Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 25, 2017
Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Luke 6:22
No one likes to feel excluded; it’s disrespectful and distasteful. Exclusion may come in the form of blatant rejection or deliberate ignoring. In either case, the one excluded feels left out of the loop. Maybe you already know that from personal experience. You were not included in the decision-making process, or you were not invited to the event. Your opinion was not valued or appreciated. You may have been excluded volitionally or by accident. If your exclusion was an oversight, this helps sooth your sensitivity. But if you were left out on purpose, then you have to wonder if you are really needed. People can exclude others passively or proactively. Either way, the result is ugly. Exclusion communicates: “I don’t care what you think,” or “I don’t need you.”
Exclusion is the opposite of team development and a sense of family. It is counter-productive to building a culture of care. Wise and teachable leaders will extract exclusion from the enterprise by identifying its source and addressing the issue. Exclusion is an enemy too of high morale and quiet confidence. When excluded, people tend to believe the worst. Mistrust and miscommunication then gain ground and undermine the personal development of people.
Healthy organizations, on the other hand, exclude exclusion. There is a conscious attempt to include the team in strategic decision-making. This takes time, especially in an environment of rapid change. There needs to be enough lead time to process information. Be sure to build buffer time into your corporate calendar to allow for clear communication. This will save you time in the long run. Therefore, eagerly exclude exclusion by building a culture of collaboration.
Fortunately, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is all-inclusive. He accepts sinners and saints alike. He includes rich and poor, educated and uneducated, nationals and foreigners, new and old. The Cross of Christ invites all who believe to belong to His family. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17, KJV). In the Body of Christ, everyone is affirmed for his or her unique role and responsibility. So at home, work, or church don’t forget the ones who have been around the longest. And don’t forget the silent ones.
Inclusion means you collaborate on defining the meeting agenda. You trust others to craft their own procedures, objectives, and goals, but you verify with an efficient process. You learn to manage the process and lead people. Inclusion requires servant leadership and prayerful attention to detail. If you run too fast, you will rush right past the opportunity to include others in a better decision. The wisdom of the whole far exceeds the insight of one, so slow down, include others, pray, and plan. Most important, you are integrated into God’s will and you are a significant part of Providence’s plan. Even when men exclude you, He includes you.
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:4-5).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for including me in Your lavish plan of love for my life, in Jesus name, Amen.Application
Who do I need to reach out to and include who may be feeling excluded?Related Reading
Proverbs 18:12; Romans 12:10; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 2:19-22 Today’s reading is taken from Boyd’s most popular book: Seeking Daily the Heart of God, a 365 day devotional.Post/Tweet today
In the Body of Christ, all are affirmed for their unique role and responsibility. #feelingexcluded #WisdomHuntersWorship Resource
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