40 Principles

I NDEX
Leadership
Self-Gove rnment
Pressure ..............................L - 1
Understanding People .......L - 2
Developing People.............L - 3
Listening .............................L - 4
Inspiration ...........................L - 5
Conflict ...............................L - 6
Confrontation .....................L - 7
Criticism ..............................L - 8
Chastisement .....................L - 9
Judgment ...........................L - 10
Motives ............................SG - 1
Morality ............................SG - 2
Attitude ............................SG - 3
Emotions ..........................SG - 4
Proper Thinking ...............SG - 5
Parameters.......................SG - 6
Patience............................SG - 7
Restraint ..........................SG - 8
Temper .............................SG - 9
Forgiveness .....................SG -10
Productivity
Management
Ambition .............................P - 1
Dependability .....................P - 2
Goals ...................................P - 3
Hard Work ..........................P - 4
Productivity ........................P - 5
Common Sense .................P - 6
Direction .............................P - 7
Ef fective Planning ..............P - 8
Facts....................................P - 9
Responsibility .....................P -10
Ownership .........................M - 1
Honesty .............................M - 2
Humility .............................M - 3
Generosity .........................M - 4
Trust in God ......................M - 5
Saving ................................M - 6
Sowing ..............................M - 7
Debt ...................................M - 8
Co-signing .........................M - 9
Prosperity ..........................M -10
Additional Principles
Grace ..................................A - 1
Fairness ..............................A - 2
2002 La Red Business Network
The Leadership Principle of
Pressure
You are a poor specimen if you cant stand the pressure of

adversity. Proverbs 24:10
By John E. Schrock, Businessman

Underline the key concepts found in this
principle.
There is a difference in being under
pressure and experiencing stress, yet, in
many ways, they are similar. Stress
comes from having an overload or
being trapped or pushed into a corner;
its when we cannot see the end of the
tunnel, but cant go back either.
Sometimes in business, we start something that may not work, but the consequences of quitting are greater than that
of going ahead. That creates stress. It
can kill us. On the other hand, pressure
is more of a choice. In sports, we push
ourselves. In business we make too
many appointments and try to accomplish too many things at once. Pressure
is usually self-inflicted. We would not
have to play or work that hard, but we
choose to by setting too many goals or
wanting to win too much. In the end,
pressure may turn into stress, but in
many of these situations we can readjust our goals and even use a back door
out of pressure situations if we want to.
Pro-active leaders are identified by
these traits:
1. They have vision.
2. They have desire.
3. They thrive on challenge.
So, if you want to be a good leader,
you must learn to live with pressure.
There are two types of leaders: one is
proactive, and the other is reactive.
They both face pressure. The proactive
leader looks ahead to see what is coming and puts pressure on himself and
others to achieve their goals or avoid a
disaster. The reactive leader, on the

other hand, reacts to the disaster after it
has happened, causing him pressure or
even stress.
Proactive leaders cut a path for others to follow. They are driven by a
vision of what needs to be done. To
them, getting it done is more important
than the cost or pressure it will take in
achieving their goal. They will handle
problems that others fear and avoid.
Some of their friends will laugh at them
and say it cannot be done. But these
leaders see into the future; they see
things as they should beor could be
and strive to bring them about. They
dare to do what others wont do. They
will run when others quit, work while
others play, and walk where others
fear. They live under constant pressure
by choice. They could slow down,
reschedule, or set lower goals, but they
want to be achievers. They thrive on
living under pressure.
No one is a born leader. Most of us
have the potential, but only a few will
pay the price or live under the pressure.
Good leaders take risks, causing pressure: they are willing to handle the
problems which are in the way of their
goals or destiny. They are driven by
desire and see problems as hurdles, not
walls. To them life is a game of overcoming, and pressure is accepted as
part of winning. They get so used to it
that life doesnt seems right without it.
They know that without a challenge
there is no achievement, and without
pressure there is no progress.
Lets pray to have good leaders who
can handle the pressure and solve the
problemsboth now and in the
futureleaders who will dare to chal-
La Red Business Network
lenge the status quo, and dare to stand

as pillars of truth in our communities
and our world, leaders that have
dreams that can be fulfilled and are not
afraid of the pressure.
This principle is part of the one year character

development program:
Foundations For Achievement.
Discussion:
Do you tend to be a reactive or
proactive leader?
What kind of pressure is positive
pressure and what kind of pressure tends to overwhelm you?
What level of desire do you
have?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
How well are you currently
applying this principle in your
life? (10 being highest, 1 being lowest)
Can you see the value of raising
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Funny thing about ideas: they
never work unless you do.
ForFor
more
of these
Principles
more
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additonal
Resources
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L-1
rev. 09.2003
Understanding People
For the Lord grants wisdom! His every word is a treasure
of knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6

principle.
Why should I want to understand
people? Thats a good question. There
are many reasons, but let us look at a
few of the important ones:
1. It will save us from a lot of conflicts.
2. We will be able to lead and motivate people.
3. It will give us a forgiving heart.
The wise man, Solomon, talked
much about certain types of people
the fools, mockers, rebels, the lazy,
and others. He was wise because he
understood them and knew how to
deal with them. He experienced great
fame and success by understanding
them, and they called it wisdom. If
we dont understand mockers and
rebels, we will have a lot of unnecessary conflicts with them and then
develop a bad attitude toward them
which will in turn hurt us more than it
will them. As people in business, we
need to understand our employees in
order to motivate them, or we will
have poor production which will put
us out of business. We also need to
understand our customerswhat they
want, and why they want it. Without
understanding them and their needs,
we may be serving them well but not
satisfying them. Sometimes all they
want is to be appreciated or recognized. Every one of us have at least
four basic needs:
1. To be loved and appreciated.
2. To experience a sense of achievement or self-worth.
3. To have a sense of belonging.
4. To feel secure.
We should keep these in mind
whenever we deal with people,
regardless of the situation. Business
management consists of motivating
people to service others. It is pretty
hard to manage and motivate our people if we dont understand their personal needs. We need to understand
their strengths and their weaknesses,
and place them accordingly. A good
team is made of a variety of people
with a variety of gifts. The weakness
in one should be covered by the
strength of another. Out of the Lords
mouth comes knowledge and understanding, and if we sincerely seek Him
to gain wisdom, He will give it. God
says, The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom. When we
understand why people do what they
do and why they are what they are, we
will know how to direct them to get
the proper response.
A good understanding will also
give us a forgiving attitude. Jesus
understood His accusers. Thats why
He could say, Father forgive them,
for they know not what they do.
What an attitude! Forgiveness came
easily because He understood their
ignorance or why they did what they
did. We too, can forgive easily if we
understand ourselves and the situation of others. Generally, people want
to be nice and good, but situations and
pressures of life push them past their
hope or dreams. Many times, they feel
bad immediately after they have reacted. This gives us an opportunity to
speak a word of wisdom to them. The
time to build people is when they are
down; they wont listen to us when
they are up. We need to commit our-
selves to the task of understanding

people. God will bless and reward us
with a forgiving heart, and will give us
peace and happiness in a world that is
full of frustration and conflict.

Discussion:
How have you been affected
by someone who takes the time
to understand you?
What do you think motivates
people?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Many people will close their
ears to advice but most people
will open their eyes to example.
For more of these Principles
and additonal Resources visit
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L- 2
rev. 09.2003
Developing People
The master may get better work from an untrained apprentice than from a skilled rebel. Proverbs 26:10

principle.
To develop means to become gradually
fuller, larger or better. It can apply to anything such as people, products or attitudes.
Since life is a process, we are all involved
in developing physically, mentally and
spiritually. We are not born developed,
but we are all born with the potential to
develop. So, why would we prefer to hire
untrained people over the trained rebel?
Very simply, the trained rebel thinks he
knows it all; therefore, he may not be
adaptable to our organization. His skills
may be good, but if he has an overbearing
attitude about himself and his skills, he
will be a problem. This tells us that the
will of a person is more valuable than the
skills. If we have a mans will, he can be
developed in his potential.
There are two things that are very
important to the outcome of any life:
1. The environment in which we are born
and nurtured.
2. The environment which we choose for
ourselves.
The first environment is not our choice.
The hands that feed us, the attitude and
how they treat us, as well as the things
they teach us will have much to do with
our outcome. Why? Because we are like
raw material that can be shaped and
molded into almost anything. The first
eight years of our life may well determine
much of our future because of the paradigms developed in us. Of course, we can
make decisions for ourselves later on, but
even then they will be made by the paradigms of our past.
The second environment, which we
choose for ourselves, is even more important than the first, because we become
responsible for our own choices. So, if our
first was a good environment, it will con-
tinue to help us develop. But if it was a

negative or distorted environment which
brought bondage, we have the opportunity to accept or create a new one. Its like
being born again. The new environment
will give us a new paradigm and a chance
to develop into our potential. We must
remember the power of an environment.
The mind or the spirit of man is like a
seed; within every seed lies the potential
of life. If the seed is in a dry, cool environment, it will not produce or develop; it
will lie dormant. But if we take the seed
and place it in a warm, moist environment, it will automatically grow and
develop. It will reach its full potential if
the environment remains correct. We are
much the sameif the environment is
right, we grow and mature and produce to
our potential. This principle works for
our family, our business or in any organization.
We must always consider these three
things as we grow and develop:
development of people is the creation of a

culture, an environment in which we live.
We should always remember that we have
developed or created our situations and
our successes by the way we have developed our people.

Discussion:
Does your team consist more of
skilled rebels or untrained
apprentices?
What kind of environment for
change exists in your family,
business, and church?
1. Have a life-time, fixed vision of what

we would like to become.
2. Examine the past to see if we need a
paradigm shift to get there.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
3. Study the values of life and determine

which ones will create the right environment for our goals.

We should never consider ourselves

too old to review these. However, the
longer we live with a certain paradigm,
the harder it is to break it. So we must
accept the fact that if we want to develop
into our potential, we must always be prepared to change. Sometimes we want to
change others rather than ourselves. If we
are going to develop our children,
employees or our society, we must lead
them into proper values. As parents, we
must take the responsibility to prepare
our children for their future. Much of
their future depends on us. As employers,
we should develop people to fit into our
organizations with their future in mind.
The final outcome of all our influence and

your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
An ego trip is like taking a vacation but never leaving home.

www.lared.org
L- 3
rev. 09.2003
Listening
A wise man will hear and increase learning. Proverbs 1:5

principle.
Listening . . . the word listen means
to make an effort to hear or pay attention, to give heed, or to take advice.
The proverb says, A wise man will
hear, meaning that if we are wise, we
will be good listeners. The reason that
wise men listen is because they know
they become wiser by listening. Good
listeners are seeking to learn more.
Wisdom is not an inherited gift; rather,
it is earned by listening and learning,
and by observing and understanding.
A good listener will usually have these
four character traits:
1. They are disciplined listeners and
talkers.
2. They are seekers of truth. They want
to know what is right, not who is
right.
3. They love quiet timeno radio, no
TV, no reading, no interruptions.
They like to have time to review
what is inside them. They are
thinkers.
4. They are full of questions. They
dont want to misunderstand or be
misunderstood.
Jesus was always aware of being
misunderstood. Thats why He said,
He that has an ear, let him hear. He
meant, Dont just hear My words,
comprehend and understand the idea
and get the concept of what Im trying
to say. All good teachers try to communicate certain concepts, but they
dont always use the right words. So
we hear the words, but dont get the
bottom line. Thats why good listeners
will probe by asking questions. If we
are not disciplined listeners, we wont

get the point. Sometimes we think that
people around us hear what we are saying, only to find out later that they
thought we meant something else.
Listening is not enoughwe must
hear. Listening is not hearing until we
fully understand what the other party is
trying to convey to us. Television only
communicates in part, for it only works
one way. Telephones are a better system of communication, for we hear and
respond. Fax machines, on the other
hand, are perfect in communication:
the receiving machine receives exactly
what the sending machine transmitted.
But we are not like fax machines. We
measure and judge the words of others
by our own perceptions and emotions
(our state of being). We hear the words,
then form our own perceptions based
on what we think we heard, and interpret it with our feelings from our past
experiences. Everything we hear goes
through a process of our hurts and disappointments, and we then judge
accordingly. Thats what we call reading into it. Someone will take something we said, and they will say that we
were talking about them, when it was
not even in our mind.
If we are going to be successful in
building business and personal relationships, we will need to take the initiative to listen until we know where
people are and what they need.
Discovering needs is the first step in
helping others. We will learn their
needs if we can listen. Wise men
become wise by listening, and they will
keep on listening because they see the
value in it.
A good way to make sure we understand someone is to ask him, Is this
what you are trying to tell me? or Is

this what you mean? Dont be too
proud to ask for clarity. It is time well
spent, and will avoid a lot of hurts and
confusion.

Discussion:
What type of people do you
have difficulty hearing?
How has it affected you when
someone has really listened to
you?
Are you misunderstood a lot?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
A good man will always
increase in learning and understanding for he knows his life
and the future depend on it.
www.lared.org
L- 4
rev. 09.2003
Inspiration
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams

come true at last, there is life and joy. Proverbs 13:12

principle.
Fear is a motivator. It is an important one, but it is used primarily to

establish order and parameters. If
we control people by fear only, we
are poor leaders. Good leaders
understand the importance of rules
that are feared, but also understand
that the law worketh wrath. Man
cannot live by the law alonesooner
or later he will rebel. In order to
develop a long-lasting, successful
family, business, or society, we must
design a system that gives every one
(1) personal dreams, (2) opportunity
and (3) hope.
If we have no dreams and see no
opportunities, we lose hope. And
when we lose hope, we get angry
and feel unfulfilled, which may turn
into despondency and will cause
some to even commit suicide. As
long as there is hope, we can, and
most of us will, keep on going. Hope
comes from seeing possibilities, and
possibilities come from active and
creative minds.
God made us in His image to have
ideas and to be creative, to calculate
and analyze situations. When leaders try to stifle this creativity, sooner
or later people will analyze the
unfairness and break away from its
control. We cannot stifle individuality forever. Communism was a good
example of this: Their system was
built on keeping everyone equal and
having all things in common. Their
idea was, Give a man food, clothing
and shelter, and he will be happy.
This sounds good as a philosophy,

but it does not work because we are
not all designed to be the same. We
are all created equal, but our outcomes will be different because each
one of us can make choices. We have
different gifts, temperaments and
creative ideas. This means some will
pursue more than others, thus bringing different levels of understanding
and opportunities.
planting, which creates a powerful

force within their employees, so they
become self-motivated. They will
need less management because they
will be working as unto themselves.

To foster inspiration, we must create an environment where minds can

work freely within a set of parameters. The parameters become the
framework or guideline for creativity.
Discussion:
To motivate means to stimulate

the mind and spirit of a person. This
is what we call motivating by leading
the minds of men and women. This
is done by presenting dreams and
possibilities to them, which will
inspire them to pursue their future.
They will be motivated from within,
rather than controlled by external
laws. They are led, not driven. This
becomes their purpose or motive
(reason) for living. If we give people
an incentive or dream within the
framework of our personal goals and
ambitions, both will benefit. Our
intent for inspiring others will
always have to be for a win/win situation. Otherwise it would be considered unfair and will boomerang
on us.
How do you respond to rules?
All good leaders will use incentives and dream-planting for motivating 10 to 1 over fear. They know
fear must be a part of leading, but
only as a last resort. Good leaders
will focus on incentives and dream-
Have you been more successfully motivated by fears or

dreams?
Have you ever lost hope?

