The Bottom Line

Any complete analysis ultimately comes down to a bottom line. In loan analysis, the bottom line always involves cash. Sufficient cash for a down payment, sufficient cash to start a business, sufficient cash to make the payments. Any way you slice it, the bottom line comes back to cash.

In our last component, I think we’ve found the bottom line of our analysis. E² lives do not happen without love; accepting God’s love, returning God’s love and sharing God’s love. Any way you slice it, the bottom line comes back to love. This is the message of I Corinthians 13, ,“the greatest of these is love”. If that is not sufficient evidence to support my analysis, let’s look at Jesus’ reply when asked for the “bottom line” in Mark, chapter 12.

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! (don’t forget to put your name in for Israel) The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12: 29-31 (NLT)

Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + Love = Effective and Efficient Living.

It all begins with our acceptance of his love for us. A love that makes it possible for us to participate in the divine and avoid the corrupt.

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life (divine) through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins (corrupt). I John 4:9-10 (NLT)

A love that makes it possible for us to help others know the divine and avoid the corrupt.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” 1 John 4:11 -12 (NLT)

My younger brother sang a song when we were younger that said it this way; I am loved, you are loved, I can risk loving you, for the one who knows me best, loves me most. That’s the bottom line!

Love is the best motivator. The days I love my job and the people with whom I work have are by far the most effective and efficient, productive and useful days.

When I first starting studying financial spreads, I was not aware of the practice of dropping the last three digits of the numbers in most printed spreads. Recognizing this practice completely changed what I was looking at; $100,000 is completely different than $100. Love is the most powerful element of our formula. It is like adding zeros to a number; it completely changes the result!

This verse from Romans, chapter 12 sums up the bottom line like this. “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically .”

　

E² version
Honestly love each other. Hate the corrupt. Hold tightly to the divine. Love each other with brotherly kindness. Never be useless and unproductive, but work effectively and efficiently and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Love that “E” word. It makes me think of when my mom would tell my brother to do something with a twinkle in his eye. E cubed, maybe? living effectively, efficiently, with enthusiasm. It’s a thought.

　

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday,

Ronda

　

"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:18-20 (NLT)

　

I hope you'll join me next week for a summary analysis of E² living. We'll take a look at an analytical tool for measuring substainable growth. 　

Kindness

Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + love = Effective and Efficient Living.

My first banking job was a teller position at Interfirst Bank located downtown Dallas. The ladies I worked with at the mini-bank on the corner of 4th & Akard were very kind. They taught me everything I needed to know, not just the teller stuff, but how to be safe in the parking garage, where to get the best deals on shoes and how not to wear them out walking on the concrete! They shared with me the things I needed to know about our regular customers, especially the gentlemen who gave great tips! I always thought it kind of them to share who got to wait on him, rather than fight over it. Our little team of 4 was a very effective & efficient group. We often won the awards for accuracy and customer service. Later I worked as a utility teller and would move around to different locations. That’s when I began to see why our team was so often the top ranged group. Other groups were not as kind. They fought over lunch times and other silly things. They never helped each other find mistakes. As a result, both employees’ and customers’ experiences were less satisfying. I learned that some of our regulars at 4^th and Akard walked extra blocks and waited in line just to come to our location.

Kindness definitely has an impact of the effectiveness & efficiency of a group. It inspires us to participate in the divine. On the other hand, the absence of kindness generally yields quarrelling, outbursts of anger, and selfish ambition; all on the list of the corrupt.

I believe this is exactly what scripture is teaching us in Ephesians 4. The entire chapter is about living in unity as children of the light. God wanted us to know that to operate effectively as a family, his children, we would need to be kind to one another.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31 & 32 (NLT) Another good list of things to avoid and things to embrace!

In every version I’ve read, there is an adjective in front of kindness in our formula - brotherly. For me this adjective adds depth to the component of kindness. I have 3 brothers and there is nothing I would not do for them. The kindness called for here is more than stopping to help a stranger along the way. It’s more than being nice and extending common courtesies to our co-workers. It’s about showing genuine care to those with whom we share life. Why? Because it conforms to the wishes of the One who has given us great and precious promises. The One who is our sufficient source for living. According to our key verses in 2 Peter 1, to do less would be shortsighted, forgetting the kindness He has shown us.

