September 10. No Shirt And No Shoes May Be A Choice.

Are you a leader? I believe that strong leaders have an answer to the following question. If one were to be stripped of everything you have, what are the first three things you would want back? The answers of course would vary by leader, but they will be indicative of where those leaders place value in their lives.

If we took everything away from your company, would you still be able to give value? At the core level of our business are our relationships. If you had lost everything, I would bet that the most valuable thing to gain back is your relationships. Many people, when asked the question, will not even think that relationships apply as something that they can lose!

But we can lose relationships. Where might you have some of your relationships at risk right now? Which ones might need some energy and resources applied to them to keep them strong? Maybe our businesses are only as valuable as our emphasis that we place on those relationships.

Which relationship are you inspired to grow deeper with? Think of them as plants, if the roots are not strong, if it is not fertilized and watered regularly, the plant or relation will weaken or die. The likely result of being inspired to grow with it will be more fruit from the relationship.

What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

As followers of Christ, we claim to have a relationship with him. Not only do we claim Christ, but we are called to be in relationship with the church. As we lose the things of this world, we are challenged to remember that our emphasis is on the relationships, not the things.

I might enjoy a game of golf with my friends, but if I have to choose golf clubs themselves or my friends, I choose my friends. We read, “The LORD told Isaiah son of Amoz, 'Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.' Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.” Isaiah 20:2 NLT.

Ok, so that is a great challenge to us today. We learn here that Isaiah was naked and barefoot for quite a time. He lost some things for sure, probably gained a suntan while he was at it. But it was to honor his relationship with God. I do not think that I have been asked to lose quite that much, but would I be willing to lose that for Jesus?

Would you lose the shirt off your back and the shoes from your feet for Christ? Remember, regardless of what you lose, no one, no event, no tragedy or disaster can ever force you to lose your relationship with Christ. Where are you feeling called to get rid of something that might be in the way of your relationship?

Do you have the courage to invest in the relationship by losing that something? Friday is our day to be inspired. Pick a relationship on Friday and be courageous to grow it by making a choice. What is the first thing to do about it in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, your relationship is crucial and the most valuable thing that we have. Let us put our emphasis on it and the other relationships of your church and its mission. Make our focus be on family, not on golf clubs or frisbee's.

Make the focus be on our brothers and sisters in Christ instead of brokenness and sin. May we always have value in you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen