Ben Franklin’s 13 Virtues, Human Nature, and Our need for a Savior
We can learn a lot from the young and spunky Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, a true renaissance man, is one of the greatest figures in American history. His pragmatic style, industrious nature, and wild imagination combined to form a character that seemed customized for the founding of our great nation. What that single man accomplished in the span of one lifetime, and the combined good he did for humanity is awe inspiring. Among many other things he was the inventor of the lightning rod, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and organizer of the first hospitals and fire houses on the new continent.
He seemed the perfect man, at the perfect place, at the perfect time. But alas, ole’ Ben himself would tell you he was far from perfect. In fact, he could tell you exactly how far from perfect he actually was. How? He measured it. That’s right, in early adulthood Franklin set out on a journey to achieve moral perfection.
He wrote in his autobiography later in life:
“It was about this time I conceiv'd the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wish'd to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into.”
Franklin determined to accomplish this task by outlining 13 virtues which he would measure himself against on a daily basis.
Those 13 virtues were:
- TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
- SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
- ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
- RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
- FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
- INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
- SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
- JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
- MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
- CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
- TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
- CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
- HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
The following was his strategy:
“My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judg'd it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro' the thirteen….”
“I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues….marking the beginning of each line with the first letter of one of the virtues, on which line, and in its proper column, I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found upon examination to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day.”
So, Franklin’s goal was to conquer these virtues one at a time until he had them all whipped and thus obtaining moral perfection.
Did he achieve his goal?
He stated:
“…I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employ'd in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason.”
“I was surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined….To avoid the trouble of renewing now and then my little book, which, by scraping out the marks on the paper of old faults to make room for new ones in a new course, became full of holes.”
So here we have Benjamin Franklin, one of the predominant figures of the enlightenment period, renowned for his self-mastery, who despite his best efforts to be righteous, made so many mistakes that the book he used to track them was worn out in no time.
All our Books are full of tiny Black Spots
Franklin’s little project in personal development demonstrates that regardless of how hard one tries, no human being can achieve moral perfection alone…..at least I haven’t met one! He assumed that more focused energy would allow him to achieve his goal, but alas, to his great surprise he found this was not the case. The model of success he had employed in every other aspect of his life let him down. He set out to conquer his human nature and instead found himself with his own shoulders pinned to the ground. The great man could tame the lightning from the sky but could not control his own selfish desires.
Are we any different from Franklin in that regard? I certainly would not want to see a record of my mistakes….pages and pages of tiny black marks.
Christ can mend the Worn Out Pages of Our Lives
Interestingly, after the pages of Franklin’s book became worn he made a slight adjustment that is very profound:
“I transferr'd my tables and precepts to the ivory leaves of a memorandum book….which marks I could easily wipe out with a wet sponge.”
Jesus Christ is our wet sponge. He came to this earth to wipe away the black marks on the ivory pages of our lives. He can mend us and wants this more than anything else. He can compensate for our shortcomings. We know we cannot do it alone, but through the grace that He offers us we can become all that we were created to be.
Franklin’s discovery cuts to the heart of Christianity. How have you seen yourself fall short in your life?
Have You Ever Yelled at God?
Well I have. As a matter of fact I yelled at Him this morning in my truck on the way to work. I mean fists clinched to the steering wheel and screaming!
You know what the funny thing is? He didn’t yell back. I wasn’t stuck down by lightning either. In fact, nothing happened. Well actually, something very important happened…….He listened.
Have you Ever Had One of those Conversations with God?
If you have, you know exactly how I felt afterwards. One who has never experienced it would expect a feeling of guilt, similar to the feeling after yelling at a close friend or family member. Not so. What’s interesting is that what followed was a feeling of peace beyond description.
Why Would God reward me for Screaming at Him?
I don’t know. Maybe because He appreciates the fact that I had enough faith in Him to believe He could make a difference. Maybe because He understands that my frustrations result from a desire to do more. Maybe because I just needed to feel His love. I honestly don’t know….I just know it happened. And the peace that flowed from the connection I felt to Him was nothing short of a miracle.
