FDLIC Corporate Officers blog about current issues in the preneed industry and in funeral service, providing insight, commentary, and news updates.
Looking for Golden Opportunities
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Recently, our executive team completed a book study based on The Relationship Principles of Jesus by Tom Holladay. This was a powerful, in-depth study of the significance Jesus placed on relationships in his teachings. Throughout this book, one of the main points the author makes is that "Nothing is more important than relationships." Not money or possessions, tasks or accomplishments.
This point is clearly illustrated in the first and second greatest commands taught by Jesus: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Also, the Golden Rule found in Matthew 7:12 states, "Do for others what you would like them to do for you." These principles challenge our natural, self-centered way of thinking, and place our relationships with God and others above all other concerns.
So, how can we continually keep relationships a priority when so many other things are vying for our attention? Actually living out these principles is much easier said than done. Holladay says that we should carefully examine our motivations for the things we do. Often, we are not operating under the "Golden Rule," but under the "reciprocal rule"--Whatever you do for me, I'll do for you; or the "ricochet rule"--Do unto others what somebody else did unto you; or the "hidden motive rule"--I'm doing this for you so I can get something in return.
Holladay's discussion of the Golden Rule made me really stop and think...what if every day, we looked for "Golden Opportunities" to show others how much we care in real and authentic ways?
I remember watching my mother as I grew up; she was always so giving and caring. Even to this day she takes care of the people in her church. She goes to see members when they are sick, she sends them cards, brings food, all out of selfless love. She takes every opportunity that presents itself to be a blessing to others, and she is such a great inspiration to me. And then, I remember Bill Seale, one of the original founders of FDLIC. Though he has now passed on, his memory is alive and well in those who knew him. He was always such a generous and loving man. There are things that he's done for others that the world will never know of; they will always be between him and those people whose lives he touched.
These kinds of examples, and of course the example of Jesus himself and his great love for us, all call us to a higher purpose, even in our day-to-day work lives. I know that in the business world, you don't often hear a lot about loving and serving others; but I am thankful that FDLIC is a very different kind of company. This is my family, these are my friends. And each and every time somebody calls in, whether they are a policyholder, funeral director, or agent, we welcome that person as a friend too. For us, these are our "Golden Opportunities."