The Monday Memo from John Stanko

393: A Fat Duck

I read this quote a few years ago from Ralph Waldo Emerson:  "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be."  That is what I have tried to do through the Monday Memo and my purpose teaching: Inspire you to be who God created you to be, who you have always wanted to be.  I have found, however, that some resemble the duck described by the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.  I hope you aren't like this duck, but just to make sure you aren't, you had better read on.

GROUNDED

The story has it that there was a duck flying with other wild ducks when they flew over some tame ducks in a barnyard.  The wild duck decided to stay with these tame ducks for a while.  He stayed for an hour, a day and then several months.  Finally, his wild duck cohorts flew overhead one day and beckoned the wild duck to rejoin them, which he gladly did.

He found, however, that his barnyard living had made him so soft and heavy that he could not fly high enough to join his former mates.  So he dropped back into the barnyard, promising that he would get in shape to join them the next time.  The next time he heard them, he flapped his wings but could not even get off the ground.  Finally, after many attempts, wishful thinking and a lot of broken promises, the wild duck became a domesticated bird that looked good but never went anywhere.

FLYING HIGH OR NOT AT ALL?

Did you dream of flying high at one time?  Better yet, did you actually taste the heights you had determined to reach?  Then where are you now?  Are you still flying high or content with the safety and provision of the barnyard full of chickens and goats? 

I am almost 59 years of age and am in the midst of a Doctor of Ministry program here in Pittsburgh.  This summer, I will release my ninth book, with one more in the works for this year.  I continue to produce regular Bible studies that are sent to 5,000 people. I want to fly high and refuse to forsake the heights of productivity for the safety of the barnyard, with its regular rations.  I listen to music that inspires me, go to places that move me and read books that engage me.  I want to fly high and far and I do things that contribute to those objectives.

Flying high can be dangerous, but the view is fantastic!  This week, ask yourself some tough questions.  Do you talk about flying, or do you really fly?  Are you content with barnyard chatter and routine, or are you ready to flap your wings to see how high and far you can go?  I hope you are ready to fly and that you will take others with you on the journey. I look forward to seeing you in high places.  If you settle for the barnyard, we won't be meeting any time soon. Have a great week!

   Feel free to write your comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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UK TRIP: I am in the UK as I write and will be a guest on the World in Focus show on Revelation TV live this coming Wednesday, April 1 from 9.15pm to 10:30pm.  You can call in your questions from 10:00 to 10:30. Make sure you tune in.  I need all the support I can get. 

PROVERBS:  I am attaching my April daily devotional from my book, A Daily Dose of Proverbs, as a Resurrection season gift.  Enjoy!   Download April

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget about the free PurposeQuest assessment available on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study on my site concerning where you stand in your PurposeQuest.  About 800 people have taken the survey so far.  I hope that every Monday Memo reader will eventually take the assessment and heed the follow up email from me on how you can be even more purposeful than you already are.

FACEBOOK:  I continue to update my personal page on Facebook.  Check it out and let's be friends when you have a chance.  Also you can find me on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow me.

THE SOPHIA FUND:  I received the following email from Kenya this week, written by Pastor Francis at the Upako Orphanage:

This is to let you know that we received $1000 from you through Sarah Network for the feeding of the orphans at Upako Centre Nairobi.We are indeed very grateful to you and all involved in this and we have channeled the money to the children's food kitty and to no other use. I will give the breakdown of what we bought with the money after use.

I also want to congratulate the wonderful people who visited Kenya with you and got the opportunity to visit Upako,they too made a difference and may God bless all of you. Finally, keep us in prayer so that you may continue helping Upako Children alongside other projects in Kenya.

Every penny you send will go to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Nothing goes to overhead or administration.  Won't you consider helping orphans and widows today? You can read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother) that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe. 

Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

The most recent posted entry about The Sophia Fund is here.

392: What's Bugging You?

