February
3, 2014
[Pastorgraphs now online at ChristSD.com]
Pastorgraphs: “The Principle of The Thing”
“Listen carefully to my wisdom;
take to heart what
I can teach you.
You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within;
you’ll give it bold
expression in your speech.
To make sure your foundation is trust
in God,
I’m laying it all
out right now just for you.
I’m giving you thirty sterling principles
—
tested guidelines
to live by.
Believe me —
these are truths that
work.”
(Proverbs
22:17-21) The Message Translation
Last night,
Seattle won the Super Bowl and the coveted Lombardi Trophy. That trophy is the
goal of every team, the dream of almost every boy. Having lived in Green Bay,
pastor of a church one block from Lambeau Field, I know how important Vince
Lombardi’s influence was on that city, the Packers, the NFL in general, and
upon much of our society.
One of
Coach Lombardi’s most famous principles was, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s
the only thing.” I understand locker room motivational talk. But unfortunately,
many in our society have adopted the “winning-is-the-only-thing” principle.
Actually, it should be called the un-principle, because when
winning-at-all-costs is the guiding force in life, all other principles die.
You may
have noticed a pattern in my recent Pastorgraphs. I am sharing what I believe
to be the stepping stones to a life of wisdom, ethics, success and true
happiness. There is a progression here you must follow. Think of it as a
baseball diamond. You cannot run straight to third base without reaching first
and second base.
·
First
base (Beliefs) is “getting your head screwed on right”. That is, getting your
thinking (beliefs) straightened out.
·
Second
Base (Values) is ordering your beliefs into values.
·
Third
Base (Principles) is determining from your values the principles by which you
live your life.
·
(What
about Home Base? More to follow. Stay tuned.)
As you work
through this process, the numbers get smaller. You have fewer values than
beliefs, and you have fewer principles than values. The whole process is a way
of refining your ethics.
So what are
principles? Why are they important? And how do you go about determining the
principles by which you will live your life? I offer the following:
Six
Relationships between Values and Principles
1. Principles grow out of values.
Values grow out of beliefs.
Principles are fundamental truths derived from your values that shape your
moral framework or code of conduct. Michael Josephson of the Josephson
Institute of Ethics said, “We translate values into principles so they can
guide and motivate ethical conduct. Ethical principles are the rules of conduct
that derive from ethical values.”
2. Principles are finite, fewer in
number than values.
Principles are more universal and may cover multiple values and beliefs. When
you implement principles in your life, you extract rules of conduct from your
values. Doing so enables you to become principled; an individual who habitually
bases actions on principles.
3. Principles are objective. Values are
subjective. A
value is only as significant as the importance you place upon it. But a
principle is indispensable, even if you try to ignore its existence. Stephen
Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said values
govern people’s behavior, but principles ultimately determine the consequences.
4. Principles are external. Values are internal.
Beliefs and values are internal and subjective components of ethics. Principles
are external natural laws of ethics. Character ethics assume there are principles
that exist in all people. Principles have universal applications, and are
different from practices, which are for specific situations.
5. Principles do not change. Values
sometimes do.
Principles are self-evident, self-validating natural laws. They don’t change or
shift. They provide ‘true north’ direction to your life when navigating the
ocean of life. When there are contradictions in your beliefs and principles,
there is discord and no possibility of integrity.
6. Principles are eternal. Values may be
temporal. Principles
apply at all time in all places. Ignoring principles has consequences. Stephen
Covey’s “character ethic” aligns personal values with “universal and timeless”
principles. Individuals do not create principles. They are external natural
laws you discover as you go through life. In other words, principles exist
whether you follow them or not. Failure to follow principles comes with
consequences.
Principles
are important; significant because they provide the means to clarify how your
beliefs and values relate to your actions. Red Skelton said, “Our principles
are the springs of our actions. Our actions are the springs of our happiness or
misery. Too much care, therefore, cannot be taken in forming our principles.”
If that all
sounds a bit academic, here are the practical Principles by which I strive to
live my life:
·
The
Principle of Gratitude. I
will never forget life is a gift from God, and will be grateful for it each and
every day. I will demonstrate by how I live my life that I am grateful to God
for my life, family, friends, possessions, and health. I will value the loving
relationships and things that are genuine, especially my faith in God and love
for my family and friends. I will not waste a single day, for each moment is
extremely precious.
·
The
Principle of Caring.
I will be kind and caring to others, especially those in need, with agape love.
I will live by the Golden Rule, treating others as I would have them treat me.
There is never a good reason to be unkind, even when I disagree with someone.
·
The
Principle of Fairness. My
thoughts and actions will always be based upon justice, truth, and what ought
to be. I will honor the dignity, rights and freedoms of all humans. That
demands I must be honest, trustworthy and disciplined in all my dealings.
·
The
Principle of Balance.
I will live a balanced life with appropriate attention to work, play and rest.
I will be neither a workaholic nor lazy. I commit myself to a life of
wholeness, completeness, and true happiness. I realize that happiness is not a
destination, but comes from the journey to integrity.
·
The
Principle of Service.
I pledge to live my life with moral fiber and courage of character. I will
faithfully serve my God, my family and friends, and my community with humility,
trust and dependability. I will not be idle in thought or late in acting.
·
The
Principle of Authenticity. I
will be the genuine me with pure motives and good habits. I will be true to
myself and others by being truthful, dependable, and self-controlled. I accept
responsibility and accountability for my actions and life. I seek to live a
principled life without excuses, blaming others for my mistakes, or cutting
corners.
·
The
Principle of Goodness.
I believe in and will do what I know in my heart is right, just and good. I
will be optimistic and positive as much as is reasonable. I will pursue and
achieve noble ideals and goals with excellence. The “north star” of principles
will guide me. I will not be veered off course by “shiny objects” or
temptations. I will stay upon the course of my principles.
Stephen L.
Carter of Yale says that when we understand our principles, “We can tell each
other what we most fundamentally believe, what settled ground guides our
conduct.”
May God
grant you much “settled ground” in your principled living.
Devotedly
yours, Bill Jenkins
From the
Quote Garden:
“When you clarify the principles
that will govern your life and the ends that you will seek, you give purpose to
your daily decisions. A personal creed gives you a point of reference for
navigating the sometimes stormy seas of organizational life. Without a set of
such beliefs, your life has no rudder, and you’re easily blown about by the
winds of fashion. A credo to guide you prevents confusion on the journey. The internal
resolution of competing beliefs also leads to personal integrity, which is
essential to believability. A leader with integrity has one self, at home and
at work, with family and colleagues. Such a leader has a unifying set of values
that guide choices of action regardless of the situation.”
~ James Kouzes and Barry Posner, The
Leadership Challenge ~
Christ United Methodist Ministry
Center
“Christ
in the Heart of San Diego”
3295
Meade Avenue - San Diego, CA 92116 - (619) 284-9205
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