A couple of quotes

A couple of ideas from two of the blogs I was reading this morning that caught my attention and have been stuck in my thoughts today. One of them was the following:

"Wandering in circles can be just as fatal as charging forward in the wrong direction."

This is something that really resonates with me. To me, we are either moving forward or stepping back, there is no in between. Maintenance mode is a myth in the way I see things. The quote above is talking about the Israelites that were wandering in the desert with Moses. They were stuck and not making any progress. Basically wandering aimlessly for 40 years. That is how I often see things when somebody talks about maintaining the status quo. The status quo doesn't really get you anywhere. It may be necessary to slow down a little and make sure you are pointing in the right direction (talking to myself here as I want to charge ahead and not even slow down), but there has to be momentum. Once the momentum stops, then you are moving backwards and it can be tough to regain that forward motion. I don't have much patience with people who are afraid to move forward. I understand that change can be scary and that you have to guard against change just for the love of change, but I strongly believe that you won't ever get to the promised land either if you aren't moving forward.

The other is the following:

"If in life we were sincerely more concerned to bless more instead of impress more, Jesus would enjoy it."

Bottom line - what is my motive? I am looking for ways to bless people that I come in contact with or impress them. One is focused on what God has put in front of me, the other is focused on me. If I am so busy looking at myself or worried about what people think about me, then I miss the chance to point them to Jesus. It isn't about the person delivering the message, it is suppose to be about the message. If they walk away impressed with me, that's nice for me, but it doesn't impact their life any. I am suppose to love others, not love myself above others. I want my thought to be, how can I make a difference in someone else's life today? If I can capture that thought, then I am much more likely to bring a blessing to someone and less worried about what they think about me.