O. S. Hawkins - VIP: How to Influence with Vision, Integrity, and Purpose

To

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On the occasion of

VIP: How to Influence with Vision, Integrity, and Purpose

2016 by O. S. Hawkins

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken 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 NIV 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 KJV are taken from the King James Version. Public domain.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7180-7849-2

ISBN-13: 978-0-7180-8656-5 (eBook)

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DEDICATION

To Six Really GRANDkids

JACKSON, our first: His heart of compassion and love inspires me every day. If I had to describe what I want in a grandson, I would simply type out what he is!

HALLE: If there is a kid anywhere who loves to learn and explore more than she does, I havent met her yet. Her bright mind encourages me to study more myself... just to keep up!

JULIA: This beautiful young lady has the gift of mercy and help like no other. She is always in tune with those around her and longing to help in any way.

HAYES: This tenderhearted young man will melt your heart with just his facial expressions. Sweetness.

AUDREY: Now here is a package of love and affection! She prides herself in being our tomboy and just may be one of the best athletes in the fold.

TRUETT: We thought we were finished and then this little dude came along. We are so glad he did. He is so full of life! He is going to keep us all younger for a little longer.

Susie and I are really proud to be their Honey and Poppy. We are praying that all of them become VIPs in their own right as they find the will of God for their lives... and do it!

CONTENTS

All royalties from this book are donated to Mission:Dignity, which supports pastors, their wives, and their widows in their declining years who are in financial need. Visit www.guidestone.org and click on Mission:Dignity for more information.

A cronyms! We who speak the English language are obsessed with them. In fact, in every facet of life, we are hard-pressed to communicate without them. When we were in elementary school, our parents went to PTA. If we grew up in a rural area, we participated in FFA. When we hoped to get into the college of our choice to earn a BA, we paid careful attention to our GPA and studied hard for the SAT. Sportscasters would be at a loss for words without talking about a pitchers ERA, a hitters RBI, or a kickers PAT. In business we speak of a man or woman who is a CEO, a COO, or a CFO who holds a CPA degree. In the political world, the president is POTUS and the Supreme Court is SCOTUS. We communicate with one another with FAQ, FYI, and IMO, and we conclude our letters with a PS. In the health arena, men should frequently check their PSA. Those in the military who desert their post are AWOL. We sit at the lunch counter and order a BLT. And what would church life have been the past several decades without VBS? Then, of course, the new social media craze has a language all its own... LOL.

Perhaps no other single acronym has muscled and maneuvered its way into our mainline English vernacular like VIP (very important person) has. Being important seems to be the personal goal of many who are climbing from rung to rung up the ladder of perceived success and recognition. This insatiable desire for importance is virtually universal. We have seen it in business circles; it is more than obvious in athletics; it is grossly revealed in politics. Even in ecclesiastical circles this desire for importance too often raises its ugly head. Yes, to have others see us as important is the driving force for many of us and, unfortunately, is the root of the destruction and demise of too many relationships.

This desire within each of us is nothing new. In fact, it predates mankind. One has to go back even before the beginning, way back into the eternal council of God in eternity past. Lucifer was an angel of light, the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty (Ezekiel 28:12). He was placed by God Himself to be an important part, if not the leader, of the praise that was happening around the throne of heaven. But one day Lucifer decided he wanted to be a VIP. Motivated by pride and the desire to be somebody who was admired and exalted, he said, I will be like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14)and Lucifer was expelled from heaven, thrust out forever. But gifted with the power of persuasion, he enticed one-third of all the angelic hosts to join him in his prideful rebellion (Revelation 12:4). Today we know this fallen angel as Satan, and when our first parents were walking in the garden of Eden, he appeared and successfully tempted them to follow suit. We inherited our sin nature from Adam and Eve, and that nature has its own subtle and sinister way of playing into our own pride.

We came by our prideful desire to be important honestly, and we learned it early. Taking our first steps as babies opened the door to the arena of center stage for each of us. And we liked it! We liked the applause, we liked the affirmations, and we liked the adoration. So we took another step... then another. Being the center of attentionbeing the most important one in the roomhad and continues to have quite an appeal.

This unquenchable thirst for importance doesnt end when we learn to walk. It stays with us for a lifetime. It shows up in all sorts of self-promoting ways no matter how subtle we may be. As we grow older, this VIP syndrome, as I call it, pushes us to want the perceived comforts of being separate from the more common types; it drives us to want the best seats in the house; it fuels our sense of being entitled. We can be absolutely consumed by the desire to be noticed and recognizedto be a very important person.

If, by chance, you are reading these words and thinking they are directed toward someone else, let me ask you a few questions. How often do you check your Facebook, Twitter, or other social media pages? After you post something, do you hurry back to see how many likes you have, how many favorites are listed, or how many pats on the back you received? Does the number of likes have any impact on how you feel about yourself during the day? If we were truly honest, most of us would have to admit to at least a little bit of ego-driven narcissism, and social media can help us recognize that in ourselves. Todays social media craze has a dual effect on our culture. Facebook, for example, can be a great tool for reestablishing relationships that have lain dormant for years. But in too many cases, this desire within us for importance has led to the destruction of longtime relationships, even marriages. More than one divorce has occurred due to someone reconnecting with an old high school sweetheart after many years.