But Another Miracle was yet to Come
My little tirade this morning mainly revolved around the fact that I felt I should be doing more to understand His will, doing more to help others, and doing more to make a difference.
Tonight God addressed my concerns. He answered this morning’s heartfelt prayer.
I had a long list of things to accomplish before hitting the sack tonight, none of which involved facebook…..but somehow I ended up there anyway. And with no time to spare, I tried to close out the window asap to avoid getting caught in a “chat” (I actually love to chat when I have time). Just as I clicked the close button the little pop-up sound indicated that I was a split second too late. A friend who I went to high school with was on the other end asking “what’s up?” When I realized who it was, I was actually thrilled to hear from him. It had been about a year since we last contacted each other and the last time we spoke he wasn’t doing well…..at all.
Through God we can inspire each other.
I did my best to encourage him at the time and prayed for him and his family, but hadn’t really heard from him since. It turns out that he’s now doing better than ever. He’s found God and is on fire....an absolute powerhouse!
I take zero credit for the transformation that my friend has encountered. It’s all God, but he did insist that our conversation a year ago played a major role in helping him through that tough time and in inspiring him to find God. This affirmation is exactly what I needed at exactly the right moment.
The craziest thing is that although we were acquainted with each other in high school, we never really spoke. In fact, the first time we ever really communicated was the conversation we had a year ago chatting on facebook….precisely when he needed me. Then nothing for a year. And now again tonight…..at precisely the moment when I needed him. Coincidence? That dog won’t hunt!
God wants us to be Genuine
So is it ok to yell at God? If we are genuinely seeking to do His will I think it’s ok to do just about anything. I think He’d rather have me engaged in an intense conversation with Him than dribbling out some pathetic redundant prayer….just my opinion.
One thing’s for sure. He listened to the innermost concerns of my heart this morning and sent me a blessing via facebook tonight.
Memoirs of a Christian Entrepreneur: A Lesson from Moses
Ok, Here’s the scenario: Years ago I had an inground pool project that was not going well. We had poured concrete around a pool that frankly didn’t meet our standards so I decided to remove and replace it. Yep, the dreaded jackhammer! Upon ‘breaking’ the news to the customer, he adamantly expressed concern that he had lost confidence in our company as a result of this incident. I tried to tell him that we volunteered to correct the problem before he was even aware of it, but unfortunately this did little to comfort him. Notwithstanding, I had comfort in knowing we were doing the right thing. I was confident that in the end he would be happy with us as well as his pool so I wasn’t too concerned….until the next day when I received a phone call from one of my guys.
The Dreaded Phone Call
Apparently while removing the concrete, one stroke of the sledge hammer had missed its mark and struck the pool just above the water line. The pool was damaged, and in a ‘perfect spot’ that was highly visible. The blemish was solely cosmetic and it would not affect the pool structurally, but this was not a pleasant phone call for either party nonetheless!
The solution was to install waterline tile on the pool that would cover the defect and give the customer a free upgrade. A win-win right? Well, I had my doubts. Especially considering that I now had to tell a customer, who I promised less than 48 hours ago that we would be “incident free” that we have just smacked the side of his pool with a sledge hammer.
Unfortunately, I knew that if I broke news to him on the phone he would probably not allow us back on the job. So I resolved to tell him in person….and I knew I had to tell him quickly. But catching up with this guy within the next 24 hours would be tough. Especially considering that I didn’t find out about the problem until late that day, I lived an hour and a half away, and he would be leaving for work the next morning at 5:30 am. Call me crazy, but after some fervent prayer I resolved to spend the night at the office and to make sure I was sitting in his driveway waiting for him when he left for work the next morning.
A Long Night
Needless to say I didn’t sleep well that night. When the alarm sounded I showered, dressed, and shot out of the door. The trip to his house was about 30 minutes from the office. As I was riding down the road I contemplated how this plan had made so much sense the day before. But for some odd reason the notion of making a surprise visit to an unhappy customer’s house at 5:30 in the morning didn’t sound like such a great idea; especially when the purpose of the visit was to deliver bad news.
When I was about 10 minutes away from his house I finally determined that what I was doing was absolutely insane….I seriously considered turning around. I could just call the gentleman later in the day. At least then I knew I wouldn’t get shot!....kidding.
