Leadership and We've got Spirit, Yes we Do, We've got Spirit, How about You?
I was listening to a Christian speaker on the radio today on my way into work. He was doing his best to explain the Holy Spirit and how he works in our lives.
He spent a few minutes in Galatians 5 where he talked of these verses...
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:...hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy..." Galatians 5: 19-21
...and then he said something very disturbing.
"This just sounds like a typical day at the workplace."
I don't know about you, but I don't want that to be my workplace. I decided to walk myself through these to see how I am doing in the workplace. As you read along , be sure to check yourself on these as well and see how you are doing.
Hatred: I am OK here. I don't think I hate anything or anyone at work...
Discord: This is lack of harmony, or disagreements, or differences of opinion. We do have this at work, and I think this is healthy. No one wants to work in an environment filled with group-think. However, my discord is about process and tasks, and not people.
Jealousy: The Spirit truly helps me keep this in control. There are some things that lead to jealousy that are truly out of my control. I just keep on doing the best job I can with the gifts with which I have been blessed.
Fits of Rage: I do not have these at work. I rarely have them at home. Nothing says 'hostile work environment' like a good old fashioned fit of rage!
Selfish Ambition: Funny - we are taught in the workplace to have ambition. The only ones who move up and are successful have ambition. It is rewarded. But it can't be driven by self. It should be driven by the greater good of the organization, the team, or someone else.
Dissension: Again, I feel like disagreements are healthy, as long as they are task based and not people based. Organizations move forward when they are filled with healthy dissension based on mutual respect and admiration with the one with whom you are dissenting.
Factions: I have never liked fractions. In fact, I was terrible at Algebra. I am glad that we keep these out of the workplace! (Wait a minute...did I read that wrong?)
Envy: Why do we envy each other at work? Not everyone gets the promotion, the raise, or the bonus. The fact that you are reading this blog means that you most likely have a job, a place to live, and food to eat each day. There is no reason to be envious of anyone. This line of thinking helps me to control my envy.
The scary thing for me is that even though I have always known these feelings and emotions to be inappropriate, I rarely considered them as sin. Maybe if I begin to look at them from that point of view, the Holy Spirit could help me work to eliminate them from my life.
At the end of the day, I want my workplace to be one that contains open and honest employees, opportunities for growth and development, and a values-based culture that always encourages me to do the right thing.
I hope your workplace is offering you the same...
He spent a few minutes in Galatians 5 where he talked of these verses...
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:...hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy..." Galatians 5: 19-21
...and then he said something very disturbing.
"This just sounds like a typical day at the workplace."
I don't know about you, but I don't want that to be my workplace. I decided to walk myself through these to see how I am doing in the workplace. As you read along , be sure to check yourself on these as well and see how you are doing.
Hatred: I am OK here. I don't think I hate anything or anyone at work...
Discord: This is lack of harmony, or disagreements, or differences of opinion. We do have this at work, and I think this is healthy. No one wants to work in an environment filled with group-think. However, my discord is about process and tasks, and not people.
Jealousy: The Spirit truly helps me keep this in control. There are some things that lead to jealousy that are truly out of my control. I just keep on doing the best job I can with the gifts with which I have been blessed.
Fits of Rage: I do not have these at work. I rarely have them at home. Nothing says 'hostile work environment' like a good old fashioned fit of rage!
Selfish Ambition: Funny - we are taught in the workplace to have ambition. The only ones who move up and are successful have ambition. It is rewarded. But it can't be driven by self. It should be driven by the greater good of the organization, the team, or someone else.
Dissension: Again, I feel like disagreements are healthy, as long as they are task based and not people based. Organizations move forward when they are filled with healthy dissension based on mutual respect and admiration with the one with whom you are dissenting.
Factions: I have never liked fractions. In fact, I was terrible at Algebra. I am glad that we keep these out of the workplace! (Wait a minute...did I read that wrong?)
Envy: Why do we envy each other at work? Not everyone gets the promotion, the raise, or the bonus. The fact that you are reading this blog means that you most likely have a job, a place to live, and food to eat each day. There is no reason to be envious of anyone. This line of thinking helps me to control my envy.
The scary thing for me is that even though I have always known these feelings and emotions to be inappropriate, I rarely considered them as sin. Maybe if I begin to look at them from that point of view, the Holy Spirit could help me work to eliminate them from my life.
At the end of the day, I want my workplace to be one that contains open and honest employees, opportunities for growth and development, and a values-based culture that always encourages me to do the right thing.
I hope your workplace is offering you the same...
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