I am not the smartest guy ever to be born, but, what I do have is a keen ability to recognize a phrase or saying or quote that has the potential to inspire people. And when I see it, hear it, or read it, I can become quite focused on that phrase and seize its potential for meaning.
For example, I ran across a phrase used in a social networking message that grabbed me, “You…Me…We”.
Three words with seemingly unlimited potential for thought and its active expression.
Allow me a moment to explore this phrase. My mind is exploding already.
If we, as giving, charitable and generous people who are, in my mind, required in life, to focus on others first before meeting our own needs then that establishes the “you”. The priority of the need, the fulfillment of that need is the other person. The “you” can be a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a spouse, a child, a friend, an acquaintance, a stranger, anyone that is not me. Anyone other than “me” is a “you”.
And even outside of humanitarian thought when we break it all down, if I meet a need in you, then a need has been met in me which is the need to give of ourselves. If I become the “you” to someone else’s “me”, then my need is also met through the giving of someone else into my life. They meet my need and find fulfillment in their own life. Is this making sense? It is in my mind, but then again, certain ideas make sense in my mind that do not necessarily connect in the minds of others.
Let’s keep going.
If then we look at the “me”, as the second part of the phrase then we now become a little more self focused, with the ever present “what about my needs”, thrown in. And if we are transparent and honest with ourselves, the tendency as a human is to put the “me” before the “you”, but in doing that we take away our potential to achieve true success in life, again, that I meet your needs and place you as the priority, then therefore my needs will be met. Some call it karma, moral law, the balance and equality of kindness, the circle of life, etc. The challenge to overcome the “me” is the constant battle within each of us to place your “you” before my “me”.
However, if we can do that, if we can place our own needs as a secondary priority, if we can actually discipline ourselves and achieve “self denial”, then we place the “you” before the “me” and we have the opportunity to take the “you” and the “me” and become the “we”.
It is the “we” that changes the world. It is the “we” that allows me to join with you and we take our unique and blended God given abilities and gifts to affect the lives of those around us, they in turn become the “you”, thus repeating the cycle except that now the one “you”, the one “me” and the two of us making the” we”, are now joined with the now expanding “you” and our “we” and is larger and stronger and ready to meet the needs of more “yous”. (Is this making sense? It totally makes sense in my mind.)
We now have the “we” established and the potential for change is virtually unlimited for the establishment of good.
Because someone reading this blog might be needing a Biblical application, let’s explore the following.
My life verse is Nehemiah 13:31. It has been for a few years now. I use this verse often, it is at the bottom of my personal stationary, to say I like it is an understatement.
It says simply, “Remember me, O my God, for good.”
Until just a few moments ago it had not hit me that this verse ties into the you, me, we thought process, when actually it fits perfectly.
Readers Digest Version: Nehemiah was given an overwhelming task with much opposition and gynormous (that’s a word), obstacles in his way. Nehemiah took on this mission with the “you” in mind as his first priority. His mission? The re-establishment and uniting of his people and the re-building of their city. He established the “you”. Then he focused on the “me”. He was very aware of the enormous challenge so he went to the leaders whom he served and asked for their help in this cause, they said yes, and the “we” was established. He further recruited many of his fellow countrymen for the mission, advancing the cause beyond the “you” and the “me” establishing the “we”. That last verse of the book of Nehemiah sums it up. “Remember me, O my God…” Nehemiah’s “me” could only be established by his need to meet the needs of the “you” and have both the direction of God and the work of his fellow countrymen to give of themselves to establish the “we”.
And the establishment of the “we” brings about the good as seen in their accomplishments for their nation.
Gosh, I hope like heck this makes sense.
I can not accomplish anything without you, whether you are a person or the you is God. But when my “me” is joined with your “you” to become the “we”, then “we” cannot be stopped in terms of establishing good.
You…me…we. It is the formula for success in life.
Is this making any sense?
JHH
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