But when the internal debate was at its peak, I remembered something. It was through prayer that I had determined what course of action to take. That this wasn’t my plan at all; I was simply doing what I was directed to do.
Just then a warm feeling fell over my body as I was sitting in the seat of my truck; it was that feeling of peace that could only come from beyond this world. Just then I looked up as I was passing an old country church. It had a message board that read “Don’t worry, Moses thought he was crazy too!”. I think this was the first time in my life I had ever laughed and cried hysterically at the same time. I felt as close to God at that moment as any other in my life.
Tiny Miracles lead to Huge Testimonies
In the end the job turned out fine. We corrected the problem and the customer is now another happy name on our reference list. But here’s the thing: This isn’t about the relationship between a business and its customer. It’s about the relationship between man and His God. If we are willing to make Him first in our lives, everything else will fall into place. And when we see these ‘things fall into place’ first hand, there’s another term used to describe it: a miracle. And they happen all the time if we are willing to take advantage of the opportunities God gives us to exercise our faith.
I don’t want to know how many opportunities I’ve missed, but I do know that when Gods involved, even something as inconsequential as passing an old dilapidated church sign can turn into an experience that will change your life forever. This feeling of direct connection with God, this feeling of peace from beyond this world is available to us all. He wants us to have this type of relationship with Him. “Seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.” That is a promise He has made to each and every one of us. He is standing at the door knocking, all we to do is open the door.
How have you seen God at work in your life?
Big Fat Problems with Christianity: “All Christians are Hypocrites!”
*Author's note: Here’s the deal: I’m a Christian. So obviously when I say “problems with Christianity”, these are things the world sees as issues with the Christian religion. I consider them more like difficulties, because Christianity is a difficult religion to live, but I also believe it happens to be true. Occasionally I talk with people about religion, spirituality, etc. and I’ve found that many of them have the same hang-ups regarding their notions of religious truth. So I figured I’d do a series discussing some of these issues in hopes that it will bring a new perspective to what many people consider to be an antiquated religion. Bear in mind that I’m no theologian; I’m just a guy who has an opinion and wants to help others discover the happiness that I’ve found in a relationship with God.
The Ultimate Turn-Off
I would have to say that the only thing that turns people off more than a hypocrite is a Christian hypocrite. In fact, people often cite this as their entire basis to object to the whole Christian religion. I can certainly understand this perspective, especially considering that Christians everywhere are falling short of what they are supposed to be. People are inundated with stories of corrupt preachers, perverted priests, plus what they know about their own screwed up Christian neighbors. There is little question about the fallibility of Christian people, but the real question is whether this is a relevant argument against the entire religion. Is it fair to throw the baby out with the bathwater?
The fundamental premise of Christianity states that the fallible man needs an infallible God. It says that we all fall short of His glory, we are all sinners, and therefore all require salvation. Taking this into consideration, is it logical to form ones opinion of Christianity based on the actions of a people that are destined to fail? I don’t think so. In fact, it seems to me that the flaws we see in our Christian neighbors actually validate the Christian claim.
Our first Steps
Have you ever watched a child learn to walk? Did you judge them every time they toppled over, or did you understand that there was no other way for them to learn? This simple illustration is the essence of living the Christian life; falling down and getting back on your feet over and over and over. The problem is that we can see children grow up and mature. Some become professional athletes, some concert musicians, and so on. We can see them realize their human potential. We are patient with the toddler when he falls because we ultimately know what he can become. It’s a matter of perspective.
Christianity states that we are all spiritual toddlers…that we are all waddling around toppling over and bumping our heads. The difference is that unlike watching a child mature into an adult, we can’t see beyond this life, which is where we realize our potential. All we get here is a snapshot of our existence. So when the world looks out at Christian toddlers tripping over their feet, it bases its opinion of the entire religion on the here and now….instead of what it does for the individual through the eternities. Is it fair to base everything on that? To judge an entire religion based on the actions of a toddler?
What about the “real” hypocrites?
