Giving selflessly...

I started attending Kevin’s youth group towards the end of my freshman year in high school.  I started going because a couple of my friends were there, and of course there were pretty girls.  But the ministry was so incredible that I soon found myself enthralled with the entire group, and especially the leaders.  The young men and women who hung out with all of us high school kids were so committed, it was crazy.  But of course, I did not know that back then...  I just thought that was normal.  Fortunately for me, I was in a great ministry system that did not really exist in too many places.  This youth group, and its staff especially, were unique.

As I began to spend more time at the youth group during both the midweek program, and eventually the weekend service, the leaders always seemed to be there.  They ranged from college kids all the way to adults with kids themselves.  But this leadership team was committed to all of us high school students even though they themselves were super busy with life.  They gave up night after night, weekend after weekend, and even time beyond that... it is no wonder the youth group flourished and grew, both in size and in faith.  They were very unselfish with their time, and were always ready to give more to others. There selflessness reminded me of what Paul wrote to the the church in Philippi:

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” ~Phil 2:3-4

Because of the time invested in me by these men and women, it spurred my love for youth ministry and wanting to give back.  My question is: who are the people who have given selflessly to you in your journey?  My encouragement is that you reach out to them and let them know that you appreciate the time that they have put into you.  If it weren’t for them, you would not be the person you are today.

Praying for you,

MO

Building relational capital…

His widowed mom was so poor that she gave him and his siblings up to an orphanage. Needless to say he grew up poor. With no money in his pocket, he began to work very hard. By the time he was 23 years old, he opened up a little eyeglass frame shop. And although you might not know the name Leonardo Del Vecchio or his company Luxottica, I would bet dollars to donuts that you have worn a pair of his sunglasses at some point, which include both Ray-Ban and Oakley brands.

Del Vecchio is now worth billions of dollars, but said he will never forget the long journey to become the successful businessman that he has become today. Relationships are much like building a business. When we begin our trek, many of us are put in a position of leadership or influence with only a few pennies worth of built up trust in our pockets. Meaning, we must continue to invest into others so that we can grow our relational capital.

My mentor, Kevin, once told me that all of the actions I take in life can be equated to relational capital. Meaning, in every interaction I have, I either deposit money into that relational bank, or I withdraw those relational funds. Now of course there are times we need to make withdrawals, but it should be much less than the investments. Unfortunately, many people do not understand the importance, or the severity of consequences for not following that formula, and they end up in relational bankruptcy.

The very last verse in the book of John is often overlooked, which says:

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” ~John 21:25

What a great verse. The Gospels written about Jesus and his time here on earth were all about the works he did. Everything Jesus did was relational. And, he spent most of his time investing into relationships and making deposits into the relational banks of the disciples, the people who followed him, and others that listened to his teachings.

My question for you is: where do your relational balances sit today? Each of us come into contact with many people on a daily basis, some more than others. But whether you see somebody every day or only talk to them once in a blue moon, you have a relational bank account with them. My prayer is that you make a relational deposit, however small or large, into someone in your life today... a family member, friend, or coworker.

Praying for you,

MO

Serve more...

Like many high school kids, I was thinking about myself most of the time throughout those years in life.  Everything was about what I needed, and what was important for me and to me.  You might say that I was a teenager who believed that the world revolved around him.  And then sometime during that freshman year of high school I met Kevin Cobb, the Youth Pastor at my church.

It took me a couple years, but I remember looking back when I was a junior and realized that Kevin never really did anything for himself. He was always at church, at least when I stopped by, always visiting the local small group gatherings that all of us guys had throughout the week, and he even swung by my house to give me a ride whenever I needed to get to a church function. I mean, it was crazy. He always seemed to be there for me when I needed it most.

“The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

~Matthew 23:11-12

These words spoken by Jesus to his disciples and a large crowd could not ring more true when I think about Kevin Cobb. What he was doing was not complicated and groundbreaking. He was doing exactly what he was taught to do when he was a young believer in Christ… and that is, serve others. The simplicity of this lesson continues to speak to me even today.

The people around us do not need us to do anything more than just serve them. And it isn’t about being audacious or outlandish. It just needs to be sincere. So my question for you is this: who is it in your life today that you need to serve? We encounter people all the time that need nothing more from us than a true act of kindness. My prayer for you is that you bless somebody today; it doesn’t matter whether it is big or small, it only needs to be meaningful and from the heart.

Praying for you,

MO