According to Mary Elizabeth Dean, Ambition can be a good thing, but like anything, it has its downsides. It can help you achieve your goals and create the life you want to live, but you need to watch out for something called “blind ambition.”

When you set goals and then work to achieve them, its important to make sure your life is balanced. Work is essential, but you need to also make time for family, friends, and yourself.

When I started out in retail management, it was my first real job after graduating from high school, honorably discharged from the U. S. Air Force, and graduating from college. I wanted to be successful, and I really put it before me, family, and everything else.  

I really wanted to join the Air Force Reserves. It was only going to take one week end out of the month and two weeks during the Summer. When I discussed it with my regional manager, I was told that I needed to decide whether I wanted to be a part time soldier, or a full-time manager.  I relented and did not do it.

I got transferred to a new location where the store was brand new, and I was one of the assistant store managers. While we were opening this store my father-in -law died and I did not take time off to attend the funeral.

As a matter of fact, I did not go to a lot of things with my family. All the major holidays, I was at the store and my family was all alone. Many thought my wife was lying about being married and having a loving husband.

The next new store that I helped to open was even worse. My wife was ill and needed to go to the doctor. My manager told me that I need to get one of the assistants’ wives to take her. I agreed for a moment. When I came to my senses, I told him that it was my responsibility to take her, and that I could find another job. I was treated better afterwards.

Dean further states, there are many times when the desire to achieve may override the sense of right and wrong. “When you chase your dreams and focus on nothing but the goal, you miss experiences that make life worth living.”

The “least of these” is a phrase that originates from Matthew 25:31-46 where Jesus speaks of those in need.

It refers to those in a variety of needy situations. It includes the hungry, thirsty, impoverished, sick, and imprisoned. In this context, He is speaking to those on His right, that is, the righteous. The needy are called Christ’s “brothers”; thus, the reference is to the righteous helping fellow disciples. He said that those who cared for such individuals were not merely serving other people. They were serving Him.

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me.’”

In the same passage, the opposite is also noted. The narrative concludes with Jesus condemning those who saw believers in need and yet did not help. He says, “For I was hungry, and you gave me no food, I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”

So, think about this the next time you see the man or woman on the corner, or on the side of the road begging. It is not up to you to decide what they are going to do with what you give. Those whose lives are marked by apathy toward the needy show they have not been transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ.

God has always shown a special concern for the poor and needy. It should come as no surprise that He expects His followers to do the same.  Sadly, you do not get an out of jail “free card” if you are an attorney, citizen, coach, judge, or politician. What is surprising about the “least of these” is that our service is ultimately not to the poor, but to Christ Himself.

I grew up watching cowboy movies and I still like to watch them because there is always something said that is catchy that you can use to prove a point. This comes to mind, “If You get two dogs to fighting, it is easy to steal their bone. Watch the news very carefully and see if you can pick out the plot. They get the 99% fighting with each other, and they continue to steal their bones. As a matter of fact, we aid and albeit.

Rebecca Brumm says that many factors play into each person’s individual reaction to change. While some issues, problems and opportunities may be predictable, personal responses will not be.

Some people have different ways of thinking about change. Some have difficulty handling the slightest change. They quickly grow accustomed to routines and feel most comfortable with it

Others may relish in changes and view them as an opportunity to grow. These people regard change to reignite with excitement and passion in their new work environment.

How much experience one has had in handling and managing change in business or in their personal life will have an affect as well.

Having practice and previous experience to fall back on could contribute to greater immunity for the changes at hand. Some will have different ways of handling the change.

Some will need to talk about it, others will prefer to suffer silently. Some will vacate others and become withdrawn, and others may desperately seek others around them for support.

In his book, Diffusion of Innovations, Everett M. Rogers studied the reasons for either adoption to a change) or resistance to it. It comes down to:(1) how people are made and (2) how they are influenced by others about change. 

In general, people are change resistant rather than change friendly. Through this study, and the resulting research, Rogers concluded that there are 5 ways people react to change. So, if you have been beating your head against the wall wondering why you have not seen any results, this might be the reason. Cheer up.

1. 2.5 percent of people dream up new ways of doing things. they are innovators.

2. 13.5 percent of people quickly respond to what they see as a good idea and adopt it. They are early adopters.

3. 34 percent of people are more deliberate in thinking through the innovation but, after consideration, will adapt it. They are the early majority.

4. 34 percent of people are skeptical of innovation but eventually respond after seeing the benefits. They are the late majority.

