Why you should care more about Ken Jacobs than Steve Jobs

Everyone was talking about Steve Jobs’ death recently. That’s fine (I’m guilty, I blogged about him). But not enough people heard about Ken Jacobs.

I’ve never met Steve Jobs. But I believe you should be more interested in Ken Jacobs than Steve Jobs. Here’s why:

1) Ken was known for his gentleness

People often try to intimidate others with their size, position, or money. This would have been easy for Ken.

Ken was a gentle giant. He showed his leadership through his example.

2) Ken loved his wife

Real men don’t cheat. Real men serve, love, and care for their wife.

Would people write a blog post about your love for your spouse if you died today? (Ken admittedly had an advantage…as they say, behind every remarkable man is an outstanding woman. In his case, he was blessed to have Karen).

3) Ken’s generosity smacked you in the face

Ken wasn’t know for his accumulation of possessions, his creativity in design, or powerful presentations. He was known as a generous man.

Three months before his death, while visiting Uruguay, Ken noticed that I needed a new pair of dress shoes. He walked back into his bedroom and proceeded to give me his only pair of dress shoes.

Would people say about you?: “He/She literally gave me the shoes off his feet.”

4) Ken lived out his beliefs

Christians are frequently accused of being hypocrites (oftentimes rightly so)…for saying one thing and living another way.

Ken overturned the stereotype. Although he was never perfect, he was very consistent in word and in deed. In what ways are your actions/words incongruent with your beliefs? What changes do you need to make?

As I’ve grieved this past week, I’ve asked myself, “What can I learn from Ken Jacobs?” These four things motivate me to ask more regularly, “What can I learn from my friends?”