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“. . . let them rule over . . . all the earth.”  – Genesis 1:26 

To believe the essence of the creation story as it is told in the book of Genesis is to accept that the universe and all life within it are the works of a supreme creator – regardless of the process of how things may have specifically come into being.  And to accept that much of the story one must also recognize that humankind was somehow created distinctly separate from the rest of nature – that we were given intelligence and reason beyond that of every other being within creation.  That is to say, although we too are created beings along with the rest of nature, we are also different from it.  We are the only form of nature created in the image of the Creator.

Writer Annie Dillard once spent an entire year living by a creek in the mountains of Virginia expecting to be inspired and refreshed by being close to nature over an extended period of time.  What she discovered instead was quite surprisingly to the contrary.  She came to realize that nature, rather than being peaceful and serene as we like to imagine, is actually ruled by violence of the strong against the weak.  Tee and I used to observe the same thing while sitting out under the stars on our West Texas ranch.  That realization, however, should not diminish for us the beauty and majesty we see in nature, but instead should serve as a reminder of the role we play within it; that despite our many human flaws – including our own violence at times – we are the only creatures with the ability to subdue it.  We are, after all, given dominion over all creation by the Creator, and it is our sense of values borne out of our unique capacity to care and to love that empowers us to act as stewards of both nature and mankind.

So, unlike the rest of nature which is ruled by the strong overpowering the weak as Annie Dillard discovered, mankind is ruled by a higher form of behavior, guiding principles we call values – values which are formed out of our intellect, ability to reason, and capacity for love, influenced by such things as life experiences, social norms, and religious beliefs.  Everything we do, the decisions we make and the actions we take during the course of a day are based on our consciously or unconsciously held values.  So, since God created mankind in his own image and left us with this charge, “let them rule over all the earth,” isn’t creation best served when we, mankind, strive to align our values with those of the Creator as given to us through God’s Word?

“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.”  Ecclesiastes 3:12 

Occasionally I suggest to my coaching clients that they should write their own epitaph. The intention of this exercise is not to be fatalistic, but visionary.  In other words, if you can sum up in just one short sentence or phrase how you would like to have your life described at its conclusion you have essentially written a vision statement, the purpose of which is to provide direction for your life.

Years ago we had the good fortune to become acquainted with a man named Max, who had at one time been a prominent banker, rancher and successful businessman until a severe stroke rendered him mostly paralyzed and in need of full-time care.  Always cheerful and outgoing Max puttered around the facility where he resided in his motorized wheelchair visiting with fellow residents and greeting visitors as they came and went.  My mother happened to reside there as well, and that’s how we met Max.

Max never forgot anything.  He remembered everyone’s name, where they were from, and what they were up to.  Having a conversation with Max was an absolute delightful experience.  He was inquisitive, interesting, and funny.  But Max did something I will never forget.  At the end of every conversation before we parted ways, he would always remind us in some way to go live our lives to the fullest.  Then, looking us in the eye his departing words would always be the same, “Remember, this is not dress rehearsal.”

At first I was puzzled by Max’s closing remarks, suspecting perhaps it had something to do with his confinement to a wheelchair, or regrets about things he had done or failed to do.  Maybe . . . Except Max didn’t seem much like the type to harbor regrets or disappointments.  In fact, based on the stories we heard and the enthusiasm he continued to show I suspect Max had lived his life with the same vigor he was encouraging us to have.  Max appeared to be a man with a vision, a clear direction for his life, an epitaph.

“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live,” said the writer of Ecclesiastes.  All it takes is to customize that for our own lives, and – voila! – we have written a vision statement – an epitaph at life’s conclusion.

“Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.”

• Psalm 37:27 

I recall sitting in the office of an executive with the Wall Street firm where I was once employed discussing the challenges of dealing with unethical or marginally ethical people within our industry.  (Every profession has them, by the way.)  The executive with whom I was meeting made a comment I will never forget.  Bad people never last, he assured me.  Eventually they go too far, step over the line, and get caught resulting in disciplinary action, firing, revoked licenses, lawsuits, or prosecution – and on rare occasions all the above.  I disagreed at the time; for it seemed these clever shysters were ever present in my world placing an enormous burden on my staff and me to constantly monitor and police their activities – not the best use of our time and energy.  It’s just a fact of life, though, that from petty dishonesty to crime to terrorism to murderous dictatorships, evil is forever among us, and indeed has been throughout the history of mankind.

