Raise Your Own Bar (1-4)

Personal accountability . . . I am not sure how good I am at that. Yesterday (No 'I' in Team) Miller said p.a. is the key to team health. Could it also be a key to God's Kingdom? The next few days I will present food for thought . . . ways to raise your own bar. You can't possibly implement all of the ideas. Pick a few that jump out at you. Begin raising your own bar.

1. Ask Yourself Hard Questions and Answer Them. Get and Life and Practicing Greatness, by Reggie McNeal, are tough question books. Great questions are everywhere. Make your own short list. The highest performing leaders are self-coached. They feel a high sense of accountability to themselves and God.

2. Pray. That's right, no Sunday School answer here. Blackaby, in his book, Experiencing the Prayer Life of Jesus, said: Jesus entered prayer with goldy fear and reverent submission toward God's will - a sense of 'divine accountability' . . . never thought of prayer as my personal accountability talk with God.

3. Get a Coach. God has used coaching to increase my accountability factor from a 2 to a 6 (1-10 scale). We all need mentors and sages in our lives. A coach helps us work through obstacles and overcome foggy areas.

4. Play with Players Better Than You. My Uncle Harold told me this about pick up basketball when I was a kid. People who are taking areas of their lives to higher levels make me uncomfortable. They also stretch me, make me think, and show me what God can do. Find them and eat lunch with them, with eyes and ears wide open. More tomorrow (5-8).

Columbia yesterday. Hanging out on Stonebridge (World Headquarters of the South Carolina Baptist Convention) with people who care about the Kingdom . . . Camden today.