My father had apple trees in his backyard and he was always fighting bugs that threatened his fruit. I don't have apples but I grow vegetables and I have to fight the same problem. Did you know, however, that you have the same problem, even if you don't garden or have fruit orchards?  You battle fruit bugs all the time and may not even realize it.  Don't believe me?  I challenge you to read on and see if it's true.

WHAT'S BUGGING YOU?

We have been talking recently about the expectation and even the command that you be fruitful. In my purpose meetings over the years, I have identified three significant enemies, let's call them bugs, to your ability to be fruitful.  Here they are:

1. Bug One: Fear - How many fears can you think of that  prevent you from being creative? I can think of fear of failure, poverty, ridicule, family, culture, authority, inadequacy, and success. Can you think of any others? If you are going to express your creativity, you must face and overcome the oppression of fear. It will paralyze your efforts and cause you to procrastinate, hoping for a more opportune time. Remember what Paul wrote his disciple Timothy: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). If you are afraid, what are you prepared to do about it this week?

2. Bug Two: Comparison - When you look at what you do and compare it to what others have done, it can cause you to stop being creative. In your opinion, you aren't "as good" as the other person. Stop and think about that. What is good where creativity is concerned? Is creativity a process and can your simple efforts today lead to stellar creativity tomorrow? Is it wise to compare your initial or even mature efforts to what someone else may have spent a lot of time developing?

Paul described an important principle that he used when he looked at his work: "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12-13). Why not do something creative this week and discipline yourself not to compare it what anyone else has done. Is it the best it can be right now? If it is, then I would say you have done a good job.

3. Bug Three: Perfectionism - Way back in Monday Memo 154, I described the little old man that lives inside you, waiting to criticize and disqualify what you create because it isn't good enough. I know of only One who is perfect, and He is God. While you should strive for excellence and your best performance, you can never expect it to be perfect. The pursuit of perfection is unrealistic and will hinder you from doing something great just because it isn't perfect.

I can't find a verse that talks about perfectionism, but I can find one that speaks to excellence: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23). Perhaps the distinction between perfection and excellence will help you do something this week that you haven't done just because it isn't the best that anyone can do.

DEBUGGING

It's time to debug your life and thinking so that you can be fruitful.  Which one of the bugs above is bugging you?  You will only debug by recognizing it for what it is: a hindrance to a God-ordained process.  When you see that, you will look it in the eye and stare it down.  You will learn to overcome your enemy, your bug, only when you know what you are dealing with.

I close by asking you another question:  If you are a spiritual person and creativity is spiritual, and Jesus also commanded it, why don't you produce fruit more often and in greater quantities?  I hope I have helped you identify some of the obstacles and I further hope that you will enter into a season of creativity that begins now as you finish this Monday Memo. Have a great and fruit-filled (and bug-free) week!

    Feel free to write your comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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UK TRIP: I will be in the UK from March 27 to April 6. I will publish my speaking/touring schedule on my blog as I get it this week and include it in next week's Memo as well.

THE SOPHIA FUND:  I received the following email from Kenya this week, written by Pastor Francis at the Upako Orphanage:

This is to let you know that we received $1000 from you through Sarah Network for the feeding of the orphans at Upako Centre Nairobi.We are indeed very grateful to you and all involved in this and we have channeled the money to the children's food kitty and to no other use. I will give the breakdown of what we bought with the money after use.

I also want to congratulate the wonderful people who visited Kenya with you and got the opportunity to visit Upako,they too made a difference and may God bless all of you. Finally, keep us in prayer so that you may continue helping Upako Children alongside other projects in Kenya.

Every penny you send will go to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Nothing goes to overhead or administration.  Won't you consider helping orphans and widows today? You can read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother) that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe. 

Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

The most recent posted entry about The Sophia Fund is here.

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget about the free PurposeQuest assessment available on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study on my site concerning where you stand in your PurposeQuest.  About 800 people have taken the survey so far.  I hope that every Monday Memo reader will eventually take the assessment and heed the follow up email from me on how you can be even more purposeful than you already are.

