When God needs something to happen in the world He sends a baby

Frank W. Boreham, an English Baptist preacher was speaking of events during the Napoleonic Wars and the early part of the 19th century. He said, men were following with bated breath, the march of Napoleon and waiting with feverish impatience for the news of the wars and all the while in their own homes, babies were being born, but who could think about babies? Everybody was thinking about battles.

In one year between Trafalgar and Waterloo, there stole into the world a host of heroes. In 1809, Gladstone was born in Liverpool. Alfred Tennyson was born at the Somersby rectory. Oliver Wendell Holmes made his first appearance in Massachusetts. Abraham Lincoln drew his first breath at old Kentucky. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born at Durham. But nobody thought of babies. Everyone was thinking of battles. Yet which of the battles in 1809 mattered more than the babies of 1809? He goes on to say, we fancy that God can only manage his world by big battalions when all the while he is doing it by beautiful babies.

He says, when a wrong wants righting or work wants doing or truth wants preaching or a continent wants opening, God sends a baby into the world to do it. That is why long, long ago a baby was born in Bethlehem.

God's view and planning are long term. His timing is often not as quick as we would like. The things we often think are most important in the moment may end up being of little importance in the long run. We need to learn patience. Trust the Lord and His timing.

Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God"

Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Source: Bonnie Cordon, Follow Him podcast 

The Power of Being 100% Responsible

This story is paraphrased from a BYU devotional given by Elder Lynn G. Robbins.

In 1983, I co-founded a company that taught time-management seminars and sold day planners. Our distribution center shipped seminar materials, but frequent errors - missing items, late deliveries - caused frustration and embarrassment. When confronted, the employees always blamed others: incorrect forms, freight delays, or mistakes by other departments. They never accepted responsibility, so the problems continued.

One day, a major client invited us to teach a pilot seminar for its top executives. When the consultant opened the boxes, the seminar guidebooks were missing. The training director was furious and vowed never to hire us again. We risked losing a million-dollar account.

I didn’t want to fire these employees, so I implemented an incentive system: bonuses for error-free shipments and penalties for mistakes - regardless of who was at fault. “You are 100 percent responsible for each shipment,” I told them. At first, they protested, saying, “That’s not fair!” But I insisted.

What happened next was fascinating. They began double-checking forms, verifying freight details, labeling boxes clearly, shipping early, and confirming deliveries. Errors stopped, and they earned their bonuses month after month. It was life-changing for them to learn firsthand the power, control, and reward of being 100 percent responsible.

What these two employees learned is that when they blamed someone else, they were surrendering control of the shipment’s success to others - such as the seminar division or the freight company. They learned that excuses keep you from taking control of your life. They learned that it is self-defeating to blame others, make excuses, or justify mistakes - even when you are right! The moment you do any of these self-defeating things, you lose control over the positive outcomes you are seeking in life.

It is empowering to search for solutions rather than to look for excuses. 

Source: Elder Lynn G. Robbins, "Be 100 Percent Responsible"