So far I’ve essentially described the Christian person who it actually trying to live their religion but still falling short. What about the people who profess it the loudest but live it the least? This is a great question and I find great comfort in the fact that Christ addressed this important issue on no uncertain terms. He stated in Matthew 7: 22-23
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Quite simply…the ones who only live Christianity on the surface are not His. They are not part of the fold. But whether a specific individual fits into this category is not up to you or I to decide. All we need to know is that anything other than this is not Christianity.
There was One who was not Hypocritical
Jesus was all that he professed to be. He is what all true Christians strive to emulate. Even though we all fall short, we look to Him as the ultimate example of faith and obedience. If the world must judge one, let it judge Him. It is His religion and it only exists because of our shortcomings, because of our need to be saved. In fact, in terms of religion, it’s the only product on the market that compensates for our shortcomings and provides hope to the hypocrite. So just maybe it’s worth a look. As a dear friend loves to say, “There’s always room for one more hypocrite, so come on and join us.”
Have the actions of another person ever effected your relationship with God?
Memoirs of a Christian Entrepreneur: How I met Jesus in Fort Worth Texas.
Sometimes opportunities arise when you least expect it!
Here’s yet another post in my series “Memoirs of a Christian Entrepreneur”. This was an awesome experience I had in Texas while attending a three day swimming pool construction course.
Many of you have heard this experience before, but it was one of my first posts so it got no love, plus I wanted to re-post it as part of this series anyway. I wrote the following story the night it happened. It will always remain an experience that’s near to my heart.
It was about 9:00 pm and I was walking down Houston Ave in downtown Fort Worth, Texas desperately seeking a hot meal. It had been a hectic day of travel that included a full blown sprint to catch a flight, lost luggage, “misplaced” hotel reservations, and no food. It was cold, I was tired, and my quest for an authentic Tex-Mex meal was looking bleak, so I compromised and settled for some Applebee’s wanna-be.
By this time I had reached caveman status so I grabbed a seat and ordered way too much food. While anxiously awaiting the arrival of my meal I tried to distract myself by reflecting on the purpose of my trip. I had traveled to Texas to attend a three-day course to be further trained in the arts of high-end residential swimming pool construction…...and I was pumped. An opportunity to learn, meet new people, and…never mind here comes my food.
My meal finally hit the table and I was ready to dig in when some dirty guy taps on the window, points to his wide open mouth and lips the word “homeless”. So I kind of look down at my food for a split second and think, ‘this is awkward’, but instantly look up again to gaze at the man.
But when I did it wasn’t the same person. In my eyes his appearance had completely transformed. You see, in that split second I looked down, I remembered something I had read in the Bible that changed the way I saw the world as well as everyone around me. It is one of Jesus’ teachings found in Matthew chapter 25.
He taught “what you have done to the least of these your brethren you have done unto me”. When I looked out of the window the second time the person I saw was Him…..literally. So, let’s pause to ask ourselves an honest question: If Jesus tapped on your window and asked you for help how would you respond? Probably exactly as I did. I got up, went outside and talked to Him. After we exchanged a few words I gave Him some money (I mean come on, it was Jesus, the least I could do was give Him ten bucks!). At that point his eyes welled up with tears and he said “I just want to give you a hug”. Then we embraced. So not only did I meet Jesus in Fort Worth, but He gave me a hug as well!
This was an experience I will always treasure. It has little to do with giving to the homeless and everything to do with the little opportunities we have on a daily basis to serve others. It’s been rare occasions like this, when I completely forget my own selfish desires and see Jesus’ face in those I serve, that I find anything close to real joy which is the kind of happiness that endures. All other types of pseudo-happiness eventually wither and leave us empty and alone. But this requires a change of focus, a paradigm shift. It’s extremely difficult. Only the best people in history have even come close to it, only One has ever done it perfectly. Serving others is not about the why, the where, or the how….it is about the Who.
How could this paradigm affect Your Business?
As Christians and especially as Christian business owners we constantly find ourselves presented with opportunities to bless others and bring glory to God. I have no idea how many of these opportunities I’ve squandered in the past, but I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had this one. It has helped shape the way I see others (when I have my head screwed on straight). “The least of these” can literally be anyone in our lives....and in our businesses.