FACEBOOK:  I continue to update my personal page on Facebook.  Check it out and let's be friends when you have a chance.  Also you can find me on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow me.

391: Friend of God

I am in the Detroit airport heading home from a great weekend with my friends at Cathedral of Life Christian Assembly in Providence, Rhode Island.  Now I am home until I head over to the UK on March 27 to be with my UK distributor, Everlasting Books.  I will publish my UK itinerary as soon as I receive it.

I have been thinking the last few days about how spiritual it sounds to say, "Lord, I'll do whatever You want me to do."  It is what any good servant should say.  Yet I wonder if saying that does not avoid a subtle truth about our relationship with God.  What subtle truth, you may ask?  Ah, to receive the answer you will have to read on.

FOREVER A SERVANT

I want to look at John 15:14-16 as we start this discussion:

You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

There are many who are comfortable with living in an eternal state of servant-hood where God is concerned.  I wonder, however, if that position doesn't avoid a deeper relationship that moves from service to friendship.  When you are a servant, you do what you have to do.  When you are a friend, you do what you choose to do because you love your friend.  Yes, you may serve your friend, but that relationship is totally different than the master/servant.

When you are a servant, you do what you are told to do.  When you are a friend, you do what is in your heart to do. This is why I think that at some point you must transition from only being God's servant to being His servant and friend.

FRIEND OF GOD

Notice that Jesus followed His remarks on friendship by reminding the disciples that they were chosen to bear fruit and not just be friends with Him.  He also reminded them that God would answer their prayers that flowed out of their friendship with Him.  So is it safe to say that your fruit and answers to prayer will do the same?

I am not trying to reduce God to the level of your "buddy" or "pal."  Rather I am trying to elevate you, trying to deliver you from the mindset of a slave. When you are a slave, you wait to be told what to do. When you are a friend, you anticipate what you have to do and that makes you a good friend.  I want to be a good friend of God, while still being His servant and Him my Lord.

So what will it be?  Will you choose a life of servant-hood only or a life of friendship with the Lord?  I choose friendship, realizing that the role of friend requires fruit and prayer.  I think I have chosen wisely, and I invite you to join me in this major step as together we seek to serve Him and one another.  Have a great week!

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THE SOPHIA FUND:  I received the following email from Kenya this week, written by Pastor Francis at the Upako Orphanage:

This is to let you know that we received $1000 from you through Sarah Network for the feeding of the orphans at Upako Centre Nairobi.We are indeed very grateful to you and all involved in this and we have channeled the money to the children's food kitty and to no other use. I will give the breakdown of what we bought with the money after use.

I also want to congratulate the wonderful people who visited Kenya with you and got the opportunity to visit Upako,they too made a difference and may God bless all of you. Finally, keep us in prayer so that you may continue helping Upako Children alongside other projects in Kenya.

Every penny you send will go to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Nothing goes to overhead or administration.  Won't you consider helping orphans and widows today? You can read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother) that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe. 

Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

The most recent posted entry about The Sophia Fund is here.

390: Holy Action

I just typed the number in the title and realized that I started the Monday Memo eight years ago this month. I didn't know how long I would write, but I was convinced that I would eventually run out of material.  Here I am, however, eight years and 390 Memos later and I'm still enjoying it and hope you are. too.  What's more, I hope it is still relevant.  When it isn't, that will be the time to quit.

You know I am passionate to see you not just talk about your ideas but do something about them. I think the Lord feels the same way.  I think I can prove it, but to know for sure, you will have to read on.

INEFFECTIVE AND UNPRODUCTIVE   

Let's start by reading what Peter wrote in his second epistle:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

I put the two words in bold that I want you to notice: ineffective and unproductive.  The King James translates those two words: barren and unfruitful. The Greek word translated barren literally mean "lazy, not performing the work that one ought to perform."  The second word translated unfruitful means "not yielding the fruit that one ought to yield."  

