A book by Newt Gingrich and his daughter, Jackie Cushman, became available this week. The title is: 5 PRINCIPLES FOR A SUCCESSFUL LIFE. In a review by Peter Roff in US News.com: “The 5 Principles are based upon Newt Gingrich attaining and being Speaker of the House of Representatives, namely, “…dream big, work hard, learn every day, enjoy life, and be true to yourself—through examples from his own life as well as through contributions from a group of notables including former NBC News Anchor Tom Brokaw, political consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin, and Gen. David Petraeus, former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.” The authors also summarize: “We hope people understand that there are principles that lead to success, that life has its ups and downs, but if you live by these five principles, you can live life successfully."
In a broader sense, one should consider whether or not there is a tension between “principles” on the one hand, and “values on the other. The American Heritage Dictionary Defines PRINCIPLES as: “a basic truth, law, or assumption; a rule or standard, especially of good behavior: a man of principle; the collectivity of moral or ethical standards or judgments: a decision based on principle rather than expediency; a fixed or predetermined policy or mode of action…” VALUES are defined as: “…A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable… relative worth, merit, or importance…” Interestingly, the Dictionary gives definition for the areas of “Value” in Fine Arts; Mathematics; Music; Ethics; Sociology; and Mining. The Business Dictionary attempts to define Core Values as: “…Core values often influence the culture of an organization and are normally long-standing beliefs…; a small set of key concepts and ideals that guide a person's life and help him or her to make important decisions…” Almost absent in Dictionary Definition is any reference to one’s Foundational Principles or Core Values. This can also be viewed as one’s Moral Compass. A hint of this comes from a basically secular source: “The Core Values of The Boy Scouts of America are: “A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, Reverent.” Attached to this list of Values is a Mission Statement: “The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.”
This week also had the latest Barna Report on The State of the Church under the heading: “Many Churchgoers and Faith Leaders Struggle to Define Spiritual Maturity.” Barna states: “The study showed five significant challenges when it comes to facilitating people’s spiritual growth: 1) Most Christians equate spiritual maturity with following the rules; 2) Most churchgoers are not clear what their church expects in terms of spiritual maturity; 3) Most Christians offer one-dimensional views of personal spiritual maturity; 4) Most pastors struggle with feeling the relevance as well as articulating a specific set of objectives for spirituality, often favoring activities over attitudes; and 5) Pastors are surprisingly vague about the biblical references they use to chart spiritual maturity for people.”
Consider these things with me - - - Barna also states: “…Church leaders believe the three primary obstacles to people’s engagement are lack of personal motivation (32%), other competing obligations and distractions (26%), and lack of involvement in activities that nurture growth (19%). In this respect, they do not seem too far off in their perceptions. Born again Christians identify distractions (24%), lack of motivation (20%), and lack of involvement (13%) as challenges they face, even if two of the three are mentioned less frequently by adults than pastors. Born again Christians, however, are more likely than pastors to identify sinful behaviors and habits as tripping them up (14% of believers versus 8% of pastors)…” It seems like the basics need more emphasis. Romans 12:1-3 indicates the need for Commitment of self as “a living sacrifice”; Transformation – “renewing of one’s mind”; and Conforming to the “good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” It isn’t that we are ignorant of the cure! It is more a failure to endure any discomfort or pain in order to achieve the remedy. What a difference Faith, Commitment and Obedience would make!
In a broader sense, one should consider whether or not there is a tension between “principles” on the one hand, and “values on the other. The American Heritage Dictionary Defines PRINCIPLES as: “a basic truth, law, or assumption; a rule or standard, especially of good behavior: a man of principle; the collectivity of moral or ethical standards or judgments: a decision based on principle rather than expediency; a fixed or predetermined policy or mode of action…” VALUES are defined as: “…A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable… relative worth, merit, or importance…” Interestingly, the Dictionary gives definition for the areas of “Value” in Fine Arts; Mathematics; Music; Ethics; Sociology; and Mining. The Business Dictionary attempts to define Core Values as: “…Core values often influence the culture of an organization and are normally long-standing beliefs…; a small set of key concepts and ideals that guide a person's life and help him or her to make important decisions…” Almost absent in Dictionary Definition is any reference to one’s Foundational Principles or Core Values. This can also be viewed as one’s Moral Compass. A hint of this comes from a basically secular source: “The Core Values of The Boy Scouts of America are: “A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, Reverent.” Attached to this list of Values is a Mission Statement: “The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.”
This week also had the latest Barna Report on The State of the Church under the heading: “Many Churchgoers and Faith Leaders Struggle to Define Spiritual Maturity.” Barna states: “The study showed five significant challenges when it comes to facilitating people’s spiritual growth: 1) Most Christians equate spiritual maturity with following the rules; 2) Most churchgoers are not clear what their church expects in terms of spiritual maturity; 3) Most Christians offer one-dimensional views of personal spiritual maturity; 4) Most pastors struggle with feeling the relevance as well as articulating a specific set of objectives for spirituality, often favoring activities over attitudes; and 5) Pastors are surprisingly vague about the biblical references they use to chart spiritual maturity for people.”
Consider these things with me - - - Barna also states: “…Church leaders believe the three primary obstacles to people’s engagement are lack of personal motivation (32%), other competing obligations and distractions (26%), and lack of involvement in activities that nurture growth (19%). In this respect, they do not seem too far off in their perceptions. Born again Christians identify distractions (24%), lack of motivation (20%), and lack of involvement (13%) as challenges they face, even if two of the three are mentioned less frequently by adults than pastors. Born again Christians, however, are more likely than pastors to identify sinful behaviors and habits as tripping them up (14% of believers versus 8% of pastors)…” It seems like the basics need more emphasis. Romans 12:1-3 indicates the need for Commitment of self as “a living sacrifice”; Transformation – “renewing of one’s mind”; and Conforming to the “good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” It isn’t that we are ignorant of the cure! It is more a failure to endure any discomfort or pain in order to achieve the remedy. What a difference Faith, Commitment and Obedience would make!
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