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by Bob and Debby Gass
‘The Gibeonite Principles’
March 13, 2010
‘...Gibeon...made peace with Israel, and were among them.’ Joshua 10:1 NKJVThe Gibeonites were a nation God told Joshua to destroy. Although they were heathens, they were wise enough to know they were on the wrong side. So they disguised themselves and talked Joshua into making a covenant with them, saying, 'We are your servants...' (Joshua 9:8 NKJV) When their old allies heard they'd joined forces with Israel, they declared war on them. Because of their covenant, Joshua fought for them and delivered them. This story teaches us three important principles. First, there comes a point when, in order to follow God, you have to 'make the break' with your past. One of the things that hurts us is that we want to move forward without making waves or upsetting anybody. You've got to get beyond that! '...If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.' (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV) Second, the Gibeonites were willing to humble themselves and ask for help. No matter how gifted you are, there will be times when you need to reach out to others and say, 'Hey, I'm going through some stuff, I need help, let's get together.' There's power in 'holy communion'. Third, when you remember where you were you'll be grateful for where you are. The Gibeonites came on board as wood cutters and water carriers; they were happy just to serve. Forget about being a spiritual celebrity. Just serve! Serving is vertical: 'Serve the Lord with gladness...' (Psalm 100:2 NKJV) It's also horizontal: '...through love serve one another.' (Galatians 5:13 NKJV) When it comes to wisdom for living, you can't improve on 'the Gibeonite principles'.
SoulFood: Job 5-7, Matt 22:34-46, Ps 26, Pr 7:26-27 SoulFood: Is 61:1-9, Luke 4:16-30
SoulFood: Job 8-10, Matt 23:1-12, Ps 115, Pr 8:1-3
No matter how good a leader you are, you’ll eventually lose people. When the relationship is over, you’ll go one way and they’ll go another. If you don’t understand that you’ll try to cling to them or control them. When you can’t, you’ll be tempted to isolate and criticise them. But you can do things to make yourself the kind of leader people will want, and when the time comes for them to leave, they’ll do it looking back with joy. One leadership expert shares the following six principles: (1) I take responsibility for my relationships with others. When a relationship goes bad, I initiate action and try to make it better. (2) When people leave me I do an exit interview. The purpose is to discover if I am the reason they are leaving. If so, I apologise and take the high road with them. (3) I put a high value on those who work with me. It’s wonderful when people believe in their leader; it’s more wonderful when the leader believes in their people. (4) I put credibility at the top of my leadership list. I may not always be competent; there are times when every leader finds himself in over his or her head. However, I can always be trustworthy. (5) I recognise that my positive emotional help creates a secure environment for people. Therefore I will think positively, practise right behaviour towards others, and follow the golden rule. (6) I maintain a teachable spirit and nurture my passion for personal growth. I will keep learning so I can continue leading.’
Sun 14 Mar/r/t2010
14Mar2010‘A man who has friends must himself be friendly…’ Proverbs 18:24 NKJVDo you have a hard time keeping friends? There’s a reason! People give up on us when they don’t feel valued. George and Mary Lou were celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary. A reporter asked George, ‘What’s your recipe for a long, happy marriage?’ George explained that after the wedding his father-in-law handed him a package. Inside it was a gold watch that George still used. He showed it to the reporter. Across the face of the watch where he could see it a dozen times a day, were written the words, ‘Say something nice to Mary Lou’. We all need that watch! In his book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell writes about a relationship expert who was able to predict the potential success of a couple’s marriage based on their interaction with one another. What was it he looked for that indicated a marriage was headed for trouble? Contempt! If one treated the other with contempt the relationship was usually doomed to fail. Now, insincerity and flattery don’t work. For a person to feel valued they must know you genuinely value them. To feel respected, they must know you genuinely respect them. When we devalue others we start treating them like objects, not people. So what is the solution? Focus on their strengths, and eventually they’ll give you the right to help them in their areas of struggle. Too many of us are good at finding the value in an opportunity or a deal. We need to develop the same mindset when it comes to building relationships.
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SoulFood: Job 11-14, Matt 23:13-22, Ps 11, Pr 8:4-5
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2010
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