The Unfolding of Sacred Potential (Part Two – Revised and Expanded)

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Mick Turner

* Continued from Part One

Contrary to popular belief, living a life committed to Christian excellence is far from a tedious, joyless affair. When Christ calls us, he does not call us to a life of drudgery and boredom; he does not lead us into a life characterized by a restrictive morality and a scowling face. Christ’s call and claim on our life is a challenge to our limited ways of being in the world. When the Lord whispers in a person’s ear, saying, “Follow me,” he is issuing an invitation to an exciting journey of exploration and spiritual discovery. Erwin Raphael McManus, noted author and pastor of Mosaic in Los Angeles, tells us:

 

“Jesus calls us to a life of unimaginable adventure. It begins the moment we choose to follow Him. It is no less than to pass from existence to life. Though we are not taken out of time and space, we are translated into an entirely different dimension of living. Jesus tells us that He is the portal into this life and the quest that follows. Jesus describes Himself as a door, a gate, a portal. In other words, an escape hatch. He has come to lead us out of the mundane and into the extraordinary. Strangely enough we find it hard to trust Him, while all the time he has been trying to lead us out of the dark dungeons we have created for ourselves and let us run free in the light of day. When we come to Him, he translates us into an entirely new realm of living. His promise is that in Him we will find the life that our hearts have always longed for.”

The process of realizing the potential God placed in us is individual in nature. One person may see his or her potential unfolded in one way while someone else may have a different experience altogether. Still, there are several truths that hold firm for each of us as we journey forward with the Holy Spirit. Let’s discuss three of them: the need for discipline; the need for persistence; and the trap of complacency.

Discipline is not a popular word in post-modern culture. Instead, we are encouraged to “follow our bliss” and “do our own thing.” The world pays lip service to the importance of discipline and self-control in daily living, but the over-arching message is in actuality much different. Often, instead of encouraging individuals to delay gratification, defer rewards, and develop character, our culture tells us, “If it feels good, do it.” No one ever manifested divine potential by adhering to this advice.

Scripture repeatedly stresses the importance of discipline, self-control, and personal morality. Without personal discipline, we squander our energies, waste precious time, and lose direction and focus. If we want to become the persons God intended us to be, we have to be disciplined individuals governed by an internalized biblical value system.

As we move forward in this sacred journey of spiritual development, we will experience periods of accelerated growth as well as times when it seems we are advancing at a snail’s pace. This unpredictable pace of spiritual formation is to be expected. There will be times of elation and excitement a you realize the positive changes God’s Spirit has brought about in you life. At other times, you will experience something quite different as you struggle with a particular habit, sin, or negative personality trait. This can be a critical juncture in your growth process. It is easy to become discouraged when change does not come at the pace we would prefer. However, the important point to remember is: “Don’t quit.”

There is an old saying: “Never rest on your laurels.” Basically, this means that we should never be satisfied with what we have accomplished. Reaching a goal is satisfying, but we shouldn’t allow this to be the final act in the play. We must continually press forward toward new goals that will allow us to manifest the best version of ourselves. Also, it is important to keep in mind that we should never focus our mental energy on what it is we think we cannot do. Rather, we should believe in ourselves and always refuse to let what we cannot do interfere with what we can do. By focusing on doing what we can do, and doing it better, we make progress. Moreover, we facilitate our continuing spiritual development by challenging ourselves to reach higher. Both personal experience and deep study has taught me that the optimal method for moving beyond where we are is by “stretching ourselves.” By this I mean it is highly advantageous for us if we encourage ourselves to move beyond what we are now capable of, even if only to a small degree.

For example, I enjoy playing table tennis. I am far from a great player, but I can achieve some degree of success when I am at the top of my game. (Of course, I played much better when I was younger and my reflexes were quicker.) Early on, I discovered I could not improve my play by competing against players who I could easily defeat. By the same token, I could not get any better by playing against opponents who were my equal. If I wanted to improve, I had to play against competitors who were more skillful than I was. I soon discovered that if I took on players whose skills were slightly above mine, my play gradually but consistently improved.

The same is true in terms of realizing our potential in any endeavor. If we want to improve at something, we have to challenge ourselves; we have to stretch ourselves to get to the next level.

