"An athlete who runs in a race cannot win the prize unless he obeys the rules." -The Apostle Paul
Loyalty always wins the race.
Disloyalty may get you a lap, but will never land you with "favor" in God's winner circle.
King Solomon wrote, "Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people and you will earn a good reputation." (Pr. 3:3-4)
What is loyalty?
In His book, The Loyalty Effect, Fred Reichheld defines "loyalty" as "The willingness to make an investment or personal sacrifice to strengthen a relationship."
Do you strengthen or weaken relationships in your life?
What investment or personal sacrifice are you making to "stay" and impact your relationship for good (in that business, marriage, church or organization?)
Loyalty produces favor and a good reputation.
But please do not misconstrue tenure for loyalty. Twenty years on a job does not make you a loyal person. Many of you know people that have worked for the same company for over ten years who still don't believe in their product and will talk about their boss, complain about how they are treated or what they are paid to anyone who will listen.
Your loyalty (adherence to rules) dictates your ability to win in life.
Some of the guys from my church invited me to join a Fantasy Basketball League this season. Keep in mind that I have never played in a fantasy league, so initially I was a bit nervous.
Now let me make something very clear: winning this league will not earn me any money; it is insignificant or unrelated to my purpose and destiny; it cannot affect my salvation, yet I still want to win.
I care about the final score.
My "church mates" have longed to defeat me in a physical basketball contest, so I don't want to give them a pseudo victory through the fantasy league. And what I have learned in a very short period of time is that the rules dictate the winner. One must best his opponent in the following 10 categories by the end of the season (including playoffs): FG%, FTM, 3PTS, PTS, REB, AST, STLS, BLKS, TO, TECH.
So daily, I am forced to evaluate which categories I rank poorly in, cut players that hurt me in that category and sign players (from free agency or the waiver wire) that can impact the losing category almost immediately.
If I am leading in overall points, but behind in assists, I don't need a newly signed player to score; I need a playmaker that can "drop dimes." If I am behind in free throw makes, I need a player that likes to penetrate the basket and draw fouls.
I need players on the floor that can follow the rules, make good decisions and impact the final score in my favor.
(Unfortunately, some of my players are NBA bad boys that have been prone to get technical fouls; as a result, their temper tantrums and breaking of rules have cost me a win in several categories...I reverse it in Jesus Name...lol.)
One of my newly hired attorneys who used to play Division I Volleyball once told me that his coach would always tell him two things before he went into a game:
· KNOW THE SCORE OF THE GAME AND
· WHEN YOU LEAVE (THE GAME) THE SCORE MUST HAVE CHANGED.
In 2012, how will YOU change the score of the game?
In that dream, business or city; on that job or team, "how" will you impact your team's overall success ratio, record or percentages?
What will your tangible contribution be?
Who or what categories (productivity, problem solving, knowledge of job, execution, initiative, time management, meeting deadlines, quality, attendance, morale, etc.) are responsible for the losses you are continually mounting year after year?
Today, dare to be a scorechanger in that area.
Repair the breach that exists.
It is your highest calling.
"LIKE" our Facebook page to obtain a free resource (Coming this Friday) to help you set and attain "SMART goals this New Year and CHANGE THE SCORE OF THE GAME.