Explain the feeling.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Each day of our lives, we make
deposits in the memory banks
of those we meet. That
becomes our reputation.
www.lared.org
L-5
rev. 09.2003
Conflict
Go ahead and prepare for the conflict, but victory comes

from God. Proverbs 21:31

principle.
There are those who think that life
should be without conflicts, but behind
every great man or woman there are
war stories. These experiences have
taught them principles that make them
wise. They have learned that the victory comes from God. God made us in
His own image, with the power to create. This starts through ideas . . . one
idea will stimulate another, and then
another, which leaves us with many
opinions. For this reason, we dont
always agree with each other, because if
we grow it will come from an idea that
will form opinions in us. So a major
part of our life is spent learning how to
act and react (conflict) toward each
other, because of our personal opinions.
As we deal with these conflicts and testing, we should become better people,
for through them we discover our
strengths and weaknesses. It is very
important to recognize that the victory
comes from God, for it is through the
creative gift of reasoning and choice
that God gives us victory. Through this
gift we grow and overcome situations
(conflicts). A few questions we need to
ask ourselves are:
1. Has victory over the conflict made us
better people or are we angry at life?
2. Has it kept us humble and thankful
to God or are we critical?
3. Has it improved our character and
taught us a lesson or has it made us
haughty and arrogant?
It is not wrong to have conflicts. In
fact, we cant grow or make progress
without them, because most new ideas
are initially rejected as they conflict

with our old habits. Change is not
always easy. Some of us never will.
Thats why we must allow time for an
idea to mature, or a conflict will turn
into a war and separate us from important associates. Conflicts are the battles
we fight in our mind; war is when it
turns into hand-to-hand combat in the
flesh. But its O.K. to prepare for the
conflict or war, for without preparation
we cannot win. Once a father took his
son to a boxing match. The son noticed
that one of the boxers knelt down and
prayed in his corner. The son asked the
father, Will that help him? Only if
he is prepared to fight replied the
father. Likewise, we must believe that
the victory comes from God, but we
must prepare ourselves as though it
will not.
We must also be careful when we
win, because it is easy to become proud
and boastful. And if we do, we will
soon be humbled. The reason God
humbles us is to teach us something,
because He knows we learn more from
losing than we do from winning. When
we lose, we question God and ourselves
as to why we lost. What we learn from
this will cause us to grow in understanding so we can improve and win.
We should always remember that the
victory is Gods, or we will have to go
through the test over and over again.
God wants us to grow up and understand. When we are in a battle, it is easy
to ask God to help us, and we are ready
to make all kinds of deals and promises
to Him. We must not forget them when
victory comes.
So we should never be afraid of conflicts, knowing that there is a lesson to
be learned which will help us in life and
make us trust in God. Conflicts will

come, but we must trust in God for
solutions. This will build true godly
characterthen we can tell our own
war stories!

Discussion:
How do you feel about conflict?
Have conflicts in your life made
you better or bitter?
Give an example of how conflict
has helped your life?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Conflict is so important to me
that if there is none, then I
create one.
www.lared.org
L-6
rev. 09.2003
Confrontation
A soft answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1

principle.
When we are confronted by someone, our natural tendencies are to get
defensive and argumentative. Its
because we dont want to be proven
wrong. To be wrong is considered
humbling, and it hurts our pride. So we
defend our position even when we
know we are wrong or have exaggerated the truth. No one is always right in
every situation. Yet, all of us are usually partly right. It is this partly right
which gets us into trouble. This is why:
1. Since we know we are at least partly
right, we open our mouth and freely
give our opinions.
2. Once we have spoken our opinions,
we are committed to defend our
position. It is not easy to admit that
we are wrong.
We cannot have good communication without good relationships. Good
relationships give us the right to communicate our opinion without conflict.
Poor communication destroys relationships, wastes a lot of time and energy,
and hinders us in resolving problems.
Yes, we may win the argument, but
lose the battle or the point we were trying to make, and possibly lose a friend
in the process. When we have disagreementswhich we all haveit is
not only important to agree with the
adversary quickly (Matthew 5:25), but
equally important to manage and control the tone of our voice. A soft
answer turns away wrath. When our
response is soft and gentle, our opponents will respect us and consider our
point of view. This gives us a chance to

continue the discussion. It is amazing
how powerful words are in the hands of
those who know how to use them. The
words Im sorry are powerful, but
when they come from a soft, sensitive
tongue, they are disarming. A s-o-f-t sl-o-w answer is more powerful than
tanks and guns.
There are three questions we should
ask ourselves before we get into a
debate:
1. How enlightened am I on the subject? Dont show a boastful, over
confident attitude, but rather downplay your knowledge and maybe
they will be surprised.
2. How much control do I have over
my emotions? Refuse to let your
anger control you, breath deep
before you respond on the defense.
3. Do I know when to say, You may be
right! or Thats an interesting
point!? All good communicators
know how to humble themselves.
And its not wrong to say I dont
know or Im not sure.
The way we use and handle words
may determine war or peace, friends or
enemies, and failure or success in life.
We must remember that it is better to
get a part of something than nothing at
all. The man who knows that he
knows does not have to scream or get
loud and abrasive. If he does, it may be
a sign of his insecurity. It can be very
embarrassing to be wrong at the top of
our voice.
We can avoid a lot of problems and
be more productive by giving soft
answers to those who are arrogant and
abrasive. When discussions create
more heat than light, it is time to return

a soft answer and let others embarrass
themselves with their loudness. We
should never walk away without establishing a respectful closure.

Discussion:
How do you usually respond
when someone communicates
with you in anger or arrogance?
What aspect of the principle
challenges you the most?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
The best way to win is to forget
to keep score.

www.lared.org
L-7
rev. 09.2003
Criticism
If you profit from constructive criticism you will be elected

to the wise mens hall of fame. Proverbs 15:31

principle.
I hate it! is the most common
response to the word criticism. The dictionary defines criticism as the act of
analyzing or passing judgment. As
strange as it may seem, we can benefit
in our business and in our personal
lives by receiving criticism. The benefits vary:
1. Become wisewe learn from the
good and the bad.
2. Gain a powerful perspective
because we understand the critic.
3. Gain good judgmentbecause we
pursue truth not personalities. Our
value for truth should always be
greater than any feelings we have
toward the person revealing the
truth.
Since we all want to grow and experience the good life, we had better be
prepared to listen to the critics. But
first, we must differentiate between the
humanistic way and Gods way of criticism. One popular positive mental
attitude theory says that there is no
such thing as constructive criticism.
They say criticism is all a negative
approach to things. But the Proverb
above implies that there is a way that
criticism may be profitable. To say that
criticism is wrong is the same as saying
that we cannot bring correction to
what is wrongthat is not common
sense.
The root word of criticism is critic.
Nobody likes a critic, but Solomon
admonishes us to profit from them. A
critic is someone who criticizes and
makes accusations. What he is saying
may be true, so we should always be

open to receive. It may be what we
need.
A critic is usually branded as a faultfinder with a rotten attitude. In most
cases we will not listen to what he is
saying because of his attitude. Some
take the attitude that its like getting
kicked by a mule; you have to consider
the source. However, we should be
thankful for the criticsat least they
have the guts to tell us what they think.
Others may feel the same way about
us, but would never have the courage
to confront us, denying us the privilege
to grow.
If we accept criticism we will profit.
The criticism may not be true, but then
again, it may! So the value is in listening to it, and not measuring it by the
person giving it. Thats what Solomon
was trying to tell us. He said we
would be elected to the wise mens hall
of fame if we learn from them!
Yes, some criticism may stem from
fault-finding people with a bad attitude, but we must still choose to carefully consider what they are saying. It
may be something we need to hear that
our friends would never have the
courage to tell us.
So when criticism comes, we must
ask ourselves if there is an objective
standard or value that we are violating
indicated by the criticism. If so, submit, not necessarily to the person, but
to the principle or value. Use the content of the criticism for personal
growth. How about this truth, Great
peace have they which love thy law,
and nothing shall offend them (Psalm
119:165). This means that if we are of
the right stuff, criticism will not
offend us. We would rather be thank-
ful and take it into consideration.

Food for thought ... Someone said
that if you want to know how to live
the good life, ask a critiche might
have some good instructions.
This principle is part of the one year character development program:

Discussion:
What is your attitude toward
criticism?
Do you have a harder time with
critical words or critical people?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
There are three things that are
extremely hard: steel, a diamond,
and to know ones self. Sometimes,
we need the critic to help us.

www.lared.org
L-8
rev. 09.2003
Chastisement
Punishment that hurts chases evil from the heart.

Proverbs 20:30

principle.
Chastisement...Webster says it is the
punishment or discipline given to
bring correction to that which is wrong
or evil. We could also say that chastisement is the art of eliminating the
evil to preserve the good. This should
tell us what motivates us in doing the
things we do. We all have four basic
motivations:
1. We feel responsible and commit
ourselves to do them.
2. We fear the consequences of not
doing them.
3. We desire and enjoy the feeling of
achievement.
4. We have a dream we want to fulfill.
The most common motivation is the
second onefor fear of chastisement.
It is not the best, but it is the most common motivation. The average employee works for fear of losing the job.
Some hate their job, but keep on working in it for years. Many business people have a certain amount of motivation from fear of losing their business.
Even marriages hold up for fear of reputation or financial obligation. It is not
wrong to have a measure of fear. In
fact, no business, family or society can
survive without it. Some of these fears
make us faithful and responsible. We
are to love and serve God, but without
the fear of chastisement we may not
stay faithful under the pressure of
temptation.
Everything alive that has been
trained and becomes valuable will
understand
fear-motivation.
Punishing misdeeds chases evil or
unfavorable ideas and behavior from
us. Horses, dogs, lions, kids, and
adults all must understand the principle of reward for good, and chastisement for bad. Without a certain sense
of fear, we cannot function properly.
The fear of punishment or loss will
cause everyone and everything to follow certain internal disciplines that
will develop good behavior. These
internal disciplines, or trained behaviors, increase their value. This is a principle that has been ignored in America.
That is why thousands of children
carry guns to school and crime is on
the rise. Their fear of the chastisement
is less than the benefits they believe
they will get from stealing. It is impossible to manage a family, a business, or
a society without a set of laws that will
put the fear of God in us. Yes, we must
teach and love good values and the
rewards they bring us, but we must
also teach the consequences of not following them. Every action has a reaction. Every behavior has a reward.
Every positive has a negative. Its the
rule of life, and none of us can change
it.
This fear of chastisement is not the
best or most important motivation, but
it is an immovable, hard fact of life.
The sooner we enforce these disciplines, the better off we will be. The
fear of punishment that hurts (not
just paying a fine) must be rooted in
the back of every mind. The rules must
be fair and just, but when they are broken it must hurt mentally, physically
and financially. There is a wage or a
price that goes with sin.
God has set the rules punishment that hurts chases evil from the
heart. If we are managing and motivating people, we must first establish
some absolute rules that bring tough
consequences when broken. This will
create fear of crossing over the line, but
it will also let people know what we
want or expect of them. This allows

them to work freely within the framework of the established parameters.
Well-communicated, strict laws which
are enforced quickly will eliminate the
fear of the unknown, which will give
us freedom.
Discussion:
Why do we hate chastisement?
Which of the four reasons for
doing something applies best
to you?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
If you want to dance, you cant
be concerned about stepping
on toes.
www.lared.org
L-9
rev. 09.2003
Judgment
Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side
and sets the record straight. Proverbs 18:17

principle.
One of the finest leadership qualities
is to be able to make right judgments.
Right judgments are not attained and
then maintained; instead they are a
God-given insight into each situation
or person on a daily basis. Leadership
is really leading people through situations, keeping them focused on the
desired end results. This takes good
judgment; otherwise, situations will
turn into disasters. Good leaders
should always be concerned about
their personal judgments or discernmentfor their reputation and future
are at stake. Good judgment usually
comes from people who:
1. Are honest with themselves and
have no hidden agendas.
2. Are more concerned about what is
right than who is right.
3. Are not too proud to ask for other
opinions.
In order to make right judgments,
we must first judge ourselves
(Matthew 7:2), because we tend to
judge others according to our own perceptions. We usually see in others
what we see in ourselves. If we have
greed, hatred, or strife within us, we
will think others to be the same. We
will judge them accordingly, because
out of the heart, the mouth speaks
(Matthew 12:34).
Righteous judgments can be made
only when we can see into the heart of
the problem or person without our
personal interests and feelings
involved. That is not always easy
because within every situation there
are personalities involved. Most of the
problems are people problems involv-
ing emotions, hot tempers and some

smooth talkers. Everyone is trying to
sell their side of the story. And of
course, no one wants to take the blame.
So, good judgment comes from sorting
out all the trash by listening to both
sides of the problem until we sense the
truth in a situation. Any story sounds
good until we hear the other side
once we feel we understand the situation, we must make a judgment on
what to do. In most cases, it is wise not
to blame just one person, but the team,
because it takes a team to win. When
we put all the blame on one person, it
divides the team. A good line to use is,
I know that Joe was primarily at fault,
but it could have been avoided if
everyone would have been more careful. Then forgive and set the rules for
the future. Dwelling on and blaming
people for past mistakes stunts our
present growth, because we are being
held captive to the past, taking away
our future. Good judgment is often
learned from mistakes that set the pace
for the future. Problems are usually
covered by a smoke screen, and if we
dont listen carefully, we will make
wrong judgments and blame the
wrong people.
We must also be able to make right
judgments in our world of high-pressure sales. Controlling the thoughts of
a person in order to get him to see only
one side of a story until he signs the
contract is considered salesmanship
by worldly standards. But this is
manipulation. We can be sold down the
river unless we have some insight and
right judgment about people, especially sales people. Right judgment is a
value that is needed every hour of
every day. So, seek insight by listening
and thinking it over, then judge from a
pure heart. If we do not buy or sell or
make decisions when we are under
pressure, we will become known as

wise leaders. One of our favorite lines
should be, I want to think it over.
This will give us favor with God and
people, and a reputation of a leader
with right judgments.

Discussion:
Whats your first response when
someone brings a case to you?
What was your belief about
judgment before reading this
principle?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Good judgment is perhaps the
most equally divided but surely
the most under-developed talent in the world.
www.lared.org
L - 10
rev. 09.2003
The Self Government Principle of
Motives
No one, regardless of how shrewd or well-advised he is,

can stand against the Lord. Proverbs 21:30

principle.
No chance . . . there is no substitute
for God, nor can we compete against
Him. He knows what is right, what is
best, and what will work. The sooner
we accept Him as the final authority
and begin to structure our lives, business and country after His laws and
principles, the better off well be. Life is
not meant to be difficultwe make it
difficult by operating on defiled
motives. Motive means the reason or
motivation for how and why we do
things. Some lie, cheat and manipulate
in order to get a deal, and then call it
being shrewd. This does not lead us
to the good life, but to moral decay.
Webster says shrewd is worldly wise,
clever or near to the truth. So it is
important that we always seek for the
truth. Manipulating the truth or being
clever or shrewd will eventually
destroy us.
Jesus said there is a broad way that
leads to destruction, but also a narrow
one that leads to life, or we could say
The truth will make us free. He
designed life to make us grow. A child
needs to eat to live and grow; likewise,
our minds and spirits need to learn (eat)
in order to grow. But we have to live on
truth, or well become shrewd. If a
child stops eating, he dies; in the same
way, if we quit learning truth, we die
spiritually, mentally and eventually
physically. Its like riding a bike
when we stop, we fall. When an apple
is green, it is growing; but when it stops
growing, it rots. So life is a process, and
if we want the good life, we must continue to strive for these three things:
1. To become morally correct.
2. To understand people and situations.
3. To grow in the knowledge of God

and His laws, and the principles
He designed for humanity.
The good life starts when our
motives are pure and we follow good
principles, taking responsibility for
who and what we are. We are like a
product: our quality and value is based
on the principles of which we are made.
When we are honest and our motives
are pure, we become open and free with
no hidden agendas. People will sense
the freedom and will not defend themselves against us. They will respect us
and will want to do business with us.
We cannot trust in our own smarts or
shrewdness; if we do, we will be
exposed when we get under pressure.
Yes, we must be well advised, but we
must see truth and God as our best
resource and advisor. This will teach us
common sense and practical ways that
will work in every area of our lives.
Sometimes we educate ourselves until
we consider ourselves shrewd and
wise. Then we start trusting in our own
abilities rather than in Gods good
advice, and become fools without God.
We cannot function properly without
the truth. It will keep our motives pure.
To reject God and His ideas is like cutting off the hand that feeds us, for God
and Truth are synonymous.
Today, America has more attorneys
per capita than any other country in the
world. We have more lawsuits than the
rest of the world combined. We write
thousands of laws to interpret the ten
commandments. Some try to outwit
each other by their shrewdness, or get
ahead by some million-dollar lawsuit.
We have forgotten the simplicity of
Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you. Lets not kid ourselves. God knows all about our
doings, and sooner or later He will set
the record straight in spite of how
shrewd or well-advised we may think
we are. It is important to be well-
advised, but lets make sure our

