Love will gain you everything......Hate won't gain you squat but a front row seat in hell!

I am fortunate enough to work for a company that has incredible human value and bases it's foundation on honesty, integrity and hard work. My company encourages interaction between individuals to follow five basic principles. These principles are awesome and if applied can not only make a positive change in your work relationships but also strengthen relationships with friends, family, neighbors and even your relationship with Christ as it builds on brotherly love.

These five principles are:
1. Focus on the situation, issue, or behavior, not on the person.
2. Maintain the self-confidence and self-esteem of others.
3. Maintain constructive relationships.
4. Take initiative to make things better.
5. Lead by example.

I think anyone who is truly living for Christ does these things because they are loving interactions rather than destructive. So often you hear arguments between couples, friends, parents and kids, or maybe complete strangers, where hurtful and uncalled for things are said. Absolutely NOTHING good can come from saying things to hurt or anger another individual.  On the other hand, if these five principles are used, a lot of great things can happen. These principles are not written in the bible in any literal form. However, they do represent love which is mentioned many times. Don't shame anyone into changing. Love them and pray for them to change! Incredibly, I work for a company that encourages brotherly love.

So often in the church, the very house of God, folks are tearing each other apart. These five principles if applied within a church, will make that church unite. The church becomes strong with brotherly love and mighty by the hands of God. It's as simple as deciding if you are going to let your life be filled with hate and resentment, or love and grace.

With that, what are you going to do today? Will Satan be in your heart as you destroy something dear for no good reason? Are you going to give someone a piece of your mind today? Try instead to give them a piece of your heart. Watch that grow like a seed planted in fertile soil. Maybe you can apply these five principles to your life and watch as you are blessed by the bountiful gift of brotherly love in the eyes of God.


Side notes:
UGA vs Arizona State Saturday. No need to apply the five principles here. Love them after the game. Until then, tear ass you hairy dawgs!

Also - Happy Birthday to my baby girl Sidney. 14 years old today.