Creating a Buzz

Good morning! I hope your week is off to a great start.

This morning I wanted to bring you a word of encouragement from the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 27:2 (NLT)
Don't praise yourself; let others do it!

Several years ago my oldest son, Christopher, came home from elementary school boasting about his running abilities. The conversation went something like this: “I’m faster than Dylan and I beat so and so….blah, blah, blah, I’m faster than everyone in my class.”

After listening to a few minutes of this declaration of athletic supremacy, I assumed my fatherly role of teacher and discussed what real accomplishment and accolades would look like.

There is a saying in life that “talk is cheap.” On the athletic field, the rule of law is “put up or shut up.” The real evidence of a person’s abilities would not be in his bragging, but in his performance. I challenged Christopher to say less and run more, with the idea being that if he ran well others would acknowledge his abilities and would do the talking for him. The praise and accolades of others are much more valuable than your own personal boasting.

In life we are often much too eager to “toot” our own horn. We forget that greatness is not determined by our boasting, but by our actions. Legacies are built when others recognize our God given talents and abilities, not when we hype our own egos.

As you begin this new week, I encourage you to say less and do more. Let others see your work and your reputation will precede you.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl