doing something

i just finished reading a good little book on leadership. it's entitled, "you don't need a title to be a leader" by mark sanborn. it has a quote by General Peter Pace of the U.S. Marines.

"One thing the Marine Corps teaches is that it's better to be doing something than doing nothing. If you stay where you are, you're in the position where your enemy wants you to be. If you start doing something, you are changing the rules of the game."

i really love this quote for a couple of reasons. one, we have been teaching and encouraging our students for the last two months to "do something." i think General Pace summed up our motivation and what we were feeling about the series. People who are somebodies "do something" while people who believe they are "no bodies" will "do nothing."

the second reason i love the quote is because it places us in a proactive position. frankly, i get tired of reacting to everything. i know there are times and places where "reacting" is inevitable. it's not a lifestyle i want to live. i want to be proactive when i can. i want to be intentional about my life. i want to make decisions based upon the Holy Spirit's leadership and what wisdom he has given me. i feel more engaged and excited about life when i am proactive instead of reactive. i want the spiritual forces, that are at work against us, to react to our decisions and choices. i want them to react to our choices that are made with faith and expectation.

let's change the rules of the game by doing something. who can you smile at today that needs it? who can you encourage today? who can you serve today? how can you make someone's day better? what nugget of enthusiasm and life can you give the world today?

do something and change the rules.

until next time....