Set Your Compass in the Right Direction by Max Lucado

The problem is not that God hasn’t spoken but that we haven’t listened.

Imagine your reaction if I were to take a telephone book, open it up, and proclaim, I have found a list of everyone who’s on welfare! Or what if I said, Here is a list of college graduates! Or, This book will tell us who has a red car. You’d probably say, “Now wait a minute—that’s not the purpose of that book. You’re holding a telephone book. Its purpose is simply to reveal the name and number of residents of a city during a certain time frame.”

Only by understanding its purpose can I accurately use the telephone book. Only by understanding its purpose can I accurately use the Bible…

The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God’s plan to save his children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save his children.

Though the Bible was written over sixteen centuries by at least forty authors, it has one central theme—salvation through faith in Christ. Begun by Moses in the lonely desert of Arabia and finished by John on the lonely Isle of Patmos, it is held together by a strong thread: God’s passion and God’s plan to save his children.

What a vital truth! Understanding the purpose of the Bible is like setting the compass in the right direction. Calibrate it correctly and you’ll journey safely. But fail to set it, and who knows where you’ll end up.

Directions for the Road Ahead by Max Lucado

The key question in life is not “How strong am I?” but rather “How strong is God?”

Focus on his strength, not yours. Occupy yourself with the nature of God, not the size of your biceps.

That’s what God told Moses to do. Remember the conversation at the burning bush? The tone was set in the first sentence. “Take off your sandals because you are standing on holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). With these eleven words Moses is enrolled in a class on God. Immediately the roles are defined. God is holy. Approaching him on even a quarter-inch of leather is too pompous…No time is spent convincing Moses what Moses can do, but much time is spent explaining to Moses what God can do.

You and I tend to do the opposite. We would explain to Moses how he is ideally suited to return to Egypt… Then we’d remind Moses how perfect he is for wilderness travel…We’d spend time reviewing with Moses his résumé and strengths.

But God doesn’t. The strength of Moses is never considered. No pep talk is given, no pats on the backs are offered. Not one word is spoken to recruit Moses. But many words are used to reveal God. The strength of Moses is not the issue; the strength of God is.

Jesus Heals A Blind Man by Max Lucado

“As [Jesus] passed by, He saw a man blind from birth”
(John 9:1).

This man has never seen a sunrise. Can’t tell purple from pink. The disciples fault the family tree. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” (v. 2).

Neither, the God-man replies. Trace this condition back to heaven. The reason the man was born sightless? So “the works of God might be displayed in him” (v. 3).

Talk about a thankless role. Selected to suffer. Some sing to God’s glory. Others teach to God’s glory. Who wants to be blind for God’s glory? Which is tougher—the condition or discovering it was God’s idea?

The cure proves to be as surprising as the cause. “[Jesus] spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes” (v. 6).

The world abounds with paintings of the God-man: in the arms of Mary, in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the Upper Room, in the darkened tomb. Jesus touching. Jesus weeping, laughing, teaching … but I’ve never seen a painting of Jesus spitting.

Christ smacking his lips a time or two, gathering a mouth of saliva, working up a blob of drool, and letting it go. Down in the dirt. (Kids, next time your mother tells you not to spit, show her this passage.) Then he squats, stirs up a puddle of … I don’t know, what would you call it?

Holy putty? Spit therapy? Saliva solution? Whatever the name, he places a fingerful in his palm, and then, as calmly as a painter spackles a hole in the wall, Jesus streaks mud-miracle on the blind man’s eyes. “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (v. 7).

The beggar feels his way to the pool, splashes water on his mud-streaked face, and rubs away the clay. The result is the first chapter of Genesis, just for him. Light where there was darkness. Virgin eyes focus, fuzzy figures become human beings, and John receives the Understatement of the Bible Award when he writes: “He … came back seeing” (v. 7).

Come on, John! Running short of verbs? How about “he raced back seeing”? “He danced back seeing”? “He roared back whooping and hollering.”

Raising Children by Zig Ziglar

Her name is “Promise.” One lovely Sunday afternoon 14 years ago Alexandra Nicole Ziglar made her entrance into this world. Her parents and grandparents were all elated and relieved, since she was beautiful and completely healthy.

It has always been my custom to give my children and grandchildren nicknames to identify them in a special way. My other three granddaughters are “Sunshine,” “Keeper,” and “Little Lover.” I decided to nickname Alexandra “Promise” because she holds so much promise for the future.