Dr. Myles Munroe, the highly respected pastor and Bible teacher mentioned earlier, begins one of his books on divine potential by observing that the richest place on earth is not the vault of a large bank or even Fort Knox. Instead, Dr. Munroe points out, the world’s greatest wealth is often found in the cemetery. It is here, in the graveyard, where many dreams lie buried – dreams that were never realized, missions that were never accomplished, and potential that was never realized.

As I reflect upon the tragic reality of Dr. Munroe’s observations about the wealth lying beneath the grave stones, I ponder another possible tragedy, equally distressing. I wonder how many people are going about their daily rounds, oblivious to the potential placed inside them by the Creator. How many of us will squander this precious life that we have without realizing and manifesting their God-given potential? How many will have their potential buried with them? I, for one, have made a covenant commitment with God not to allow this to happen to me.

 How about you?

to be continued…..

(c) L.D. Turner 2012/ All Rights Reserved

Related articles

• The Unfolding of Sacred Potential (Part One – Revised and Expanded) (lifebrook.wordpress.com)
• A Note on Unfolding Divine Potential (lifebrook.wordpress.com)
• Making Straight the Way: The Bittersweet Mission of John the Baptist (lifebrook.wordpress.com)

Wise Words for Today

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The man who sets his whole mind on the doing of each task as it is presented, who puts into it energy and intelligence, shutting out all else from his mind, and striving to do that one thing, no matter how small, completely and perfectly, detaching himself from all reward in his task – that man will every day be acquiring greater command over his mind, and will, by ever-ascending degrees, become at last a man of power…There is no way to strength and wisdom but by acting strongly and wisely in the present moment, and each present moment reveals its own task. The great man, the wise man, does small things greatly regarding nothing as “trivial” that is necessary. The weak man, the foolish man, does small things carelessly, and meanly, hankering the while after, some greater work for which, in his neglect and inability in small matters, he is ceaselessly advertising his incapacity. The man who least governs himself is always more ambitious to govern others.

James Allen

Related articles

• Breathing Makes You Special (healthy-happy-whole.com)
• The Evolved Self-Management System (basicrulesoflife.wordpress.com)

Releasing Negative Imprints

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Mick Turner

When a person first discovers the principles and the power of the various spiritual laws the Creator has put at our disposal, he or she is often filled with hope, enthusiasm, and positive motivation. This is both natural and as it should be, because these principles are blessings that God has given us and intends for us to use, especially when we need to make major life changes in general and changes that help us to grow spiritually in particular.

 However, all too often this initial burst of enthusiasm is dampened when, despite applying these powerful spiritual principles correctly, the spiritual aspirant seems to obtain minimal results. This can be a frustrating experience, especially for those who are sincere spiritual seekers that want to not only improve themselves, but the world around them. Invariably, however, most of us reach this point when we consistently work with the Laws of Manifestation. Indeed, this can be a highly critical crossroads along the journey of spiritual development. More than a few dedicated seekers have thrown in the towel when this sort of experience begins to repeat itself with regularity. Believe me, I know because I have been there – done that.

 What is even more tragic about this situation is the reality that this crisis can be worked through without too much difficulty. All it takes is a degree of awareness regarding the less-than-pristine nature of our subconscious mind and knowledge of the proper prayer tools to deal with it.

 The Laws of Manifestation, those principles at play when we work to bring something from the spiritual world into manifestation on the physical plane, would work perfectly all the time if they operated through perfectly pure minds in a perfectly pure world. The unfortunate reality is, however, neither the minds in question nor the world in which they operate are anywhere near pure. We all have subconscious patterns of belief that operate beyond our capacity to control them, largely because we are unaware of them. These patterns of belief can sometimes sabotage our best intentions and, if we want to become more adept at applying spiritual law, we have to deal with these subconscious themes.

 Although these subconscious themes can be stubborn at times, I have found that the most direct, effective, and simple method of dealing with these obstacles is through positive prayer. In essence, we apply the principles of affirmative prayer to the very things that seem to be blocking our prayers in the first place. As ironic as it may seem, I have found this to be the most consistently effective tool.

 With that said, let me share with you a simple prayer that I use when I run up against the sort of thing we are discussing in this post. If you so desire, give it a try. Like all affirmative prayer, the key is to generate feeling in your prayer and repeat it many times. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither were your subconscious impediments and imprints. Likewise, they won’t crumble in a day, either. Here is the prayer:

 Releasing Negative Imprints

 Through the healing power of the God’s One True Light, I now release all negative imprints and impediments in my body, mind, will, and spirit. I release these personal delusions and they are no longer part of me, nor do they create obstacles to the perfect application of the Divine Laws of Manifestation. I am now cleansed and perfected – I am healed, healthy, happy, and whole.

