STRAIGHTFORWARDNESS (JANUARY 9)

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"Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of tricks and duplicity than straightforward and simple integrity in another" (Gotthold Ephraim Lessing).

HOW REFRESHING IT IS TO DEAL WITH THOSE WHO ARE STRAIGHTFORWARD! In a world where we often have to wonder if we’re being told the whole truth, it’s like a breath of fresh air when we encounter those faithful folks who actually are what they want others to believe they are. At least this experience is refreshing if we ourselves are honest. If we are dishonest in our own dealings with other people, those who refuse to join us in leaving the path of truth are probably sources of great vexation to us.

Straightforwardness can best be understood by looking at its opposite: deviousness. “Devious” comes from a Latin word that meant “away from the road.” The devious person is willing to go “out of the way” to get what he wants, following a secret, crooked path if necessary. Skilled at winning people’s confidence superficially, the devious operator shows only as much of himself as is “expedient.”

By contrast, the straightforward person stays on the high road of openness and honesty. He has no hidden agenda and no desire to manipulate the course of events. There is a simple strength about this person: the strength of truth. There is also a certain peace and relaxation. Not having told the truth selectively (with some parts told to some people and other parts told to others), he has no need to keep track of which version of himself he has presented to which person. He is the “real deal,” known by all to be dependably open.

There are few things more valuable than a reputation for straight dealing, and such a reputation ought to be one of our highest priorities. Yet it can’t be gained by devious means. We can’t depend on the clever use of personality to conjure up the image of character. Smoke and mirrors won’t suffice, nor can we always “spin” the truth to our advantage: I must be content for others to view me as the kind of person I truly am on the inside. That’s straightforwardness.

"The most agreeable of all companions is a simple, frank person, without any high pretensions to an oppressive greatness — one who loves life and understands the use of it; obliging alike at all hours; above all, of a golden temper, and steadfast as an anchor. For such a one we gladly exchange the greatest genius, the most brilliant wit, the profoundest thinker" (Charles Caleb Colton).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS (JANUARY 8)

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"Trust that man in nothing who has not a conscience in everything" (Laurence Sterne).

FEW OF LIFE’S PLEASURES RIVAL THE SATISFACTION THAT COMES FROM BEING CONSCIENTIOUS. The knowledge that we’ve both done what is right and given our best effort to it has to rank somewhere near the top of life’s most lasting contentments. The old adage contains a truth we need to reconnect with: “The softest pillow upon which to lay our heads at night is a good conscience.” Without that “pillow,” no other comfort matters very much.

Conscientiousness deserves a better reputation than it has. It tends to be confused with perfectionism, and the conscientious are often accused of having too many scruples and not enough spontaneity. But submitting our work to the standards of conscience is not a sign of psychological weakness. It’s a sign that we care enough about the world to contribute to it with our personal best.

(1) Those who are conscientious are governed by conscience in everything they do. Even when “it doesn’t matter” and even when “nobody will know,” they are careful to do what they believe is right. More concerned with enduring values than with shortcuts and quick fixes, the conscientious steer by true-north principles.

(2) Those who are conscientious are diligent in what they do. They value quality — in personal character and in workmanship. They are thorough, and yes, even scrupulous. Moved by conscience, they take wholesome pride in jobs that are well done, and most of them have gotten used to being called persnickety and old-fashioned.

The bottom line is this: if we wish to have the confidence of those who know us, we’re going to have to be conscientious. People may say that perfectionism is a hang-up, but when it comes time to put their trust in somebody, they still look for someone who does things the way they ought to be done. When we’re sitting back in 24-B, we want the pilot to be the most conscientious person on the plane. So, how confident are those who are riding on your conduct today? Can they count on your conscience?

Is your conscience clear, with nothing to fear
As you punch the clock each night;
When you leave the job, do your pulses throb
With the thought of a task done right?
(Frank A. Collins)

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

WHOLEHEARTEDNESS (JANUARY 7)

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"Purity of heart is to will one thing" (Søren Kierkegaard).

THESE DAYS, WE’RE PULLED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, A TOTAL COMMITMENT TO ANYTHING SEEMS UNREALISTIC. Conflicting values and multiple priorities are so common that our minds are in danger of going numb. In such an environment, we must rediscover the meaning and value of “wholeheartedness.”

The popular concept of wholeheartedness is that of energy and enthusiasm. When we say that someone did something wholeheartedly, we usually mean that it was done exuberantly. But while wholeheartedness includes the idea of energy, there is more to it than that. In its highest sense, the word means singleness of purpose. The “whole” heart is the “single” heart — the heart that is supremely fixed on one thing rather than divided among competing loyalties. The wholehearted person has considered the options, made a decisive commitment to one of them, and is now willing to sacrifice other endeavors to the passionate pursuit of that one great objective. Few and fortunate are those among us who have learned the power of this kind of commitment. Those who pursue their priorities with all their hearts are living at a level the rest of us can only imagine.