Last week I mentioned the hymn, “Rescue the Pershing”, the last stanza of the hymn offers further insight into the role of kindness in our E² formula.

“Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, Feelings lie buried that grace can restore; Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.” Kindness can indeed inspire the divine, when we are willing to touch others.

At the beginning of our analysis I proposed the desired result of his divine power, glory and goodness in our lives to be participation in the divine and avoidance of the corrupt. I propose we add to our purpose, helping others to participate in the divine and avoid the corrupt.

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday,

Ronda

　

“I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.”

                                                                        Mother Teresa

"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read."

                                                                        Mark Twain

　

　

　

　

　

Rules and Wishes

The bookshelf in my office is full of books of rules: Employee Handbooks, Loan Policies, Compliance Manuals and volumes of Government Regulations. Employee handbooks to outline the wishes of management for employee conduct. Loan policies to enforce the wishes of the board of directors for risk tolerance. Compliance manuals to interpret the wishes of those who wrote the volumes of regulations! I am not a rules oriented person. I wish everyone would just do the right thing. Ironically, much of my career has found me in the role of the rule enforcer.

My goal is always to help an employee or a client understand the purpose of the rule, rather than simply demand adherence to the rule. I know it doesn’t always work out that way, but when it does I find I have an employee who is sync with the purpose of our work and capable of exercising judgment in carrying out their work. In short, an E² employee.

The rules are important, but understanding the wishes of the ones who wrote the rules is critical to following the rules.

This brings us to our next component,

Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + love = Effective and Efficient Living.

Godliness is defined as conforming to the rules and wishes of God.

Scripture is full of rules. The Old Testament contains rules for seemingly everything under the sun, how to prepare sacrifices, how the priest were to dress, what to eat and not eat and of course the Ten Commandments. In our study, we’ve looked at list from the New Testament of things to participate in and things to avoid. There is no doubt there is a need for rules. However, it is critical that we understand the wishes of the one who wrote the rules.

Each time Jesus is asked for the most important rule, His answers consistently come down to two things, Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor. I think in these responses we find clues into the wishes of God. When we conform to his wishes, conformity to his rules is a natural result. If we love our neighbor, we won’t lie, cheat and steal from him.

It seems we often get confused and think conforming to his rules is his wish for us. This is nothing new. In Isaiah, chapter 58, the prophet is dealing with a similar problem with the children of Israel. (As you read this, remember our trick about substituting our name for Israel.)
 “They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ ”

Don’t we sound this way sometimes! I’ve done everything right, God, and you don’t even notice it. Sounds a lot like an employee who thinks they merit a promotion or a raise because they showed up on time everyday and didn’t even use all their sick days! Here was the problem the Lord pointed out.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. Do you really think this will please the Lord? (Ouch!)

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.” ( Sounds a lot like, Love your neighbor!)

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.

These verses draw a picture of what it means to love our neighbor. Lighten the load of others by offering assistance, support and encouragement. Free the oppressed and remove fears and addictions that bind people by showing them Jesus and offering forgiveness. Don’t be afraid to get involved. Be a reflection of the light! Help those in trouble and do not hide from them, even your relatives!

Living this way is how we help others to participate in the divine and avoid the corrupt. Your godliness (conformity to his wishes) will lead you forward and bring healing! Looking for direction in a situation? Act in conformity to his wishes.

I have an employee who has worked for me for several years. The longer she has worked with me the more we sound alike, write alike, and think alike. It is not that she has memorized all of the policies and regulations. It is that she understands the purpose of our work and she knows my wishes. She knows I hate all caps and prefer complete sentences to bulleted list. More importantly she knows that behind every financial statement we analyze there is a person. Because we are in sync, she is a “go to” person. One I trust completely to do the right thing, rules or no rules.

I want to be a “go to” person. One who knows and conforms to the wishes of the Father. One who can be trusted to do the right thing. In short, an E² follower.

Thanks for listening,
See you next Sunday,
Ronda

When I was a Missionette one of the steps included learning about the hymns and the authors. Fannie Crosby was one of favorites. I think in this hymn is captured a glimpse of the wishes of God in this song.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.