1 Thessalonians 1:1a1
1 Paul, Silas, and Timothy....
Paul seldom played the position, rank, status, or job title 'card', even when he had every right
to do so. He understood and accepted his responsibility and calling as an Apostle - and had a clear vision of how he needed to achieve his mission. But he also had no problem identifying with and ensuring the people that he served saw him as part of a team. He also knew he could not achieve anything alone and surrounded himself with good, competent, and gifted people (and gifted differently from himself) - but especially people who shared his values and vision.
Paul understood 'we'. Paul practiced 'us'. Paul understood shared responsibility and, if it mattered, shared the glory of the success of their work. He understood servant leadership and the power of humbly 'pushing up people'. He was not threatened by sharing the limelight and was effective largely because, when his team spoke, he could be confident that they spoke for him as well. This is relational leadership at its finest and was the result of him finding (with God's help) the right people for the right job and then pouring his own life and vision into them. His view and practice of covenant 'partnership' (more on this later) meant that each member of the team was an extension of the other, including him.
Would that we as leaders and managers of others, like Paul, could be so secure within ourselves and in our ‘calling’ as Christian examples in the workplace.
PRAYER ACTION
Give thanks for your team. And if you don't have a team yet, then don't delay in being clear in your head and heart what kind of people you will need around you...pray for wisdom in selection and God's intervention if they might be appointed or assigned to you by others. Make time to support and affirm your team and come down off any pedestal that your team, you, or others may have put you on.
"If you want to know the quality of the man who is leading, look at the people he has around him!"
(Paraphrased from Niccolo Machiavelli)
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