08 September 2007

Be Who You Is

A simple plea.

If you are a Christian, pay for the music you’ve downloaded. Even if that means going back and deleting music you obtained illegally, or outright deleting it from your system.

If you are a person of faith, don’t cheat on your taxes or manipulate cable access.

And…If you are a minister, don’t preach someone else’s message/sermon and pretend it belongs to you. If you are going to preach someone else’s message, give credit to whom credit is due.

I recently heard a pastor give a message that a good friend of mine (someone completely different) delivered over a year ago. The pastor in question never once gave credit to the one who actually wrote the message (along with specific quotes, stories, and key points). Sitting in the audience, stunned, I thought back to grad school, and the numerous discussions we seminarians held concerning integrity, honesty, and character.

The most important reason for not using someone else’s material often goes unnoticed. To be the minister (or accountant, artist, teacher…etc.) God made you to be, you must develop your own voice. You must learn the art of being the best “you God made you to be,”--to paraphrase my close friend and the one who taught me a great deal about preaching and teaching.

Integrity is the one thing a minister possesses. If she/he loses this, you lose everything.

Coincidentally, I’m going to see the pastor, whose message had been pirated, in a week or so while I’m in Texas. I think my opening line when I see him will be—“I didn’t realize that you could be two places at one time. You cracked the time-travel mystery!”

My college basketball coach used to tell us this bit of advice he once saw on a bathroom stall. “Be who you is. Because when you is who you ain’t, you ain’t.”

Notice the fact that coach told us the source of his street wisdom.

10 comments:

Naomi said...

1. Good thoughts. I agree.
2. Your coach's advice reminds me of an inspirational video I watched recently, by the one and only Mr.T. Check it out: http://youtube.com/watch?v=eG5DeiZBDgM
3. Texas, eh? Are you coming to Lectureship? If so, you should definitely find me while you're down here. I still don't have friends, remember. :)

Bradford L. Stevens said...

It is funny how those basketball coaches know so much stuff about things other than basketball?

Anonymous said...

Naomi,

I will be at the ACU lectureships next week. I hope I get to see you.

Brad,

Yes...you know this coach don't you? In fact, you know the family a little bit.

How about your Cardinals...coming on strong?

Anonymous said...

This post reminds me of a quote I made up: "Be who you is. Because when you is who you ain’t, you ain’t.”

Anonymous said...

Eric,

You are so funny...ha.

Thanks for chiming in.

2 Samuel 24:24 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Vanessa said...

Where and when you be in Tejas?

Anonymous said...

I agree with you completely. In working with students (and their parents) I am amazed at how many of them have what I would call situational integrity (or pragmatic integrity). The flippant attitude about stealing music, lying, and other things floors me. As a matter of fact, I talked with a student this week who bragged about his dad lying in order to save money. Hmmm...

shine!
Jason

Josh Graves said...

DJ Steck:

Welcome to the party. They've learned to fudge things from their parents...most likely.

Naomi:

I hope to see you while I'm at ACU.

Vanessa:

I'll be at ACU!

Lindy said...

Convicting. I just received a bootlegged video from one of my teens i was planning on watching tonight. I could try to justify it by saying 90% of the bronx watches bootlegged versions, but that doesnt make it right does it?
your "be who you is" reminded me of something i read in overheardinnewyork.com
"mom, where you at?"
mom replied, " honey, i'm here, but it's not where you at? It's where you is!"

see you in october at RC!! :)