 

By the power of the Holy Spirit and in the sacred name of Christ, so it is.

 Amen.

 © L.D. Turner 2010/All Rights Reserved

Wise Words for Today

You must get in your mind that the God who spoke the universe into existence also has spoken over you. The only reason His Word cannot manifest in your life, as He has spoken it, is that you have not fully accepted the reality of its power and who you are….You must remember at all times, GOD SAID YOU WERE CREATED IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. It doesn’t matter what the world tries to tell you or convince you of, or the circumstances you may find yourself in. God’s powerful and endless Word has empowered you as a creation in His image and likeness. ..When you wake up to the fact that you’re royalty, you will alter your behavior and act differently. You will begin to walk in your rightful position in accordance with the authority that your Lord and King gives you. You must choose to be the person God calls you to be.

Bishop Jim Lowe

(from Achieving Your Divine Potential)

The Holy Spirit and Our Call to Personal Excellence

Mick Turner

In those wonderful chapters of John’s gospel where Jesus introduces us to the coming gift of the Holy Spirit, we are given intimations of a wonderful blessing that is far too great to put into words. Whenever I think about the fact that one third of the Godhead remains in incarnation, living inside of me, I begin to shiver. I think few of us Christ-followers truly pause and think about the true wonder of this, not to mention its myriad implications.

 Scripture reveals that one of the primary functions of the Holy Spirit is to empower us to be the kind of people God has called us to be. Granted, experience has shown that we cannot live the kind of life that God calls us to under our own steam. We just don’t have the horsepower to do it. But God knows that and sent the Holy Spirit, which is just as much a part of the Father of Lights and Jesus was, in order to make sure that we succeed. And part of that divine mandate for success means that we are to succeed in all areas of our daily lives as well.

 I often have to work at keeping this in mind. In terms of my profession, God wants me to be a success because any godly person who succeeds brings glory to the Father. If I sell cars, God wants me to sell a lot of them and bring glory to him in so doing. If I write books, the Master wants me to turn out the very best book I possibly can. If I teach school, then I need to give my all to the students in my classes. Anything less is beneath the standard to which I am called by the Divine.

 Yes, as followers of Christ we are called to a lofty standard. Erwin Raphael McManus tells us in a clear and concise way:

 If you are a sincere follower of Christ, then you are mandated by God to be a voracious, intentional learner. You cannot allow yourself to settle, to be less than your best in whatever field of endeavor you have committed yourself to. You must always strive toward excellence in whatever you pursue. And you are not allowed to ignore the world around you – otherwise known as the real world! You are not supposed to be a relic of the past or even a preserver of the past. You are to be in the world making it a better place to live. Rise to the top and see what God can do with your life. This doesn’t always mean you will be the best in the world at what you do, but you are supposed to be the world’s best you….Bring your best and move forward with confidence that God’s incredible ingenuity will use even your shortcomings to do amazing things through your life.

 Indeed, it is the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, giving us inner light and personal power to become the optimal version of who we are. Here at Sacred Mind Ministries and at LifeBrook Communications we have as our mission to provide programs and materials that encourages and assists individuals and organizations to become the optimal version of themselves for the glory of God and the sake of others.

 Without the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, we could never come close to achieving this mission. But through the work of the blessed Spirit, we can and often do find success in doing what we set out to do.

 The Holy Spirit helps us in other ways as well. When we falter, tire and grow fatigued, the Spirit provides needed refreshing and encouragement. Charles Stanley, the wise and experienced Bible teacher and pastor describes this aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives:

 Another way the Holy Spirit helps you is to empower you to use your gifts to their maximum effectiveness. All work takes effort and energy. The Holy Spirit helps you by renewing your strength, sharpening your senses, and helping you to do the greatest amount of work in the least amount of time in the most efficient manner.

 Hopefully, you can see from what we have discussed that personal success is intimately connected with living up to your potential by making a firm commitment to excellence. This involves a working partnership between the individual and the Holy Spirit. God has called each and every one of us to a lofty standard and if we want to have a degree of success in our lives and also bring glory to God, then we must be obedient to that calling.