5. 16 percent of people will probably never respond to change. They are the laggards

Many of us are familiar with the label diehard. Someone who has not changed a bit since they were a child, and now they are eighty.

I never thought that I would agree with this statement. We live in a culture that considers itself smarter and savvier than any generation before us. Sadly, this often displays itself by a cultural absence for what many consider values or qualities that generations before them commonly agreed were sins, such as lust, envy, pride, and greed. Now I do.

Instead of loving people and using money, people often love money and use people. Wayne Gerard Trotman. God comes right out and tells us why He gives us more money than we need. It’s not so we can find more ways to spend it. It’s so we can give generously. Ecclesiastes 5:10 reads, “Whoever loves money will never have enough money.”

It has been estimated that 1% of the population owns more wealth than the 99% combined. Even in the pandemic where many have lost their jobs and livelihood, the 1% have gotten even richer. It has not been because capitalism really works but rather it has happened with the assistance of those who took an oath to look after the 99%.

People are often quick to emphasize that the Bible doesn’t say money is the root of all kinds of evil but that the LOVE of money is the root. In other words, we don’t have to have money to cherish or greed for it or have it control our lives. Still, it’s wise to be cautious when accumulating money that we don’t fall prey to the allure of riches.

One of the most serious warnings in Scripture regarding greed for wealth and material gain is found in 1Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

In 2018, the Chicago Cubs were playing the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs gave a signed baseball to a child after social media became outraged over the perceived wrongdoing of an adult fan, but the camera only captured part of the story.

Chicago’s first base coach tossed a foul ball to the child on the front row. The child, however, missed the ball and it rolled behind him. The video showed an adult snatch it up. It looked as if the ball was taken away from the child.

People on social media, including MLB-owned accounts, were not happy with this. The cubs wanted to make sure the child went home happy and delivered him a ball signed by infielder Javier Baez.

But in the photos the Cubs tweeted, the boy had two baseballs. It turns out, despite social media and earlier reports, the adult fan had already helped the boy get a baseball earlier in the game.

Chicago sports talk host David Kaplan spoke to the members of the Cub’s organization to get the full story. No doubt this fan never got to tell his story or be forgiven.

Too often, we think we have all the facts when we only have fragments. In our modern “got you” culture it is easy to condemn people without hearing the whole story.

However, Scripture warns us, “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness (Exodus 23:1).” 

My advisor helped me so very much.  She was such a giving person. She was about two years from retirement.  She was the chairwoman of the department.  One day while I was wondering where my next meal was coming from, she called me and asked if I could help her son finish remodeling a duplex apartment that she had purchased for him to live and manage.

One of the most rewarding jobs I had was without pay.  I received an internship at US Senator Bob Graham’s office.  I spoke to people from all of the world who wanted the senator to write a letter on their behalf.  I spoke with judges, lawyers, the military, and even those who could be labeled strange.  When Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, the social worker was sent there to help his constituents cut through the red tape that prevented them from receiving assistance.

After my internship was over, I was hired in the mailroom.  In the morning I would stop and pick up 5 popular newspapers for the staff to pick out the topics that we thought the senator needed to know.  He had three offices in the state.  I got the opportunity to see at firsthand how powerful the senator’s office could be.  He only stated that his constituent was interested.     

My daughter was a senior in high school, and I was in class during the evenings.  She spent time at a local nursing home caring for the aged.  She had so much compassion towards them.  I saw in her what I desired.  With her and through her I gained what was missing in my life.  In June we both graduated.  I received a M. A. in Applied Social Science and my daughter received her high school diploma.

While in graduate school, away from the family, I had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do with my life. My wife had always been a person of faith. I was inconsistent. I was once an agnostic. I was the master of my fate. I had fallen so low that it did not matter what I did, it would be an improvement. Despite the experiences that I had gone through God was still good.

I had memories of being 12 years old and my grand-mother taking me to church to be Baptized. The night before, she said, “You will be 12 years old tomorrow, and your sins will no longer be on me.”  I had read the New Testament several times, and knew she was referencing when Jesus was taken to Passover and was questioning the scholars in the Temple.

I Couldn’t figure out what that had in common with my age. I was a good person. I had not done any of the things that I saw in there that people had gotten punished for. So I was not afraid to be responsible for myself.

When the school term ended in Ft. Lauderdale, my wife and daughter came to join me. My daughter was now a high school senior. My wife immediately found a church. The Pastor and I had worked together. He was not a pastor then. At the appropriate time he said that he wanted to make me a deacon.  I was beginning to see that I was not mastering my fate very well.

