Whenever I heard that Gordon MacDonald was visiting the UK, I’d go to hear him, take Zoe, and take notes.
I have workbooks galore filled with his wisdom. Much of it was instantly applicable, but as the decades roll on now rather than just years when and if I find some of those notes I review them and want to underline them again, and look to whether I applied them. Do you ever do that?
I look forward to the two of us talking about them again (we will soon), and when I get chance I’ll share some too whether to those I coach or on here.
Some of these you will resonate immediately, others need to marinade – but this LIST I found today just makes more and more sense in my sixties than ever before (I think he’d just turned 80 when he shared this with us, and I was in my forties).
THE LIST – GORDON MACDONALD
- Put the most significant people in your life into your calendar first.
- Never stop growing – sharpen your skills, knowledge and wisdom
- Be more a priest and less a preacher to people, bless them with hope.
- Always remember the time of obscurity will come – including the obscurity of the grave.
- Prepare yourself for when you, like most people, fail or fall into doubt or struggle experience loss
- Be trustworthy – keep your word. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
- Be a spiritual father to teachable people who may inherit what you leave behind
- Live modestly, stay free of debt, have a plan for your financial future, be generous,be wary of those who use money to buy your favour.
- Expect to reorganise your inner life about every 7 to 10 years.
Good hey? There’s more… but now, SELAH… pause and calmly reflect…
- Receive compliments, criticism or counsel given to you with humility and appreciation.
- Avoid whining, complaining, self pity – assume there is at least a grain of truth in what the critics say about you or your work.
- Be quick to say with sincerity, ‘Thank you, Well Done, I’m Sorry, I Forgive You.’ Or ‘How can I help?’
- Stay alert for the evils embedded in institutional life.
- Always maintain a relationship with one or two mentors who can aid you in hearing God’s voice.
- Master the art of asking the kind of penetrating questions that open up someone’s heart
- Regularly express your appreciation, name your sins, pray for the world, listen for God’s calls – to do things that are bigger than you.
Digging deeper (this from the Question Time)
Which comes first, your family or your Lord’s work?
Your family IS the Lord’s work. Jesus, family, then everything else. Don’t confuse the family with the marriage. Don’t focus everything on the kids. They will leave. You better have something to fill the void.
How do you say no?
There are so many things we can do! Draw a circle round some. Then, when invited into some other things, you can say – “I would like to do that, because that would make you happy and I like to make people happy, but it’s not a part of my call from God, and if I did for you I wouldn’t do it too well because it’s not part of my gift mix. Can I intro you to someone who could do it and do it well for you?’
FINALLY:
Don’t just tell people everything you know. Let them learn for themselves. HOW? Be people centred, draw them to Jesus. Focus on them, give them a way to Jesus.