 In light of the reality of our divine calling to personal excellence and the fact that God, through the Holy Spirit, has equipped each of us to live that calling, I would like to encourage and challenge everyone to make every effort to grow as an individual and as a member of society. Seize every opportunity to improve that comes your way. Make no mistake; if you don’t put forth positive effort in pursuit of your goals, nothing will help you. If you truly want the best from life, give life the best of you.

 © L. D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved

The Five Foundations of Positive Success

Mick Turner

If you are to be successful in pursuit of your goals and vision, you need to internalize these cardinal concepts, which I have termed the Five Foundations of Positive Success, into your core character. If one studies the lives of great men and women throughout history it is readily apparent that they, one and all, manifested these positive traits of great character in all that they did. Without a doubt, it was these very principles that led to their successful accomplishments. What are the “Five Foundations of Positive Success?”

 

Desire – Dedication – Devotion – Discipline – Determination

 

It is a foundational principle of success that every positive accomplishment that was ever made began as a desire in the mind of an individual. Desire is that initial impetus that gives birth to our dreams and it is desire that motivates us to achieve those dreams. All great things begin with positive desire.

 

Dedication is an act of the mind. From the outset, make a firm decision to follow your dream, no matter what it takes. If you dream is consistent with the will of God, benefits others, and brings glory to the Creator, then rest assured that it was He that placed this dream in your heart. Make a resolute commitment to believe in yourself and your abilities. It is a fundamental law of spirituality that God never places a dream in your heart without also providing you with the ability to achieve that dream. In addition, keep in mind that dedication is a mental act and is based on positive desire and positive thinking.

 

Devotion is an act of the heart. You will find that getting your emotions involved in your goals and dreams can be of great benefit. One of the most valuable lessons I learned early on in my ministry efforts is: If you don t fall in love with your vision, you will not advance toward its realization. Emotions flow from the heart and they can provide fuel to energize personal motivation. Emotions have been described as “energy in motion” and that is essentially what they are. Desire, coupled with faithful devotion, is the basis for creating a supportive environment for positive action in your life.

 

Perhaps the most valuable lesson I have learned over the years concerns the necessity of discipline in all areas of our lives. Without personal discipline, the achievement of Christian success is impossible. Without personal discipline, your dreams will eventually crash and burn so never, ever, short-change the importance of being a disciplined disciple.

 

Discipline is an act of the will requiring sacrifice and strength of character. It is important to realize that improving your level of competency in any field often necessitates experiencing short-term pain in order to achieve long-term benefit. This is a foundational truth for Christian success. In practical terms, your goals will often require that you, through acts of disciplined will, give up certain activities to devote more time to the pursuit of your vision and success.

 

Determination combines the mind, the emotions, and the will. In practical terms, determination means facing difficulties with optimism rather than pessimism. It means pursuing your dreams under all kinds of circumstances, good and bad. Determination implies that you keep going even when things get rough. When you possess determination, you maintain a positive attitude even when your progress is slow and particularly when other demands and responsibilities crowd in on your plans.

 

Determination does not come easy. It requires your conscious attention and consistent effort to apply your mind, your heart, and your will as well as the other four “foundations” of desire, dedication, devotion, and discipline.

 

The “Five Foundations of Positive Success” form the bedrock upon which the structure of any worthwhile goal is built. Without this quintet of character assets your chances of personal success is minimal. However, at times when we begin to incorporate new, more positive ways in which to approach life in general and our goals in particular, we encounter unexpected resistance arising from within ourselves. When this happens we have to keep in mind that our old, habitual ways of doing things are usually deeply ingrained. Making things even more difficult is the fact that, in spite of our best intentions, we often hold on to these negative patterns of thought and behavior simply because they are familiar. More baffling is our tendency to do this even though these very tendencies of negativity bring us less than positive results.

 

These deeply imbedded negative thought patterns and character traits are what the Apostle Paul called “strongholds.” Strongholds can be formed in several ways including traumatic, emotionally charged events, repetitious patterns of negative thinking, assaults from the Enemy, or a combination of any of these. No matter how particular strongholds are formed, they are often difficult to deal with.

 

As Christ-followers, our primary tools for tearing down strongholds, and preventing new ones from forming, are to utilize the spiritual weapons outlined by the Apostle in the sixth chapter of the Book of Ephesians. In addition, we must understand and accept that we cannot deal with strongholds with our own power alone. We need the help of the Holy Spirit and we elicit this assistance through prayer. Ask God to help you tear down an especially stubborn stronghold and also ask a trusted brother or sister in the faith to pray for you as well.

