Deadly Vipers Part 1: Small Stuff
Kudos to Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite for writing a book that needed to be written and for writing it the way it should have been written. Through a combination of creative, transparent writing and amazing design, these guys presented a compelling and convicting case for character being THE priority for leaders.
This book hit at the heart of where I am in developing as a leader. God has big-time challenged me to live and lead with character that will make it for the long haul. The calls on my life require it - disciple, husband, daddy, pastor. But I know I'm not there. Maybe you never feel like you're there. But I know there are some assassins that I need to kick in the teeth if I really want to see God do something remarkable in me and through me.
I care too much about what people think. I want to look good. I want to be right. I want to be around the right people. And while none of those are necessarily evil pursuits, they often ask me to make small compromises along the way. No problem right...it's just small stuff.
Nope. Small stuff kills character. No one ever said, "Hey, I think I'll have an affair today and totally wreck my life." Probably started as a little thought - "Man, she's hot." Next thing you know...
Little exaggerations. Little thoughts. Little half-truths. Little waves of arrogance. The battle for character is won or lost with the small stuff. If I want to be a leader with serious character, then I have to master the small stuff.
As Mike & Jud say:
What are the seemingly unimportant decisions in your life? Are you managing them with integrity? They really do matter. The simple defense against character creep is to pay attention to the little adjustments. That's because the little adjustments, both positive and negative, become huge over a long period of time.
Sweat the small stuff. It makes a big difference.
***these posts are my personal takeaways from the book, Deadly Viper Character Assassins, and mix ideas/applications from the book with my own***
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