Final Thought
I believe we have the potential do great things in our city. I believe this potential will be realized once we identify the few areas of our individual lives and collective life we must master. It will then be necessary to determine the work it will take and how we measure the effectiveness, efficiency, and progressiveness of that work. I appreciate the knowledge we are gaining and the relationships we are building. I am excited about the work we will be able to produce once we focus our efforts on those few good things that will make us masters of many.
Introduction
When it comes to change, society often focuses on the big life-changing events. We celebrate the person who has lost a tremendous amount of weight, the person who has gone from rags to riches in a remarkable turn of events, or the person who performs an over the top romantic gesture. However, I believe the greatest changes in our lives come as a result of the very small and consistent events in our lives rather than the large singular moments. These consistent events include the daily diet and exercise completed in obscurity, The daily grind, investment, and management of resources, and the small acts of love and consideration that lead up to the momentous romantic gesture. Large singular acts don't define us. It is the small consistent acts that shape success
The Work
Proverbs 16:3
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Lessons Learned
Many of us pray, sing, and preach hard, but don't work hard. Further, many of us study to be smart, but not to work smart. Throughout the Bible, God rewarded those who put in the work. God blesses us with talent and opportunity, but challenges us to use as much of the energy He has given us as possible to apply those talents and maximize the opportunities. It is not only important to identify and be faithful in the "few" things discussed in the previous section. It is important to develop a process to accomplish everything you can with those few things.
THINK ABOUT IT
Think about one of the small things you listed earlier in this lesson and answer the following questions.
1. What are the daily steps you can take to accomplish this thing?
2. How much time does it take to accomplish each step?
3. What tools (computer, phone, or books) do you need to accomplish each step?
In economics, Productivity = Total Output/Total Input. Your input is comprised of the actual resources or work you put into accomplishing a result. These may include your time, your money, mental energy, and tools you use. Your output is that result, measured in revenue or the number of things you make in a given time period.
4. What is your output? In other words what are you trying to produce for yourself, your family, or your community?
5. What is your input? In other words what personal resources are you investing in what you wish to produce?
6. Can you quantify or measure how productive you are?
7. What would increase your productivity?
Chapter 8
The Power of Every Day
The Few
Matthew 25:23
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, you good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter the joy of your master.’
Luke 16:10
He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. And he who is dishonest in the least is dishonest also in much.
Lessons Learned
We often sing, preach, and study about monumental moments in the Bible. We do this because these moments seem to reveal the power and love of God in ways that are easy to see and understand. They are also more inspiring for those of us who are looking for the power of God in our lives. However, the above texts emphasize the few and the seemingly least. They assert the power of a small collection of consistent actions and how those actions lead to greater actions and rewards. They also assert that it is the small actions, not the big ones, that reveal who you really are.
If we look throughout the Bible we can find evidence of the power of small actions practiced every day that produced big events. Every day David practiced with his sling. Every day Daniel prayed, studied, and ate in ways consistent with the laws of his God. The psalmist discussed his daily meditation on the word of God and the cosmos his God created. There is power in every day. There is power in mastering small tasks and concepts. There is power in focusing on the seemingly insignificant areas of our lives.
THINK ABOUT IT
1. What small things that take a small amount of your time can you focus on everyday to improve your life?
2. What large change can occur in your life as a result of your daily focus on these things?
The Adjustments
Proverbs 22:29
Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
Proverbs 18:15
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Lessons Learned
In the previous section, we mentioned working smart. The above texts focus on developing skill and gaining knowledge. Often times we discover that trying to accomplish an objective using a certain method or a certain set of tools does not produce the desired results in the desired time. This calls for a person to make adjustments to the method or to the tools. This is often difficult because people become accustomed to specific methods and tools and those things become the fixtures of their comfort zone.
As we grow with God, He takes us to new levels in the things we do. This constant spiritual, mental, and physical progress challenges us to make adjustments to what we believe, what we perceive, and what we do. It also challenges us to make adjustments to how we do what we do.
THINK ABOUT IT
1. Is it easy for you to discover when a change in method or tools is necessary to improve your process?
2. Is it difficult for you to make adjustments?
3. Are there adjustments you need to make right now?
Last Week
During our last lesson, we discovered that people can become quite comfortable existing in situations, even when they are unhealthy. The comfort seldom has anything to do with whether or not the situation makes a person feel good about themselves and the world around them. The comfort exists because the person has simply become accustomed to it. The people, their actions, and the consequences are predictable, giving the person a false sense of control.