Do you know which American state has the longest coastline? Do you think it is Florida; Alaska; Hawaii; or Texas? Give me your answer
HINT: It has about 6,640 miles while it’s next competitor has 1,350 miles. So, what is your guess?______
Wednesday 12/21
Prov. 26:14 “As a door swings back & forth on it’s hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.”
The intimation here is that though he puts forth much movement, he none the less accomplishes nothing in terms of progress. The thought here is that though the hinge doesn’t make great gain when it comes to longitudinal measurement, it none the less, fulfills it’s purpose. However, the lazy person fails to accomplish his life purpose. In fact, he falls behind in many measurable ways.
Speaking of purpose, I promised to tell you of a person who fulfilled his purpose. He opened a general store in his little home town of Bentonville Ark., and found due to the low profit margin that his business had, his family needed to be his only employees. As it happened a man from that town had a son who couldn’t hold a job, so he begged this store owner to help this son out by letting him learn good work habits from his family.
The dad promised to pay his sons salary, (without the sons knowledge) if his friend would attempt to train him in the skills of good work habits. The storeowner decided to take this task on, since both families went to the same church.
The owner set out to make him a manager of a department that the boy was interested in (electronics). He had one of his sons working there with him so he had the young man conduct meetings with his son in how they could sell more electronics, and then they determined which products sold best. Next they began to ask customers their needs for other items in that department.
They then looked for local companies that made these desired items. Local businesses gave them competitive prices due to the visual exposure that this brought, etc. These young men did such great sales that they began to train other departments how to conduct these same ideas in their departments. Daily short planning meetings and celebrations, began to be conducted each day in each department. The business began to grow, which caused local business suppliers to also grow. Shoppers would travel to this store from out of town due to the good prices, and wide variety of products.
City leaders from a neighboring town asked the store owner to open up a small store in their city. They especially needed the training for those who they thought were lazy young people, who couldn’t hold down a job. So after much thought this owner arranged this young department head & his son to open up a branch store in this new location. Long story short, this man was Sam Walton the owner of Walmart.
The lesson to us, is that a person perceived as lazy, with the right set of guidance may be able to be moved into productivity. This seeming lazy young man became the manager of Walmarts productivity department. In the coming years they helped develop Walmart to the productive company they have become today.
This verse is not focusing on the lazy person as hopeless, but rather on the need to be helped to see his purpose, through searching for his interests, and then to assist him to achieve his purpose. Even like the door hinge, though it appears to accomplish little, just try to open the door without it.
As I look about our nation and notice the many folks who are working just to get by, to earn a pay check. Rather than being motivated to be truly productive in their skills I find myself asking God just how I can be the kind of influencer that Sam Walton was in his life. I haven’t fully come to a conclusion, but I am in prayer that I might be the person who influences others to see their ultimate goal. To love others into the kingdom of God.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you another story of another person I had the privilege to know & how he influenced others in his life.
So Go With God and just like Sam Walton you may become that person who will impact others. I can promise you this one thing. “Little becomes much in Gods hands.” Put yourself in His hands and see just what God will do through your surrendered life.
Awesome challenge!