As I reflected on her birth, I was reminded of the fact that she has two well-educated, committed parents who love each other and who share a tremendous amount of love for her. The grandparents feel the same way. Research clearly indicates that if children have both parents to raise them, and other adults such as caring grandparents to look to with trust, love and respect, they will have additional benefits. A study done in Missouri suggests that 60-65% of a child’s working vocabulary has been acquired by the age of three. Promise has quite a vocabulary since her mother, Chachis, speaks fluent English and Spanish, and uses both languages with her. (Her father, Tom, speaks pretty good English, too.) Additionally, since 80% of a child’s character is formed by age five, she had an advantage because both parents have strong moral and ethical values, undergirded by faith. According to psychologists and psychiatrists, ninety percent of a child’s personality is formed by age seven. Promise is being raised around a lot of love and laughter, conversation and family get-togethers, so her personality is outstanding. Yes, my granddaughter, “Promise,” has all the advantages money can’t buy!

I mention these things not just to brag on my granddaughter (had I known grandchildren were going to be so much fun, I would have been nicer to their parents!), but to encourage you to keep these thoughts in mind as you raise your children and/or grandchildren. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Gossip by Zig Ziglar

Gossip is enormously destructive. We frequently hear little jokes about gossip, like the two people who were talking and one said, “I can’t tell you any more. I’ve already told you more than I heard.” In that line is much of the tragedy about gossip which can and often has destroyed a person’s reputation. Gossip always damages relationships and specifically with the person you are gossiping about. For example, once you have said something unkind about a person, you will feel uncomfortable around them and your relationship with them will suffer.

Dr. Adrian Rogers wisely points out that before we disseminate information which might be considered gossip, we must carefully ponder three questions: Number one, is it the truth? If it fails the first test, then it is not repeatable. Number two, even if it is the truth, do you really need to share it? Will it help anyone? Will it hurt anyone? Would it be better left unsaid? If there are no benefits to anyone, then what possible purpose could repeating it serve? Number three, is it kind? In our world so full of cynicism and skepticism, will repeating this story be kind? Can it be better left unsaid? Would you really be better off repeating this information? When you analyze it this way, your chances of being a gossiper are dramatically reduced.

When you consider the benefits of stopping gossip in its tracks, you’ll discover they’re substantial. First, you do not damage yourself, which means that your reputation and esteem are untarnished. That’s good. Second, you won’t harm someone else’s reputation. This means that your circle of friends will be larger. Since most of us do not have any friends we would like to lose, that’s good! Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

It's Never Too Late by Zig Ziglar

In May of 1983, Helen Hill, age 95, received her high school diploma. She was absolutely ecstatic. When she finished high school 76 years earlier, she and her five classmates did not receive formal diplomas because the school was so much in debt they could not afford them. When she received her belated diploma, Mrs. Hill was thrilled. Unfortunately, she was the only surviving member of the Class of 1907, so she could not share her joy and excitement with her former classmates. The message is clear: A disappointment of yesterday can turn into a delight for today. It’s never too late!

Carl Carson, at the tender age of 64, decided to make a career change. At that age, most people think in terms of retirement, which is unfortunate. Many 64-year-olds are still very young and have accumulated experiences on which they can build very exciting and rewarding careers. Mr. Carson had been successful as a car and truck leasing agent. For his new career, he decided to go into the consulting business. His original plan was to sell his services to ten clients. Like many of us, when he reached his rather modest goal he decided to do more. He began putting out a monthly newspaper, advising twelve hundred paying subscribers. By age 75, Carl was criss-crossing the nation a hundred times a year, speaking at conventions and having a very good time.

The message is absolutely clear: It’s never too late to dream, to learn, or to change. Unfortunately, many people come up with excuses for not reaching their goals. They don’t live in the right place, are too old or too young, or a host of other excuses. I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy because life is tough, but it can be rewarding! It’s true that you can’t stop the calendar or turn back the clock, but you can still dream, set those positive goals, and use your unique abilities. Buy into that idea and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Optimism Helps by Zig Ziglar

I’m truly fortunate because I am optimistic by nature. I might not spend my last two dollars to buy a money belt, but I am very optimistic about the future. Dr. William Arthur Ward said that “the doors of opportunity are open to the optimist. Gates of achievement swing wide for the person who sees infinite possibilities in the insignificant.”

