For years, I was coached by Warren Myers, who passed away in 2001. Warren coached many young leaders. One of those men had the experience of traveling with Dr. Charles Malik (*see note below) one summer as his personal assistant and sent the following to our mutual friend and coach, Warren.
“We spent hours discussing the atmosphere in a crises, the immense demands on a leader’s time, the pressures from all sides, the growing threat and danger of nuclear war, the degeneration of Western civilization. And I asked, ‘How, in the midst of all this chaos, do you maintain your own sense of values and priorities, of what is right and wrong—how do you find meaningful solutions for the chaotic times in which we live?’
“I will never forget his answer. Going over to his still unpacked suitcase, he ever so carefully took out a book. The pages were loose, some fell out, it was beat up, worn, and looked terrible. Yet he handled it so carefully and carried it like it was the greatest of all treasures. As he sat down, I could tell that the beat up old book was his Bible. I asked him if I could hold it, and as I turned to page after page—in the Old and New Testaments–there was hardly any more room on any page for more writing. Every page was well worn and obviously well read and studied.
“I asked him how often he had to get a new Bible—thinking that the Bible in my lap was at least twenty years old. He replied, ‘About every two years!’ At seventy years of age, wearing out a Bible every two years by studying it!
“I knew what his answer would be to my original question. He simply said, ‘You must get to know the author of this book and put into practice everything He tells you to do’ As a college student he established his priorities and down through the years his first priority has been to begin each day alone with God and His Word.
“As we traveled and lived together I saw that Dr. Malik never began his day with men and their problems until after he came out from the presence of God.”
*The late Dr. Charles Malik of Lebanon, 1906-1987
Dr. Malik:
- Received his Ph.D. from Harvard University where he also taught
- Was appointed as the Lebanese Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations
- Was President and Chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
- Was President of the 13th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
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