motives are pure and use Gods good
advice as a part of our dealings and
decision-making. Lets be wise and listen to what God has to say. Then, we
will not be known for being smart or
shrewdbut wise.
Discussion:
How can you tell if you are
operating with pure motives?
What is the difference between
wisdom and shrewdness?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Hard work is the key to success,
some would rather pick the
lock.
www.lared.org
SG - 1
rev. 09.2003
Morality
The good influence of godly citizens causes a city to prosper, but

the moral decay of the wicked drives it downhill. Proverbs 11:11
principle.
Morality: What is it? Webster defines
it as principles, standards, or habits
with respect to right or wrong conduct.
The Proverb relates it to godliness,
meaning God-designed standards. It
should be understood that God created
man and beast with a purpose in mind.
Each species was created after its kind,
which means that each one was created
with some fixed attributes. Man, however, was given a special giftthe gift
of reasoning. No animal can reason
itself out of its created intent. A robin
cannot decide its values or redesign its
lifestyle. It functions according to its
code and design. Likewise, man was
created after his kind. However, he has
two codes to live bya conscience (a
sense of right and wrong for his kind)
and commandments.
We know by nature that it is wrong
to kill, steal or destroy that which
belongs to othersthat is conscience.
Thats why people do bad things in the
dark or when no one is watching.
Since man was given the gift of reason, he also needs commandments.
These commandments become codes
for proper functioning (moral codes).
We need them because with our gift of
reasoning we can reason ourselves
away from our created conscience.
Many rights and wrongs must be
taughtthese are the commandments.
But some rights and wrongs are part of
our created human naturethis is our
conscience. When we harden our hearts
and sear our God-given conscience, we
become selfish, greedy and self-willed.
This leads us away from our natural
morals. Our conscience is not a true
guide, unless it is governed by the commandments.
God made man and beast as male

and female for reproductive purposes.
It is only the human that practices
homosexuality. Only humans become
addicted to drugs and alcohol and plan
abortions. It may be legal or politically
correct, but these things are still morally wrong. A business deal may be legal
but still violate moral principles.
Morality deals with justice for both parties, and is under a code of right and
wrong given by the Designer. Do unto
others as you would have them do unto
you is not a suggestion but rather it is
a functional principle.
There are three ways to check your
conscience:
1. Do you have a problem looking certain
people in the eye or being transparent?
2. Are you afraid to openly discuss
certain issues?
3. Do you feel uncomfortable talking about God or what is right?
We are responsible before God and
mankind to follow a moral code of
ethics based upon truth from God and
creation. The commandments were
given as the guideline for human
behavior. They teach respect for God
and our fellow man. If we love God and
our neighbors as ourselves, we will act
morally correct. These laws and principles were not given just so we can
please God, but they were designed and
given with us in mind. We are the beneficiaries. We will do ourselves a favor
by living and structuring ourselves and
our societies upon them. Our forefathers understood this. Thats why our
constitution and system of laws are
structured around Gods commandments. It was to create a moral society.
Most moral values are plain common
sense. Just because we have been given
the ability to reason and choose does
not license us to break the moral standards for which we were created.
Morality is simply a rule of conduct that
is rightright for you and right for me,

according to the Designer. We might
need to ask the man in the mirror if he
knows what is right.

Discussion:
Do you think we, as a nation,
have digressed in morality?
What side effect will we have if
we lose our morality?
What causes a person or a
nation to digress in morality?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
When Wealth is lost . . . . . . . . . Nothing is lost.
When Health is lost . . . . . . Something is lost.
When Character is lost . . . . . . . . . . . All is lost.

www.lared.org
SG - 2
rev. 09.2003
Attitude
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

principle.
AttitudeWebster describes it as a
posture, ones mental state of mind, or
ones disposition. We hear much
about positive mental attitude.
Attitude is ones disposition, good or
bad. So when we meet someone, we
can easily determine what state of
mind they are in by their attitude. The
above quotation, Blessed are the pure
in heart, is saying that blessed, or
happy, are the people who are in the
right frame of mindsound, stable,
rational and positive. The end result of
this isthey will see God. But, how do
we get into such a positive mental attitude and right state of mind?
First, we must take charge of our mind.
We must discipline it and feed it on a
diet of healthy mind food. We must
develop it into a predetermined code
or creed of what we want to become.
The mind is similar to a muscle, which
can be developed by exercising. It can
be trained and disciplined to function
according to our will.
Second, we must choose our destiny;
that is, we must choose to become
something, such as a positive, happy
and successful person. A mind cannot
be positive without a direction or track
to run on. It will focus on something;
if we dont give it direction, it will go
to the path of least resistance. In order
to be happy, things need to happen. In
order to be successful, we need a goal.
And in order to be positive, we need to
be focused on I can and I will,
while we are on our mission to connect
with our preset destiny.
Third, we must see beyond the present.
Along the way in pursuit of happiness
or success, we will run into situations.
Within every situation, we must see

the future which will take us one step
closer to our goal. This brings hope,
and hope stimulates and motivates us
into action to overcome the situations.
Whenever we have discouraging
thoughts, we must refocus on our goal
and the rewards of overcoming.
sure of stress. Negative people worry

and fear, while positive people push to
conquer. But happy are the pure in
heart for they shall see God in everything and get the Kings gold ring of
prosperity.
Fourth, we must have the right

foundation. Its one thing to believe,
but another thing to have the right to
believe. Your positive confession must
be based on truth in order to have positive results. Just because you decide
to not believe in gravity does not mean
that it has lost its effect. With every
goal, there must be the right reason;
with every dream, there must be a
right purpose; and for success, there
must be right principles. Success is
guarded by problems. To get the gold
medal we must solve the problems. To
solve the problems, we need courage
and persistence. Therefore, it is a
learning experience to get the gold. In
the end, what we learn in getting the
medal is more valuable than the gold
itself. As the Lord said, Blessed (or
happy) are the pure in heart (right state
of mind). They shall see God, or get
the gold medal. And happy are the
people who have developed the right
state of mind, for they shall see God or
discover God behind every situation
and problem. Once we get to this state
of mind, our attitude will be positive
because we wont be afraid of the problems, for we know what is behind
them. Its like a treasure hunt, always
looking beyond the situation. In fact,
we can become dangerously positive,
where we become so fearless that we
could do stupid things by getting out
of touch with reality.

A positive attitude will give us a

great future. A negative attitude will
keep us close to the present, with very
little progress. They both cause a mea-
Discussion:
Why is it so important to experience achievement?
Are you negative or positive?
Which of the four things do you
lack the most?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
If we do what we know we
should, all the odds should be in
our favor.
www.lared.org
SG - 3
rev. 09.2003
Emotions
He that rules his spirit is greater than he that takes a city.

Proverbs 16:32 (KJV)
principle.
Ruling our spirit is managing our
behavior or emotions. Behavior is
directly affected by our emotions. We
are spirit, soul, and body. The body
reacts to the emotions or disturbances
of our soul. That is why the Proverb
says, He that rules his spirit...,
meaning that we can rule it. Ruling
our spirit is not always easy, because it
is what we really are. Everything
that we hear, see, smell, taste or touch
is entered into our mind, and it analyzes the situations and recommends a
response. We (our spirit) then decide
to react or respond, affecting our emotions (soul) and in the end our behavior (body). He that ruleth his spirit
means he who decides to discipline
or manage his response. Someone
said that it is just as bad to think something as to do it. This is not true,
because thoughts alone do not effect
other people. It is the action that causes the damage. We all have emotions;
we can all get upset about things. But
it is extremely important that we learn
to calm and manage those feelings, or
they will destroy us.
Cars are built with motors, brakes,
transmissions, and steering wheels.
They are designed to be used for going
places. But if they are not managed or
steered properly, they become dangerous. Then, that which was meant to be
a blessing turns out to be for our own
harm. God has made us similarly. He
gave us hands to work, feet to walk,
eyes to see, and brains to manage all of
the body members. Our behavior is to
be managed and ruled by our spirit,
meaning we can and are responsible
for what we do.
The value of a person is based on

his ability to control and manage his
temper, his habits and all of his emotions. We must understand that we
communicate largely by our behavior.
People judge us by our behavior
because thats what they see.
Uncontrolled emotions can ruin our
reputation by slamming a door or giving a mean look without ever saying
a word. Words are important, but the
emotion we use to express them is
even more important. At least 55% of
our communications and impressions
that we leave on people are nonverbal.
The way we dress, walk and behave
tells people if we are in charge of our
emotions. The non-verbal body language we use says as much about our
character as our words. When you are
tempted to get defensive or argumentative, three ways of controlling your
emotions are:
1. Stop and take a deep breath
before you speak.
people will judge us by how we control our emotions, not just by what we
say. The bottom line isif we learn to
calm our spirit, we will be in control of
situations, rather than situations controlling us.

Discussion:
How do you view emotions
and their value?
How do you usually communicate what you are feeling?
Whos in charge of our behavior
or emotion?
2. Consciously be aware of your

body tension and posture.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
3. Think of something humorous

to say.

Sometimes our manners and

actions speak so loudly that it becomes
difficult to hear what we are saying.
As someone said, Let everyone know
what you believe, and if necessary use
words.
Emotions are like gasolinethey
can be dangerous and destructive, but
very valuable when controlled or
channeled properly. The emotions in
us are an energy. If that energy is harnessed, it becomes a valuable asset
within us. How many times have we
heard someone say, That guy could
be valuable if he would get his act
(emotions) together. Remember that

your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
It can be very embarrassing to
be wrong at the top of your
voice.
www.lared.org
SG - 4
rev. 09.2003
Proper Thinking
For as he thinks, so he is in his heart Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

principle.
As a man thinks... means the processing of thoughts. Our mind is an
amazing gift from God, and no one
fully understands it. But we do know
two things it does: it reasons, and it
imagines. Reasoning is more like calculating, which leads us to concepts,
opinions or considerations, while
imagination leads us to ideas or possibilities. Although they both work
within our mind (processor), most of
us operate more predominantly in one
of the two. While we may reason well
and be full of logic and common sense,
we may be weak in creative possibility
thinking. This might be because of a
bad experience or a failure.
Some people are dreamers; they are
never satisfied with things as they are.
This is good if they are a part of a team,
but may be dangerous if they function
as an individual. Because they focus
on what can be, they may forget to
practice common sense and sound reasoning in the now. So, as the Proverb
above says, As a man thinks, so is he,
which means we may determine our
future by being aware of our thinking.
What we think about today is what we
will become tomorrow.
Thoughts always precede actions. A
person is really what he thinks about,
not always what he does. Our courts
judge us by what we do or have done,
but God knows that we will eventually
do what we think. So, He warns us in
advance to be careful of our thoughts.
Jesus said, The law says, Thou shalt
not commit adultery, but I say that if
you look on a woman and lust after
her, you have already committed adul-
tery in your heart. God wants to protect us from committing the act by convicting us while it is still in our thought
stage. The law also says, Thou shalt
not kill, but Jesus said dont hate.
Again, He knew that hatred leads to
killing. The point is, we should be
aware of our thoughts because they
will grow and eventually become
actions.
Knowing this, should we be surprised
at the violence in our kids or the lack of
morals in our country? Guess what.
We have created it by our media and
our programming. The outcome of a
child or a society is the product of an
environment we have created by our
philosophies. We must remember this
pattern:
Knowledge creates thoughts.
Thoughts will produce actions.
Actions will form habits.
Habits will form our destiny.
If we want a positive future, we must
control our thought pattern. The question is, how can we control our
thoughts? First, we must want to do it,
and if so, we can renew our minds or
thoughts by controlling the input
(Romans 12:2). We must select good
things to read, watch good T.V. programs, and carefully choose our associates. We must consider the outcome of
everything we put into our minds.
What fruit will it bear? We must
remember that our minds are like computers that can be programmed to our
choice, and it will bear fruit accordingly. Our thoughts will be conformed to
the values we choose to follow. We are
not destined to live out a certain or
specific lifestyle. It is a matter of
choice.
God has given us free will. Our des-
tiny is within our control. If we dont

like where we are or where we are
going, we can change it by taking
charge of our thoughts. There is a law
of attraction; we attract what we give
attention to.

Discussion:
Are you satisfied with where
you are? If not what can you
do to change it?
How can we protect ourselves
from getting involved in immoral
acts?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
A mind once expanded by an
idea will never return to its original dimension.
www.lared.org
SG - 5
rev. 09.2003
Parameters
A king rejoices in servants who know what they are doing; he is

angry with those who cause trouble. Proverbs 14:35
principle.
Trespassing . . . is to go beyond the
limits of what is morally correct, or
to transgress, or intrude beyond the
pre-established
parameters.
Interestingly enough, Jesus said that
we should pray, Father, forgive us
our trespasses as we forgive those
who trespass against us (Matthew
6:14). Since trespassing means going
beyond the limits, then there must be
parameters or boundaries to live by.
If the boundaries are not clearly
marked, we may trespass and not
know it. So, as this Proverb states,
A king rejoices in his servants who
know what they are doing. This means
that the king had a purpose and job
description with parameters for his
servants, so they knew what to do to
please him.
Without knowing the kings will
or purpose, it cannot become our will
or purpose. If the king or the company does not give us specific company
policies with clear job description
and goals, employees cannot measure their performance. We can only
measure that which is expected. A
king rejoices when servants know
what they are doing. Servants can
only please the king if the king is
clear with his expectations. So before
we can have expectations, we must
set clear goals with parameters for
the game. This will give us a clear
vision of what to do, and the freedom
to work within these pre-structured
parameters.
If we expect people to treat us fairly, we must first be fair ourselves. To
do this, we must have proper parameters and boundaries established
for those around us. Our kids will
enjoy obeying us only if they know
and understand our rules and our

purpose. This makes them a part of
the game. We cannot discipline anyone based on what we think they
should have known, or theyll feel
like slaves. No one can enjoy performing without knowing what to
expect, or what is expected. When
performance is measured by expectations and both parties understand the
purpose of the goal, work turns into
a game. It will be us rather than
them; it will be a companyemployee team. There are certain
areas of our lives which may appear
gray, but for the most part people
should have no doubt what we stand
for and what we expect. This makes
us predictable, and the game of
guessing and uncertainty is over.
God is clear in His expectations of
His sons and daughters, and He has
great rewards for our performance.
The second part of the Proverb
states that the king ...is angry with
those who cause trouble. We will
find that most employees will respect
their leaders if company goals and
purpose are communicated clearly.
They may not always agree with us,
but will still respect us. There are,
however, a few rebels who oppose
everything and everyone. They have
no idea what is fair. Fortunately,
they are a small percentage of our
society, but they do make the king
angryand they do have to be dealt
with accordingly. So if our families
or employees are angry with us, we
should ask ourselves:
1) Are my expectations too high or
unrealistic?
2) Are my parameters broad enough
to allow freedom?
3) Is my attitude right in administering them?
If these are all done correctly,
there should be very little trespass-
ing. But then we may have a few