 

In addition, we must become acutely aware of our patterns of thinking. The reason for this centers on the fact that strongholds are constructed, like everything else, with the building blocks of our thoughts. Our goal is to consistently intercept the negative thoughts associated with particular strongholds and stop them in their tracks. Paul calls this “taking thoughts captive for Christ.” The success of many disciples has verified that the next step in dealing with strongholds is, after intercepting the negative thoughts, is to immediately replace them with positive thoughts.

 

Bear in mind that this cognitive process does not occur overnight. It took a long time to form these counter-productive ways of thinking and responding to life and it will take time to eliminate them. Yet always maintain your sense of hope and keep in mind that one positive thought overcomes the effect of many negative ones. Just as turning on one light can overcome the darkness in a room, lighting up your mind with a single positive thought can illuminate and eliminate dark patterns of thinking. Remain patient, keep praying, and trust God to provide the help he promised. If you keep at it, your success is assured.

 

To conclude, we have perhaps now traveled full-circle. In our discussion of the “Five Foundations of Positive Success” we discovered that it was often cognitive and behavioral strongholds that formed much of the resistance we encounter when attempting to put these vital principles into practice. Now, I would like you to understand the fact that, in addition to the spiritual tools outlined above that we can use to deal with strongholds, we can also use the “Five Foundations” as well. Think about it. Desire, dedication, devotion, discipline, and determination are all needed in combating these deeply embedded aspects of our thought life and behavior.

 

These five key principles we have been exploring are not optional if we want to achieve and maintain success in any field of endeavor. Further, these five principles are in many ways like “mirrors” in that each one of the five reflects the other four. The Five Foundations of Positive Success exist as a unified and interdependent whole. When you apply one principle, you automatically apply all of them in a number of ways.

 

I encourage you to continue to explore what these cardinal principles of success mean to you and to pray in earnest to the Father to help strengthen each of these vital characteristics in your being. It will be well worth your time and effort.

 

© L. Dwight Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved

Wise Words For Today

If you are a follower of Christ, then you are mandated by God to be a voracious, intentional learner. You cannot allow yourself to settle, to be less than your best in whatever field of endeavor you have committed yourself to. You must always strive toward excellence in whatever you pursue. And you are not allowed to ignore the world around you – otherwise known as the real world. You are not supposed to be a relic of the past or even a preserver of the past. You are to be in the world making it a better place to live. Rise to the top and see what God can do with your life. This doesn’t always mean you will be the best in the world at what you do, but you are supposed to be the world’s best you…..Bring your best and move forward with confidence that God’s incredible ingenuity will use even your shortcomings to do amazing things through your life.

Erwin Raphael McManus

(from Wide Awake: The Future is Waiting Within You)

The Sin of Polarization: Part Two

Mick Turner

In the first part of this article we looked at how the Body of Christ polarized itself into two opposing camps, fundamentalism and liberalism, during the century just ended. We also explored to some extent how this polarization mirrored somewhat the reaction of Jewish culture to the pervasiveness of Greek culture during the two centuries leading up to the incarnation of Christ.

 

To summarize, we saw that the Pharisees, by defining and attempting to live up to the strict letter of the Jewish law, thought this would preserve the identity of the Jews as “God’s Chosen.” In effect, all this process accomplished was to maximize legalism and minimize spirituality. It was this religion that extolled legalistic rules and prohibitions at the expense of true spiritual living that Jesus repeatedly railed against. Now we find the fundamentalist camp engaging in very similar practices and, in so doing, wringing spiritual vitality, not to mention compassion, out of its adherents. My experience has consistently told me that many fundamentalist churches, if they were to be brutally honest with themselves, should fly the flags in front of their churches at half-mast.

 

Those churches on the other extreme have faired no better. By adapting to the prevailing culture, just as many Israelites did to Greek culture, most of these well-meaning but confused churches have died painful, slow, agonizing deaths. By a process of socio-spiritual osmosis, the liberal churches of the 20^th Century became virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding social milieu. Jettisoning a firm, biblical foundation in favor of an impotent mixture of philosophy and psychology, these churches soon found themselves morally and existentially adrift, floundering in doldrums of empty rhetoric and ear-tickling platitudes while the world around them was sinking, taking on water fast in the shifting shoals of ethical relativism. The end result was a plague of dying churches and a witness that was ineffective at best and, at worst, non-existent.

