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Copyright 2019 by Johnny McGowan
Foreword copyright 2019 by Joel Osteen
Cover design by Edward A. Crawford. Cover photo by Eric Forsythe. Cover copyright 2019 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are from The Living Bible. Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.
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First Edition: March 2019
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.
ISBN: 978-1-5460-1005-0 (hardcover), 978-1-5460-1004-3 (ebook)
E3-20190122-JV-NF-ORI
To Margrett McGowan, my mother
As the old saying goes, more is caught than taught. I saw my mom live in such a way that she never knew a stranger, always sharing her continuous smile and abiding joy. Her impact on my life remains second to none. Writing this book is one of my lifes greatest achievements, and I know she is celebrating in heaven with me, smiling her trademark smile. I miss and love her dearly.
J esus said that if you want to be great in the kingdom, if you want to live a blessed life, theres a simple key: You have to serve other people. He wasnt talking about an event that happens every once in a while. He was talking about a lifestyle in which you live to help others. When you live a serve others lifestyle, you help friends, you volunteer in your community, and you take care of loved ones. It becomes a part of who you are. You develop an attitude of giving toward everyone you meet. The more willing you are to serve others, the higher God can take you.
God may be seeking to bless you in ways that you never thought possible or in ways that you dont expect. A servant in the eyes of others is a leader in the eyes of God, and faithfully serving others is the means by which God intends for you to gain the knowledge and insight that you will later use to fulfill your own purpose and destiny.
I can think of no one better to write this book than Johnny McGowan. I have known Johnny for almost forty years, and throughout that time he has served not only our family and our church but countless others as well. He has always proven faithful, dependable, and trustworthy, and he is one of the greatest servant leaders I know.
As one who understands what it means to find purpose through service, Johnny shares with you how your destiny can be realized when you are willing to serve otherswhether it is through your job, by being a good neighbor, or by taking up a cause that helps people. He explains that when you are willing to step up and do the right thing, the best way that you know how, you establish yourself firmly in Gods plan for your life. If you trust God when He asks you to serve another and give it your best effort, Gods blessings will begin to flow into your life and through everything you do.
Johnny is living proof that God can do great things through the heart of a servant. I urge you to read this book and embrace the ideas and encouragement youll find on every page. If you allow them to take hold and commit yourself to stepping up, you will soon step into the power and abundance that God intended for you to have in your life.
T rue service for sustained success is never about instant gratification. To have a servants heart is to know that you may not always be the one standing under the lights. Instead, service is about lifelong learning, and taking the time to develop the right habits and spiritual disciplines required to strengthen your heart and mind. It should not happen with ulterior motives, but by using your gifts intentionally to help others. Most of all, service is about exercising your courage in the process of stepping up.
Simply put, stepping up is seeing an opportunity and doing something about itnoticing a need and filling that need. Its having the ability to stand in the gap so that the leader can better utilize his or her gifts of leadership. Whether an injustice or an instance of bullying, an inefficiency or a problem of productivity, an injury or an incident of interpersonal conflict, you can use your own abilities and influence in these opportunities to bring about change. As soon as you identify when and where to step up, you look to find solutions, to give encouragement, and to attempt to make that situation betterwithout worrying about whats in it for you. Thats stepping up.
Many leaders throughout history have been able to become successful because those behind the scenes served with the end goal in mind. Those in supporting roles didnt need to shine themselves because contributing to the success of something larger was rewarding enough. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped up when he saw injustice and inequality, but not without the likes of Bayard Rustin and Hosea Williams. Bill Gates stepped up when he identified inefficiency in technology, but not without Paul Allen or Richard Rashid knowing their role within the Microsoft dynasty. Mother Teresa stepped up to help the poorest of poor, the destitute, the sick, and the homeless, as countless others assisted on her journey to heal the world. Oprah Winfrey stepped up and forever changed the landscape of daytime television, but not without her best friend Gayle King supporting her and standing in the gap whenever needed. My friend Pastor Joel Osteen stepped up by taking a leadership role that he neither desired nor felt qualified to fill, and my purpose is to serve Pastor Osteen so that he can lead in the way that God has called him. Jesus Christ stepped up in the ultimate act of sacrifice by dying for all of us on Calvary so that we may live a life free from sin and full of His holy abundanceand even Jesus needed His disciples to help Him fulfill Gods plan.