rebels that not only trespass but
transgress, and they ...do make the
king angry.
But lets do our part by setting
clear expectations and parameters, or
people may claim we are unfair.
Discussion:
Are people hurting you
unknowingly? Why?
Do you have a problem keeping
friends?
Why is setting parameters an
important aspect of governing
yourself?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Parameters are like musical
notes, if followed there is
great harmony.
www.lared.org
SG - 6
rev. 09.2003
Patience
Be patient and you will finally win, for a soft tongue can break hard
bones. Proverbs 25:15
principle.
Goo d l ea ders a r e p a t i e n t . I n
th is genera t i o n o f i n st a n t fo o d,
instant access, and instant
in f orm a t i o n , we h a ve fo r g o t t e n
a g rea t vi r t ue p a t i e n c e . I t i s
not a qua n t i t y vir t u e , bu t r a t h e r
a qu al i t y vi rt ue. P a t i e n c e i s n o t
p roc ra s t i na t i o n o r sl o t h fu l n e ss;
it is wa i t i ng fo r t h e a p p r o p r i a t e
moment a nd wo rk i n g w i t h t i m e
an d s ea s o n s . I f w e w a n t c o r n ,
we must wait for spring in
order to plant; then we must
w ait a ga i n fo r a u t u m n t o h a r v e st. Li kewi s e, t h e r e a r e p r o blems which cannot be solved
right away.
Sometimes they
mu st m a t ure. W i t h o u t w a i t i n g
f or the ri ght t i m e , w e m a y a dd
to the pro bl em. Ma t u r e l e a de r s
recogni z e s ea s o ns i n t h e i r l i ve s
an d bus i nes s es , a n d a l l o w t i m e
f or c h a n ge. Th e y k n o w c h a n g e
is a pr o ces s , a n d t h e y p r a c t i c e
patience during the process.
They also know that without
p atien ce t hey mig h t fo r c e t h i n g s
too m uch a n d co u l d c a u se c o stly im m a t ure rea c t i o n s.
It i s i m po rt a n t t o se n se t h e
mood s o f a n emp l o y e e o r t e a m
before we give correction.
There is a right time and a
w r ong t i me fo r de a l i n g w i t h a
situ at i o n.
Patient people
hono rs :
receive
three
1. They a r e h o n o r e d a s p e o p l e
in control of themselves,
b eca us e t h ey w a t c h h o w t h e y
r e act t o d i ffi cu l t si t u a t i o n s.
2. They a re ho no r e d a s p e o p l e
of understanding, because
t h ey lis ten to make s ure they

u n d ers tand bef ore they react.
T hey wont take high ris ks in
a s ituation.
3. T h e y a r e h o n o r e d a s b e i n g
w i se, becaus e they choos e to
h old their peace and calm the
fears of others involved by
g i ving good couns el.
When we are angry, we should
wait (be patient) until we cool
off.
We should recognize the
old proverb, When the student
is ready, the teacher will
appear. Quick responses from
unprepared hearts only complicate the situation, and in the end
we all lose. But as the Proverb
states, Be patient, and youll
finally
win.
With patience,
everyone can win. Patience, if
practiced rightly, will give all
those involved peace and security.
W e s hould be caref ul and rec ognize that it takes time to
de ve lop people. W e s hould not
e xp e c t a f ourth- grad e s tud ent to
understand
eighth-grade
lessons.
Good leaders know
w h e n to pus h and when to pull.
T h e y remember that lead ers hip
i s l e ad ing people, getting peo p l e to s ee what they s ee, and
t e a c hing them how, when and
why they want to get there.
Our expectations should be
based on our training and
development of people.
We
should know this takes time.
W e s hould nev er ignore problems, but allow time and be
p a t i ent, watc hing f or the right
m o m ent to d eal with them. God
will usually inspire someone
w i t h a s olution if we wait and
pray.
P a tience will s eas on and pre-
pare our own hearts as well as

thos e with whom we are dealing.
The next time you are
has ty or pus hy, stop and p ractice a little patie nce. Youll b e
wis er and more ap p reciated.

Discussion:
Are you known to be patient or
a procrastinator?
What is the hardest part about
practicing patience?
Does it bother you when nothing
happens?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Patience is the ability to idle your
motor when you feel like stripping the gears.
www.lared.org
SG - 7
rev. 09.2003
Restraint
Self-control means controlling the tongue! A quick retort can ruin

everything. Proverbs 13:3
principle.
Even though the tongue is a

small member of our body, it creates many problems and is very
difficult to control. We can use it
to insult, criticize, slander, and
destroy, or we can use it to bless,
comfort and build others.
It is important to understand
that whatever we communicate
will come back to us. What goes
around comes around, because
words are powerful and they can
cause ruin or bring solutions.
We are judged by what comes
out of our mouths, For out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks (Luke 6:45). The tongue
has more to do with the law of
sowing and reaping than any
other member of our body.
Proverbs 21:23 tells us, Keep
your mouth closed and youll
stay out of trouble. That is good
advice, because if we dont shut
it off or control it, it will multiply
our problems. When we talk too
much we embarrass ourselves,
and people will judge us as loose
talkers or gossips. And then we
will try to justify or deny it,
which adds to our problem.
Once we lie, trying to save ourselves, it turns into vicious arguments that have no end.
It is always good to be friendly
and sociable, but we must discipline the tongue when it comes to
bragging, exaggerating, or talking about others. Not everything
that comes to our mind is meant to

be spoken.
How many times have we gotten ourselves into trouble by
talking too much? Gossiping and
spreading rumors create all kinds
of fighting that will separate us
from our family members and
friends. After the smoke clears, it
will usually point back to those
who did not control their tongue.
As a business person, it is important that our words expose the
control we have, and not the
impulsiveness of our tongue.
There are three types of people
that are careful with their tongue:
1. The wise manHe understands it is essential to hold a
secret.
given us the power and ability to

create good or bad by the power
of our words. So be careful with
your tongue, for your future will
depend on it.

Discussion:
In what situations is it the most
difficult to control your quick
retort?
What good seeds have you
planted with your tongue?
2. The man of integrityHe

never compromises his standards with his words.
3. A smart manHe is humble
enough to know that he doesnt know, and doesnt expose
himself by opening his mouth.
He exemplifies the Proverb
that says, It is better to say
nothing and be considered a
fool, than to open our mouth
and remove all doubt.
If we want a good life, we must
stop or control the flow. Selfcontrol is having control over our
tongue. We must use our tongue
to speak good words. It is like
sowing good seeds that will give
a positive destiny, not only for
ourselves but for others as well.
God understands the power of
spoken words. He spoke the
world into existence. God has
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Resentment is like taking poison
and waiting for the other
person to die.
www.lared.org
SG - 8
rev. 09.2003
Temper
It is better to be slow-tempered than famous. Proverbs 16:32

principle.
W e shoul d take n ot i ce t h a t i t
is n ot w r ong to h a ve a t emp er.
Te mper i s the d ri vi n g f orce i n
u s . It i s the d i fferen ce b et ween
th e str ong and the wea k . M a n y
p e o pl e ask God t o t a k e a wa y
th e ir temper . T h a t i s wron g
ou r t emper i s a g i f t of s t ren g t h ,
an d w e shoul d t h a n k God f or
it. Most entr epren eurs h a ve a
high temper that gives them
th e ener g y and dri ve t o rea ch
th e ir g oal s and p urp os e i n l i f e.
Temper i s l i k e g a s ol i n e t h e
h igh er the temper, t h e h i g h er
th e octane or va l ue. Bot h ca n
be e xpl osi ve and da n g erous . I f
w e a r e not car ef ul a n d i n con trol of the gasoline, it may
bu rn our houses down , b ut , i t
can also be very useful and
v alu a bl e. God te l l s us t o . . . b e
angry but sin not, meaning
w e shoul d not di s ca rd t h i n g s
because they are dangerous,
bu t w e shoul d se t rul es of s a f ety s o that we c a n m a k e g ood
u s e of thei r val u e.
Likewise,
our
thoughts
s h o ul d not be to g et ri d of our
te m per , but to con t rol i t . S l ow
it downdont let it slip.
M ake r ul es of s a f et y a n d g et
th e val ue of the en erg y i t cre ate s . When we a re a n g ry we
are stronger; we can work
harder and get more things
do n e. It not o n l y a f f ect s t h e
min d, but ener g i z es our en t i re
body as wel l . But t h en , wi t h
this same energy we may
be c ome d estr uct i ve. W e m a y
h i t s o m e o n e o r br e a k t h i n gs , o r
say words that will destroy
rel a ti o n s h i p s a n d l o s e c r e d i bi li t y i n o u r c o m m u n i t y.
S o, w h e n w e fe e l i t c o m i n g
up , w e m u s t t h i n k a bo u t w h a t
we a r e a bo u t t o d o , a n d w h a t
ef f ec t i t w i l l h a v e o n u s a n d o n
t h os e a r o u n d u s . Th a t i s m a naging our temper and using its
energy in a positive way.
S ucce s s fu l p e o p l e u s u a l l y h a v e
high tempers, but they have
le ar n e d to th i nk b e f o r e th e y r e a c t .
That is why they become
f a m o u s a n d a r e kn o w n a s w i s e
men . C o n t r o l l i n g o u r t e m p e r
b ui l d s c h a r a c t e r a n d c r e d i bi l i t y . S o , h o w c a n w e m a n a ge o u r
exp l o s i v e t e m p e r s ? C o n s i d e r
t h e f o l l o w i n g:
1. A l w a y s b e a w a r e
p ot e n t i a l d a n ge r .
of

Discussion:
Has your temper ever cost you
something? What was the
price?
Do you value your temper?
its
2 . Alw a ys c o n s i d e r t h e c o s t o f
y ou r r e a c t i o n s .
3 . S ee t h e v a l u e o f yo u r t e m p er , a n d m a ke go o d u s e o f
t h e e n e r gy.
4. R e l e a s e t h e e x c e s s e n e r g y
through competitive sports
or
exercise
programs.
Burning up calories calms
do w n o u r a n ge r .
Al l go o d m e n kn o w w h a t i t
i s t o h a v e a t e m p e r , bu t t h e y
a l s o kn o w h o w t o d i s c i p l i n e i t .
Even p l a n t s , t r e e s a n d fl o w e r s
h a ve t o h a v e t h e i r w i l d gr o w t h
( t em p e r ) t r i m m e d i n o r d e r t o
b ea r fr u i t . A n yt h i n g t h a t h a s
va l ue n e e d s t o be m a n a ge d a n d
controlled, otherwise, it will
l os e i t s v a l u e .
S o, be t h a n kfu l fo r yo u r t e m p er. D o n t l e t i t h e a t u p t o o
fast or you will burn those

around you.
S-L-O-W
it
d o w n . U s e t h e he at to w arm
the cold hearts around you,
a n d yo u w i l l beco m e k no w n as
a w i s e m a n , i n co ntro l o f y o urs e l f.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder
Temper is a gift, only if

we dont have to say
Im sorry.
www.lared.org
SG - 9
rev. 09.2003
Forgiveness
Iniquity is atoned for by mercy and truth. Evil is avoided by reverence for God. Proverbs 16:6
principle.
To atone means to pay for the iniquity, the evil, or wrong we have
done. The payment (atonement)
makes restitution and restores us to
our former state. The end result is
forgiveness. The principle of forgiveness is probably one of the most
rewarding principles we can experience in life, because it has a major
effect on our health and well being as
a person. It will also affect our business dealings, as well as our relationships with others in general.
In order to experience forgiveness,
we need to understand why we
should accept and receive forgiveness from God. We must first recognize that God is holy and just, and
wants us to practice righteousness
with each other, derived from His
laws. He made the true rules of life
and living. These rules are called
Truth. They cannot be broken without penalties. They are like the law
of gravity. We cannot change its
rules, but must learn to live by them.
Likewise, Gods law is just, and punishment must follow its violation;
otherwise, Gods Word could not be
trusted. However, unlike gravity
where punishment follows immediately after violationmercy and forgiveness are available for us while
we are in the process of learning the
spiritual rules of life, giving us second chances. Gods attitude is that
all people are my creation. He
loves everyone, good and bad. The
difference is that the righteous have
discovered what makes life work,
while others have not.
God knew that we would fall short

of His law of righteousness, so He
provided a law of atonement. He
calls this forgiveness. If we dont
understand or receive forgiveness,
then we are under the penalty and
punishment of Gods system of justice. Jesus did not come to destroy or
take away Gods law of justice, but to
teach us principles of love and
mercy, tempered with justice. He
offers forgiveness for those who
receive Him. Law without mercy
makes life hard and tough. It brings
on constant guilt and anger which
destroys our health and relationships. Without experiencing forgiveness we develop a bad attitude about
people and life in general, putting
ourselves in a negative, defensive
mode toward life.
glad and walk as children of light.

Jesus is more than the way. He is
also the truth and the life. He is just,
but also has offered us mercy and
forgiveness while we are in the
process of learning to live under the
just rules of His Kingdom.
Discussion:
How easy is it for you to forgive
others who harm you?
Can you forgive yourself for the
bad mistakes in your life?
Beware of these two attitudes:
What does it mean to be

atoned for?
1) The strict law attitude: this creates

rebellion in kids, workers or a society. They feel like they can never
be good enough, so why try.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
2) The attitude of looseness: this leaves

them with no goals or parameters
to live by which creates an irresponsible attitude with kids, workers, and a society who then feel
they can get away with anything.
We must remember that God
made the rules. He cannot change
the law of justice because His righteousness is always right. He has,
however, made another law that
brings relief to the pain and agony of
life. If we receive and understand
the principle of forgiveness we will
receive
atonement
(payment).
Atonement is simply forgiveness for
our failures, so we can get up and
start again, so we can prosper and be

your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Forgiveness is a gift of high value
and is common amongst the
humble.
www.lared.org
SG - 10
rev. 09.2003
The Productivity Principle of
Ambition
A wise youth makes hay while the sun shines, but what a shame to
see a lad who sleeps away his hour of opportunity. Proverbs 10:5
principle.
One of the first character traits of a
successful person is their endless
ambition. They are usually known as
hard workers, always concerned about
getting things done. Because of their
ambition, they see many opportunities
and are always trying to make hay
while the sun shines. They know that
the sun will not always shine for them,
so they take advantage of opportunities
while
they
are
available.
Ambitious people will not sleep away
their best time. They will get up in the
morning and start their day with a
good attitude and prayer. There are
three ways to energize a person:
1. Find and press their hot button.
2. Talk about their potential.
3. Reward their achievement.
Energy always follows vision and purpose and it seems endless when it is for
personal gain or achievement. This
environment creates opportunity, and
opportunities are always plentiful
when driven by purpose.
However, opportunity is only seen
by people who have high energy.
Therefore a wise youth makes hay
while the sun shines, which tells us
that he was already planning to make
the hay. He was already an energized
worker, a planner, and full of ambition. He was only waiting for the
weather, sunshine or opportunity.
Opportunities dont necessarily
come our way; we create them. No one
will offer an opportunity to a lazy or
unproductive person because they
know he wont jump on it. Favors are
usually earned. Its hard to favor a

person who we know will not take
advantage of the favor. In sports, we
hear players say as an excuse, The
ball didnt bounce our way. But others will go after the ball and make sure
they will be where its going to bounce.
They create the opportunities by pursuing the ball. Some will say you were
lucky, but others will say, The more I
practice and the harder I work, the
luckier I will get.
when we waste (sleep) the time away, we

feel worthless. So plan to work hard and
get things done. It will pay you great dividends, which will be greater opportunities
and you will have energy and ambition to
achieve your goals.

So, opportunities follow the hardworking, ambitious, responsible people that have a positive attitude. They
know that things dont just happen, so
they are out to make them happen.
They go after the ball. They also know
the value of planning and working the
plan. They are wise and know time is
limited and must be managed wisely.
An old saying goes, If you want to get
things done, ask the person who is
already too busy.
Discussion:
Ambitious people have a productive

thought pattern and see opportunities.
They discover them. Their hard-working, productive attitude creates a need
within them to plan and organize. In
order to seize the moment of opportunity,
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
1. We must plan our work.

