The U.S. Army Had it Right!

Image by Army.mil via Flickr

"Be All You Can Be" was the U.S. Army recruitment slogan for over 20 years. It was also the centerpiece of one of the most successful advertising campaigns of all time!

Why?

...because it strikes a chord with us - it connects with our internal wiring. We were created to BE, not DO. However, our culture tends to turn things around and accentuate the exact opposite! We meet somebody new and our first question is, "What do you DO?" Business people talk a lot about mission statements and core values. But, when the rubber meets the road, none of that matters -- how much money did you make this quarter?

Even the church has been infiltrated. I've been to many pastor/church leader conferences over the years. Here's what you hear between sessions: "Hi, good to see you - what's your church running these days?" or "Hey, it's been awhile -- how's that capital campaign coming along?"

Anybody in leadership knows we have to be focused on measurable objectives. Leaders understand we'll be held accountable for whether or not we meet those objectives. But, without also focusing on WHO we're called to be and HOW we're called to live, we can turn into hollow people who stand for nothing.

Businesses who publish bound notebooks that talk about "core values" while treating people as expendable currency are headed for trouble over the long haul. Ministries who say they exist to serve but use & manipulate the people who come to them for help are hypocritical.

Most importantly, no matter what I'm currently doing I need to live authentically and BE who I'm created to be. The people around me today need ME! If I'm aimed solely at DOING, my focus tends to be in the future when my current TASK is completed. People who need me today become a distraction. More on that later...