What will you do for $1000?
What will you do for a million?
What will you do for a good time?
What will you do for fame?
What will you do to win?

Honest answers to these questions can be complex and multi-layered.
Before you try to answer, make sure you have a list of non-negotiables.

Is your character for sale?
Are your dreams for sale?
How about your family?

Resist the temptation to wager your non-negotiables.

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

1 Kings 21:25 KJV

I believe peace comes from living with integrity in the moment. Integrity is your guide and the present moment is where it operates.

By definition, integrity is the quality of being honest, humble, and moral. If you look at integrity, you see it doesn’t have a past or a future it only exists in the present. Let me explain. The second you display honesty…it turns into truth. The second you display humility…it turns into kindness or grace. When expressed, integrity becomes the right action at the right time. Kinda cool…right? Here is an old cliche that sums it up.

If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are stressed, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.

If you find yourself stressed, down, or out of sorts. Ask yourself two questions.
Am I present?
How is my integrity?

You can choose to be present and let integrity be your guide.
If you don’t like where you’re living…MOVE.

The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

Proverbs 11:3 KJV

Seven is a beautiful number. Biblically it is the number of completion and the first day of rest. I like to think of seven as God’s rhythm number… six on and one off. That said… I think we have a problem with 7.

We mentally rank everything. It gives us bearing on what we are doing, how close we are to completion, and how well we perform. Be careful that you don’t fall prey to SEVEN. I don’t remember the first time I heard this concept, but I have found it to be an invaluable tool for action.

NEVER USE 7

Anytime you need to make a weighted judgement, rank the decision on a scale of 1-10 but don’t use the number 7. This is a little uncomfortable at first but it is a springboard for action.

7 is average.
7 is lazy.
7 is meh…
7 is a copout.

If something is a 6 or an 8, it requires action. There is either something wrong that needs immediate attention or something is right and it deserves our praise! Answer these three questions.

Would you date someone who is a 6?
Would you date someone who is an 8?
Would you settle for 7?

Force yourself out of the comfort of 7, out of the comfort of average, and move toward excellence. Make a commitment and stop riding the fence of mediocrity.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:16 KJV

To say that Solomon was the richest man who ever lived, is an understatement. Have you ever heard the story that Bill Gates is so rich that if he dropped a 100 dollar bill on the ground it would not be worth his time to turn and pick it up? Well Solomon was so rich, if he dropped Bill Gates on the ground, It would not be worth his time to turn and pick him up! 🙂

The temple Solomon built for the Lord and the house he built for himself were magnificent. The detail that is recorded in 1 Kings 6-7 is pretty spectacular and almost begs the question, WHY? Why spend multiple pages explaining the details of these buildings?

If you want to build something great, you start with details. The plans must align with the vision so the actions can result in excellence. Here are my three D’s of excellence.

Direction is the choice.
You must have a vision of what can be.

Detail is the plan.
You must know the cost and what is required.

Determination is the action.
You must be willing to do what is necessary.

Excellence is never an accident.

What if God asked you, “What do you want?” How would you answer? I believe He has already asked and you are already answering.

We get up every day and go to work, school, or the couch. 

We study, learn, and improve or we disengage, play games, and binge Netflix. 

We take the next hit of cherry flavored nicotine or we breathe clean air.

We do things every day based on our goals and what we believe is possible. Do you have goals? Do you write them down? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How about next month? Take a minute and figure out where you are headed. Do you want to go there? Your direction directly affects what you do and what you do directly affects your destiny.

What do you want?
Don’t tell me. Show me.

In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

1 Kings 3:5 KJV