Life | JonathanPearson.net

You Need Three Loves

With all of the things you and I have going on.
With all of the responsibilities and appointments, it’s impossible for us to invest in everyone.

So, we have to choose. We have to love everyone (Jesus teaches us this), but we can’t love everyone in the same way… to the same degree.

It’s impossible… our time is limited.

I can’t love everyone as much as I love my wife.

I can’t get to know everyone and love everyone as much as I love my close friends.

But, I have to love everyone.

So how to I balance it?

I love with a plan.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

Here are 3 loves that you and I should have…

Common love.

It’s righteous to love others. Jesus teaches us this when He says, “Come to me all who are weary.” We have to love everyone. We are commanded to put others before ourselves and to care about their eternity… to share God’s love with them.

Close love.

This goes deeper and shares more of life than common love. You show close love to your friends and people that you believe in and that believe in you. You pull these people closer, spend more time engaging them and more time sharing yourself with them. You usually hold something in common with these people (hobby, church, personality, place of work, etc.).

Cherished love.

This is that close circle that you know and love best. These are the people that you’re willing to share the deepest parts of your life and emotions with. We trust these people and cherish our time with them. It’s a mutual love and respect. No one holds the upper ground in this relationship, you’re there for each other and go through difficult times together. These are our family and close friends. These are the people we rely on most and go to first when we need someone.

Knowing thses 3 levels of love can really help us love the way Jesus did. They help us make more time for the things and people that matter most while still loving the world. I’m betting that many of us already have this in place and just didn’t know it.

Thoughts?

Feb 2012

POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson

POSTED IN

Blog, Devotional Thought, Leadership, Life

DISCUSSION 8 Comments

1 Thing Holding You Back

Fear.

You have an idea, you think it’s a good one, but you fear what it will take to get there.

You have a goal, but you’re scared of the effort and sacrifices you’ll have to make to accomplish it.

You have a conviction, but you’re nervous about what other people will say if you start or stop because of it.

The great part about acknowledging that fear is the thing holding you back?

You can begin to move past it.

Do. Not. Fear.

Rise Above It.

What holds you back?

Jan 2012

POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson

POSTED IN

Blog, Leadership, Life

DISCUSSION 15 Comments

#ImA

Saw this new “I’m a Pepper” commercial Sunday while watching football. Very thoughtful and creative ad.

Fill in the blank: I’m A __________.

Jan 2012

POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson

POSTED IN

Blog, Life, Random Stuff, Voice/Video

DISCUSSION 17 Comments

3 Lessons From the Life of #JoePa

In case you didn’t hear, yesterday a legend in the sports world passed away.

Joe Paterno was the head coach for the Penn St Nittany Lions for 46 years… 46 very successful years.
He was with the university for a total of 61 years.

Joe Pa wasn’t perfect (none of us are) , but there are still things we can glean from his life…

1. Dedication is essential to success.

Joe Paterno was dedicated to the Penn St football program. His 40+ years proved that he believed commitment was important if he wanted to win. He was committed to building excellence and being a part of it… He never quit.

2. Be careful who you place around you.

Joe Paterno’s greatest tragedy was having people around him that would eventually ruin his reputation. Did Joe Pa handle him perfectly? Probably not, but he allowed Jerry Sandusky to stick around and have his name attached. Those around you will help or hurt you… Guaranteed!

3. Invest in others.

Joe Pa invested in other people. He sought to make the people around him better. The student athletes that he coached in his 40+ years will vouch for the fact that he made a difference in them… even beyond their time on his team.

What other things can we learn from Joe Pa?

Jan 2012

POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson

POSTED IN

Blog, Leadership, Life

DISCUSSION 6 Comments

Bow Out or Push Through

No matter what you and I do or what we want to accomplish, if it’s worth while and is going to produce results, they’ll come a time when it gets hard.

They’ll come a time when we have to decide.

Will we…

Bow Out or Push Through

The people that live mediocre lives bow out,
the people that accomplish things and reshape the world push through.

They find the motivation and determination to push through the “I wanna quit” moments.
They believe their mission is worth times of uncomfortable surroundings, depressing results, and tough people.

So, what will you do?
What will I do?

Bow Out or Push Through?