A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1 Life Lessons I Learned From S. Truett Cathy’s Funeral: God Matters Truett was fond of asking, ‘Who is your master?’ He knew we are all slaves to something: ourselves, Satan, sin, work, money, fame, ego and pride are all competitors. But those who choose allegiance to Almighty God are servants to a loving and holy heavenly Father. We want to be like and please the one who masters us. For Truett, it was following the commands of his savior Jesus. He closed on Sunday to benefit his team, but mostly to worship His Master. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13). Character Matters Yes, Truett’s life verse was, ‘A good name is more desirable than great riches’. His S. initial stands for the Old Testament prophet Samuel, and he was named after the famous Baptist preacher George W. Truett. Even his name was a good name! His word was his bond. Integrity was etched in his soul and hard work embedded in his heart. He was fiercely loyal and expected loyalty in return. He treated every human being with dignity and had a ‘my pleasure’ mindset toward those he served. He had a heart of gold, because it was filled with God. His high standards attracted team members with high standards. Quality produces quality! Humility Matters Truett never forgot where he came from and was frugal with God’s financial favor. He grew up in poverty and was faithful with a little, so the Lord was able to trust him with a lot. Generosity was his vaccination against the ugly ailment of greed. As my wife Rita says, “He was a box turtle on top of a fence post that knew he had help getting there.” Floor sweepers to CEO’s counted him a friend. God gives grace to the humble and Truett was filled to capacity. In God’s economy a humble man is a prosperous man and a proud man is a poor man. He prospered abundantly! Family Matters Truett’s second foundational question is ‘Who is your mate?’ While dating our daughter Rebekah, my son-in-law Todd asked Truett for his best business advice. Without hesitation he said to marry the right woman. Spend your life with one who is your partner, supporter and number one advisor. Not only did he love, respect and cherish his bride, he invested in his children. He intentionally modeled and taught hard work and generosity. He took them to church where he taught middle school boys for 50 years. His son, Bubba said, “Dad taught us to not take ourselves too seriously, but to take our work very seriously.” “Husbands, in the same way be considerate with your wives, and treat them with respect” (1 Peter 3:7). Purpose Matters Truett had a crystal clear purpose for life and work: To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” His purpose was his filter for decision-making; if it did not align he said no. Once he and his leadership team debated going into significant debt, so they could surpass the competition. Finally Truett said, “I am tired of debating over our need to grow bigger. If we focus on getting better, our customers will demand that we get bigger.” Purpose defined priorities. Fun Matters Truett was fond of saying, “If you are not having fun, somethings wrong!” Andrew told a practical joke of his grandfather’s. The Cabbage Patch Doll came out when Andrew was an infant. So, at a family gathering Truett stood on the porch with the Cabbage Patch Doll cuddled in his arms. As a family member approached the steps, Truett acted like he stumbled and dropped the doll onto the ground. He howled in laughter as the loved one looked on in shock! One Child Matters Truett’s heart for children is legendary. He, like our Lord, was tender toward little ones. All four of our daughters attended Camp Winshape, which he started at Berry College in the early 1980’s. What a loving environment to have fun and in the process, learn life skills like responsibility, communication, teamwork and adventure. I always enjoyed hearing Truett address the kids in his loving, folksy and practical manner. Foster homes, orphans and widows were also a large part of his Kingdom investment dollars. He knew one child had great potential in life. As Woody emotionally, but eloquently said, “He showed the orphan (me), how to love the widow.” Finishing Well Matters Throughout his life and to the very end, Truett kept his eyes on the prize--Jesus Christ. How could he disappoint the one who captured his heart and deserved his 100% devotion? He knew by finishing well he would hear “Well done!” from his heavenly Father. He knew by his finishing well, it would increase the probabilities of those who loved him the most also finishing well. He celebrated the past, lived fully in the present and was hopeful of the future. Thanks Truett. I want to finish well like you. His reply, “Its my pleasure!” “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Prayer: Heavenly Father, like Your humble servant, I want to finish well for Your glory. Related Readings: Deuteronomy 8:16-18; Joshua 1:8-9; Philippians 4:8; James 1:27 Post/Tweet today: Generosity is our vaccination against the ugly ailment of greed. #wisdomhunters Additional Resource: Truett Cathy’s story- 4 minute video: bit.ly/1tBoKeV
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 17:05:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015