But life is complicated, isn’t it? As G. K. Chesterton noted, “The perplexity of life arises from there being too many interesting things in it for us to be interested properly in any of them.” Although each of us should have “one thing” that is our ultimate passion, we don’t have the luxury of thinking about that thing every waking moment. Meals have to be provided, clothes have to be washed, and the roof has to be repaired. Still, we can be more wholehearted in our living. We can give our full attention to each thing in its turn, doing as the Zen maxim advises: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” Being fully “present” in each moment is a discipline that can save our sanity.

W. H. Auden said, “Choice of attention, to pay attention to this and ignore that, is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer.” Full, healthy human character will never be ours if we don’t exercise our God-given ability to choose our thoughts. And wholeheartedness means that, having chosen, we devote ourselves enthusiastically to the choice we’ve made.

"One man, two loves. No good ever comes of that" (Euripides).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

TENDERHEARTEDNESS (JANUARY 6)

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"The prudence of the best heads is often defeated by the tenderness of the best hearts" (Henry Fielding).

AMONG THE VIRTUES VALUED TODAY, TENDERHEARTEDNESS IS ONE OF THE LEAST VALUED. In the minds of many, tough-mindedness is the key to success in the real world, and tenderness is seen more as a weakness than a strength. The truth, however, is that tenderness can solve a much wider range of problems than the decrees of authority or the dominion of brute force. In the history of our world, the people who have exerted the greatest real power — power to build rather than destroy — have always been people with tender hearts, full of grace and kindness.

The word “tenderheartedness” can mean two different things, both of which are valuable. In modern usage, tenderheartedness often means compassion. It means that one is easily moved by another’s distress. In this sense, the person with a tender heart is one who can be touched by someone else’s suffering and is willing to respond with mercy. Surely, this is a virtue worth including in our character.

But tenderheartedness can mean something else: it can mean that a person has a tender conscience. Unlike the individual who has allowed his conscience to become hard and insensitive, the tenderhearted person has a conscience that’s in good working order. When it is pointed out that he has erred, he is touched by that fact. His heart is still tender enough to feel genuine, healthy remorse for his failings. And like other kinds of tenderness, tenderness of conscience is a potent force, a strength with impressive capabilities. It allows the person who possesses it to do something the tough are rarely able to do: take honest steps of growth and personal improvement.

There are few gifts we can give to others that are more beneficial than our own tenderheartedness. Whether it’s tenderness of compassion or tenderness of conscience, this is a quality that can do powerful, life-changing good. It can move mountains — mountains at which the “strong” can only curse. And one of the most remarkable things about it is that, while life lasts, it is never completely out of our reach. Even the hardest heart can become more tender if it’s willing to make that choice and embrace the process of change.

"When death, the great reconciler, has come, it is never our tenderness that we regret, but our severity" (George Eliot).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

ASPIRATION (JANUARY 5)

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"It seems to me we can never give up longing and wishing while we are thoroughly alive. There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger after them" (George Eliot).

ONE OF OUR MOST MARVELOUS ENDOWMENTS IS THE ABILITY TO ASPIRE TO GREATER THINGS THAN THOSE WE’VE KNOWN BEFORE. Unlike other creatures that are limited to what “is,” we are able to contemplate what “can be.” With wonderful creativity, we can envision ideals that go beyond the imperfection of today’s situation.

Being careful about our aspirations is important for the simple reason that they determine the quality of our lives and the worthiness of our achievements. Even if we’ve selected our ideals carelessly, they are still the endpoints toward which we move. James Allen said it well: “Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire, or as great as your dominant vision.” Wherever we end up, that will be what we most truly desired — regardless of other ideals we may have paid lip service to.

It makes good sense, then, to upgrade our aspirations frequently. We need to exercise the freedom we’ve been given and aspire to ends more honorable than those we’ve pursued in the past. In our vision of the future, we need to use the concept of “continuous improvement.” Since it is our aspirations that produce our actions, we should always be improving them, heightening and purifying our ambitions.

Unfortunately, we are surrounded by forces that would rob us of our aspirations. We must resist those forces mightily. When cynicism and discouragement threaten to drag our dreams into the gutter, we must defend those dreams. It takes a tenacious character to hold on to ideals that are mocked by our enemies, and when our dreams are unappreciated by our friends, staying the course takes an even greater determination. If we ever let go of the things we long for, it should only be to exchange them for longings that are more sublime.

