LEAD October 2023 | Page 28

gets up earlier for work , but I think it would be a good thing to try . Just my two cents .”
Now , don ’ t roll your eyes at him just yet . I mean , it was slightly embarrassing to hear this from my dad . Yet even as an adult who could make my own decisions , I felt it strike a chord in me . At this point , I had two options . Get offended and blow off what he ’ d said , or take it to heart , think on it a bit , and maybe try following his advice to some degree . After all , my dad has forty-five years of marriage under his belt . He might just know a thing or two or ten . So I tried it . Day one . Then day two . Then day ten . Before I knew what was happening , making the bed was a normal part of my morning routine .
It became the first thing I did when I rolled out of bed ( which also kept me from rolling back in !). And want to know something ? Tim noticed . And he loved it . He loved it so much that he started commenting on how much he appreciated it . That alone made it worthwhile for me . Thirteen years later , I ’ m still making the bed every day . I may not be a natural bed maker , but I took the time to
build the habit . ( And after thirteen years , maybe — just maybe — I can say I ’ m a natural now .)
What started as a practice and discipline was coupled with consistency and became a habit in my life . Out of habit began to flow patterns that came out naturally , no longer by force . And before I knew it , it became a part of me . If I were to encourage leaders in an area , it would be habit . Because habits accompany consistency and faithfulness . And out of consistency and faithfulness , a specific blessing follows . They coincide . Whether it ’ s making your bed , reading your Bible , or practicing your speaking skills daily , everything done as a leader is built on habit . Luke 16:10 says , “ If you are faithful in little things , you will be faithful in large ones . But if you are dishonest in little things , you won ’ t be honest with greater responsibilities ”( NLT ).
God makes it very clear that this is a biblical principle we can follow . That as we are faithful in the small areas of our every day , even when no one is watching ( especially
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