Be Responsible

I am constantly reminded that we are all, individually responsible for our own actions. So often, it is much easier to complain about the way someone else is behaving or responding to a given situation than to actually do something about the way someone is acting.




Lately, I have been in many situations where I felt God nudging me to have a difficult conversation with someone. I tend to hesitate when I feel this kind of prompting, because I am worried how the other person is going to respond.


When I was in Campus Crusade for Christ in college, their big thing was it was my responsibility to go out and share the Gospel and leave the results to God. It wasn't my responsibility to make someone respond a certain way, that was up to that person and how God was working in their hearts.

The same applies to me in my everyday life. If someone is acting inappropriately and I know it is wrong, it is my responsibility to do something about it. Not to respond in a similarly inappropriate manner; or to just ignore someones behavior; or to talk to someone else about how poorly someone behaved. The Bible calls me to "speak the truth in love", not "speak the truth in love knowing that the other person will always respond in a way I want them to."

If I am unwilling to speak the truth in love, the other person may never hear the truth. They may never be given a chance to become a better person as a result. If I don't speak the truth in love, I am as much at fault in a situation between me and another person.

No is a bad answer

I say no because people don't know how crazy their ideas are.

It is always tempting to assume that everyone knows what I know. They don't. They can't. They may never know what my life or my job is really like. It is up to me to fill them in. If someone is asking for something that seems impossible, remember that they don't know it is impossible. It is up to me to tell them...not just that it is currently impossible, but a few ways that it could be made possible.

Before I say no, I need to think about 3 ways that I can say yes; thinking about 3 options that would make it possible. The beauty of this way is that more often than not, if it is impossible, the person asking will realize it and say no for me. Now, I don't have to be defensive; I' just stating the facts. Not only that, I am a team player with options; looking out for the best interests of the team I am on.

Vision?

Are all people motivated internally? Are some people just made up that way? Or do all people need a dose of vision given to them from time to time? Is it because we are all running so fast that we don't stop and think about what we are doing or why we are doing it?

I am hanging out downtown today walking all over and thinking about this. Is it my job as the leader to stand up in front of less than 10 people and write values on a flip chart? Yes. Why does it feel like someone else's job? I know that I get so frustrated when I am not given any clear vision, regardless of the size of the group. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the details of what all needs to be done, that we neglect talking about why we even do this stuff.

It can probably be traced back to all kinds of stuff that I should be going to a councelor for, but I have a hard time thinking that I have the market cornered on the values we should hold to. Aren't they obvious? Don't we all know them and follow them each week? If I were to take a poll of my team, staff and volunteers, I am guess that maybe 1 person would be able to vaguely remember me holding up one value once.

If you are leading a team of technical people, regardless of the size, it is our responsibility to lead the way for these people. To hold up the banner for the technical arts. Your people need to know we aren't just doing all this because the pastor asked for it. Why do we do it a certain way? Why do we always set the band up on stage right? Why do we have to have white top light on all the people.

I know you're not an up front kind of person, neither am I. Push yourself out there. If you don't no one else will. I am telling all this to myself. I think I know what matters. I am going to share it. Regardless of how uncomfortable it seems standing at a flip chart, when the room is half full of attitude problems.