 

I don’t mean to be so harsh in my analysis of these two extremes, but I cannot think of a kind way to say what occurred as the Protestant Church became immersed in the sin of polarization. No doubt both wings of this religious debacle made positive contributions in terms of doctrinal foundations on the one side and social ministry on the other. Still, the good accomplished by these extremists, and that’s what they are, is far overshadowed by the negative fallout from this Christian infighting. Any rational and non-biased summation of this conflict will readily admit to a significant amount of what military types call “collateral damage.”

 

Foremost among the negative consequences is the stark reality that Christianity is viewed in a generally negative light in our culture. As believers, our witness has been damaged and it has been damaged badly. As mentioned in the first part of this article, the Barna Group has conducted exhaustive research on the church and culture and the vast majority of studies aimed at discerning how non-believers view the church point to the fact that we, my brothers and sisters, have a major image problem.

 

David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons have published an eye-opening book entitled, Un-Christian, in which they discuss the public relations problem the church is currently facing. Kinnaman is a long-time researcher with the Barna Group and has great insight into what the statistical findings of recent research projects reveal. In the book, the authors particularly focus on young Americans between the ages of 16 and 29. With both candor and compassion, these two writers explain clearly the crisis facing the Body of Christ. For example, Kinnaman and Lyons relate:

 

Millions of young outsiders are mentally and emotionally disengaging from Christianity. The nation’s population is increasingly resistant to Christianity, especially to the theologically conservative expressions of that faith. Of course we have always had detractors, but now the critics of the faith are becoming bolder and more vocal. And the aversion and hostility are, for the first time, crystallizing in the attitudes of millions of young Americans. A huge chunk of a new generation has concluded they want nothing to do with us. As Christians, we are widely mistrusted by a skeptical generation.

 

This is difficult to take. Our research findings are a punch in the gut to Christians, and they are particularly challenging to theologically conservative Christians…..We are at a turning point for Christianity in America. If we do not wake up to these realities and respond in appropriate, godly ways, we risk being increasingly marginalized and losing further credibility with millions of people.

 

If you are feeling a bit uneasy after reading this, good. We Christians need to be feeling a bit uneasy. Our mandate from the Master is clear. Go into all the world and make disciples….also, establish his kingdom here on earth. If the very field that we are to harvest views us as a bunch of narrow-minded bigots who think they have a monopoly on truth, then we have a problem. If the broken, needy, hurting people of this world are seeking solace, will they turn to a group of people who they deeply mistrust? If those myriad spiritual seekers that line the aisles in the spiritual sections of the major bookstores think there is no use exploring the faith of Jesus because its adherents are too judgmental, exclusive, and self-righteous, are we likely to turn them into vital, growing disciples of the Lord?

 

If, like my good friend David, genuine seekers eliminate Christianity as a viable option because they think they have to join the Republican Party, do we have any hope of meeting the mandate issued to us by Jesus?

 

The answers to these questions are obvious. So, what can we do? If the Body of Christ is to become a more attractive option in today’s spiritual marketplace, and don’t kid yourself, that is exactly what it is these days, what form must that body take if it is to be successful.

 

Stay tuned for Part Three.

(c) L.D. Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved

Wise Words for Today

Optimists are full of passion. They believe they’re on this earth for a purpose and havae no intention of stopping until that purpose is fulfilled. Their attitudes are positive, their perspectives eternal, and their enthusiasm contagious. They have a glow that fills the darkest hours with light. It’s a proverbial saying, but optimists truly believe it; there is a silver lining in every dark cloud.

Zig Ziglar

(from Better Than Good)

Wise Words for Today

Our world today is in desperate need of vision. Even a casual look at the prevailing conditions in our twenty-first century world is enough to produce fear, hopelessness, uncertainty, insecurity, emotional and social trauma, depression, disillusionment, discouragement, and despair. The threat of economic collapse, social disintergration, moral decay, religious conflict, political instability, global health epidemics, ethnic cleansing, and the clash of civilizations demands leadership that can see beyond the now into a preferred future, that has the skill to transfer that vision into reality, and that has the courage to inspire us to go there.

Dr. Myles Munroe

(from The Principles and Power of Vision)