2. We must limit or budget our time.
3. We must constantly re-evaluate ourselves and our goals.
By doing this, they find better ways,
greater possibilities and bigger opportunities. And they wont sleep away their
hour of opportunity. Work, to them, is considered an opportunity and is always availablethere are always things to do for
those who want to do something. This
spells opportunity for the ambitious ones.
Productive days make us feel good, but
Is it OK to be ambitious? Why?
Why does God guard success
and power with problems?
Are opportunities earned or are
they favors?

your rating?
T ho u g ht s t o P on d e r :
The secret of getting energized is to have a goal you
want to achieve.
www.lared.org
P-1
rev. 09.2003
Dependability
God delights in those who keep their promises, and

abhors those who dont. Proverbs 12:22
principle.
value our time as well as the time of oth-
those around us. The next time you go
ers.
This creates value in ourselves
to a meeting, see how you rate in punc-
because others will consider us respon-
tuality on a scale of one to ten. It may be
sible, trustworthy, and dependable.
very enlightening to yourself, but it
Our lives and businesses are built
One of the most visible character
around things that are stable and
flaws is the inability to be somewhere
dependable. We depend on the stable
on time, or not show up at all.
laws of physicssuch as gravity and
Tardiness, or not being punctual, is cost-
the timing of the solar system. These
ly because it affects our reputation. We
laws are fixed, and we can plan our lives
become known for arriving late and
around them. We also depend on man-
being undependable. Somehow we can
made
technology.
always find an excuse, and may even lie
Equipment and systems that are not
to cover up, which adds to the flaw.
dependable are replaced.
This also
Others blame it on their culture, but that
applies to us as individuals: if we are
doesnt make it right. If we dont take
not dependable or punctual we may be
the responsibility for our personal
replaced by someone who is. Successful
promptness, others will treat us the
business people usually have a reputa-
same, and valuable time will be lost by
tion of:
sitting around waiting for each other.
1. Being prompt and making good
Tardiness is a habita bad one. We
equipment
and
use of their time.

2. They keep their word, and expect
others to do the same.
3. They are stable and predictable.
They call this being dependable.
For a business person, management
of resources is considered a key to profitability. We know we need natural and
could be what others have noticed all

along.
Discussion:
If someone would ask 10 of
your friends or associates about
your dependability, what would
they say?
What reactions do you have
when someone is late?
wont overcome this bad habit until we

see how it hurts us. Some will justify
tardiness as a part of being busy, but if
we are late on the job, late on delivery,
and late for appointments, sooner or
later we wont have a job, a delivery, or
an appointment.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
Don't make an
appointment if you are not planning to

be there on time.

your rating?
financial resources, but it is also very
If we overcome this flaw, we gain a
important that we value people and
valuable asset which makes people
Thoughts to Ponder:
their punctuality as a resource. In order
believe in us. They will say, He is
to do this, we must first recognize time
responsible and a man of his word. He
as a valuable resource. We should con-
is dependable and predictable. You can
He who is dependable is like

the sun. It is there even when
the storm is raging.
sider time as one of the most valuable
count on him.
commodities ever given to mankind.

You cannot do anything without it. A
minute wasted is a minute lost forever.
When we are punctual, it shows we
Dependability is a powerful character trait that brings many other great

attributes with it. God will delight in us
if we keep our promises, and so will

www.lared.org
P-2
rev. 09.2003
Goals
We should make plans counting on God to direct us. Proverbs 16:9

principle.
Planning can be a goal in itself, but
goals are primarily long or short-term
strategies set within a plan. The plan
is the big picture of our objectives
and short term goals are like points
along the way in the strategies of how
to get there. Whatever we do in life
should be done based on a goal. If we
dont have a goal, then we dont have
direction for our lives, and we will
become a part of someone elses plan.
We must understand that things
dont just happen. We can dream of
possibilities and the future, but it will
not happen unless we design a plan
with weekly or monthly goals on how
to achieve them. We should always
work from a daily planner or some
written list of things to do for the
week. This will give us an exciting
life and future, because we are going
somewhere by getting things done.
Without planning and setting goals,
we just respond to situations as they
come up, which gives us a feeling that
life is full of nothing but situations.
Getting somewhere in life starts
by
1. Knowing where we are (awareness).
2. Knowing what we want (a goal).
3. Having a plan for how to get there
(a strategy).
The majority of our lives can turn
out to be what we want it to be, if we
have a goal and keep working on our
plan. When we plan our activities
and reach the goals we set for ourselves, we get a great feeling of satisfaction. We will have become achievers. We should ask ourselves: The
things Im doing this week, are they
things I planned as a part of my personal goal, or things that were
planned for the benefit of someone
else?
We must all respond and participate in the ideas and dreams of others. But, if we want to reach the
desires of our lives, we must also
have ideas and dreams of our own
and start planning on how we will
bring them into reality. Yes, we
should have goals and make plans,
but count on God to direct us.
Of course, we must always ask God

to bless our plans. If that seems difficult, perhaps we should change them.
If our plans cannot be blessed by God,
then we are building on sand. And
even if we achieve them, we will not be
happy very long.
In order to have our dreams come

true, we need to do these four things:

1. Write out our dreams (clarity).

2. Write out what it will cost (evaluation).
3. Write out our goals and strategies
(plan).
4. Review them regularly (focus).
There is a law in life that, we
attract that which we give attention
to. So, always carry a pen and paper
with you to write down thoughts that
contribute to your goals and after
awhile youll see a plan develop to
accomplish them. Writing out our
dreams and goals will do two things
for us: First, we will find out if we
really have a dream or if it is just
wishful thinking. Second, we will
discover the cost of the dream. Jesus
said that before we build, we should
consider the cost such as time, effort,
and money. Building dreams always
costs us something. The price and
sacrifices needed to achieve the
dream may be more than we want to
pay. So we can either forsake the
dream or adjust the goals. Its very
important to constantly review our
goals. This keeps us focused and
develops a mindset to achieve.
Certain goals must be set within
our overall plan so we can measure
the progression of the plan. Without
goals our dream will seem out of
reach. But if we have a good plan
with goal posts along the way, we can
focus on the goal which is short-term,
rather than the 5 or 10-year plan
which will seem too far away and
hopeless, causing us to lose interest.
Discussion:
Are most of your current goals,
those youve set for yourself or
those set by others?
When was the last time you
wrote out a dream or goal you
wanted to accomplish?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
The person who aims at nothing
is sure to hit it.

www.lared.org
P-3
rev. 09.2003
Hard Work
Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed.

Proverbs 12:24
principle.
Work. . . It is almost a bad

word anymore. Nowadays we
want to have everything handed
to us. Being a hard worker is one
of the finest qualities we will find
in a person. It is what brings success to our lives, our communities
and nation. Good, hard workers
are always concerned about quantity and quality production. They
become valuable to any organization or company, because they are
productive. The Proverb says,
Work hard and become a
leader... Heres why:
The hard workers mind is on
getting things done. When they
are working, they see other things
that need to be done, and do those
jobs as well. Since they are production oriented, they become creative. They look for work and
ways to get it done better and
faster. This will get the hard
workers a promotion, and before
long, they will be in leadership.
Good work ethics are among
the qualities and values that will
make any nation great; but in our
world today sometimes we are not
even allowed to help each other
get the job done. Some will tell us,
Its not our responsibility. They
promise to get us more for doing
less. Now we want to work less
and make morehave shorter
hours, more benefits, longer vacations, more holidays. We want

less sweat, but more money. What
a tragedy. It is no wonder we get
in trouble. We have lost one of our
greatest assets, the desire to
work. Why is it that when we
find a job, we quit looking for
work? Our welfare and support
systems have made some of us
dependent and lazy. These support systems were created to help
people for a short term, not to
depend on them for a living.
There are three benefits that
we will get for being a hard worker:
1. Security: because we will put
our trust in God and our developed abilities, not in government programs.
perform others, do what others

wont do and you will not only
become a leader, but also a rare
species and in demand. If you
want a good future, be a hard
worker.
Discussion:
Do you love to go to work and
take responsibility?
Do you earn your wage or are
you trusting in something else?
What?
In your life, what do you consider to be hard work?
2. Wealth: because we keep

increasing our value and wage.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
3. Happiness: because we know

we have earned our position in
life and experience fulfillment.

There is a law in life: Anything

that doesnt work is either fixed or
thrown away. This law holds true
for people as well. If we dont
workor wont workwe are
discarded and rejected. Jesus said,
If the salt has lost its flavor (or
value), it becomes good for nothing and will be cast out and rejected. We are to create value in
order to be accepted. We have a
great opportunity in our world
today. Be a hard worker, out-

your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Work is an opportunity given by
God and is always available,
even when jobs are not.
www.lared.org
P-4
rev. 09.2003
Productivity
An empty stable stays clean, but there is no income from any

empty stable. Proverbs 14:4
principle.
The root word of productivity is
productive or fertile. It is the
result of an activity. To be fertile is
to be able to produce or to reproduce. We say, Good land is fertile
land, meaning it is valuable
because it has ability to produce.
If managed right, it can make us
wealthy by giving us income from
the activity that we manage on it.
Like an empty stable that stays
clean, so no activity produces no
income. Land without managed
activity cannot make us wealthy.
It is the activity or productivity of
the land that produces the income.
Just like land has ability to produce, so God said, I have given
you the power to create wealth.
He did not give us wealth, but
gave us the ability to create or get
it. The key to getting it is activity
or productivity. The first command ever given to man was to be
fruitful and multiply (produce
and reproduce). God created all
things, then gave them to man to
manage. The outcome of what God
created, or gave us, is in our hands.
A banker once visited a farmer,
one of his clients. As he drove
along the white fences, well-kept
buildings, and flowered, well-manicured lawn, he was amazed at the
beauty of it. He commented to the
farmer, God has given you the
most beautiful farm in this valley.
The farmer looked at his fields and
thought of the hard work and
effort it took, and replied, Yeah!
He sure has. But you should have
seen it when He had it by
Himself. See, the potential was in

the land and the farmer. But it
took the productiveness of the
farmer to bring it to wealth.
In every man or woman there is
a potential home, farm or business.
It is up to us to produce it and
manage it. God has given us the
ability and the energy, and supplied us with resources. If we fail,
it is not His fault. In most cases,
its the lack of productivity. There
are three things very important to
every one of us if we want to be
successful:
1. Be productive: earn your way
through life.
Being productive may not seem to

be in style, and it may seem unorganized at times, but it still works
best for the bottom line. Thank
God for work horses messing up
the stablethey generate income.

Discussion:
Have you kept your position in
life by being productive?
2. Manage what you produce: take

care of it and maintain it.
Do you consider yourself a producer or a consumer?
3. Do it efficiently: measure your

quantity and quality.
Do you have a tendency to be

overly organized or productively messy?
The key to effectiveness is to

manage hard work and productivity on one side, with control and
stewardship on the other side. We
should never stand back and be
satisfied with just being organized.
Organization without productivity
equals failure. Many times production is made up of managing
messes. We should see beauty in
a certain amount of disorganizationit may be a sign of someone
working. Building creates sawdust
and dirt. A clean stable has no
horses. We cannot be productive
without having some type of disorder.
Many big corporations are learning some hard facts: too many
unproductive, organized chiefs
(clean stables) spend most of their
time enjoying their benefit programs, and are not being productive. Thats why we downsize.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Success comes when we
fall in love with the work it
takes to fulfill our dreams.
www.lared.org
P-5
rev. 09.2003
Common Sense
Any enterprise...becomes strong through common sense.

Proverbs 24:3
principle.
Common sense is not so common
anymore. If we can understand its
value and apply it as a part of our
lives, we will have learned a lot. Life
is not meant to be complicated. It is
only when we get away from common
sense that we lose ourselves in confusion. Common sense is sound logic,
practical reasoning or simple equations. The end result of common
sense is practical wisdom. The prodigal son wandered away from common sense until he was eating with
the pigs. He finally came back to his
senses (common sense) and went
home to where he belonged.
Sometimes we get so educated that
we cant even think in a practical
way. Common sense is the ability to
reason out problems and find practical and sensible ways to overcome
them. Education may not necessarily
give us that. We must have education, but without common sense
(practical reasoning) it loses much of
its value. We should always have our
dreams and goals, but we must
always blend them in with common
sense so they will come true.
Otherwise, they will only remain
dreams.
Common sense is familiar areas or
things common to us; therefore it may
vary in people. Many times we are
taught how to do things in a certain
way. This way becomes common to
us, until someone finds a more simple
and better way of doing it. Common
sense would then teach us, Lets
change our ways.
Likewise, a
nations culture may tolerate bribes,
lying and cheating. Common sense,
however, would tell us not to do it
because it is morally wrong and will
hurt us as individuals as well as our

societies. So, common sense may also
become habit or tradition to us, which
can stifle our personal growth and
keep us bound by tradition.
Sometimes our religious beliefs will
stand in the way of progress, because
we refuse to follow truth or common
sense.
The opposite of common sense
would be stupidity or being dense.
How many times have you heard
someone say, I was stupid, which
could mean he was out of touch with
reality? If we follow that which we
know is right, it is usually common
sense, because Proverbs says, A man
who steers away from common sense
will end up dead (Proverbs 21:16).
Our plans can be so rigid that we forget to listen to our heart, which is
normally suggesting the use of common sense. We must remember that
our minds can get so pumped up that
we get on a high and get out of touch
with ourselves and reality and do stupid things. God gave us the ability to
reason, but He also reminds us to stay
in touch with our common sense.
Plans without the virtue of common
sense are like laws without mercy, no
second chances, or life without forgiveness. No family, business or
nation can survive without this virtue
as a part of their planned strategies.
Common sense will suggest change or
adjustment as you proceed. It is
Gods way of balancing our plans
with His, and keeping us from failing.
Common sense will give us:
1. A practical mind and good logic.
2. An open mind.
Through lifes experiences, we calculate and observe things.
This
should create common sense in us
sometimes called the gut feeling.
We need to be sensitive to those feelings. They may not always be right,
but it may be a warning that we are

entering an unfamiliar area. We then
operate in this area either in faith or in
fear. Its in these moments when we
must call on common sense to speak to
us and protect us as we walk through
the minefields of life.
Discussion:
common sense and education?
Share a situation where you
applied common sense. What
were the results?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
We were all born with our eyes
closed and our mouth open, and
it takes a lifetime to reverse it.
www.lared.org
P-6
rev. 09.2003
Direction
Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand

everything that happens along the way? Proverbs 20:24

principle.
Direction is primarily for those
who want to go somewhere. We all
get somewhere, some unintentionally
and others with a planned strategy.
Either way, we should ask ourselves:
Is God directing our steps, or are we
on our own way? The question is:
How can we know that God is directing our steps? First, we must be honest with ourselves and do what we
know we should. An honest heart is
always looking for, and responding
to, truth. This honesty in our hearts
creates an environment where God
can influence us through our conscience or through friends who walk
with God.
There are three benefits we get by
allowing God to direct our steps:
1. A positive walk: Gods ordered
steps are proven, for He is the way.
2. A faith walk: we do not have to
understand everything because we
know our end.
3. A walk in gladness: we know
where we are going and what we
are doing.
It is easy to walk with God if we
know that He is directing our path.
Walking with God comes from doing
things that we know are pleasing to
Him. We dont have to understand
everything that happens, but we will
always have to do what we know is
right. Doing wrong kills our faith
and brings guilt. Guilt will destroy
not only our businesses, but also our
lives, because we lose direction and
doubt ourselves. It makes us run
from our problems, and eventually
become ashamed of ourselves. But
when we do what we know is right,
we feel good about ourselves and

towards God.
We feel free and
unashamed and fearless of whom we
might run into because the righteous
are bold as a lion. Not everything
we do may work, but we know that
by doing right and walking in steps
ordered by God, we will win in the
end. Since we know that we are
going to overcome, we dont get discouraged. If we keep walking in His
ways, believing and trying to do what
we know is right, eventually we will
achieve our goals.
Its difficult to accept directions
from someone who we dont know or
has no previous track record. But the
more we learn about God and His
ways, the more we will trust in His
direction, because he has a history of
directing people and making heroes
who win in the game of life. It is
always important to try to understand why things are the way they
are. But there is also a time when we
need to put our trust in God and keep
on going. Even if we dont understand everything, we can walk by
faith for awhile.
Only things that move need steering. If we dont believe that God is
directing us, we need to re-evaluate
our actions and intents, because faith
and trust come from listening to
what truth is speaking to our hearts.
If our hearts condemn us, it is
because we know we are doing something we shouldnt be doing. When
God speaks to our hearts, we should
follow itthis will determine Gods
level of trust in us. He has lots of
good things for us, such as life, liberty and prosperity, if we allow Him to
direct our steps.
Practice doing what you know is
right for one week. You will be
amazed at how much you will sense
the Lord directing your steps, and
you wont insist on understanding

everythingbecause the Lord directs
the steps of a good man! Not accepting Gods direction is like saying that
we are smarter than He is. Only the
fool says, There is no God.

