Posted by
peripheral on Friday, May 15, 2009 6:37:11 AM
From My Perspective - - -
A book by Newt Gingrich and his daughter, Jackie Cushman, became available this week. The title is: 5 PRINCIPLES FOR A SUCCESSFUL LIFE.
In a review by Peter Roff in US News.com: “The 5 Principles are based
upon Newt Gingrich attaining and being Speaker of the House of
Representatives, namely, “…dream big, work hard, learn every day, enjoy
life, and be true to yourself—through examples from his own life as
well as through contributions from a group of notables including former
NBC News Anchor Tom Brokaw, political consultants James Carville and
Mary Matalin, and Gen. David Petraeus, former commander of U.S. forces
in Iraq.” The authors also summarize: “We hope people understand that
there are principles that lead to success, that life has its ups and
downs, but if you live by these five principles, you can live life
successfully."
In a broader sense, one should consider whether or not there is a
tension between “principles” on the one hand, and “values on the other.
The American Heritage Dictionary Defines PRINCIPLES
as: “a basic truth, law, or assumption; a rule or standard, especially
of good behavior: a man of principle; the collectivity of moral or
ethical standards or judgments: a decision based on principle rather
than expediency; a fixed or predetermined policy or mode of action…” VALUES
are defined as: “…A principle, standard, or quality considered
worthwhile or desirable… relative worth, merit, or importance…”
Interestingly, the Dictionary gives definition for the areas of “Value”
in Fine Arts; Mathematics; Music; Ethics; Sociology; and Mining. The
Business Dictionary attempts to define Core Values as: “…Core values
often influence the culture of an organization and are normally
long-standing beliefs…; a small set of key concepts and ideals that
guide a person's life and help him or her to make important decisions…”
Almost absent in Dictionary Definition is any reference to one’s
Foundational Principles or Core Values. This can also be viewed as
one’s Moral Compass. A hint of this comes from a basically secular
source: “The Core Values of The Boy Scouts of America are: “A Scout is:
Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient,
Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, Reverent.” Attached to this list of
Values is a Mission Statement: “The mission of the Boy Scouts of
America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices
over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath
and Law.”
This week also had the latest Barna Report on The State of the Church under the heading: “Many Churchgoers and Faith Leaders Struggle to Define Spiritual Maturity.”
Barna states: “The study showed five significant challenges when it
comes to facilitating people’s spiritual growth: 1) Most Christians
equate spiritual maturity with following the rules; 2) Most churchgoers
are not clear what their church expects in terms of spiritual maturity;
3) Most Christians offer one-dimensional views of personal spiritual
maturity; 4) Most pastors struggle with feeling the relevance as well
as articulating a specific set of objectives for spirituality, often
favoring activities over attitudes; and 5) Pastors are surprisingly
vague about the biblical references they use to chart spiritual
maturity for people.”
Consider these things with me - - - Barna also states: “…Church leaders
believe the three primary obstacles to people’s engagement are lack of
personal motivation (32%), other competing obligations and distractions
(26%), and lack of involvement in activities that nurture growth (19%).
In this respect, they do not seem too far off in their perceptions.
Born again Christians identify distractions (24%), lack of motivation
(20%), and lack of involvement (13%) as challenges they face, even if
two of the three are mentioned less frequently by adults than pastors.
Born again Christians, however, are more likely than pastors to
identify sinful behaviors and habits as tripping them up (14% of
believers versus 8% of pastors)…” It seems like the basics need more
emphasis. Romans 12:1-3
indicates the need for Commitment of self as “a living sacrifice”;
Transformation – “renewing of one’s mind”; and Conforming to the “good
and acceptable and perfect will of God.” It isn’t that we are ignorant
of the cure! It is more a failure to endure any discomfort or pain in
order to achieve the remedy. What a difference Faith, Commitment and
Obedience would make!