The Learning Principle: Listen and Change

The Learning Principle: Each person we meet has the potential to teach us something. Take a look at Ephesians 2:20, “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” The foundation of the apostles, prophets, and Christ Himself is servant teaching. A Christ-follower does not stop learning. A Christ-follower will never stop learning…in fact a Christ-follower is dedicated to learning and seizing every opportunity to improve their walk with the Lord and with each other.

Learning begins with listening and change is always the goal of learning. These are two actions that are hard to do…listening and changing. The success of listening and changing is to value everyone. People do not listen, nor do they change because of someone they do not value. Thus, in order to achieve the Learning Principle, we need to listen to and value every person.

Ralph Waldo Emerson stated it this way, “I have never met a man who was not my superior in some particular.” You and I grow and learn best in the areas of our strengths and we can learn from other people’s area of strength.

I am taking the approach that every person has the ability to teach me something, I want to connect with that person and continue to build on the foundation of Spiritual development in your life. Lets make connections! - Don

Connecting with People: The Exchange Principle.

The Exchange Principle: Instead of putting others in their place, we must put ourselves in their place. Look at Ephesians 2:19, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household” We are fellow citizen’s. Too many times we stoke our egos by stepping on others. God desires that we connect and to truly connect we need to realize we are in this together on equal ground.

George Washington Carver made this incredible observation…He said, “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.” Our treatment of others results from our perspective of them. The problem is that seeing things from another person’s point of view doesn’t come naturally or easy. The reward is that if we leave our place and step into their place, we will connect with that person.

American Airways, which later became American Airlines, had a tremendous problem with complaints from passengers about lost luggage. Mr. LaMotte Cohn, general manager of the airline at the time, tried to get his station managers to overcome this issue, but he saw little progress. Finally, he came upon an idea to help the airline’s personnel to see things from their customers’ points of view. Cohn asked all of the station managers from across the country to fly to company headquarters for a meeting. Then he made sure that every manager’s luggage was lost in transit. Afterward, the airline suddenly made a huge leap of efficiency in luggage management. In order to connect with someone, we need try to see the world through their eyes… we are fellow citizens in God’s Kingdom.

You know I love ya - Don
(much of this came from John Maxwell's Book, "Winning with People," Nelson Business Pub. 2004)