Discussion:
Describe a situation where you
know the Lord was directing
your steps. How did you
know?
Have you had times of faith
without evidence?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
You dont become great by
being mentored by a bad
instructor.
www.lared.org
P-7
rev. 09.2003
Effective Planning
Any enterprise is built by wise planning. Proverbs 24:3

principle.
There are different views on how
we should or should not plan our
lives. There are some who quote
the scripture, Take no thought of
tomorrow, believing it means not
to plan anything. This view is held
by many believers.
Others, of
course, differ. But consider that
Jesus, who spoke these words, came
to our world on a planned mission
which was designed by God with
goals and appointed times. This
leads us to believe that we should
also plan our lives. My personal
belief is that we should live our
lives as though we may die tomorrow, yet plan as though we may live
to be a hundred. Very few things
are ever achieved without a vision
of the future and a plan of how to
bring it into existence. Ninety percent of our life can turn out to be as
we envision it with good planning.
Without a plan, we merely respond
to situations as they come along.
We will either have a plan for our
lives, or we will become part of
someone elses plan.
Wise planning will save us from
lots of problems in every aspect of
life, making it more orderly and
meaningful. For our plan to be successful, it must contain three elements:
1. We must have a vision.
2. It must spell out our mission.
3. We must have a strategy of how
we are planning to achieve it.
People must have vision in order
to be happythis becomes our mission and purpose. Our mission will
then demand a plan with specific

goals.
One of the most important parts
of our lives is to experience
achievement. All good plans have
short and long-term goals which
have time allocations and achievement dates. This way, we can measure our progress. This becomes a
game plan with responsibilities
and rules to follow.
The plan
becomes the rules of the game.
Imagine playing basketball without
a hoop, or baseball without bases.
We could never decide whether we
are winning or losing, or know
whether we are performing well or
poorly. There is no way to measure
our progress if there are no plans
and goals for the game. It is hard to
enjoy a vacation without a wise,
realistic plan of where we are going
and how much it will cost. The
plan is what causes the excitement.
The plan will show us how and
when to get there, and what we are
going to do while we are there. Our
entire lives need to be planned
wisely. This makes life interesting.
If we want to succeed and have
Gods blessing, our plan should
have these four concerns:
1. Is it achievable?
2. Is it maintainable after it is
achieved?
3. What effect will it have on our
family and friends?
4. What will I become in the end
result?
Not everything we plan will
work out, but at least we can measure according to our plan and then
readjust wisely. God wants us to
plan our lives. He will bless our
plan when we seek Him for guidance. That is planning wisely. We
must make sure we build (plan our

lives) on a set of values which will
produce good character while we
are in the process of achieving it, or
we may become a failure rather
than a success.

Discussion:
What do you want to become?
How do you plan to get there?
Are your goals connected with
your plan?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
You can travel any road and get
somewhere, but if you know
where you want to go, you
must plan which roads to take.
www.lared.org
P-8
rev. 09.2003
Facts
Any enterprise...profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the

facts. Proverbs 24:3-4
principle.
I have the facts. . . what a powerful statement. Facts should not be
ignored, because facts mean the
state of things as they really are, or
reality. We all need to rely on honest reports. We cannot plan effectively or function properly without
knowing at least some facts. No
one, except our heavenly Father,
knows all the facts. No one ever
started a family, business, or organization by knowing all the facts.
It is, however, very important that
we get as many facts as possible
before we do too much planning.
Too many assumptions in our plans
will cause us to fail. After we have
accumulated sufficient facts, we
have a right to assume a few things.
We should, however, understand
that more facts will come our way,
and be ready to make the necessary
adjustments to our plans.
Sometimes we confuse the word
truth with facts. Although facts are
based on certain truths, we may
have the facts but may not necessarily have all the truth. So when
someone presents us facts, we need
to be careful, because these facts
may not give us the whole truth or
the whole picture. Sometimes sales
people will get us focused on certain facts about their product to
make the sale, and later we become
unhappy about the overall value of
the product. Certain facts may be
used to deceive us. So truth is the
accumulation of all the facts, rather
than certain facts. However, facts
should never be ignored, for they do
lead us to truth.
The Proverb above says that

staying abreast of the facts is the
way to build our business. Facts
will help us make wonderful profits. Therefore, weekly fact sheets
are very important in our business.
These facts should be recaps of
things that happened, such as sales
for the week, labor cost, and production efficiency. Every business
or household should know every
week whether they are doing well
or poorly, and what progress they
are making. Bad news can turn out
to be good news because it gives us
a chance to make a change for the
better. These facts, good or bad,
should be visible to us every day,
to confront us, force change, and let
us know our situation so we can
make adjustments. If we dont
have the facts, we may be failing
and not know it until its too late to
recover.
Right now the world and its
economies are changing. To ignore
these facts and refuse to adjust
brings disaster. The Soviet Union
ignored the facts, and their nation
crumbled. Other nations are also
ignoring the facts. Heavy national
debts, mismanaged economics, and
moral deterioration are facts which
cannot be ignored without penalty.
Some of these nations should have
faced these facts thirty years ago.
Failure does not just happen
overnight; it comes from ignoring
the facts over time. There are three
things that will always cause disaster for us:
They are there to help you, not to

hurt you. Dont be like the man
who said, I have already made up
my mind, so dont confuse me with
the facts.

Discussion:
How do you measure your
weekly productivity value?
Why would we want to ignore
or avoid the facts?
Have you ever been deceived
because you had certain facts
but not the whole truth?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Facts do not cease to exist
because they are ignored.
1. Ignorance (unaware).
2. Not paying attention to the facts.
3. A stubborn heart that refuses to
change.

www.lared.org
Make sure you face the facts.
P-9
rev. 09.2003
Responsibility
A faithful employee is as refreshing as a cool day in the hot summer

time. Proverbs 25:13
principle.
A faithful employee is a responsible person. To be responsible is to
give account or to be dependable.
No wonder Solomon said this kind of
person is as refreshing as a cool day
in the hot summer time. A responsible person is one who can be trusted. These kinds of people are hard
to find, but when we find them we
will notice that they have a different
motivation than the average person.
They have two motivating factors
that spring from their character that
makes them responsible.
The first motivator is out of
responsibility. It takes high-quality people to be motivated purely out
of responsibility. Because they want
to be trusted, they are willing to
prove themselves, and they will
stand up as pillars on issues. Many
times these people receive no benefits in this, and it may even put their
reputations on the line. These people are driven by certain ethics and
principles that they will fight for, in
spite of loss or lack of personal gain.
This is a pure motivation. For example, abortion is an issue that may
not affect us or our family, but we
may fight against it and be willing to
risk our friendships or reputation
without any personal benefits. This
constitutes character ethics and
means people are principle-driven.
These individuals are fixedthey
have a firm constitution that they
live by. We call them men and
women of valor, meaning people of
value. They can be placed anywhere
in our businesses or political arena.
They are responsible and can be
trusted and are willing to risk their
reputation. They take pride in being
strong and they dont care if they are

different. They carry the nature of a
prophet with eyes fixed on who they
are and what mission they are on.
They live in a world of faithfully
serving others and building their
name and legacy.
The second motivator is the feeling of achievement. This is also a
high-quality motivation, and again
there are no particular benefits
gained by these people. For example, someone who is a millionaire
several times over and has all he will
ever need could go fishing or travel
for the rest of his life. Instead, he
keeps on doing business and working every dayhe may even venture
out into new things and keep on
going. Some will say he is greedy.
He may be, but it is possible that he
simply enjoys being responsible and
likes to be an achiever. This person
may do what others say cant be
done, simply for the sake of accomplishing it.
Being responsible is more than
making a commitment. It is a true
calling or value-based belief birthed
in a person. Its a desire or an inner
force that holds them accountable to
themselves. They do things for the
sake of getting them done or for the
enjoyment of seeing them done. This
makes them true servants. Jesus was
a true servant. He had nothing to
gain for Himself. He gave up His
reputation to build His name. He
was humiliated and rejected to gain
our trust. He was truly and purely
motivated from within. He saw
what we were, and took the responsibility of making sure we got the
opportunity of being what we could
be. It cost Him something, but He
now has earned the greatest name
ever in the history of mankind, and
also in the world to come. He was
truly motivated from within. The
Father sent Him on a mission

because He knew that He was
responsible and could be trusted. He
was and still is as refreshing as a
cool day in the hot summer time.
We, too, will be chosen and sent on a
mission when we are responsible.
Discussion:
Do you consider yourself a
responsible person?
If yes, why?
In which of your current responsibilities do you feel truly called
by God?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
The people who make a difference are not those with the credentials, but those who are
responsible.
www.lared.org
P - 10
rev. 09.2003
The Management Principle of
Ownership
Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the
lender. Proverbs 22:7
principle.
How many times have we heard the
statement, I want to have my own business so I can be my own boss. That
sounds good, but then people get into
business only to find out that they are
not really the boss...that is, if they want
to be successful. In order to be in business and be successful, there are usually
four bosses to answer to
1. Government: Uncle Sam will be regulating your business, and letting you
know who is the boss. If you work
hard and do well, he will watch over
you even more diligently, imposing
restrictions on you. He may not
always be right, but he will always be
there to regulate you.
2. Customers: They will dictate what
you do, how you service them, and
will make sure you do it with a smile,
that is, if you are going to be successful.
3. Your bank or lender: Since the borrower is a servant to the lender, you
will be honest and kind to him or he
will cut off your credit. He will not
have mercy on you if you miss a payment.
4. Your Employees: They determine a
measure of your failure or success.
They are not slaves, you will treat
them right, or you will not have them.
So, having your own business is not
necessarily about being your own boss,
because business is serving people and
their needs.
Ownership, however, does have
many good things to offer if we will pay

the price. There are various reasons why
we want ownership. For instance, it may
be a God-given desire. For God said, I
have given you [mankind] dominion
over everything; you are to be fruitful
[develop] and rule [subdue] the earth
(Genesis 1:28). We are made with the
instinct to rule and to conquer. Man was
made for the earth. It is like God created
a business and made man to manage it.
By giving man ownership for things he
develops, he gains incentive to manage
well. We are made in Gods image and
His likeness, and our style should be like
His. Business is not always easy, as we
employ and compete with others. This
can cause conflicts and frustrations. So it
is important to service each other and
establish arenas and jurisdictions for
ourselves and our businesses. We must
always consider our fellowman, for he
also wants to rule.
Godly business people enjoy the
responsibility that comes with ownership. They like it, and they are fulfilled
and enjoy going to work. They are called
into business by God, just as pastors are
called into the ministry. They are tireless, full of energy, with a productive
attitude. They are not afraid of problems, and take risks. They consider God
as their partner, who gave them talents,
and are out to increase the value of the
gift God gave them (Matthew 25:15).
This makes ownership fulfilling. The
end result of their labor is wealth.
Business people are like Solomon who
chose wisdom to manage (rule). As he
became wise, he also received riches,
honor and fame. Be careful, because
stepping into ownership demands
responsibilities, and there are many who
do not accept this view of business own-
ership. They are greedy and money-driven with no mercy for others. They will
lie, cheat and steal to get what they want.
But if we do business for the right reason, it can be very rewarding. It was so
designed by God.
Discussion:
Life cannot be complete without
ownership. Can you explain
why?
Everyone is an owner of something. Explain why you value
the things you own.
What benefits does ownership
give you?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
The difference between the rich
and the poor is how they manage their lives.
www.lared.org
M-1
rev. 09.2003
Honesty
Lies will get any man into trouble, but honesty is its own
defense. Proverbs 12:13
We would practice do unto others as we

would have them do unto us.

principle.
6) Many attorneys would have to look for

other work because our word would be
our bond for most transactions.
Webster defines honesty as fair and

truthful, and being free from deceit.
Basically, that describes a person who will
not lie, cheat, or steal. This includes
manipulation or misleading statements
with the intent to deceive. That is why the
Proverb says, lies will get us in trouble.
The first lie was truth spoken with the
intent to deceive (Gen. 3:4-5). Honesty is
not just truth but truthfulness, which
includes the intent of that truth. That is
why Webster says honesty is genuine,
frank and open; open meaning transparent.
7) Taxes could be 10% flat, the Bible standard.
Honesty is the core value of character.

It is the stabilizer or governor of the soul.
It is its own defense. We cannot separate truth and honesty from God.
Honesty is more than truth; it deals with
motives and intents. It is a voice within us
that suggests truth before we lie. Our
founders understood this when they
formed our constitution. Swearing under
oath meant to tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth. They
knew that honesty was more than truth; it
meant the whole truth of the matter.
Honesty is probably the greatest of all
human values. Honesty gives us great
personal benefits and even greater community and national rewards.
Lets take a look at what a society
would be like if everyone were honest:
1) We would not need to lock our doors or
have walls or fences around our businesses.
2) Our police force would diminish
because most of our crime comes from
lying, stealing and cheating.
3) Our divorce rate would decrease
because we would solve our problems by
not cheating.
4) Illegal drugs could be abolished and
crime would almost be unheard of.
5) Security guards could be eliminated.
8) Businesses could run with less management because employees would be honest
about their jobs.
There are many other benefits that such
an open society would produce, which is
what freedom is all about. It would be life
in the right form. Yes, there would be
room for different opinions and arguments, and laws would have to be there
for the ignorant and arrogant. There
would be violations of law, but they
would not be from evil intentions or to
deceive. We would still have misunderstandings and make mistakes, but not
intentionally. We would do our best and
take responsibility for the rest.
Part of the reason governments dont
mind some evil and corruption is because
the management of sin is good for the
economy. To them crime creates work for
the attorneys, courts, locksmiths, surveillance systems, security guards, and a ton
of other things. To some this is an opportunity to create jobs and to raise taxes to
fight crime. There will always be some
corruption, but too much of it will eventually reduce our economy down to third
world levels.
authority. They must see and experience

the value of honesty for themselves.
Perhaps we should also practice Proverbs
25:5, When you remove corrupt men
from the Kings court, His reign will be
just and fair. Honesty is of God; it is the
right way to build a righteous and fair
society.
Discussion:
Which of the seven aspects of
an honest society appeals to
you the most?
What can you personally do to
help your community promote
the value of honesty ?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
Isnt it interesting that we can put a

man on the moon and win world wars,
but we cant stop dishonesty. It all comes
back to honesty starting from the top. If
we were to start spending tax dollars to
educate our society on the value of honesty and enforce the law with quick, stiff
penalties for dishonesty, we could create a
manageable society with a 10% flat tax
and have money left over for infrastructures.
Maybe we should consider
Proverbs 20:30: Punishment that hurts
chases evil from the heart.

