This past weekend I was able to meet Lou Holtz and hear him speak at a dentist conference in Orlando.. Being a Notre Dame fan this was a great moment for me but it went beyond my love for football. My Dad first introduced me to Lou through motivational videos. They were messages designed for companies big and small. I remember as a young boy hearing Lou's words of wisdom about doing right, doing your best, and treating others as you want to be treated. It was great to hear that Lou's message hadn't changed much over the years but his passion and desire for excellence had not lost any of it's vigor. Being a National Championship winning head coach of Notre Dame and being an ESPN analyst seemed to hold the same importance to Lou.
One of the stories he shared with us in his message was about the year after Notre Dame had won the National Championship. The coaching staff decided to try and recreate the past year. Essentially they decided to try and stay at their current level of excellence. He said it was the biggest mistake he ever made coaching. That struck me as odd. The greatest mistake was trying to be the same as last year?
As we begin this Life Journey together I think it's important to know that change is good and healthy. We can not focus on being static. We must never change our message, but change it's presentation. A change is coming Church. God is not content with us remaining the same. Churches that reach people are Churches that change. It's all about going to the next level. It's true in marriage, business, friendships, sports and Church. Let's prepare our hearts for what God is going to do next and the change He wants to bring in our lives.
"It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.
"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
"The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. "'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.
-Matthew 14-30 The Message
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