The Power of Learning From Others
Our Mission
To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission.
Psalm 67.2 proclaims, may Your ways be known throughout the earth, Your saving power among people everywhere. Whenever we attend a funeral someone invariably says, ‘they are in a better place.’ It is said to comfort the grieving but if we thought about it very long we would ask ourselves, ‘if the next life is better, why does God leave us in this one?’
While we remain on this earth what is our lot? At best, old age and all of its accompanying maladies. At worst, more and greater tragedy and loss. So the question must be considered, if God is good why does He leave us here instead of taking us immediately to the better place? The answer is in the psalmist’s vision of the future.
The Bible likens the world as being on fire. It concludes by stating God will eventually destroy this earth by fire. So why are God’s people still here? Because, God has left His people to live as firemen. The purpose of the Christian is to engage this world on fire and rescue people so that they don’t get burned in the end.
A lot of people don’t know or believe the world is on fire. Their particular room seems fine to them. Yet they too will die and sometime in their life will ask themselves if they really believe that there is no god and that they have no greater purpose than selfish pleasure. When the meaninglessness of life is realized then they are most open to seeking the One True God Who truly is and lives to build relationships with people now so that they can last forever.
God is eternal. Those in relationship with Him will live eternally along with all those who are also in relationship with God. God calls Himself Father, as such He is in the family business. God adopts all those who come to Him for reconciliation and restoration. The agents for this process are His children who have already been adopted.
They are the firemen who save people from meaningless lives and eternal damnation; the place where all go who refuse to be adopted. The children of God are here for one reason only, win more children into the family of God. Failure to engage this purpose is to leave people broken, hopeless and with a future of utter despair.
The people of God cannot continue to lose sight of their mission. Our best life is not now, it is to come. We are to give our best effort now, to winning as many people now, to the family of God now, for in the age to come, when God returns to live on the new earth, the fire will be out, the children will play and peace and joy shall reign throughout the world.
Until then, God desires all people to be adopted and commands His children to spend their lives left on this earth bringing as many people as possible into His family.
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CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com
MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
A Publication of CBMC International
September 5, 2016
The Power of Learning From Others
by Ken Korkow
The late motivational speaker, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, used to say, “Five years from now you will be the same except for the books you read and the people you meet.” I do not intend to discuss books here, but can speak volumes about the impact of people we meet during our lifelong journey. Here are some examples from my own life:
Don taught me about transparency. I came from a family that talked about work, but never discussed relationships or feelings. Then intense combat as a Marine in the Vietnam War caused me to pull deeper into myself and not trust people or share openly with them. God used Don to teach me, as he would say, “You gotta feel it to heal it.” He taught me that only God is my Judge, so I could feel free to be open and transparent with others and not be concerned about what they thought of me.
Brian taught me about the virtues of “just being there and not trying to solve everyone’s problems.” When I was trapped in a period of suicidal depression, Brian did the best things he possibly could have done: He showed up, shut up, and just worked alongside me until I was so physically worn out that I could sleep without thinking, without dwelling on the things that were troubling me.
In the Old Testament book of Job, Job’s friends at first did the same for him – they sat in sackcloth and ashes, went a week with no food to empathize with his pain, and chose not to engage in pointless conversation. That changed later, when they decided to try reasoning through why Job was enduring such suffering. But initially they offered what Job needed: unquestioning, unconditional friendship.
Today another friend, Rex, continues to teach me to shut up, show up, and just do the next “one thing” as the Lord directs. Rex was South Dakota’s largest farmer until he had a spinal stroke; now he is paralyzed from the waist down. But he does not seek sympathy. As he told another disabled businessman, “Every day I wake up and have to decide: Is it going to be beer, a bullet, or the Bible?” His choice, Rex said, is the Bible.
Then there is Joe, an entrepreneur who had encountered very difficult life issues, yet shows enthusiasm, innovation, and an ability to roll up his sleeves and engage in a different culture because he operates from his true identity, the person he is in Christ.
Each of these men has had a profound impact on my life and helped keep me from veering too far off course. Another thing Charlie Jones often said was, “You are who you hang out with. Choose wisely!” Thankfully I had enough sense to choose wisely with these men.
This life is not intended to be lived alone. Even if we are happily married, there is a need for us to find trusted friends who will hold us accountable, encourage us…and rebuke us when necessary. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
Another passage underscores the importance of teaming up with others for maximum effectiveness: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!… Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
Ken Korkow lives in Omaha, Nebraska, where he serves as an area director for CBMC. This is adapted from his “Fax of Life” column. Used with permission.
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