that He honors His own Word so much that He promises to never break it or take back a single word He has said.  In Psalm 89:34 of the New Living Translation, God states, “No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said.”  This means that we can trust God to keep His Word no matter what.   Even if other people don’t believe that God’s Word is true, it doesn’t make any difference.  The apostle Paul states in Roman 3:3-4, “For what if some did not believe?  Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?  Certainly not!  Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.” 

Without doubt, I know that we can trust God to honor His Word – every part of it; not only because He said He would, but because He has also been faithful to keep His promises in my own life.  Like the apostle Paul states in 2 Timothy 1:12, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”  This means that we can totally trust God with everything we commit to Him – our life, our family, our health, our relationships, our finances – everything, because He will keep His Word.  Plus, with God’s faithfulness to honor His Word, we too can be faithful by His Spirit to honor our word.  Therefore, with a spirit of faith and commitment, let us honor the Lord as well as others by the words we speak and the promises we keep!

The Make It Happen Teamwork Value: “Make It Happen” People Foster And Support A Safe Environment Of Teamwork And Mutual Respect!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day! 

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Honor Principle Copyright 2008, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Honor Principle, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

At The Set Time

August 3, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family Leave a comment

Scripture

Genesis 21:1-2 “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He Had spoken.  For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.”

Observation

In these passages of Scripture, we see the Lord’s faithfulness to the promise He made to Abraham many years earlier, but it wasn’t until Abraham was 100 years old that the Lord’s appointed time to fulfill the promise had arrived for Abraham and Sarah.  To Abraham and Sarah, it seemed like an impossible situation; however, in God’s timing, He was faithful to His promise regardless of the impossible nature of their circumstances.  At a 100 years old, the set time of life appointed by God for Abraham, the promised seed of generations, Isaac, was born.

Application

The Lord knows every hair on my head and He has a good and perfect plan for my life.  Regardless of how difficult, challenging, or impossible any situation in my life may appear to be, I know that God is faithful to do what He has promised to do in the set time of life that He has appointed for me.  Because my God is a big God, there is no problem or difficult situation that is too big for Him when I place my trust and faith in Him.  As the Author and Finisher of my faith, the Lord will be faithful to fulfill His promises to me as I trust in Him and His perfect timing.

Prayer

Lord, when life seems too hard, my circumstances seem too difficult, and Your timing too long, help me to place my trust completely in You to fulfill Your promises in my life.  Even with faith as small as a mustard seed, I know that You promise to move mountains on my behalf when I stand in faith on Your promises.  Thank you for being my strong Tower whom I can run to, place my trust, and be safe as I wait patiently for You to do the impossible in my life! I love you Jesus!

Leaders Make It Happen In Faith

August 3, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights Leave a comment

Recently, I learned from reading Dr. Myles Munroe’s book, The Principle And Power Of Vision, that there are basically three types of people in the world: 1) those who never seem to be aware that things are happening around them, 2) those who ask, ‘What just happened?’, and 3) those who make things happen.  Of the three types of people mentioned in Dr. Munroe’s book, what type of person would you most rather be as a leader in your home, business, church, and community?

For me the answer is clear.  I want to be a person that can make things happen with a spirit of wisdom and excellence serving people and solving problems that make a difference in life.  And if I had to guess, I’d say that most people would rather be someone who can make things happen too.  Well, the good news is that God gives us the free gift of the Holy Spirit so that believers in Christ can make things happen in the power and might of His strength regardless of the challenges we might face in the process.  In fact, the Lord declares through the prophet Zechariah that “’It’s not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

Furthermore, in the book of Numbers, the Bible shares the story of Joshua and Caleb, two of my favorite Make It Happen people in the Bible.  When Moses sent out 12 spies to spy the Promised Land, 10 spies came back with a bad report and a “can’t do” spirit of fear; whereas, Joshua and Caleb came back with a good report and a “can do” spirit of faith.  I personally like the way the Message Bible records their good report and “can do” spirit of faith in Numbers 13:33 stating, “Let’s go up and take the land—now. We can do it.” Despite the potential challenges and significant adversities they would have to face in the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb possessed a “can do” spirit of faith believing that all things were possible with God; but unfortunately, they weren’t able to possess the Promised Land until 40 years later because of the “can’t do” spirit of fear among the leaders on their team. 

Therefore, to make it happen with a “can do” spirit of faith, leaders must work diligently in the Lord to create a team culture of empowerment that reaches people and unleashes their extraordinary God-given potential to make a difference in life.  I have personally found that leaders can effectively do this by building teams upon the following nine faith-based Make It Happen team values:

1.      Make It Happen people possess a positive Make It Happen attitude

2.      Make It Happen people are led by servant leaders

3.      Make It Happen people are service enthusiasts

4.      Make It Happen people take calculated risks in the pursuit of excellence

5.      Make It Happen people work extremely hard and have lots of fun

6.      Make It Happen people invest and participate in training and development

7.      Make It Happen people celebrate individual and team accomplishments with abundance mentality

8.      Make It Happen people foster a safe environment of teamwork and mutual respect

9.      Make It Happen people are professionals

Building teams on a foundation of Make It Happen team values will help create an environment where people can flourish and make it happen in life, being all that God created them to be, and doing their part to fulfill the vision and mission of their team. Thanks and have a blessed day!