There is a movie in the theaters that has a great message for men. The Ultimate Gift is based on the book by Jim Stovall, who is an amazing story himself. Jim Stovall is a blind man who has taken his limitations and turned them around as a path to success. He has become a national champion Olympic weightlifter, successful investment broker, entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker.
The Ultimate Gift is a story of Red Stevens (played by James Garner), a self made billionaire who has left a video will to his very greedy family upon his death. His long time friend and lawyer, Ted Hamilton is in charge of distributing his oil estate and other belongings. Steven’s greedy family leave angry, with no sense of grief or loss, because they do not get all that they want from the estate.
The most disrespectful of the lot is Red Steven's out of control grandson, Jason Stevens who does not seem to care whether he gets anything or not. He is content to live his decadent lifestyle and move on. However, Red Stevens leaves him the choice of fulfilling a list of requirements before he can get his gift. The requirements consist of 12 tasks, which his uncle refers to as gifts: the gift of work, of laughter, of family, of learning, of problems, et cetera. If at any time he fails to meet them to Ted Hamilton's expectations, he will not get anything at all.
In the process of completing the requirements, young Jason encounters many people who help him begin to realize what is truly important in life. In the process of helping people in many challenging circumstances, Jason is confronted with his own self-centered life. Slowly he begins to see human beings as people of worth, not just objects blocking his way. In the end he gains a new perspective on what is really important. The ultimate gift is a valuable life lesson.
Proverbs 13:22 reminds us, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children.” What type of inheritance are you planning to give to your children and grandchildren? Hopefully it is more than material wealth. I challenge you to give them the example of a balanced life. A balanced life is one that illustrates for them the importance of balancing material wealth and possessions with the wealth of relationships with family and friends.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Coach Landry's Priorities
Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a business leader’s prayer breakfast in Dallas. The keynote speaker was well-known author and motivational speaker Ken Blanchard. Many know Blanchard from his bestseller, The One Minute Manager. You may not know that Ken Blanchard became a Christian some years ago and is now an outspoken believer.
During his talk, Blanchard shared a great story regarding a conversation with Tom Landry some years ago. Blanchard asked Landry how he was able to keep his head while coaching all those years in the uncertain and volatile world of professional football. The legendary coach paused a second, thinking about his answer, and then responded. He explained that his secret was maintaining his priorities, God first, then his wife, then his children and finally his work. Then he added, because he lived by those priorities even if he lost on Sunday, he still had a lot left.
In Matthew 6:33 Christ taught us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Making God the priority of your life is much more than just going to church, it is making God the center of everything you do, including your work. When God created Adam, the first thing he did was to put him to work in the garden. We work for more that a paycheck, we work to fulfill a sacred calling.
This Sunday night we begin a six week study of the world of work. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to see how much the Bible says about work. Work does not have to be a drudgery of routine and boredom. God can transform our attitudes about our work. He can help us see that our work is a sacred task and that we have a ministry to the people with work with.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
During his talk, Blanchard shared a great story regarding a conversation with Tom Landry some years ago. Blanchard asked Landry how he was able to keep his head while coaching all those years in the uncertain and volatile world of professional football. The legendary coach paused a second, thinking about his answer, and then responded. He explained that his secret was maintaining his priorities, God first, then his wife, then his children and finally his work. Then he added, because he lived by those priorities even if he lost on Sunday, he still had a lot left.
In Matthew 6:33 Christ taught us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Making God the priority of your life is much more than just going to church, it is making God the center of everything you do, including your work. When God created Adam, the first thing he did was to put him to work in the garden. We work for more that a paycheck, we work to fulfill a sacred calling.
This Sunday night we begin a six week study of the world of work. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to see how much the Bible says about work. Work does not have to be a drudgery of routine and boredom. God can transform our attitudes about our work. He can help us see that our work is a sacred task and that we have a ministry to the people with work with.
Shoulder to Shoulder,
Gregg
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