(John) BUT IT’S INTENTIONAL. I DON’T THINK THAT WE NATURALLY DO THIS, AND FOR THE VIEWERS, I THINK THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF THEY’RE GONNA GO FROM THE SUBTRACTER SIDE, THE FIRST THING THEY HAVE TO DO IS BE AWARE — BE AWARE. YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE THAT YOU’RE PULLING PEOPLE DOWN. YOU’RE EITHER LIFTING PEOPLE OR YOU’RE KIND OF LEANING ON PEOPLE AND YOU’RE A WEIGHT. I THINK AWARENESS IS THE FIRST THING AND THEN I THINK WE BEGIN TO SAY: HOW CAN I INTENTIONALLY ADD VALUE TO PEOPLE? THE FIRST STEP IS ALWAYS STOP LIVING FOR YOURSELF AND START LIVING FOR OTHERS. HEY, BE LIKE JESUS WHO LEFT HEAVEN AND THE SPLENDOR OF HEAVEN, PUT UPON HIMSELF THE ROBE OF HUMANITY AND WALKED WITH US. YOU TALK ABOUT SOMEONE WHO GOT OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE AND CAME TO OUR WORLD AND MET US ON OUR TURF AND DID THE THINGS WE NEEDED WHERE WE ARE AND CONNECTED WITH US. NOBODY GIVES US A BETTER EXAMPLE OF THAT THAN JESUS AND HIS INTENTIONALITY OF SERVING PEOPLE AND LIFTING PEOPLE AND ADDING VALUE TO HELP THEM.
(Joyce) THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SCRIPTURES I’D LIKE TO SHARE THAT REALLY CHANGED MY LIFE IN THIS AREA. I DIDN’T LOOK AT IT LIKE ADDING AND SUBTRACTING; I LOOKED AT IT LIKE GIVING OR TAKING, WHICH IS REALLY THE SAME THING. ONE OF THEM WAS GALATIANS 6:10: BE MINDFUL TO BE A BLESSING, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH. BE MINDFUL MEANS IT’S SOMETHING I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ON PURPOSE; IT’S NOT JUST GONNA HAPPEN IF I DON’T THINK ABOUT IT. I ACTUALLY HAVE TRAINED MYSELF AND IT’S TAKEN A FEW YEARS TO DO IT, TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME EVERY MORNING THINKING ABOUT AND PRAYING ABOUT: OKAY, GOD, WHAT CAN I DO FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TODAY? BECAUSE I LIVED SO MANY YEARS AS A SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED, MISERABLE WOMAN. THIS HAS BEEN LIKE A LIFE-SAVER FOR ME TO INTENTIONALLY — I USE THE WORDS “ON PURPOSE” — BUT TO ON PURPOSE THINK ABOUT, AGGRESSIVELY THINK ABOUT WHAT CAN I DO FOR SOMEBODY ELSE? DON’T WAIT TO FEEL LIKE DOING IT BUT AGGRESSIVELY THINK. THE OTHER ONE IS EPHESIANS 5:15 THAT SAYS SEEK TO DO GOOD. THE WORD SEEK MEANS CRAVE, PURSUE, AND GO AFTER WITH ALL OF YOUR MIGHT. I JUST HOPE AND PRAY THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE WATCHING RIGHT NOW WHO REALIZE WE ARE GIVING THEM A RECIPE FOR A GREAT LIFE AND MORE HAPPINESS THAN THEY COULD EVER IMAGINE BUT IT’S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO INTENTIONALLY AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