your rating?
In order to create an honest society we

must start at home, teaching our children
to be honest and to respect law and
www.lared.org
Thoughts to Ponder:
Corruption is a fatal disease
that can be cured only by
honesty.
M-2
rev. 09.2003
Humility
A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful,

but if he confesses and forsakes them he will get another chance.
Proverbs 28:13
principle.
Humility is an awareness of our continual need for growth, not thinking of ourselves
more highly than we ought to, and having a
proper respect for the contributions that
others have made to our success. It is not
always easy to be humble, to say, "I made a
mistake" or "I'm wrong." We all like to be
right because it makes us feel good and
accepted. It boosts our ego and self-worth.
As good and right as we may be or want to
be, we all fall short and make mistakes.
Since life is a learning experience, we must
learn how to handle these difficulties.
If we refuse to admit our mistakes or
wrongdoing, we stop the growth and
progress in our lives. The Proverb says,
we'll "...never be successful." There is a right
way and a wrong way to deal with a fault or
mistake. Our judicial system says, "Don't
admit or say anything, because it may be
held against you in a court of law," which
encourages us to hide our wrongdoing and
live with guilt against our better judgment.
This leaves the following unfinished business that will haunt us:
1. Guilt, which will bruise our conscience to where we cannot even
trust ourselves.
2. Hardness, we become defensive and
protective, because we are afraid to
be real.
This is not the way God has designed life.
He encourages us to be honest and responsible for our actions. We cannot be healed
or forgiven without admitting Or acknowledging our weaknesses. A wholesome way
to handle wrongdoing is to admit it, confess
it and forsake it as instructed in the Proverb
above. We will not forsake wrongdoing
until we humble ourselves and confess it.
This means accepting the responsibility for
our behaviors.
Our judicial system tells us, "Don't admit
anything-make them prove it!" which
encourages us to believe we can get away

with anything that cannot be proven. That's
not the way to the good life. The good life
comes from practicing humility, recognizing that we are not always right or complete
in ourselves. We must always face reality.
When we do wrong we have personal guilt
and responsibility, even if it can't be proven.
Guilt is of the heart, not only when proven
by law. Proud people won't listen to the
truth, but bully ahead in self-conceitedness
deceiving themselves. But a humble person
will glory in the successes of others and also
recognizes and gives credit to others for
their successes. Truly successful people
always give credit to others rather than
boasting about how great they are.
There are three great benefits of being
humble and practicing humility:
1. We will have personal peace
because we will not be on a defense
mode since we will have nothing to
hide.
2. We will be at peace with others
because we will look for and recognize the good qualities in others
rather than having an over-inflated
opinion about ourselves.
3. We will gain great favor from God
and others because we are transparent and not afraid of criticism. We
will know when to be on offence or
defense.
God's higher law. Guilt cannot be removed

from a person without first humbling himself, admitting, confessing and forsaking.
As per the Proverb, only God's higher law of
humility will rehabilitate the guilty and
build a just society, family, or business. Try
humility, it will gain you great favor.
Discussion:
What fears do you face when
you admit failures?
What have you experienced
when youve humbled yourself
to others?
What favors do we receive from
practicing humility ?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
Humility is one of the finest and greatest

assets in a person. To loose it is a devaluation of oneself. It is like the oil in a machine.
It lasts longer, runs quieter, and gets the job
done. It works rather than squeaks.

your rating?
Sometimes it is better to be quiet and be

considered wrong, even when we could
prove our innocence than to speak out in
justification. Sometimes it is better to just
swallow hard and wait for time to prove us
right.
You will never go through life

doing everything right, but
humility may help people think
that you do.
I'm sure our judicial system was set up

with the intent of protecting and defending
the innocent, but we must be careful or we
will use our judicial system of law as the
standard of righteousness, while neglecting
Thoughts to Ponder:

www.lared.org
M-3
rev. 09.2003
Generosity
If you give to the poor, your needs will be supplied! But a curse
upon those who close their eyes to poverty. Proverbs 28:27
principle.
Generous, Webster says, Its of noble
cause, gracious, willing, and unselfish.
Generosity is really a spirit or attitude
which is usually a part of ones character.
Its a part of the law of sowing. We are
usually known for being generous or
stingy. Generosity is similar to being liberal, but in a more controlled manner. It
is giving and forgiving; it is considering
others as you would want others to consider you. It is going the second mile.
Generous people have an attitude of givingnot only money, but time, talent,
and of themselves. They are always looking for opportunities to sow into fertile
ground (prepared people) where change
can take place. They usually root for the
underdog and the unfortunate because
they see what a person can be, rather
than what they presently are.
There are two things that God cannot
bless:
1 Stinginess. This will keep you from
sowing into the future.
2. Laziness. This will keep you from
maintaining what you have.
One of the things that has separated
America from many other countries in the
world is its large and prosperous middle class. Any nation that has the poor as
a majority has not been teaching or practicing the principle of generosity as a
foundation or cornerstone for prosperity.
Generosity among us will cause us to
bless and develop the poor.
A generous person will not just feed
them a fish for a day, but will also teach

them how to fish. He is concerned with
their future not just their present. If we
only feed the poor, their numbers will
increase, and finally, we will go broke trying to do good. There is a law in life: anything that is fed will keep on growing.
Our welfare system has exemplified that.
A generous person or nation will not just
feed the poor, but will also have a program of teaching and training that will
change their attitude and perception of
life, giving them vision and hope so they
can help themselves and overcome their
situation. Jesus said, The Spirit is upon
me and has anointed me to heal the broken-hearted and to bring good news to
the poor, which means that there are
answers and solutions to poverty. And it
all starts with people who are generous
and take the time to develop the poor and
hopeless. If you give to the poor, your
needs will be supplied. How? By developing the poor, we increase the middle
class. This will create jobs. They will
have an income which they will spend.
This creates buyers, and if this is duplicated, it will make a nation prosperous,
which in turn will supply our needs. It all
adds up to more producers, more products, more buyers, more consumers, more
jobs, and less poor. Although we will
always have some poor, they should
never be an unmanageable portion of our
society.
So, dont just give money or food to the
needy. Be a generous-spirited person but
also give them dreams and hope that will
help them overcome poverty. Teach them
management, leadership, and skills so
they can help themselves. Those who are
stingy will only think of them as future
competitors rather than consumers. They

keep their dreams to themselves for their
own personal gain. Closing our eyes to
the poor becomes our own curse. So be
generous, help the poor and receive blessing yourself. Gods ways work.
Discussion:
What opportunity have you
had to teach someone to fish?
In what areas of your life do
you struggle with laziness or
stinginess?
What should we do if a poor
person wont take advice?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
The tragedy of life is not that we
have the poor but that we cant
see the resource in them.
www.lared.org
M-4
rev. 09.2003
Trust in God
Trust in your money and down you go! Trust in God and
flourish as a tree. Proverbs 11:28

principle.
The American dollar reads, In
God We Trust. Do we? Our
ancestors did. They risked their
lives for what they stood for.
They understood the value of
trusting and believing in God and
the Bible. The Bible became the
courts handbook, and was one of
the absolutes that gave them faith
and courage. It was the foundation and cornerstone from which
they structured the Constitution
and built our prosperous society.
They were aware that money
could become our god, so they
printed those words as a
reminder. Our lives and country
will continue to flourish if we
keep ourselves committed to God
and His principles. Has America
flourished? Yes indeed. Are we
still flourishing? Yes, but its on
shaky grounds. Why? Because we
trust in money rather than in God.
Why will trusting in money take
us down?
First, a heart without the fear of
God has no control from within,
and will become self-willed and
rebellious. Without the fear of
God, societies become self-righteous. They will compare themselves among themselves, and justify their actions. Money, rather
than God, then becomes the standard by which we value ourselves,
and it will take us down. The
Soviet Union tried it and failed
miserablyand so will any society that rejects Gods law as their
standard. If we want to flourish,
we must believe and trust in God,
and see money only as a bi-product of certain values and a medium of exchange.
Second, without trusting God
and establishing right morals and
values, our money will go through
our pockets as if they had holes.
Without Gods laws for governing
we become unbalanced.
We
become wasteful and lose our
sense of productivity, then we
want to raise taxes rather than
plug the holes in our pockets.
What does it mean to trust God?
It does not mean that we stop
planning and working toward our
dreams. Trusting in God should
not make us passive and lazy. It
means we rely on and believe in
God to the extent that we pattern
our lives and businesses around
His values. Trust means to count
on or have confidence in. Trust
comes from experiencing and
knowing someone. We cant buy
or demand it; it is earned. When
we experience and get to know
God, we will find Him faithful,
all-knowing, honest, and reliable.
So we put our confidence in Him
and pattern our lives after His law
and values, which will give us the
good life.
When we trust in money, it is
temporal and perishable. Gods
laws are fixed and can be trusted.
They are everlasting; heaven and
earth will pass away before His
law does. Trust in God causes us
to live by the rules that bring
prosperity, but trust in money will
cause us to become greedy and out
of balance, which destroys our
character.
There are three ways we can
measure our trust in God:
1. When things go wrong, what

source do you turn to?
2. How much effort do you put forth
in studying the Principles of God?
3. What would it take to make you lie
or steal for gain?
Discussion:
What does trusting in God
mean to you personally?
Is there anything that keeps you
from trusting in Gods ways? If
so, what?
What decisions have you made
lately that show you are trusting
in God and not money?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Our problem is since we know
God can do anything, we want
Him to do everything.
www.lared.org
M- 5
rev. 09.2003
Saving
The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends
whatever he gets. Proverbs 21:20
principle.
Years ago it was foolish to be known
as a spender, a penny saved was a
penny earned. People bought when
they had money. They saved for what
they wanted, and made sure they had
some left for their children. A persons
character was judged by their ability to
save and protect a set of values,
whether it was money, products, or
morals. People understood the wisdom
of saving for the future. The principle of saving develops an attitude of
value. Our thoughts will be on preserving things, making things last longer,
keeping things repaired, and getting
more mileage out of the things we
already have.
It will stop waste
through haste, and make us think of
quality and product value to the extent
that it will change our thinking from
What can I get? to Thank God for
what I have. It is not wrong to think of
what we would like to have, if it is controlled with a set of values. Well save
ourselves a lot of frustration if we stop
and ask ourselves these four questions
before we spend:
1. Do I need it?
2. Can I afford it?
3. Why do I want it?
4. When should I have it?
We have developed a throw-away,
self-serving society, and we are programmed to think, If I want it, Ill get
it. I deserve it now. Ill charge it and
make those easy monthly payments.
So we spend, spend, and spend, trying

to satisfy ourselves and keep up with
everyone else. We foolishly spend not
only what we have, but what we dont
have as well.
We have made it easy to borrow
money or get credit. We are bombarded with pre-approved credit cards, and
credit offers of 6 months without interest, no payment for one year and
many others. But they dont tell about
the highly inflated interest rates after
the initial offer. They are binding many
of us in payment plans that are almost
impossible for us to get out of for years
to come, causing hardships that will
destroy marriages and our health.
However, credit cards can be good if
you can manage them.
Those who are wise, save and build
for the futurethey plan and spend
wisely. They dont just have a savings
account, they invest in property, buildings, and personal business ventures.
They believe in God and themselves.
They will also invest in other ventures,
because they believe in others and are
willing to risk with them. They are not
just consumers, but investors and
savers. When things get tough, they
survive. They are at peace with themselves, their credit cards, and with the
bank.
Our country should have practiced
this principle of saving and spending
wisely, and we would not be plagued
with a debt of trillions of dollars. God
has a way that is right and that works.
It brings peace to our families, takes
pressure and frustration out of our
lives, and our children and grandchildren will thank us for being examples.
Sooner or later we will have to learn to

use some common sense and live by
His rules. If we dont choose to do it
now, we will shortly be forced to. Lets
not be foolish, but wise, and learn how
to save for the future.
Discussion:
Do you tend to be a saver or a
spender?
How has your future been
impacted by your choices of
either sowing or spending?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Behind every successful family
there is someone who saves for
the children.
www.lared.org
M-6
rev. 09.2003
Sowing
It is possible to give away and become richer! It is possible to hold on

too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By
watering others, he waters himself. Proverbs 11:24-25
principle.
In any society, there are winners

and losers. In most cases, the difference is in the values or principles we
choose to follow. The Proverb
states, It is possible to give away
and become richer!, meaning it is
up to us to become richer or poorer.
The balance is between holding on
too tightly to our money, ideas, or
dreams, or using that which God
has given us to water or bless others.
This principle is one that seems
contrary to our generation, where
we are more concerned about our
own rights and entitlements. We
want to be the recipients of everything rather than being a blessing to
others. This principle of sowing is
indeed common in the Kingdom of
God and should become common to
all of us, because in most cases it is
the difference between winning and
losing. Gods ways will work; they
were designed by God for properly
managing us and our society. They
may not always produce immediate
rewards, but will always win in the
long run.
This principle of sowing is a part
of the absolute law God designed at
creation. It is always followed by
reaping, which is the harvest that
naturally follows sowing. This law
is preset by God and cannot be broken by us without suffering loss. If
we sow sparingly, we will reap
accordingly. Our Lord said, As we
measure (sow) in others, so it shall
be measured unto us. There are
two things God cannot bless, laziness and stinginess. Laziness will
keep us from planting, sowing and
watering; stinginess will cause us to
hang on to our money and ideas that
were meant to be invested in others
for the future. Money and ideas are
seeds that should be planted or
sown into others. This will bring us
rewards and a good future.
God is a strategic thinker. He
wants us to be the same. He wants
us to understand that holding on too
tightly may cause us to be losers.
The liberal (giving) man will become
rich because he is generous with his
substance, time and talents. His
focus is on watering and cultivating
that which he has sown. No matter
how much we plant or sow, if we do
not constantly cultivate and water,
we will not reap in abundance.
Watering means managing and nurturing the people, the products, the
ideas or money that we have sown.
Its one thing to give money to
someone, but another thing to follow up on the investment you made.
We should not give and walk away.
We should give and follow the giving to make it count. We should
sow with expectation. When we
water others, we water ourselves
by developing others, we develop
ourselves. When we use what we
have or give it to others, there is
room for more for ourselves. A jar
that is full has no need for refilling.
Thats why the Proverb says that we
may give away and become richer,
but if we hang on to what is supposed to be given away, we may
lose everything. Learning to give
(sow) develops an attitude of gen-
erosity which will cause those we

help, to help us in return. Sow generouslyit is worth it! Try sowing a
smile on everybody... and see what
you get in return.

Discussion:
What in your life has been watered
because you watered someone else?
In what areas of your life are you holding on too tightly, and what effect has
it had on you?
Is it possible to sow or invest too
much at one time?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
If you dont like what youre
reaping, it would be good to
start planting something different.
www.lared.org
M-7
rev. 09.2003
Debt
Dont withhold repayment of your debts. Dont say some

other time, if you can pay now. Proverbs 3:27

principle.
Although borrowing is not considered a positive principle of
Gods Kingdom by many, it does
have value and should be accepted
because of its overall effect on us
personally. A good thing about
borrowing is that it is a sign of
humility, because borrowing
whether it is money, products or
helplets us know that we are not
sufficient in ourselves. Borrowing
also puts us in a responsible position; we owe them something. This
helps us respect each other and our
need for establishing good relationships. After all, life designed
by God was not self-sufficiency,
but was to learn to work and
depend on each otherwhether it
is family, friends, community or
work teams.
This proverb deals primarily
with debt from loans, but borrowing is a much broader principle
that can be applied anywhere,
because it comes to us in the form
of needs. It takes humility to ask
for help, personal support or loans.
There are three things we can do to
establish a good rating in credit
from our fellow man. They are
1. Start with small favors or small
loans. These loans or favors
should be for practical and real
common sense needs.
Dont
push a lender or friend into
doubting your intentions or your
ability to return the favor or pay
your dues. Make your request
clear, and explain how you
expect to fill your obligations or
make payments, whether it is
money, products or favors.
2. Be prompt with your payment

and follow through on your
commitment.
Promptness is an important
principle, not only for payment or
favor, but as a character trait. It
shows responsibility and will give
you a good rating. The payment is
always expected, but what builds
respect and trust is promptness. It
shows that we are concerned about
our reputation for future dealings
with loans or favors. The Scripture
says, Dont withhold payment.
If you can pay, then pay. Our policy should be to pay off our debts as
soon as possible. Ask those who
have helped you, Is there anything I can do?, before they ask
you. This shows promptness and
willingness about your indebtedness. When you get some extra
cash or time, pay your indebtedness to the people who have helped
you. Dont go on a wild spending
spree. There are those who teach
financial independence and self
sufficiency. This leads to pride and
selfishness. You can not be happy
by being independent. We were
designed to be relational. We will
always be indebted to God, our
friends, and to those who care for
us. So dont withhold the favor.
3. Communicate well if you have a
problem with your obligations.
There are times when all of us
have a hard time filling our obligations promptly. Unusual situations
may set us back financially or emotionally and cause us to be late.
Most bankers or friends are not
overly concerned about a few late
payments or favors if we communicate properly. They will respect us
for coming in and explaining our
situation. This builds trust and
long-lasting friendships. So be
responsible. Remember that we get
from others what we put into them.
The bottom line isit is hard to
borrow from our friends if we have
not built equity in them.

