Talk to me. Don’t make a declaration. If you’re just expounding on a topic, I’d rather read up on it. Or, I’ll listen to an expert on that topic.
    Take me with you. Don’t make me keep up with you. Start from where I am and lead me to where you want me to go.

    Tell me stories. The greatest teacher of all time told many stories. Stories ignite something in my brain that keeps me awake.

     Speak just loud enough that I can hear you. You don’t need to yell. My ears hurt and I get irritated. Then I turn you off completely.

    Tell me something that interests me. Sorry, I’m selfish. I’m interested in what I’m interested in. If you’re only going to tell me what you’re interested in, then I’m not interested. 
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When Jesus said this to his disciples, I wonder what they understood and what Jesus meant. Of course, people have been trying to understand this for a very long time. You can look up the various explanations by typing those words into a search engine. The views are numerous and some complex and confusing.
I don’t want to add to the confusion in any way, but I certainly want to believe what Jesus said – just as he said it. But for now, let me work on doing the things he did. I haven’t raised the dead yet. But I sure would love to.
I would like to explore an additional possibility here. Those words represent to me the attitude and focus of Jesus. He called the disciples friends, brothers, children and other words of love and honor. As he was raising up a team of people who would spread the gospel much beyond the nation of Israel, they would certainly be special people.
I believe those words show the special focus of Jesus in building up people much beyond anything they have ever imagined. At that point, they were already doing the things that Jesus was doing, but they also struggled with their limitations as sinful human beings. But with his words, Jesus pulled off all limits and the possibilities would be beyond their wildest dreams.
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When it’s an issue of character, don’t be quick to believe the evidence. It may be convincing. The source may be reliable. The evidence may be convicting.
But wait. Give some time. Think it over. If possible, sit with the accused and hear their side of the story. Step into their shoes and try to see it from their perspective. Things look different from their shoes.
Read this old time favorite of mine:  “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Pro 18:17).
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Gifts are just gifts. For some it is done out of obligation. For others, it is a careless habit. Now there are those who make it quite a thoughtful matter. Lots of time, effort and energy goes into finding the perfect gift. For people who are quite selective, they would love to see that person use the gift that was given. But some just let it sit and collect dust. Others will carelessly give it away to someone else as their gift.
God the creator has given everyone gifts in life. His gifts were tailor made just for each person. Actually he does it like no one ever could. Not only does God create you, he creates the gift as well. Because he goes to so much trouble, he expects you to put it to use.
For God, that gift is His investment into your life so you can bless those around you and make the world a better place. Your gifts are to be used in the church, workplace, and community. That is God’s purpose for the gifts given to you.
So, what are you doing with the gift?
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    Standards are different wherever you turn. Especially standards for integrity. It will vary according to the subculture you are connected with. Within that perspective, your standards are appropriate and acceptable.
    Even within the same society, you’ll find different convictions regarding integrity. This can be an eye opener for many. But for others, it can be quite disturbing.
    When you come to the scriptures, you begin to feel the tension even further. It’s the painful tension of misaligned standards for integrity. What to do? Follow your heart? That sounds good. But the Bible says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  (Jer 17:9)
    So what standards​ shall we adopt for integrity?  
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