Mmmm, Pizza

You can’t make everyone happy. You are not pizza.

I learned this lesson in the early stages after opening my own business. Branching out on my own, clients were precious and I felt I could not lose any. There was a point one month were I wondered if I could afford to buy a tube of toothpaste. So I did my best to make sure all my clients were happy.

One woman in particular was not happy, no matter how hard I tried. Nothing I did was to her satisfaction. The stress of trying to please her got to be too much, and I had to divorce her as a client. As you can guess, she was not happy with that either. But I was. I leaned a valuable lesson in living up to my standards of integrity and not let anyone sway or bully me into doing something I felt I would not comfortable doing.

My word is my bond. If I tell someone I’m going to do something, I’ll do it. If I make a mistake, I’ll own up to it and make it right.

With one client, I did make a mistake, and he received a letter stating that he now owed $1100. I told him to bring me the notice, and upon reviewing it, I saw that I did make a mistake and I paid that $1100. He was blown away. He said that I now had a client for life because most people he dealt with would not have acted in the same manner.

A while back, a local attorney had a commercial that advertised his company’s core values. I thought that was great and proceeded to compile my own list. I strive to live these values in my faith, my business and my life.

“Set yourself apart as a model of a life nobly lived. With dignity, demonstrate integrity in all you teach.” (Titus 2:7 [TPT])

I want to hold myself to a higher standard, to be the same in private as in public because of Whom I represent. I do this not to be legalistic, but because I love Jesus so much that I desire to please Him. Also, I don’t want to do anything that I wouldn’t feel comfortable reading about in the newspaper the next day.

“That’s why I seek with all my heart to have a clean conscience toward God and toward others.” (Acts 24:16 [TPT])

So here’s my list:

• Live with honor
• Live with integrity
• Live being honest
• Give my word and keep it
• Be accountable
• Be committed
• Be diligent
• Be loyal
• Be a leader
• Be trustworthy
• Be bold

“But if anyone keeps looking steadily into God’s law for free men, he will not only remember it but he will do what it says, and God will greatly bless him in everything he does.” (James 1:25 [TLB])

“The life that pleases me is a life lived in the gratitude of grace, always choosing to walk with mw in what is right.” (Ps. 50:23a [TPT])

Because, “You’re only truly happy when you walk in total integrity, walking in the light of God’s word.” (Ps. 119:2 [TPT])

So grab a big slice of cheese dripping pizza while you ponder what your list would include.

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