Someone once said that no matter how things may appear, there is no future in evil, only in good.  Pondering that has caused me to take heart; for discouraging as it is when it seems the bad guys win, when we consider that throughout history when evil actually is defeated – and it always is eventually, though not necessarily within our lifetimes – it is because in some way good has prevailed, thus validating that there is no future in evil, only in good.  Or as my old Wall Street executive friend assured me, bad people never last.

On Mount Sinai Moses received the same assurance from the Lord himself who said, “. . . for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

So, we should take heart in doing good, for by doing so we are paving a path for the future; as there is no future in evil, only in good.  Or as the Psalmist affirms, “. . . do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.”

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

• Psalm 139:13 

Did you know that according to recent estimates there are over 7,900,000,000 people living in the world today?  That is 7.9 billion in case the zeros are overwhelming.  Does that make you feel small, like just another rat in the rat race?  You’re not alone if you do.  But the fascinating thing is that within this massive population, including all who have ever lived before and all yet to be born, each one of us is unique.  There is no one else in the world identical to you or me.  We are not just rats in the rat race; we are each different and placed here for a special purpose.

In my profession of executive coaching administering psychological assessments of some sort with our clients is a fairly common practice.  It is not for the purpose of psychological evaluation that we do this, for most of us are not trained psychologists; rather, it is to increase each client’s awareness of his or her own specific and special talents, behaviors, and characteristics – what it is that makes him or her special and unique.  Once uniqueness is recognized then applied creatively in a person’s business, profession, and personal life both performance and satisfaction tend to increase dramatically.  It is the coach’s job to raise the person’s awareness of his or her uniqueness, and to help them develop ways to use it most effectively.

First, though, is to realize that we are not the result of some sort of human mass production.  We are instead uniquely and individually designed by the One who created our inmost being; the One who specifically knit us together.  We are not just rats in the rat race; we are each different and placed here for a special purpose.

So, as you begin the days ahead remember that there is no one else on earth like you, and that you were placed here for a special purpose.  The Psalmist recognized this in his eloquent prayer, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  Consider then how you might apply your uniqueness to your business, profession, and personal life.  Your family, friends, neighbors, business associates, clients, and community are depending on you for what only you can provide.

“. . . you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”  – Matthew 11:25 

A major corporation could not figure out how one of its competitors consistently outperformed them in nearly every measurable category such as profitability, stock performance, customer satisfaction, employee retention, and safety.  Both were excellent companies and among the world’s largest. A friend of mine, a fellow executive coach, who happened to be doing some contract work with the company at the time, shared with me how the company had employed brilliant people to do exhaustive studies of their competitor’s processes and business model, yet failed to identify the secret sauce of their success. The secret it seems, that in addition to their exceptional processes and business model, was their focus on people – customers, vendors, employees – and how they were treated and cared for. It was right before their eyes yet hidden in plain sight.

You may be familiar with the story about the lesson Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame, had learned from his mother. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news,” he once shared with his television audience, “my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people helping.’”  A powerful message for sure, but I wonder how impactful it might have been were it not for two words, which until recently I had failed to notice – “look for.”  Amid all the scary news, Mrs. Rogers was trying to teach her young son that there are also beautiful things going on by good people. . . BUT, you have to remember to “look for” it.

Told together these two stories offer a metaphor for Jesus’ teaching, “. . . you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”  My coach friend kept encouraging the “wise and learned” corporate executives to “look for” how their competitor treated people, the true secret of their success, which though in plain sight, remained hidden; while a small child, through his mother’s encouragement, “looked for” and discovered much goodness taking place even amidst scary news.

We too are constantly subjected to scary news, yet how like the “wise and learned” we neglect to “look for” the helpers, the goodness of people – our neighbors and friends, sometimes hidden in plain sight. They are our hope and good news amidst the scary.