We need to recognize the importance of our aspirations: constantly improving them, holding on to them, and fervently desiring them. Our highest hopes should be pursued with a heart that is desperately hungry. We’re not really living if we don’t let ourselves dream of cherished values with all our hearts.

"To love the beautiful, to desire the good, to do the best" (Moses Mendelssohn).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

AWAKENING (JANUARY 4)

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"A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be born slowly" (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry).

LIFE IS ALWAYS FILLED WITH THE PROMISE OF AWAKENINGS. In the case of some of us, we have slumbered through life to such an extent that we’re desperately in need of being awakened. Others have lived their lives more fully and may seem already to have been awakened. In either case, however, we need to be stirred. Within each of us lie deep reservoirs of untapped potential. Our physical birth may have been many years ago, but we’ve hardly more than begun to be the persons we’re capable of being, and on even the most ordinary day, something extraordinary may happen that will wake us up and show us a wider realm of possibility. At any time, there is always the “danger” that this will happen to us.

Sometimes our awakening is the result of a great event. Births, marriages, and deaths come to mind, of course, but great awakenings are often produced by events much more unexpected and unusual. In fact, one of the most pleasurable aspects of life is the anticipation that around the very next corner may be a surprising situation that will stir us with such hope that we will never be the same.

At other times, we are awakened by a great person. Before our lives are over, most of us will cross paths with one or two individuals whose influence upon us is so profound that they can be said to have opened our eyes to the goals we most wanted to reach. When we look back, we can see that our encounter with these people resulted in nothing less than a transformation of our character.

Awakenings are almost always to our benefit, at least eventually, but it’s a fact that they often come to us in circumstances surrounded by sorrow. The boldest and brightest new days we’ll ever see will often follow dark nights of destructive storm. But storms, perhaps more than anything, force upon us new perspectives. Having passed through sorrow, we find ourselves awakened, opened up, and more completely alive. The sorrow passes, but the awakening remains.

These things are beautiful beyond belief:
The pleasant weakness that comes after pain,
The radiant greenness that comes after rain,
The deepened faith that follows after grief,
And the awakening to love again.
( R. A. Gallien )

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

PRINCIPLES (JANUARY 3)

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"There are principles that govern human effectiveness — natural laws in the human dimension that are just as real, just as unchanging and unarguably 'there' as laws such as gravity are in the physical dimension" (Stephen R. Covey).

AS WE GROW IN WISDOM, WE COME TO SEE THE VALUE OF LIVING A PRINCIPLED LIFE. Indeed, the worth of the contribution we make as we travel through this world depends on the strength with which we adhere to principles. Positive contributions are not produced by moods and trends; they come from the guidance of wisdom proven to be valuable over many centuries of testing by trial-and-error.

Principles are the precepts of virtue and effectiveness in human conduct. Analogous to descriptions of cause and effect in the physical world, principles describe how things work in the moral realm. They’ve been recognized by the wise in all cultures throughout time, and their value has been borne out in the day-to-day experience of people around the globe. For example, “honesty” is a principle. “Kindness” is another. “Courage” is yet another. There are many such principles, but they are not mysterious or hard to find. Each of us carries the code within our conscience. Deep down, we know what is right — and we know what builds long-term effectiveness.

Principles are permanent. The laws of wise conduct don’t change as our styles and fashions do. Principles are inherent in the nature of reality. Civilizations may rise and fall, but there will never come a time when things like “thankfulness” and “unselfishness” have lost their value. In other words, the principles of human conduct are “durable”: they have endured, and will endure, for a very long time.

Principles are dependable. Because they are unchangeable, principles can be counted on. They are stable, trustworthy guides for our conduct, and awareness of that reliability should make us more courageous. “If one can be certain that his principles are right, he need not worry about the consequences” (Robert Elliott Speer). Although we can’t predict the future, if we base our conduct on principles, we can know that our actions are conducive to the best possible result.

As the world changes ever more rapidly, we need more trustworthy guidance than we can get from the popular culture or our daily news feed. Whatever place in our lives th0se things may have, they can’t do what principles can do: stabilize us in the storm.

"If the roots are deep, have no fear that the wind will uproot the tree" (Chinese Proverb).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

EXCELLENCE (JANUARY 2)

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"No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction" (Charles Kendall Adams).

WE SHOW GRATITUDE FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE WHEN WE STRIVE FOR THE HIGHEST AND BEST WITHIN OURSELVES. Against the powerful pull of mediocrity, we must exert our best effort. “Good enough” is not good enough. When we give ourselves to those around us, we must give, by God’s grace, nothing less than our personal best.

The concept of “excelling” is a noble one. It’s unfortunate that we think of it so often in competitive terms, as if the thing we must surpass is someone else’s performance. In the highest sense, excellence isn’t measured by comparisons to others but by adherence to objective standards that are higher than any of us. Just as there is such a thing as beauty, there is such a thing as excellence, and when we make it one of our values, we help ourselves greatly.