What if we saw the face of Jesus every time we looked out at our customers, employees, and other associates? How would that change the way we do business? How would it change the way the world does business? It may seem absolutely ludicrous to have this mentality in today’s dog-eat-dog climate, but I can testify that when applied it will brings peace and joy to doing business and to life.
What experiences have you had serving others in your life or in your business?
Big Fat Problems with Christianity: I Can’t Believe in something I Can’t See!
Is seeing believing?
Let me shoot straight right off the bat here: I’m a Christian. So obviously when I say “problems with Christianity”, these are things that the world sees as issues with the Christian religion. I consider them more like difficulties, because Christianity is a difficult religion to live, but I also believe it happens to be true.
Occasionally I talk with people about religion, spirituality, etc. and I’ve found that many of them have the same hang-ups regarding their notions of religious truth. So I figured I’d do a series discussing many of these issues in hopes that it will bring a new perspective to what many people consider to be an antiquated religion. Bear in mind that I’m no theologian; I’m just a guy who has an opinion and wants to help others discover the happiness that I’ve found in a relationship with God.
Parting the Waters
I was working on a construction site with a rather ruckus dude a few years ago and we somehow found ourselves on the fiery topic of religion. He was making the case that there was no way he could believe in something he couldn’t see. The job was on a piece of water front property and he looked out over the water and passionately said “buddy, if you can part that creek I’ll join your church right now!” I thought that was hilarious and we both actually laughed about it, but I think he and I both realized that if I really did part those waters it would not lead to any change in his life at that time. I mean come on, Moses already did his thing and it ultimately made no difference in the lives of The Children of Israel. They all eventually turned away from God anyway.
What does this mean?
It means that seeing God has nothing to do with our eyes but everything to do with our heart. It’s a matter of the will, not of the mind. The world is full of stuff we can’t see but we know is real…..radio waves, cellular signals, the wind, etc. You don’t have to be a metaphysician to accept those things as “real” even though you can't see them. Why is God any different?
But you’re probably thinking ‘Yes, but we can prove that these things exist. I can tune into the radio, I can make a call on my cell phone, I can feel the wind on my skin!’.
This is true, you can prove the existence of these things to another person through empirical evidence. But aren't there things that we accept as real but can't be proven? Like love, for example. We all know love is real, but imagine trying to prove it's existence to someone who didn't believe in it. You can't! One has to experience love first hand in order to know it exists because it's reality cannot be demonstrated. It simply exists.
So in the words of the great Huey Lewis, "Do you believe in Love?"
I would submit that it takes no more faith to believe in God than it does to believe in Love. The problem is that although everyone experiences love, not everyone experiences God.
How can I have this experience?
Let's stick with the love metaphor. They say that love is a verb and I agree. This flies in the face of Hollywood's notion the feeling of love being the foundation of all relationships. If you don’t feel as though you’re particularly ‘in love’ with your spouse at any given time, go out of your way to serve them. This demonstration of real love is sure to produce the desired feeling of being 'in love'. "Love the feeling is the fruit of love the verb”, as Stephen Covey puts it.
I think the same is true with God. I think this is the underlying principle behind Christian statements such as “seek and you will find” and “faith precedes the miracle”. In other words, faith is a verb. It requires action on our part, the strong conviction of the reality of God is only the fruit of our efforts to come to know Him. In my opinion, it's not all that different than any other relationship.
Why does God wait for me to take the first step?
I don’t know. Maybe it has to do with a need for us exercise our free will. Maybe he’s not waiting at all; maybe He’s been there our entire lives there with open arms and we simply haven’t taken the steps to discover it. All I know is that I’ve found this principle to be true in my life…..with my spouse and with God. If you seek, you will find. This is why faith is considered one of the greatest virtues. It requires a step into the darkness without a clue of what you’ll find….but it’s only a step, and the first one is the hardest. The journey becomes more and more illuminated the further you go.
I can tell you that God is real, He knows each of us personally, and loves us unconditionally; all things in my life flow from this truth. I’m convinced that if you seek, you will find. I’m also convinced that if God did make a grand showing to all mankind, it would make no real difference in people’s happiness or level of consciousness. Knowing He exists is one thing, knowing Him is another.
What say you?