Discussion:
Who are you indebted to?
Have you thanked them lately?
How do you view debt and
the value of what it teaches
you?
How well are you doing with
the three points in this principle?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
The more successful we
become, the more we recognize
that we could not have done it
ourselves.
www.lared.org
M-8
rev. 09.2003
Co-Signing
It is poor judgment to countersign anothers note, to

become responsible for his debts. Proverbs 17:18

principle.
This may seem difficult to understand as a generous-spirited

Christian, because we are taught to
help those who are in need. It is
especially difficult when it is our
Christian brothers or sisters who are
asking for the favor, because all ethical Christians want to respond to
the needs of our brothers. However,
there are several things to consider
before co-signing for someone elses
debt:
1. Is the person known as being ethical, honest and of good character?
2. Is what this person wants a necessity, or merely a desire?
3. Has this person been living within his means?
4. Why is the family not responding
to this need?
Banks and lending institutions are
for people who have needs, it is their
business. If the bank or the family is
not responding to the need, there
may be a good reason for us not to
get involved either. If the person
has been unwise in managing the
finances, why should we support
these actions and become a partaker
of the trouble? To say no may
really be helping the person. Banks
are in the business to make loans. If
a person has not earned the credibility to get a loan, then it is probably
poor judgment to co-sign for him.
Gods plan is to have the family

unit take responsibility for its members first. They are to direct and discipline them so that their needs are
metnot their wants or desires.
Wants and desires should never be
met by banks or personal loans, they
should only come from earning
beyond responsibilities. If we want
friends to remain friends, dont cosign for them. There can be exceptions to the rule, however, you will
incur risk.
Not co-signing a note is not only a
principle of the Kingdom of God,
but has also proven many times to
be good judgment from a practical
and relationship standpoint. Many
times the co-signer ends up paying
the note and his friend feels bad and
ashamed of himself and disappears.
Co-signing someone elses note violates many common sense principles. First of all, we are to take
responsibility for our own debt. In
many cases, the person who asks for
co-signing has not been faithful or
responsible to the bank, family or
advice from others; otherwise, the
person might not be in this situation.
When we dont make good use or
manage our affairs right, God will
take from him that has not, and
gives it to him that has (Matthew
25:29). This was Jesus own words,
because he knew how the financial
laws work.
If we really believe in our brother
who has a problem, we can be generous and create goodwill by giving
him money as a gift, asking for no
return. If you do, make sure you
add counsel to help him out of his

situation, or you may have helped in
vain. This could build lasting relationships rather than having to pay
the debt and lose friends in the end.

Discussion:
Have you co-signed for someone and regretted it? Why?
Why is not co-signing for someone sometimes better judgement than doing it?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Co-signing is like paying a person
without employing him. It ends
with disappointments.
www.lared.org
M-9
rev. 09.2003
Prosperity
Hard workers get rich. Proverbs 10:4

principle.
It is hard to believe that such a statement would be made in the Bible; it
really sounds worldly. But, God
desires to bless His children openly.
We should never doubt Gods desire
and will to prosper those who follow
His ways. He said that if we will hear
and follow His ways and keep His
laws and statutes, He would command
blessings on us. He said we will have
so much that we will not be able to
handle it. He would bless every good
thing we do, and will make us the head
and not the tail. He also said He will
bless us in the city or in the country,
family and community (Deuteronomy
28). Gods desire is to bless and prosper us, to show the world that it pays
to follow His ways. God is not a
stingy, hard-nosed boss with unfair
rewards. He pays well for obedience
and dedication to His principles. He
said if we follow His law and discipline ourselves to the rules of the game
of life, we will win. We will become
like the trees planted by the waters,
and when drought comes our leaves
shall not wither, and whatsoever we
do shall prosper (Psalm 1).
This Proverb not only reads hard
workers get rich, but also The Lord
will not let a good man starve to death,
nor will He let the wicked mans riches
continue forever. Lazy people are
soon poorhard workers get rich.
What a balance. Sometimes it looks as
if the wicked are the most prosperous,
so we have a tendency to pattern our
lives after them. But this Proverb says
that the Lord will not let the riches of
the wicked continue forever. If we get
our riches by cheating, lying, or
manipulation, they will soon disappear. God knows that the laws he
established will accomplish life, liberty, and prosperity. But they will also
bring failure if violated. To follow His
system is to choose the good life.
Somehow, people think that riches
are wrong and poverty is good, especially among religious believers.
Thats a lie. Nowhere in the Bible do
we find this to be true. Jesus rebuked
Peter for that attitude when He said,
There is no man that hath left house,
or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands,
for my sake, and the gospels, but he
shall receive an hundred fold now in
this time, houses, and brethren, and
sisters, and mothers, and children, and
lands, with persecutions; and in the
world to come eternal life (Mark
10:29-30 KJV).
Jesus also said that ... the Spirit of
the Lord is upon me, to bring good
news to the poor, bring freedom to
those in bondage, recover the sight of
the blind, and bring deliverance to the
oppressed (Luke 4:18 KJV). If those in
bondage are made free, the blind see
and the oppressed are delivered, then
the good news to the poor will be prosperity, not poverty.
There are principles of patience and
hard work that go hand-in-hand with
lasting prosperity. When we work
hard and follow godly principles, He
will bless us and will magnify our
efforts to put us ahead. He will give us
favor that will maintain and nurture
our productive spirit. A desire will
develop within us that will lead us
toward good goalsgoals that will
influence and affect others. This is
how God develops His people. He
places a vision within them that gives
them a burning desire for achievement.
They love to work because they like
the feeling of self-worth. Hard work

will bring profits, but talk is cheap and
brings poverty. When you work hard
and follow good principlesyou will
be rewarded with lasting success,
because it is so designed by God.

Discussion:
being rich or prosperous?
Have you seen this principle in
operation in your own life?
In the lives of others you know?
Is this concept different from
what you have believed in the
past?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
If you dont believe in prosperity,
dont worry; you wont have to
handle it.
www.lared.org
M - 10
rev. 09.2003
The Principle of
Grace
"Many favors are showered on those who please the king."

Proverbs 16:15
principle.
Webster defines grace as freely granted
favor or good will, or an act of mercy,
which could mean that we could cancel a
debt or grant someone mercy by not holding them accountable for acts committed
against us. Grace is an attitude of the
heart. Grace will show up in ones character and without it we will fail.
Life is not always fair, yet we mostly try
to be fair. Since life is a learning experience we grow in knowledge and by experiences coming from our discoveries by
trial and error. God designed life around
justice and demands obedience to his law
as a mark or target for experiencing the
fullness of life. The laws are rules to
guide us; they become the way to life
itself. No one can violate the laws of God
- both moral and physical - without suffering the consequences. God's laws are
laws of and for life, and any violation of
them creates a spirit of deterioration and
death. We cannot understand grace without understanding the goal of God and
His Law in life.
Why then is grace so popular when life
and success is really built around Law?
There are 3 reasons:
1. People want success without earning
it.
2. Since people see God as a miracle
worker, they want the miracle without
having to be obedient.
first be in place in order to make us functional. We cannot experience grace if we

have no law, which is like playing a game
with no rules. People want success without earning it. They want success by
grace. However, grace can only be drawn
from the deposits that you have made in
your account. Since grace is intangible,
we may build more equity then what
really exists. Our reputation over the
years could give us an incredible intangible equity, and in some cases a person
may draw more favor than he or she
deserves. That is real grace, but you cannot live that way very long or your past
reputation will catch up with you and
you will start falling because of overdrafts on your grace account.
Since life is based on sowing and reaping,
we must sow and practice grace by being
good, helping people, being thankful, forgiving others and doing favors. This
builds equity with others. You are making deposits in people and building relationships. You will build a reputation
and become known as a person of integrity. Because of your good behavior and
generosity, people will believe in you.
They will come to you for advice because
they trust you as a person of your word.
The point is that you will have earned
your position in life by following the laws
of God; practicing good principles of
grace that will help you find grace in
other people in your time of need. Yes
indeed, when we have equity in others
we can draw grace from that account.
They will love you, help you, want to
work for and even follow you.
3. Grace is taught as a gift without

equity.
Likewise, we find favor from God

because we have kept His law, followed
His principles and thus earned favor with
God and our fellow man.
Yes, grace is very important and we cannot live without it, but it is misunderstood and misused to the point that we
cannot or do not want to live under Law.
The rule of the Law (God's Law) must
Therefore, what is grace? It is favor or

good will freely granted from God and
our fellow man derived from the respect
we have earned as a result of the attitude
and service that we have rendered to God
and our fellow man. God grants favor to

the humble. Salvation is a gift from God,
but you cannot receive it without humbly
asking Him for it. Once you have it, you
must nurture it. The value we receive
from our salvation is based on our giving
or sowing of grace, not in the demanding
of it.
Discussion:
Did you ever ask for a favor and
not receive it? If yes, why ?
Can you explain how grace is
earned?
Why do some very nice and
good people never prosper ?
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating ?
Thoughts to Ponder:
Grace is the extra 10-15%
reward we get from our
100% effort.
La Red is sponsored by SCS of Santa Rosa, California
and BCF of Berlin, Ohio. La Red is a not for profit
organization and donations are tax deductible.
La Red International offices are located at: P.O. Box
315, Berlin, OH 44610. Telephone: 1 888 834 4989
Fax: 1 330 893 3375 Email: info@lared.org
www.lared.org
La Red Business Network 2002

www.lared.org
A- 1
rev. 06.2002
The Principle of
Fairness
"A workman may eat from the orchard he tends; anyone should be
rewarded who protects another's interests." Proverbs 27:18
principle.
"That's Fair," is a common expression used
in business deals or any transaction. It is
used when we consider something to be
reasonable, just, of commonly good, such
as a fair deal, a just and honest transaction,
or a decision made according to the rule.
Generally, the word fairness applies when
there are differences of opinions or disagreements. When a settlement is made, it
may not be exactly what either party wanted, but based upon the situation it will be
considered fair.
We live in a world that is ruled by law or
force. We try to set ourselves up in a power
base position, so we have the power to control. Sometimes, we use the power of
wealth to control others. This kind of leadership follows the concept: "He who has
the gold makes the rules." But there is a
better way which is the golden rule: "Do
unto others as you would have them do
unto you."
In today's world we glorify winners. We
are encouraged to go for it, even if it is at
the expense of others. While personal
achievement and satisfaction is important,
we should not let our desires blind us to
the value of fairness. Some people have the
attitude of, "Whatever works for me is fair."
But that is self-centered and destructive. It
creates a lot of conflicts and is unfair. Being
fair will encourage others to help us rather
than stand in the way of our goals.
Learning to think and act fairly will benefit
us in three ways:
1. We will develop friendships and gain
respect even from our competitors.
2. Life will work in our favor rather than
against us.
3. We become powerful negotiators.
Fairness is more that equality. Equality
limits the incentive for personal creativity.
It promotes unity and conformity rather

than harmony. The true spirit of fairness
creates an environment that promotes personal achievement and progress but not at
the expense or destruction of others. By
doing this, we can avoid unnecessary hurts
and damaged feelings in others, but still
achieve our goals. When our accomplishments are earned through fair dealings in
wisdom and good judgment, few people
will challenge our right to have the things
we have. Plus a clear conscious will allow
us to sleep better and live with less stress.
Ask yourself if you'd like to be in the other

person's shoes. If the answer is in doubt,
you should reconsider, even if the decision
is in your power. Because if you'll put forth
the effort to be fair, you'll feel good about
yourself and others will feel good about
you.

So how do we become fair? First, we must

know what is morally correct. Fairness
must be based on a standard of human
rights or a system of laws used as a measuring stick. These laws and rights must be
based on those endowed to us by our creator.
Discussion:
Second, in light of this, we must also develop a mindset of always considering other
people's needs, their growth, and their
maturity. What are their priorities, what
do they really want, and what would they
consider to be fair? By asking questions we
discover where a person is at and we'll be
better informed as to what will work and
what won't.
Name someone who you think is

fair. What do you like about them?
Some people believe that everything is

either right or wrong, but there are many
good things in life that are neither right nor
wrong. These are matters of fairness that
should satisfy both parties. Yes, there are
some absolute right and wrongs, but many
conflicts can be negotiated by fairness.
Thirdly, we must always be open and honest. We cannot expect others to be open
and honest with us if they doubt our
integrity. The more people know and
understand us and the other people
involved in the decisions, the more likely
we'll be considered fair. Be like the mother who had two sons and each son wanted
the last piece of pie. She said, "We will split
it. The one who cuts the pie will let the
other choose which half he wants." You
can't be fairer than that. It's not always
easy to make fair judgments, because situations change. The rule of fairness is simple.
Which one of the three benefits

work best for you?
Do you feel that you are appreciated as a person?
Give two reasons why you think it

pays to be fair.
Measuring up to the
plumbline:
your rating?
Thoughts to Ponder:
"Let's be fair" is never appreciated more then when it comes
from someone who has the
upper hand.
La Red is sponsored by SCS of Santa Rosa, California
and BCF of Berlin, Ohio. La Red is a not for profit
organization and donations are tax deductible.
La Red International offices are located at: P.O. Box
315, Berlin, OH 44610. Telephone: 1 888 834 4989
Fax: 1 330 893 3375 Email: info@lared.org
www.lared.org
La Red Business Network 2002

www.lared.org
A- 2
rev. 06.2002

40 Principles

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I NDEX

2002 La Red Business Network

The Leadership Principle of

You are a poor specimen if you cant stand the pressure of

By John E. Schrock, Businessman

disaster. The reactive leader, on the

La Red Business Network

lenge the status quo, and dare to stand

This principle is part of the one year character

The Leadership Principle of

Underline the key concepts found in this

La Red Business Network

selves to the task of understanding

This principle is part of the one year character

The Leadership Principle of

Underline the key concepts found in this

tinue to help us develop. But if it was a

development of people is the creation of a

This principle is part of the one year character

1. Have a life-time, fixed vision of what

3. Study the values of life and determine

How well are you currently

We should never consider ourselves

La Red Business Network

Can you see the value of raising

For more of these Principles

The Leadership Principle of

A wise man will hear and increase learning. Proverbs 1:5

By John E. Schrock, Businessman

are not disciplined listeners, we wont

La Red Business Network

what you are trying to tell me? or Is

This principle is part of the one year character

The Leadership Principle of

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams

By John E. Schrock, Businessman

Fear is a motivator. It is an important one, but it is used primarily to

This sounds good as a philosophy,

planting, which creates a powerful

This principle is part of the one year character

To foster inspiration, we must create an environment where minds can

To motivate means to stimulate

How do you respond to rules?

La Red Business Network

Have you been more successfully motivated by fears or

Have you ever lost hope?

The Leadership Principle of

Go ahead and prepare for the conflict, but victory comes

By John E. Schrock, Businessman

are initially rejected as they conflict

La Red Business Network

make us trust in God. Conflicts will

This principle is part of the one year character

The Leadership Principle of

A soft answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1

By John E. Schrock, Businessman

point of view. This gives us a chance to

La Red Business Network

more heat than light, it is time to return

This principle is part of the one year character

For more of these Principles

The Leadership Principle of

If you profit from constructive criticism you will be elected

By John E. Schrock, Businessman