Dear Reader, have you been in a situation where you just knew something was not right? Some people say, I felt it in my gut, a gut instinct! I believe these are your principles talking. Principles are the fundamental truths that shape our behavior and how we go about our daily lives. We all have them, but how well can you articulate yours?
Principles are not only personal; communities, teams, corporations, countries also have fundamental truths too and it is in their misalignment with ours that conflict, distrust, and heartache occur. Hey! even a den of thieves have their unique group Principles, it is their own truth. So Principles are not a way to delineate good or bad.
Knowing and living your Principles should be one and the same thing, if they aren’t then you are practicing self-deception. Documenting your Principles can be powerful; you can objectively compare them to your employers’, loved ones, acquaintances, your country, basically everything and everyone. As you grow, so too do your principles as you learn new fundamental truths.
The Kingdom of God is where the will of God is done without compromise. When God was about to establish a kingdom-related community of beings in the Middle East, he gave them rules and codes that prescribed his will to the community. The will of God is summed in the book of the law given to them and their survival or restoration depends on their obedience.
To help you peel back your Principles, I invite you to learn from one of my “phantom” mentors; King David, who broke his Principles down into a song. David was the most successful leader and nations builder, in his Book “Psalm of David 119”, he put together a set of amazing songs he developed, used, and refined over the course of time in his 40 years reign of the kingdom of Isreal. I found myself nodding almost throughout the book and this has helped me identify, refine and update my own set of Principles, you can too.
Here is a quote from the book, the very first paragraph actually. ” How blessed are those whose life is blameless, who walk in the Law of the Lord! 2 How blessed are those who observe his decrees, who seek him with all of their heart, 3 who practice no evil while they walk in his ways. 4 You have commanded concerning your precepts, that they are guarded with diligence. 5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast, so I may keep your statutes. 6 Then I will not be ashamed, since my eyes will be fixed on all of your commands. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, as I learn your righteous decrees. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not ever abandon me.”
The key to success has been aligned to embedding the word of the Lord. “This word of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth” was the instruction given to the first leader of the territorial sovereign nation of Israel. With it shall you have success in all your ways and become prospered (Josh 1.8). Thus the most important thing I learned is an approach to life driven on Principles that help me find out what’s true and what to do about it. ” I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” Yeah “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm119.11).
Dear Reader, you can expect weekly talent development boosters from me every Friday, we all need to improve ourselves by becoming lifelong learners, so feel free to share this message with your network.
I will see you next week as we learn, unlearn and relearn our ways to a better us.