Luke 9:62 - But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." NASU
Please allow me to paraphrase what Jesus said, If you begin to plow a field keep your eyes straight ahead, don't be looking around. You can't plow straight furrows when you are looking all around. The person who stays focus is the person you want on your team. This person will not be distracted by what is going on all around them.
We watched the love of money change them, or the love of being popular, or the stupidity of thinking drugs was going to help them in anyway. If you want your dreams to come crashing down then lose your focus on what is important.
The one who is able to drive the car without texting. The one who puts their hand to the plow and doesn't look back. This person has the dedication to accomplishing the goal that is before them. Anything that tries to take them off course is immediately squelched and they are wise enough to know there will always be something trying to distract them from accomplishing their goal. So what is your goal today? What are you doing to fulfill your dream? Hopefully, you are making sure nothing distracts you. Take the advice of Jesus once you put your hands to the plow don't look back. Think On These: A man with a burning ambition is seldom fired. Too many of us shoot blanks when aiming at our goals. Enthusiasm is apt to breed more action than accuracy. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago MInister of God's Word Go To www.SeragosPumpUps.com to listen to Pump Ups on Podcast
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Luke 10:40-41 - But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things…
There are all types of distractions that can come into a person's life.
Mary was listening to the words of Jesus and Martha was preparing a meal for Jesus. Let me say it another way, Mary was focused on what Jesus was saying and Martha was focused on the fact that her sister was not helping her prepare the meal.
Mary was focused on what Jesus was teaching. Mary wasn't the least bit interested in eating, least ways not physical food. She was focused on what Jesus was saying. Here are two noticeable signs someone has lost their focus. First, Martha was focused on what someone else was not doing. Second, Martha was irritable because her focus was in the wrong place. If you are working with or coaching someone and you notice these two signs (loss of focus & irritability) in them. You need to speak with them like Jesus did with Martha. He told her she was worried and bothered about too many things. In other words she was not focused on the right thing. You want to help that person focus on what is important. What is important is helping them improve themselves. Ask them some questions like: What are you trying to accomplish today, next week, month or year? How are you planning on accomplishing your goals? How successful is your plan right now? You want the person to focus on what he is doing not what others are not doing.
Life is about PRIORITIES. If you don't prioritize you will only make your life harder. Martha hadn't chosen the one necessary thing. She chose to be distracted about something that would not really be beneficial to her. Her priorities were incorrect. As Steven Covey said, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." That is all we have to do to overcome distractions "Keep the main thing the main thing." Think on This: What chance can a man have to control his destiny when he can't control himself? Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Exo. 18:13-14 - It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 Now when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?"
Exo. 18:17-18 - Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. 18"You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone…"
Moses had to be a humble man because he accepted the advice of his father-in-law. What about us today? Is our system geared for failure? Are we trying to be like Moses in control of everything? If you have not learned to surround yourself with people you can trust you have already failed as a leader. Your team will know if you trust them. You cannot build a successful team without trust. A leader doesn't try to do it all. A leader is one who enlists the help of others. They will accomplish each task as a team. The "Bottom Line" is they trust each other. They work together to accomplish the goal.
They passed the ball 40 times and ran the ball 36 times. This looks pretty even to me. They had a good plan and they worked their plan. Manning used five different receivers and two different ball carriers. This is what you call spreading the wealth around or showing your teammates you trust them in the heat of the battle. Are you a leader? Are you spreading the wealth around?
Moses had a plan but it was horrible one. It wasn't even close to a good plan. Moses plan was simply get up early and work all day while everyone else watches you work. Make people stand in long lines in the heat of the day. I don't even like to stand in line at an air-conditioned grocery store. I would rather go and ring up the items myself then wait in a line. Here was Moses' plan. You can bring me your problems and wait your turn in this really long line in the heat of the day. Jethro had a good plan for Moses and it was enlist men who can judge over a 1,000 people, 100 people, 50 people and 10 people. If a person brings a case and the judges can't answer it then they will bring this case to Moses. They will bring the hard cases to him. Jethro has a great plan for Moses and Moses is wise enough to implement it. As soon as he found some qualified men. (If you choose someone and they don't workout a leader knows how to replace them immediately.)
