One for One

I was able to hear the founder of TOMS shoes speak at a leadership conference recently. I had heard of TOMS before, but I had never really taken the time to think about the possible implications of their "One for One" philosophy. Their strategy is simple: they are a for profit company that gives away half of their product in an effort to sustainably provide shoes for kids all over the world. What blew me away is how simple their philosophy is: appeal to people's desire to make a positive impact, give them a tangible, simple way to do it, and watch the world get changed. It's so easy.

The purpose of this blog entry is not to get you to buy TOMS shoes (though you may want some), but instead ask you to live "One for One."

So what does it mean to live this way? Well, if you look at the life of Jesus, it's pretty clear how we are supposed to do this. Jesus was constantly giving of Himself, aware of His Father's will that the world would be saved by His sacrifice.

Jesus said: "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Jesus is asking us to give up our lives in a search for a life that means something. We should be constantly giving of ourselves, aware of our Father's will to save the world through our sacrifices.

Whether or not you rock a pair of TOMS on a daily basis, live out your life by sacrificing for your friends. This could look like:

-Randomly buying someone lunch

-Eating lunch with someone on the fringes instead of with your friends

-Donating week's allowance or paycheck to a cause you care about

-Spending an afternoon feeding the hungry instead of going out to dinner

If we lived "One for One," we could see our world changed simply and tangibly right before our eyes.

-Amanda Cates, Louder Than Words Coordinator