Access Granted

Define ACCESS - "the right to enter" 

In order to enter any room you must have access to get in. It doesn't matter if you want to go into a gathering place or not, if you don't have the right to enter, you are not getting in!

Entry rights can be gained by someone giving you a key or opening a door for you--which could transpire in a variety of ways. I have found that in all realms of life there are circles, even spheres of influence, and in order to progress from one level to the next, you must establish legitimate connections with those who have the ability to open doors.

Undoubtedly, you have seen Hollywood's red carpet events.  Hundreds of people stand barracaded by ropes while celebrities march by--posing all the way--into the entryway of culture's most eloquent events.  Millions want in, thousands stand within view of the door, but only a handful get in.  Why?  One word: ACCESS.

In general, I believe that if you do not have fame or wealth on your your side then two things in life can still help grant you access into influential realms: 

1. Favor
2. Honor

Honor is a principle that must be acted out and favor is the by-product of an attitude. 

Favor can be supernaturally imparted, but I am coming to believe that it is most often only experienced in our lives as we practice an attitude of friendliness.  Literally, we must embrace a heart of doing unto others as we would have them to do unto us.  We must smile and kindly greet people with sincere conversation.  Simply by making small talk we can many times open doors that would have normally never been opened to us.  If you want favor then be friendly!

Honor is the type of principle that will set the course for our lifestyle when practiced. We give it to whom it is do: parents, elders, authority figures, teachers, and spritual leaders to name a few.

How do we give honor?  We bestow honor upon someone by exemplifying our respect for him/her through our actions.

Honor is thorough in its approach and will almost always--even in casual situations--choose to address an elder by his/her proper title and will always refuse to defile another person's name. This much is also certain, when you truly focus on being a person who regularly gives honor to other people, those people will want you around.  They will enjoy having you in their circle.

Many leaders tire easily because they constantly feel as though they are being leeched of their time and resources.  They long for someone to make a deposit instead of a withdrawal--someone who will give rather than take or request to receive.  Honor does exactly that--it shows up ready to serve rather than to be served! 

Honor is not simply brown-nosing. Flattery is manipulative in nature, while honor is pure in its ambition to give respect to someone without any hopes of return.  Honor has the capability to respect someone, fully-aware that someday the action may open currently closed doors, but also fully-content to continue to give respect without receiving any personal gain or recognition. Successful leaders got where they are for a reason and typically the stronger the leader the more keen his perception will be.  In other words, great leaders are constantly on guard for manipulative tactics and if they sense that manipulation is near they will remove it (and the person who brought it) very quickly from their space.

When you are friendly you will gain favor by default.  This is important because favor is typically the blessing that gets you close enough to bestow honor upon the people into whose circles you desire to enter. 

Think of it this way... FRIENDLINESS gets you to the door, FAVOR is the key, and HONOR is the doorkeeper whom ultimately grants you ACCESS into the next level of your destiny.

• FRIENDLINESS --> FAVOR --> HONOR --> ACCESS

(Foundational thoughts originally inspired by a combination of tweets from Pastors Steven Furtick & Danny Chambers.)