Ed Bahler’s Blog…To Enhance Ministry

It’s interesting how a line from a book can stick with you. Not only stick with you but impact your life, and the life of your kids. Author Steven Covey left me one of those lines from his late 90’s best seller, Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People. It’s quite simple really…but impactful:

“It’s easy to say no when there’s a deeper burning yes within you.”

A few years later, author Jim Collins picked up on this “focus” idea in his best selling business book, Good To Great. Jim challenged us to “focus” on what we can do best, say no to everything else, and stick with it. To discern what you can do best look for the overlap of:

• What you are passionate about
• What you are naturally good, or gifted at
• Roles that provide reasonable compensation

I had the privilege to meet with Jim Collins and asked how we should coach our children regarding career choice. Is it wise to encourage them to focus on careers that “pay reasonably well” or careers they are “passionate about”? Jim shared how research clearly shows people who focus on careers they are passionate about are not only happier, but have higher incomes as well. Even if they choose a low paying field of work, they will most likely become a top performer. A top performer in a lower paying field will always earn more than an uninterested performer in a high paying field. But most importantly, people working from their “passion” will more likely multiply their talents for the Kingdom. Something the Bible instructs us to do.

Author Thom Rainer builds on these “deeper burning yes” & “focus” themes with Simple Church, the book I mentioned Wednesday. In it he shares four steps to a simple church (but they seem to apply to our personal life too). They are:

1. Clarity
2. Momentum
3. Alignment
4. Focus

First, get clarity on the “deeper burning yes” inside you, your child, or your church leader. Then build momentum around it with them or those at church. Third, help your child get everything and everyone in their life or at church aligned around it. Then focus all your energy toward it and say “no” to the rabbit trails in life.

I don’t recall what provoked us, but we began helping our kids discover their deeper burning yes in junior high. It freed them to focus their energy all through high school and college. By God’s grace the effort seemed to make life simple enough to build their hope and courage.

The Bible teaches, “Whatever we set our heart to do, do it with all our might.” Does it make sense to you that getting our “deeper burning yes” clear could help us do whatever we do with all our might?