Eating With Envy

  (This is from Chapter 7 in a soon to be released book called: "Wisdom of the Hood.")

A neighborhood in unity outside the UCM Ministry Home.

A neighborhood sharing good words and good actions.

Magic the referee mentoring during the game.

Urban Christian Ministries is what I call the premier ministry in the City of Buffalo. I'm not trying to put them on a pedestal above many other servant organizations, but I see their fruit producing mass quantities of greater fruit. One of the men who has been a large part of UCM is Will Coplin. I first met Will through one of UCM's programs called Block Club Basketball.

All over the City, neighborhoods form basketball teams and play in the street. The game features a positive - life changing message at half time as well as sideline events for the whole family. The street is closed for almost 3 hours to host a community event of good neighborliness. Technical fouls are assessed for foul language and displays of anger are not tolerated. The referees are decent, especially a guy named Magic who seems to mentor and coach in between blowing his whistle. It is beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the most powerful life changing methods of mentoring that I have ever seen. As the Founder of a youth mentoring organization called Youth With A Purpose. Inc. that's been around for over 10 years, I've got some experience to make that call.

Is Will sitting on a bench or dancing?

 I have worked with Will for many years. When I first met him, I was in awe of what he did with young people. I thought: "Here is the real deal - this dude really cares about these kids and nothing will stop him from sharing his life with them. I wanted to be like Will, I envied him! Envy can be healthy or destructive. My envy of Will was a good thing. I asked him to go to lunch and tutor me. When I arrived at lunch, I had a notebook and pen ready to take tons of notes. I was about to learn all there was to know about a successful youth mentoring organization in the city. After we ordered and before the food arrived, my anxiousness to learn caused me to start asking him questions. "What's the secret to your ministry?" I asked Will. His response was very simple: "Talk to God." I said "Okay Will, I understand that part, but how did you get started, how do you know what to do and how to plan?" I waited for this wisdom filled guy to give me enough material to write a book with and he repeated: "Talk to God."

Will is the servant guy everywhere he goes.

I never wrote anything in my notebook. The wisdom gained from going to lunch with a servant of God was simple: "Talk to God." I'm now more than 10 years down the road in our youth ministry on the streets in one of the poorest and most violent cities in America and I: "Talk to God." Things are changing in Buffalo in large part to a guy named Will Coplin. Young people are leaving gangs, going to college and becoming contributing members of society. Most importantly, they are beginning to understand the unconditional love of Jesus through a man named Will Coplin.
 Thanks Will, Jesus loves you and so do we.






Today's Wise Saying is from Proverbs 23:1-3.

Proverbs 23:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

Saying 7

23 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
    note well what^[a] is before you,
² and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to gluttony.
³ Do not crave his delicacies,
    for that food is deceptive.

Proverbs 23:1-3

The Message (MSG)

Restrain Yourself

23 ^1-3 When you go out to dinner with an influential person,
    mind your manners:
Don’t gobble your food,
    don’t talk with your mouth full.
And don’t stuff yourself;
    bridle your appetite.

Proverbs 23:1-3

King James Version (KJV)

23 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:

² And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
³ Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Proverbs 23:1-3

Amplified Bible (AMP)

23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider who and what are before you;

² For you will put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to desire.

³ Be not desirous of his dainties, for it is deceitful food [offered with questionable motives].

Envy can lead to covetousness. My enthusiasm to know what Will knew was driven by the envy of impetuousness. The experience he had was not the experience I would have but he knew what I needed to focus on which is talking to God. We should seek out the wisdom of successful people only if their success has been built upon godly principles. Envy can become a food of destruction fed through ill gotten instruction. I ask God for the wisdom to understand His lessons of life. I ask for Him to surround me with godly people so that I might partake of the same digestible wisdom that they have consumed.  

Reflection questions:

Do you know when to end a conversation with an influentially deceitful person?  

Do you seek out conversations with positive role models?

How do you become a better role model?

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.

Jesus loves you and so do we. 

Anthony has smiled more in his heart because of the love shown by a man named Will Coplin.