Even when we consider excellence in comparative terms, we should compare ourselves to our own track record, not to that of some other person. What matters most is not how many of our peers we outperform, but how often we excel what we have previously done. The best lives are lived by those who are always looking to upgrade their personal character, not for competitive advantage but for the inherent value of greater excellence.

Since life is a growth process, we should see the pursuit of excellence as a continuous effort -- a work that keeps going throughout our lives, even in old age. There will be days when our efforts are disappointing, perhaps grievously (or even tragically) so. But those who truly wish to excel will not be defeated by disappointments along the way. As long as life lasts, there is some part of our story that remains to be written, and we should firmly decide to make the next chapter the best part we’ve written so far.

A commitment to excellence is possible for everyone, no matter how insignificant we may sometimes feel. Pursuit of the best is not just for the high and mighty; it is for every living soul. Indeed, we are never more noble than when we give our best effort to the simple duties that are the stuff of ordinary life.

"Great works do not always lie in our way, but every moment we may do little ones excellently, that is, with great love" (Francis de Sales).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

BEGINNINGS (JANUARY 1)

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"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it" (W. M. Lewis).

WITH THE DAWNING OF EVERY NEW DAY, WE’RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE NEW BEGINNINGS. Although we often take it for granted, the clean slate offered to us each morning is one of the best aspects of our sojourn in this world. Why is it that we so rarely seize this advantage? Why do so many days pass in which nothing is improved and nothing new is begun?

Perhaps we don’t want to be like the dabblers, those unhappy folks who never follow through and constantly have to start their work all over again. What dishonors the dabbler, however, is not that he makes new beginnings; it’s just that he fails to do his best and finish his work. Starting over is necessary for him because he frequently gives up and quits trying. But if we made an honest effort yesterday, there’s no dishonor in making a fresh start today. And if yesterday we failed to do our best, then starting anew is even more beneficial. We should see today as a great possibility: it’s our chance, after all this time, to begin being the person we’ve always wanted to be.

It may seem ironic, but those who make the most progress in life are those who periodically go back to the beginning and work from a new perspective. Persistence is needed, obviously, but improvement is the main thing we need to be persistent about. Those who finish life well are those who see each new day as a clean slate, an opportunity to approach our work with fresh eyes and eager hands.

However, we shouldn’t embark on new beginnings solely for ourselves — we should view them as gifts to our loved ones. Indeed, few gifts honor those around us any more than giving ourselves to them each day as persons of renewed commitment, eager to explore new territory and build new habitations for the heart. There is in every one of us a better person than our acquaintances have known us to be in the past. Today — this very day — we can begin to be that better person. We can make a fresh start that will do our families and friends much good.

"Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute! What you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Only engage, and then the mind grows heated. Begin, and then the work will be completed" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com

LEADERSHIP (FEBRUARY 22)

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"He that would be a leader must be a bridge" (Welsh Proverb).

IT WOULD BE HARD TO THINK OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, BORN ON THIS DAY, WITHOUT THINKING OF LEADERSHIP. If it hadn’t been for his ability to blaze a trail, both literally and figuratively, our nation might easily have been lost trying to find its freedom. We wouldn’t have to stretch our imaginations much to believe that the availability of his leadership at that time was providential.

When history judges a person to have been a leader, that person is almost always someone who helped his contemporaries get through a time of change. And the more gut-wrenching the change, the more valuable were the services of the individual who led others through the transition. Great leaders don’t waste time wishing for more favorable circumstances in which to demonstrate their skills or display their wisdom; they recognize that if circumstances were entirely favorable, their services would scarcely be required. Hard work during hard times is what leadership is primarily about.

Unfortunately for our nation, we are quickly losing touch with the real-life facts of the Revolutionary War. Far removed from the bloody traumas of that period, comfortable in freedoms that have been the norm all our lives, and uninterested in reading history books or honoring heroes, we live as if things have always been the way they are now. We forget the horrifying chasm over which George Washington led us — from what once was to what now is.

However valuable his service to us was, George Washington was not primarily interested in being remembered as a famous individual. He would not have wanted our freedoms to depend on any continuing influence by him down through the years. Like all great leaders, he wanted those whom he led to be enabled and empowered. He might have wanted to be remembered kindly, but more than that, he would have wanted us to move ahead, no longer needing his active assistance. And so, on his birthday, let’s honor Washington wisely, acknowledging with gratitude the bridge he led us over. Then let’s see if we can’t find some chasms that our own friends and neighbors need help crossing.

"The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on" (Walter Lippmann).

Gary Henry - WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com