The No Guarantee Principle
Someone recently pointed out to me a principle they had always believed, until it didn’t come true for them. They were disappointed in the principle. I had to remind myself of yet another principle. Principles are great, but they aren’t promises; they are principles.
I love principles. I believe in them. I write about them. I even attempt to live my life by some of them.
But principles of men aren’t guaranteed to come true.
You can count on the promises of God, but don’t expect the principles of men to work every time. The truth is that life happens…and sometimes life is more powerful than a principle.
Take one famous John Maxwell principle (I know…how dare I pick on one of his principles…and he’s one of my heroes of leadership…but just for example…please don’t tell him)
Principle: No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.
That is true…unless you are a detective on a murder crime investigation. If you find a witness, you don’t care how much they care…you just want to know how much they know.
Principles are excellent. I love them. I write about them. I practice them. As I observe life, I even write some of them.
But real life can overpower principles. Principles can’t always overcome reality. The environment, other people, and circumstances will play a part in writing your end story, in spite of the principle you live by.
Don’t base your life on principles of man. Base your life on the promises of God. In them, you’ll never be disappointed.
Can you think of other principles of men that may not always be true?
