Dear Young Leader:
As you go into the “real world,”
remember that life is not a destination; it is a journey. Don’t be in such a
hurry, with your eyes focused upon some future milestone, that you neglect to
live fully in the present. These principles, drawn from the Bible, will help
you make wise decisions.
·
Do not steal. No one likes a thief.
·
Do not lie, even if telling the truth gets you
into trouble. Lies compromise your reputation.
·
Do not cheat. Don’t let anyone tell you that
cheating does not matter. It does.
·
Don’t brag on yourself, ever.
·
Clean up your own messes. Don’t create work for
others. Take responsibility for yourself.
·
Get up early. This life skill will serve you well in just
about any endeavor.
·
Read your Bible and base your decision-making
upon it. What you learn through Scripture and prayer will change you
incrementally, teach you invaluably, and grow you in ways unfathomable to you
now.
·
Pray to God every morning before you face the
world.
·
Don’t be afraid.
·
Have confidence in God’s work in you.
If you had good examples of good
character and high integrity in your own home, let them also guide your
decision-making. If that was not the case, find someone much older to go to for
advice. Treat everyone well, from the maid to the CEO. The Golden Rule, to treat others as you want
to be treated, will serve as a reminder when you don’t know how to behave or
respond. The people you spend the most time with will teach you by their
example. If they lack integrity, are lazy, or are deficient in any way, you
will be continually tempted to act like them. Spend time with people you admire
and want to mold your life after.
Family is important. Your
parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, will all be in your life as
long as you are on this earth. Your friends may be there, or not. Don’t neglect
the older people in your life. They have wisdom that only living many years can
give. Take time to talk to them. Find
out something they know and learn from them. Whether it’s making an apple pie,
or how to change the oil in your car, people want to share what they know.
Always show appreciation for anything, however small, that someone gives you.
Also, thank them when they help or teach you. A grateful heart keeps you from
self-centeredness and reminds you to think of others.
Fear can steal your future. Jumping
off a cliff should give you fear because the law of gravity is in effect all
the time. But many fears are in your head. Don’t let fear stop you from living the way
God intends you too. You don’t have to be the smartest person to be successful.
There is no shame in starting at
the bottom. In Scripture, Jesus called the greatest to be the servant of all
the others. Do what is asked of you at home and on the job and never justify
breaking the rules. There is no right way to do the wrong thing. Hardly any job
is only about the money. Be on time, be dependable, treat people well, and
learn new skills. You can take more from a job than money. Always do more than
the boss asks. Work diligently. If you
find yourself picking up the pace when the boss is around, ask yourself, “Why
not work that hard all the time?” Serve others as you lead. Always be willing
to do yourself what you ask others to do
Don’t make money or popularity
your goals, they will disappoint. Lazy people don’t reach their goals. Get
things done and don’t worry who gets credit. Learn from criticism: When facing
correction, don’t reject it or get defensive. Just listen and think about it. Be
honest with yourself and say, “What can I learn from this?”
Be a reader. Books contain what
people who have gone before you have learned in written form. Always be reading
a book on a subject that interests you. Learn something new everyday.
Always have someone in your life
that will be honest with you. The only way to improve is to realize what you
need to change. Listen. If you talk all the time you won’t learn anything.
People get tired of hearing you talk. Don’t criticize or gossip about others.
Those who gossip with you will also gossip about you.
Save money and don’t whine (or
brag) about it. No matter what your income, find a way to save at least 10% in
addition to giving 10% to your church. If you increase your standard of living
every time your income increases, you will not know what to do when your income
decreases. This will likely happen at some point. Denying yourself today will
allow you to have more for the future.
The advice in this letter may
feel preachy or bring out the rebel in you to do the opposite. If it does, this
letter failed to keep you from wasting precious time. When you are all alone,
God is there. Don’t wait until the moment of desperation to build a
relationship with Him. He sees all you do and hears all you say. He knows you
better than anyone and loves you anyway. Just start communicating and listening
to Him and the relationship will grow. God will never fail you.
Sincerely,
Donna J. Wright