Then use these same qualifications for your future teammates, or employees. A Leader will have some one that will speak the truth to him. A Leader will listen to the one who speaks the truth to him. Moses had Jethro, a leader in his own right. He was able to read the situation and determine correctly the outcome. A man like Jethro is extremely valuable to the team or company. Think on This: Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. by Peter F. Drucker Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Luke 13:6-9 - And He began telling this parable:
“A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”
So he being a good businessman who is interested in his bottom line says, “Cut it down!” If you don’t produce you are not going to take up space in my vineyard. The owner is interested in production from his trees and land. You believe you are able to make a difference in this person's life. You want the owner to trust you and your abilities for one year to make a difference. · Giving A Second Chance Tests Your Abilities The vinedresser or supervisor of the vineyard makes a suggestion to the owner. He says, “Let me invest some time and material into this tree.” In other words, he was going to take responsibility for the tree. The manager is interested in displaying patience and producing fruit. It was up to the manager to give the tree a second chance. Have you ever invested some time into someone that everyone else said, “Don’t do it, you are wasting your time that person is a loser”? If you have given someone a second chance, I hope they produced some fruit after you invested your time in them. This happened for Barry Davis, the head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin. He had a wrestler named, Kevin Wilmot, who quit the team. Coach Davis gave him a second chance. Kevin rewarded Coach Davis by winning the 167 pound Big Ten Championship and placing fourth at the NCAA's in 1997. Sometimes all that is needed in life is a second chance. It tells the person you believe in them. Today Kevin is a successful Chiropractor in Montana. Not everyone will take advantage of a second chance when given to them so you must be wise enough to know who is trying and who isn't trying. · Set Some Parameters When Giving The 2nd Chance 1. Set a Time Frame – the keeper of the vineyard asked for a one-year time frame from the owner. If you are going to work with someone to help them to grow and produce it is definitely a good idea to have a prearranged time frame. If you look at a college coach they know they have about 4-5 years to be able to work with their athlete to improve as long as the athlete stays in college. 2. Set an Agenda – the supervisor was going to dig around the tree and fertilize it. What is your plan to help this person become better and bear fruit? 3. Prepare to cut your losses – if the fig tree didn’t produce the farmer was willing to allow it to be cut down. If the person you are trying to help doesn't produce fruit then prepare yourself to cut ties with that person and move on to another one. One thing about this life, there are plenty of people who are in need of a second chance. What about you? Are you in need of a second chance? Or are you the one who needs to give someone a second chance? Think on These: Criticism should always leave a person with a feeling he has been helped. It is better to keep a friend from falling than to help him up after he falls. Offering good advice may be noble and grand, but it isn't the same as a helping hand. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word 2 Tim. 2:4 - No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. NASU
As we can see the Apostle Paul uses a military soldier as an example. When he says, "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life." In other words, the soldier will not become distracted. He will not lose his focus. His focus is on being a good soldier and pleasing the person who enlisted him. Therefore, daily distractions will not disqualify this soldier.
Some soldiers have been known to go AWOL (absent without leave) because of love. They left home to join the military and in so doing the one they were in love with was left behind. While serving they believed they had to see this special person and left their post. This never ends good. Illnesses likewise can cause a person to become distracted from the task in front of them. Some job offers will come your way and at first appear to be the answer to all your problems. We probably have all heard of battle fatigue. This happens when a person has been in the fight way too long without getting some rest and relaxation. Everyone needs time to recharge their batteries.
Neh. 6:1-4 - Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall , and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, 2 then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono." But they were planning to harm me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" NASU Nehemiah gives the perfect answer in my opinion: "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" Basically, he is saying I am not going to be distracted by you guys. I am doing a great work and I am not going to finish my work by entering into a meeting with you. Don't let anything or one distract you from your goal and you will find out success comes to those who refuse to quit. Think On These: We rate ability in men by what they finish, not by what they attempt. Some fellows dream of worthy accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them. You can't make a place for yourself under the sun if you keep sitting in the shade of the family tree. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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