What I’ve learned lately -

I like to consider myself a life-long learner. I love to learn. It’s why I love to read. There is just so much to learn — more than a life time’s worth.

Here’s a little tidbit of some of the things I have learned recently. What have you learned?

That passion is what mobilizes, not assets. This relates to some of my other learnings actually. Facts and information won’t convince anyone. Part of this is because we are emotional creatures. More often than not we make decisions based on emotion, not logic. We’re more likely to make a decision based on our feelings, than on data. Here’s the thing, that’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes data doesn’t tell the whole story. Sometimes it is missing essential decision making items.

Here’s another learning — Money is never really the issue. I know that many people claim that money is what drives decisions, but I watch those same people do things that don’t make money sense. They didn’t have the money for one thing, but somehow they have enough for something else. If we want something, we will shift the money to make it happen. Using money as an excuse not to do something is common. Again, it’s not a bad thing that this happens. It’s more about being honest with ourselves.

Here’s another learning — getting upset over how others act is a waste. This relates with the idea that I somehow believe that I can change someone else. I can’t. All I can do is invite people to change. But even better, I can change.

Here’s another learning — Money decisions are based on scarcity thinking. Jesus-faith decisions are based on God’s abundance. And while it’s easy to state that, I also know that it’s really messy and not easy at all. Because life is messy.

Lastly, people actually don’t mind change. What they don’t like is not being in control of the change. Control is a basic human desire.

Originally published at https://pastormatthewbest.com on May 5, 2021.