November 1. Living In The Tree Tops.

We mentioned on the October devotion, Goblins had delayed the devotion.  We wanted to make you aware that those Goblins were not destructive.  Our team has actively been working as getting the devotion book available as an audio book. 

We are excited that we are close.  If you are interested in an audio verison of the devotional, please email or text Mark.

As an entrepreneur or leader, how are you doing? If we are a value driven organization, we have a why, a what and a how. Today, I want to look at how we are doing. How are you providing value, as a team or as an individual? Are you better as part of a team or not?

Just how often are you providing incredible value? To know the answer means that you are measuring your successes. There is a book that shares that a miserable job is one that does not have measurements. If we, as the leader, do not have measurements for our team, they are likely going to have moments of misery.

Some leaders might not think that they have time to have measurables for team members. They might think that they know what to do. Team members have talents, skills, capabilities and have been trained. Why would we have measurables then? Anytime we measure successes, we are likely to find failures as well.

Are we serving with compassion and focus so that we know when to say no? If we know our team’s measurables we know where they will not perform well. That provides confidence. Knowing what your value proposition is means you will have the courage to say, "We will not serve, this situation is not a right fit.”

Is there is a better value for you somewhere else? Once we are comfortable with our "why" we can move with courage into "how" we do it. Effective leaders must measure and be accountable to help other team members measure as well. Where might you want to adjust your how's this month?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, how are you doing? This question, stated as I have done here, is deeper than the “how are you doing,” by a passerby. We should be looking after one another and "how" we are doing. Jesus taught us to do the "how."

He taught us to do it with love. We read, “It took root there and grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned up toward the eagle, and its roots grew down into the ground. It produced strong branches and put out shoots.” Ezekiel 17:6 NLT. In the branches and treetop of our faith we find the how.

In the top of the tree, we find the blossoms and the fruit that are safe from the ground rodents that might reach up and snatch something away. We might find comfort by resting on a branch as well. Sometimes we might need to eat the leaves because of our hunger.

We might even need to build a nest and stay awhile. As the leader, how are you serving at the top of your tree? Jesus is helping us by building a great root system and calls us to grow the treetops. Are you willing to live up there this week? Going up in the branches might allow you to draw closer to God.

If the leader is willing to go there, then the team just might come along. What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of Jesus and giving us a way to know you on this earth. Help us to grow with Christ so that we might develop a relationship so strong that we can blossom. Let us pray, grow up, and spread like the trees of the forest.

May we be in service so that others may come to know you. Help us to care for the sick and needy. Let us pray, bring food to those that are hungry, and water to those that are thirsty. May we in our service, share the living water, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,