I think the message is clear.  You make every effort to live a holy life and grow in knowledge so you can be fruitful.  In this context, holiness is not the end, it is the means to the end. 

HOLY ACTION

If you are holy, then you will take holy action.  What is holy action for you?  It is tied to your purpose and emanates from the ideas and dreams that you have.  So ask yourself this week whether or not you are shunning the work you ought to perform and if, in fact, you are yielding the fruit that you were created to yield. If not, what can you do to take steps to do so.

You know my website has a lot of material to help you be purposeful and productive.  Why not visit there for some help?  Maybe there is someone who inspires or mentors you whom you can visit this week to get your action plan together.  Whatever it is you can do, don't put it off any longer.  While you grow in holiness, you should also grow in holy action.  It is the natural expression of a godly life.  Have a great week!

    Feel free to write your comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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THE SOPHIA FUND:  Even though I just returned from Africa, it doesn't mean that The Sophia Fund will be suspended. I will continue to receive contributions and send them to Africa through reliable sources. Therefore, if you haven't sent anything yet, you can still do so.  Every penny you send will go to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. 

You can read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother) that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe.  Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

The most recent posted entry about The Sophia Fund is here.

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget about the free PurposeQuest assessment available on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study on my site concerning where you stand in your PurposeQuest.  About 800 people have taken the survey so far.  I hope that every Monday Memo reader will eventually take the assessment and heed the follow up email from me on how you can be even more purposeful than you already are.

FACEBOOK:  I continue to update my personal page on Facebook.  Check it out and let's be friends when you have a chance.  Also you can find me on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow me.

389: Purpose Cross

I am glad that last week is over! I had class every day including Saturday from 8 to 4:30, but I feel smarter already, and I need all the help I can get.  If you read The Memo regularly, you know that I write extensively about bearing fruit.  I don't define fruit as simply being nice or holy (although that is a part), but I define fruit as being productive -- starting the business, writing the book, producing the album and the like.

Yet there is one important aspect of fruitfulness that I have not emphasized and I want to make up for that oversight this week. What is that aspect?  Ah, you know that you will have to read on to find out.

ALONE OR ABUNDANCE?

Jesus said in John 12:24-26:

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

It is crucial that you know your purpose.  If you are going to be as fruitful and fulfilled as you want to be, however, you must die to yourself and follow Him.  There is no way around the death process on the road to purpose and fruit.

MY PURPOSE CROSS

When you die to self and pick up your cross, God will seldom, except for a season, require that you deny who you are or function outside of purpose.  The cross in purpose is not trying to be who you are not, but in fulfilling and expressing your purpose in a manner that honors God and acknowledges the fact that He gave you your purpose, perhaps in a manner that is not your ideal situation.  Let me give you an example.

My purpose is to create order out of chaos. That is what I love to do and it is what the Lord helps me to do.  My death process, however, is that I would rather fulfill my purpose almost anywhere except the local church.  I have prayed, "Lord, send me to ABC, CBS, SAA, RBZ, KFHL, KFC, NBC or any other company with an acronym.  But please don't send me to the church!" 

Yet for 35 years, church work has been my purpose cross. God has seen fit for me to fall into the ground and die in church settings all over the world!  Please don't misunderstand. I am not complaining.  It is an honor to serve God anywhere and I am delighted to be back in a local church setting as I write. Church work is where His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Church work is where I learn to deny myself and then get a chance to do all the things I love to do.  Do you see how God is able to combine the two, my cross and my joy?

When you say, "God, I will do whatever you want me to do," that is the correct thing to say.  Don't expect God to place you, however, in a place where you will not express who He made you to be.  You can expect, however, that He will do it in such a way that you will have to deny yourself, in the midst of purpose joy, to pick up your cross and follow Him. There is no other way for you to bear the fruit that God and you both want to see from a purposeful life.  Have a great week!