Most of us would rather be around a person who sees hope in the future than one who sees nothing but trouble ahead. I’m talking about the kind of optimism which sees a solution in every problem, optimism that looks for the solution instead of concentrating on the problem. In his 1828 Dictionary, Noah Webster said that optimism is the “opinion or doctrine that everything in nature is ordered for the best, or, the order of things in the universe that is adapted to produce the most good.” The pessimist and pessimism are not identified by Noah Webster in his dictionary.

Optimism is a valid approach to life because when we encounter difficulties, if we are optimistic we will immediately start thinking about a solution to the difficulty, whereas the pessimist will look at a problem and ask, “I wonder what’s going to happen next?” or say, “There’s nothing I can do.” The interesting thing is psychologists will tell you those are self-fulfilling prophecies. That’s the reason I so love what Dr. Ward says about optimism: “Deep optimism is aware of problems, but recognizes the solution; knows about difficulties, but believes they can be overcome; sees the negative, but accentuates the positive; is exposed to the worst, but expects the best; has reason to complain, but prefers to smile.”

I rest my case and encourage you to think optimistically because if you do, I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Playing To Win by Zig Ziglar

Anything can happen - and it often does! One of the old clichés in professional athletics is that on any given day in any given city, one professional athletic team can beat another team. Their standings in the won-loss record at that moment don’t really matter. That’s equally true in individual competition when you have players who are skilled and determined to do their best.

Kathy Horvath is a classic example. Kathy Horvath had every reason to believe that she would lose when she faced Martina Navratilova on May 28, 1983. Kathy was rated 45th in the world; Martina was ranked number one and had not lost a match all year. Martina had won 36 straight matches. Her record in 1982 was 90 victories with only three defeats. Her defeats were to highly-ranked players like Chris Everett Lloyd and Pam Schreiber. Furthermore, Kathy Horvath was only 17 years old and they were playing in front of 16,000 people.

As it often happens in matches like this, Kathy got off to a fast start and won the first set 6-4. Martina came storming back in the second set and blew her off the court, winning that set 6-0. They started the last set and it was truly nip-and-tuck. They were tied at 3-3 and Martina was serving. To everyone’s surprise, Kathy Horvath, the overwhelming underdog, won the set and the match. Someone asked Kathy about her strategy and she replied very simply, “I was playing to win.”

That’s significant. Too many people play not to lose; Kathy was playing to win. The message is clear. Play to win, and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Compassion by Zig Ziglar

One incident can change us forever. In the last century a rich boy and a poor boy lived in the same neighborhood. The rich boy wore nice clothes, lived in a nice house and had plenty of good, nutritious food to eat. The poor boy lived in a cheap house, wore ragged clothes and did not have much of anything to eat. One day the boys got into a scuffle. In the struggle the rich boy won. The poor boy got up, dusted himself off and told the rich kid that if he had the proper food to eat like the rich boy did, he would have won. Then the poor boy turned and walked away. The rich kid just stood there. He was numbed by what the poor boy had said. His heart was broken because he knew that it was true.

The rich boy never forgot that experience. From that day on he revolted against any favored treatment because he was rich. He made it a point to wear cheap clothing; he intentionally endured the hardships faced by the poor. His family was often embarrassed by the way he dressed, but despite family pressure, that young boy never again took advantage of his wealth.

History omits the name of the poor boy, but the rich boy who developed such a compassion for the poor made them his life’s work. His name is recorded in history. He dedicated his life to service and became a world-class physician, serving in Africa. His name was Albert Schweitzer. I’m not suggesting that we all be as selfless as Albert Schweitzer, but I do believe that we need to be more in tune with the thinking and feelings of others. Very few people have had as much impact on the world as Albert Schweitzer. Even fewer people have gotten as much satisfaction out of life as he did. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Thinking It Through by Zig Ziglar

Never follow a bad shot with a bad decision. As an avid golfer I’m often puzzled by the actions of the typical high-handicap golfer. He steps up to the tee box and with driver in hand takes his stance, thinks the shot through, and hits the ball about two hundred ten yards out and about forty yards to the right, where it lands in the midst of some trees. He walks or rides to the ball, looks at the six-foot opening and determines that all he’s got to do to reach the green is hit the ball a hundred seventy-five yards through that opening, send it over the lake and fade it over the bunker to land on the green.

Let me remind you of the scenario: He just missed a fairway roughly sixty yards wide with the ball teed up and in perfect position. For his second shot he believes he can go through a six-foot opening and make the ball act like it does when one of the top touring pros on the P.G.A. hits it. With the confidence that generally goes with ignorance, he steps up, fires away, and hits the ball in the lake. In anger and disgust, he then hits the ball over the green into a sand bunker. Two strokes later he is on the green where he two-putts for a disastrous quadruple bogey eight. He followed a bad shot with a bad decision and it cost him.

