Monday, March 1, 2010

Book #5 - Linchpin


When Seth Godin writes a book, I buy it. As soon as I heard Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? was released I went to the book store to buy it. I'm telling you, I was not disappointed. It was what I expected and more.
We really are in a new day and what you bring to your day, whether it is at work, home, school, wherever - you can add tremendous value. A linchpin is someone who invents, leads, connects to and with others, they just plain make things happen. The speed that a Linchpin lives is very different from everyone else around them. They are truly indispensable.
This book inspired me, it convicted me, it reminded me of dreams I once had about how I wanted to contribute to making everyone around me better. I asked myself time and time again, what if we had more Linchpins in our church, in our conference, in our country, in our world - what would be the result?
I know I want to be a Linchpin - I am called and gifted to be one. Are you?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to "humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up?" This sounds remotely like a request to sit at the right hand...

Chris Whitehead said...

If someone would have said that to Peter right after the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost then he wouldn't have preached one of the most powerful messages ever.

A "Linchpin" doesn't do it to sit at the right hand, but because he/she wants to add such tremendous value to others. There is a huge difference between what you comment and what is in the book. Mother Theresa was a linchpin, but never asked to sit at the right hand.

It's too bad that more followers of Jesus don't seek to add more value to others, to encourage, and to live like Jesus. What I was trying to say was by reading this book in light of the Bible, God was working in my heart and maybe He could work in other people's heart too.

Anonymous said...

I guess what is troubling is that you aspire to greatness. Mother Theresa never did. She simply aspired to be faithful in service. And that service was dirty, unrefined, and unpleasant. There was no glory in it because she sought to give God all the glory. It feels from your post that you're trying to be great in peoples' eyes. When Peter aspired to this, he fell. When he simply lived faithfully, and that to the point of death, he "succeeded." I guess I just hope that we make sure we understand what Jesus meant when He said that the least shall be called the greatest in the Kingdom.

Chris Whitehead said...

There is no where that I say or infer that I want to be great in any of these posts. I actually say I want to contribute to making everyone else around me better.