Some truth, but not complete
By James Dodwell - Hammers of Hope
Several
years ago, when rumors were rampant in our city about changes to organizations,
jobs, people’s lives it became a very stressful time in our community and
created a lingering effect on the city’s leaders and its residents. Again, some
of them held truth, a truth so devastating it was difficult to understand how
anyone could spin such a yarn about downsizing the largest textile employer in
the area, no pun intended. However, the truth was revealed and now is even more
visible with the removal of the buildings that once were filled with employees
making a living for their families. The truth is more telling in the
frustration of the city’s residents as they watch a city government devourer
each other in public meetings and attack each other on a personal level instead
of working together to rebuild a great community.
The
recent happenings publicized in the media remind us that if our ethics are not
borne out of our convictions, they may shift and change with the tide of the
culture or with what is convenient for us. When ethics are formed out of
spiritual convictions, they are unchanging. When the latter is the process we
have a standard that is transcendent beyond our personal preference. The
strongest ethics come out of us as, First -Generosity. This is when we reach
the point that our ethics must revolve around giving ourselves away, such as,
serving others in our community, in our walk, in our personal and professional
life, and so on a so forth.
Second
is Justice, with this our ethics revolve around justice for all, not some
self-serving desire that betters us rather than benefiting the multitudes.
Third is Excellence, this by allowing our ethics to revolve around setting a
standard above average. As leaders, in the community, our homes and our places
of worship we have to maintain an excellence in our lives that sets the
standard for others who are watching and learning from us. Think of our
children, our future leaders and what message are we sending them? Where do
they draw the line when they become our leaders? Get all you can from others or
do all you can for others?
Fourth
is Service. As was just mentioned this is where our ethics must revolve around
adding value to other people and making a positive difference in their lives. A
positive difference, a positive difference, a positive difference, I say this three
times just as Dorothy did in the Wizard of Oz when she said, “There’s no place
like home, There’s no place like home, THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!” You get it?
This is our home, our people, we have a responsibility to all those who labored
and came before us and if we don’t do everything we can to make a positive
difference we are doing our community a disservice.
Last
but not least is Convictions. Our ethics must revolve around a firm inward
compass. Ethics result from this inward compass. A conviction is a strong
belief that so governs our decisions that we are willing to die for it. History
is full of leaders who changed the world because of their convictions. I ask
you, where are those leaders today? Believe it or not they walk among us, work
beside us, they are our neighbors and friends. Encourage them to get involved,
if you know them. Support them, pray for them, and be of service to them as we,
together, make this community and our country great again. 2 Chronicles 7:14
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