Too often all of us hit a “bad shot” (make a mistake, handle the truth loosely, etc.). Then we compound that “bad shot” by denying it, defending it, lying about it or rationalizing it instead of quietly thinking it through, acknowledging the mistake, and working through it in a logical, forthright manner. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Leadership by Zig Ziglar

A team of all-stars or an all-star team? When my wife and I were in Sydney, Australia, we had an opportunity to attend a performance of the Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra at the famed Opera House. The seats were choice, our night was free, so we jumped at the opportunity. When we arrived 30 minutes early, the orchestra members were already warming up. The individuals came in all sizes, ages and colors, and were both male and female. Some of them, like the cymbals player, would perform five or six seconds during the entire evening, while the cellist had one part that would extend over 20 minutes. As they warmed up, the “music” sounded like noise to me.

At one minute before eight the conductor walked into the orchestra pit. Immediately, everybody sat up straight. As he stepped to the podium, everybody was at attention. At eight o’clock, he raised the baton and when his arms came down the music started. What had been “noise” a few seconds earlier became a beautiful melody.

The orchestra leader had converted a team of all-stars to an all-star team. While each instrument produced entirely different tones, they all blended together in harmony. No one instrument dominated any other, but rather harmonized with and became a part of the others. Can you imagine what the results would have been, had every artist made up his or her mind that their instrument should be the star of the performance?

This conductor had, for a number of years, been a musician in an orchestra. He had learned to be “obedient” and follow the orchestra conductor when he was a performer. In short, he had learned to obey in order that later he could command. I once saw a young man with a t-shirt emblem that said “I follow no one.” What a tragedy! Because, until he learns to follow, he will never be able to lead. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Taking Risks by Zig Ziglar

The entrepreneur is alive and well. Sometimes a big loss can be the catalyst for an even bigger gain. Many years ago, farmers in Delta and Montrose County, Kansas, lost a big barley-growing contract which put their future in question. The farming industry had suffered numerous reverses. Inflation, high interest rates and other factors had substantially reduced the number of farms. The situation was serious so the governor sent his economic team to preach value-added agriculture. John Harold, a local farmer and well-known figure, decided to take a gamble and bet on Olathe sweet corn. It’s truly a case of taking the proverbial lemon and making lemonade. In 1985 they shipped 12,568 boxes of corn. In 1994, they shipped a half-million cases. How did it happen?

Olathe sweet corn had long been a favorite in the Western Slope area of the country. By improving the storage and shipping process and assuring fresh delivery, John Harold made it a favorite from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

Harold’s role is primarily that of a coordinator as he works with 25 growers, including himself. They time the harvest so it occurs over an eight-week period. The corn is boxed in the field, 48 ears per container. Then it’s brought to Harold’s 20,000-square-foot cooler by truck. A forklift removes the boxes and a machine called a “clamshell” injects a slush-ice mixture into each box to make certain the corn is packed cold. Seventy-five percent of the corn is on trucks headed out the day it’s picked, and no corn sits in his cooler longer than three days.

By adding value to their product, the Delta and Montrose County farmers have opened a huge new market, a market facilitated largely by John Harold’s willingness to take a risk and try something new.

The message is clear. If you have any entrepreneurial spirit and are willing to take some risks, you can turn lemons into lemonade. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Focus on the Task at Hand by Max Lucado

Life is tough enough as it is. It’s even tougher when we’re headed in the wrong direction.

One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. Not once do we find him walking down the wrong side of the fairway. He had no money, no computers, no jets, no administrative assistants or staff; yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept his life on course.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of his future, he could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each of which he could have pursued. He could have been a political revolutionary. He could have been a national leader. He could have been content to be a teacher and educate minds or to be a physician and heal bodies. But in the end he chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus himself. “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them” (Luke 19:10). “The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people” (Mark 10:45).

The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day he left the carpentry shop of Nazareth he had one ultimate aim—the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that his final words were, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

How could Jesus say he was finished? There were still the hungry to feed, the sick to heal, the untaught to instruct, and the unloved to love. How could he say he was finished? Simple. He had completed his designated task. His commission was fulfilled. The painter could set aside his brush, the sculptor lay down his chisel, the writer put away his pen. The job was done.

Wouldn’t you love to be able to say the same? Wouldn’t you love to look back on your life and know you had done what you were called to do?