THE OTHER DAY, a friend of mine, who happens to serve as the "Networking Educator" for a networking group I'm part of, directed his remarks to the topic of "EQ". For those of you who may not follow EQ, otherwise known as " Emotional Intelligence", it can be defined loosely as the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflicts. Sounds valuable right? Who in business wouldn't find this attractive?

Truth is, the business world has only recently "discovered" what the Church and believers in Jesus have known for all of the church's history-- that practices such as compassion, paying forward, and encouragement are not some avant-garde, newly awakened productivity tool, but proven biblical qualities; and while presently wrenched from their biblcial context, they remain powerful gifts in the arsenal of anyone looking to build relationships. But more imporantly, they are a necessity for anyone looking to rescue a soul from meaninglessness, suffering, or despair; or even for raising a life from the superficiality of the "daily grind." In a word, they are TRANSFORMATIONAL!

And that's why an otherwise unknown man named Onesiphorus was able to pour the cool refreshing waters of encouragement successfully into the the life of the Apostle Paul, maybe just days or even hours before his death. It is clear from the text, that Paul never forgot it. 

Why not slip that in on your next business meeting agenda under "practices we want to improve"! Who knows... your busines may improve, and just maybe you will find your calling in a world desperately searching for meaning. 

MJC