I'm sure by now we've all heard the wonderfully catchy song "Some Nights" by Fun. (hippster moment, i listened to it before it was cool!) hahaha There's a line in the song that says "I'm still not sure what I stand for, what do i stand for? Most nights, I don't know." It got me thinking about a quote my pastor used to always say, "If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything" And thus it got me into an hour of deep thought and journaling and the following is what I came up with. (please ignore some of the repeat from what I just said, I'm just copying over my journaling verbatim)
Somebody once said if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything. That combined with recent events has had me thinking about what I stand for? At the end of the day when the lights are off and I have nobody to impress and all that's left is my own flame, what do I, Jed Johnson, stand for? Here's my list of 10 core values I want to stand by and by writing them these words hold me accountable.
1. I am first and foremost, a lover of Papa God and His presence. I firmly believe He always has the best for me and has never let me down so far. He has always, and will always be there for me and I'm never more satisfied in life than in His presence and perfect will.
2. I will live and conduct myself as a man who is pure, Holy, and righteous. At the end of the day, even if I joke or say otherwise, I have a high value for purity and will not stray from it out of committment to myself, my future wife, and my God.
3. I will dream beyond my ability and into God's. Dreamers rule the world and it cannot evolve or see dreams fulfilled when we allow our fears and excuses to sway us from unleashing our destiny.
4. While I value the dream I will always value the dreamer more. People are meant to be encouraged, uplifted, and edified. True covering comes from community and thus people are not put in my life to be walked on but lifted up.
5. Honor what is honorable. Value at all times authority God has put in your life, no matter the size. True leaders are the greatest servants. My honor and respect, even for those I don't agree with will always open doors in areas of influence, favor, and promotion.
6. Value relationship over being right. What makes the body of Christ strongest is our differences. Learn to discuss, not debate. One can still enjoy a steak with bones in it if they're not afraid to eat around the bones. Focus on what you agree on and rely on eachother's strengths to work as one body.
7. My resources are God's resources. I am and always will be, God's provider. Having been in positions of need and having been provided for, I know that there are critically needed dreams that can't be achieved without somebody rising up to do the blessing. This applies both to when I have extra, and when I myself am needing. Those blessed through my provision and all the fruit that comes from it become my inheritance.
8. You only have one life but if you do it right, one's enough. I will conduct myself in a way that on my deathbed, I will look back and see that it was good. I want to die knowing I gave everything I had and held nothing back.
9. I will, at all times, conduct myself as a son of th eKing of Kings. Even without preaching Him directly, people should, at all times, be able to walk away from me having in some way been blessed by a characteristic or word of wisdom that reflects Him.
10. Live for a generation I may never see. The greatest gift I can give future generations is to not have to reinvent the wheel. The Jews were constantly starting from scratch because everytime a judge died there was nobody to pick up from where they left off. Sow everything into the next generation so that your ceiling is their floor.
