"Have Conviction"

Titus 2. 15

“You must teach these things and encourage your people to do them, correcting them when necessary. You have the authority to do this, so... 

...don’t let anyone ignore you or disregard what you say.” [1]

Sixteen years ago this month, I attended a leadership seminar in Portland [2] and heard outstanding speakers address the condition of our country and how to make it better. I was super-charged by inspirational giants like Zig Ziglar, Steve Forbes, Tommy Hopkins, and General Colin Powell.

Perhaps the greatest impact came from the man who wrote the book on leadership [3]. He is the former Mayor of New York City who caught the world’s attention in his brilliant response to the attack by terrorists on 9/11/01. As Rudolf Giuliani took center stage and the music blared Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” streamers of patriotic colors and confetti, like snow in a blinding blizzard, descended on 15,000 people at the Rose Quarter in Portland. The mayor was making the first point in his well rehearsed speech when a late-arriving piece of white confetti gently glided to the notebook on my lap. Here was Mr. Giuliani’s point:

“Know what you believe. Have conviction.”
Mayor Rudolf Giuliani, October 9th, 2006

I wrote his words on the one in a million pieces of confetti that would not be swept up from the arena floor that night and thrown in the garbage along with all the remaining event debris. Later that night I Scotch taped this solitary piece of confetti in my Bible next to this verse:

“These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”
Titus 2.15 NASU

I know what I believe and am convicted by its truth. About this truth, I am commanded to speak with authority and become impossible to ignore.

_____________________

[1] Scripture Titus 2.15 from the New Living Translation (NLT), 1996, 2004, Tyndale Charitable Trust, probably from the original 1996 version. The second edition NLT reads as follows: "You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don't let anyone disregard what you say."

[2] The event "Get Fired Up!" was a Get Motivated Seminar sponsored by Portland Business Alliance Members held at the Rose Garden Arena on October 9, 2006. 

[3] Leadership, Rudolf Giuliani, Hyperion, New York, 2002.