Taking personal accountability of your life
By Rev. Donald Lamson
I recently spent time with the largest money manager in the world, as well as the anchor of the largest financial news media company.
I heard it said, “The government is the only entity I know of that if it indeed does shut down, it’s productivity would rise.” Now of course, he was joking, but really, that pierced me. Sad. While traveling, I heard the mayor of a large city say that the No. 1 quality companies are looking for in young adult new hires is self motivation and social discipline. Like getting to work on time. Sad. So, what’s the application from the Word of God?
Self motivation. Planning ahead. Turn to, or consider, Proverbs chapter 6, verses 6 to 8. “Go to the ant; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.”
Wow, now that is self motivation. No boss. No paycheck. No motivational speaker seminars. No MBA. No iPod. Providing, harvesting, or planning ahead.
When employers are lowering the bar of satisfaction to the point of just showing up on time, wow, not good. That is a reflection of the age in which we are living. Government shuts down. Young adults late for their job, if they have one. The unemployment rate for young adults without a college degree is over 20 percent.
So, what can we bring to the table? Self motivation. Planning ahead. Look at the ant. No boss. Self motivated. Plans ahead. What beautiful traits. To be self motivated. To exercise social discipline in our careers.
I was told years ago, “You can beat 80 percent of your competition just by showing up on time (and yes, on time is early).” So, as we see the examples around us, or, as they turn out, warnings, let us instead turn to the Bible and review self motivation as taught by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Let us not be led astray by the warnings around us. We have an example that we may follow. All of us, as we enter the fourth quarter of 2013, can get a good measure of the traction of success by being self motivated and planning ahead. Think about it. Pray about it. Just do it. John 3:16.
Lamson is chaplain at Lakeview Healthcare in Bigfork.