One Sunday morning my daughter joined the church. She had not been interested in church. At least I thought. During children’s church she taught the Word. I was ashamed that my child had more faith than me. I remembered promising God that if He gave me a daughter, I would do everything I could to show him gratitude.                                                                                                                                                 

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:3–5).

Since the beginning of time, persons of every walk of life have pondered, “What it means to be a good human being. Every living creature seeks self-gratification as a matter of survival.  Animals live primarily for self-gratification, driven by instinct and the inner workings of the food chain. One of nature’s primary laws is “eat or be eaten.” https://www.beliefnet.com.

God created our sense of pleasure, so seeking its fulfillment is not wrong until the means to do so crosses a line. Knowing exactly where that line can be tricky. But human beings were created differently from the plants or animals.

Because humanity is made in the image of God and possesses the breath of God, we have a spirit that can reason, love, and choose to be unselfish. With our spirits, we can commune with God, who is also Spirit (Romans 8:16; Revelations 3:20). We have a moral compass, and we can know right and wrong (Genesis 1:27).

There is a danger in responding to every comment we encounter on social media. Unless we keep up with what we say, to whom we say it, and why we say it, not only will we convey a rocky fellowship with those who read it, but we too will be confused, and our moral compass questioned. Some have already reached the point of no return.

Nearly 80% of Americans believe that the overall moral state of the nation is fair or poor, according to a recent Gallup poll. In addition, some overwhelmingly hold the opinion that Americans are becoming more selfish and dishonest. 77% of Americans believe the country’s overall sense of morality is getting worse.

The most important part of having moral compass is using that moral compass. “He has shown you, o man/woman, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

This precious, sweet name reveals a side of Jesus that many fail to grasp. While God is a God of wrath and judgment, He is purely and wholly love (1 John 4:8;16). God is love and everything He does is an outgrowth and an expression of His love.

To the artist, He’s the perfect portrait.

To the astronomer, He’s the bright and morning star.

To the baker, He’s the bread of life.

To the banker, He’s the hidden treasure.

To the carpenter, He’s the door.

To the doctor, He’s the Great Physician.

To the educator, He’s the Master Teacher.

To the farmer, He’s the seed of righteousness.

To the florist, He’s the lily of the valley and the rose of Sharon.

To the judge, He’s the true and faithful witness.

To the lawyer, He’s the supreme advocate.

To the philanthropist, He’s the unspeakable gift.

To the preacher, He’s the Word of God.

To the sailor, He’s the anchor that holds.

To the sinner, He’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Just the mention of His name brings peace to the troubled, comfort to the hurting, life to the dead, joy to the sad, hope for the hopeless, and glory to the saved soul.

After graduating from Florida A&M University (FAMU), I had a M.A. in Applied Social Science, but I did not have any new experiences. So, what was I to do? I still had responsibilities. My son and daughter were in college, but I still had a wife and myself to support. I decided I could learn something new through volunteerism.

I volunteered at one of the leading hospitals, in customer services. They dealt with patients who had hospital debt in the thousands and no way to repay. One of my old acquaintances who was now a regional store manager, offered me a store manager’s position. It is easy to go back to what you know. There are always retail jobs.

My first store was in a blight area that had apartments, older houses, a convention center, and an Air Force installation across the busy highway. In the middle of the parking lot was a fast food restaurant. Behind the store was a wooded area where several homeless guys lived.

My first encounter with them was when they came into the store and bought several large bottles of generic mouth wash. This was a daily buy. I was naïve.  I had no idea that they were substituting it for whisky. They got a better buzz for less money. This went on for weeks.

A new law was passed that bartenders could be sued for selling too much alcohol to a patron who was involved in an accident. I knew they would not be driving, but there was a busy four lane highway in front of the store. I felt culpable. I told them they could not make these purchases any longer. I would buy them food instead.

I used to go to work early so I could spend time with them. Each had a different story to tell.  The police would round them up monthly for a few days. One I will call Sam. He said that when he is in jail he does not think about drinking, he looks and feels great. As soon as he gets out, he starts all over.

Paul had a different story. He drove a dump truck for a living. One day at lunch he had too much to drink, had an accident and a lot of people got hurt. He lost his livelihood, his family and was left homeless.

He could live with his brother if he could follow rules. His brother has a family, and he is not going to allow coming in drunk all times a night. Each one of their friends gave the same story. The common denominator was that they could not follow the rules of their benefactor. Not every situation is as clear.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. (1 Cor 18:10)