Listening to the Holy Spirit:
Who then, of those that serve you, do you treat as I have treated you? Each has been given a role, called to title and place, as you also. I Am Lord of all, but I do not lord as lost men, nor should you. For I give grace through long-waiting and a gentle voice, for men do not follow long, those they must follow, those that demand in anger what cannot be given. I give you My Spirit that you would not exercise your own. The choice to become what you are not, by My Presence within; in this they would know me, and the ways of the Father, not the way of fallen men. Lift as I lift, as I have lifted, from the mud and the mire. Be patient in the lifting, gentle in the upward pull. Walk gently with them before sending them headlong. Anger will not bring what is desired, but grace and brotherly love shall in time bear fruit.
Matt 7:12 (ESV) – So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Eph 6:9 (ESV) – Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Matt 20:25-26a (ESV) – But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you…
Taking It to Work:
Frustration always brings about the best in us doesn’t it? When things go wrong, when mistakes are repeated, when plans fail, this is when we are at our best. Right? Well, maybe for you, but not for me, and probably not for you either. In fact, frustration likely brings out the side of us that we hate the most.
If we are leaders in the workplace, and many of us are or will be, this least-redeemed side of us can really be damaging to our reputation, our Christian witness, and the folks we lead and with whom we work. I’ve seen it in myself and other Christian leaders, as well as those who don’t claim Jesus as Lord. It must be our stubborn, fallen nature that, deep down somehow, believes that impatience, anger, and a harsh tone are necessary to get things done, or to handle situations involving people with whom we are disappointed.
Jesus says that is not how it’s supposed to be with us. We are supposed to look different than the non-believing leaders around us. As leaders reflecting a new nature, a redeemed nature, we should be treating others as we would want to be treated if the table was turned, much more like He has treated us in our slowness to mature. He has not been impatient with us, right? He watches us trip and fall over and over again, right? He helps us up, brushes us off, and sometimes disciplines us, but always in our best interest.
Even though the situation may deserve it, and our holy, perfect God would have good reason, harshness, anger and impatience are, thankfully, not the way of our all-powerful God. In every situation, patience, mercy, forgiveness and gentle-leading are on the top shelf of His toolkit; they should be in ours as well, as His Word works to improve our management style, today.
