“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord … It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
By Ben Briedall
As managers, team leaders, mentors, and coaches we have an opportunity to bring people together in powerful ways. A team that is really connected, synched, and building on one another can feel electric. The progress can be unbelievable. On the flip side, if we bring people together poorly, or if we are not intentional, it can often cause struggle and frustration. Even the smallest tasks seem to take Herculean efforts.
We can remember that our work has purpose; it’s not our own ambitions we are serving, but the Lord’s. In this context all else fades away and we can see the purpose and higher meaning of our work. The Lord gave each one of us strengths with purpose. Do you know yours? Do you recognize the powerful gifts of others?
Several years ago, I was working on a new technology platform that was very complex. We had to solve problems that our team had never had to address before. We pulled in leading experts in various fields and built a bench of key advisors for our work, but we also looked in uncommon places for sparks; flashes of brilliance that you had to watch for in order to catch. One such flash came from a quiet and humble voice on our team; one that many would miss if they weren’t paying attention. This person had flashes of insight that sparked some of our largest and most critical advances, which meant the difference between standing still and taking almost unbelievable leaps forward. Had we not been watching intently and listening carefully to voices like this, we would have missed an incredible opportunity.
Where are there flashes of brilliance on your team today? Are you watching and listening carefully? Are you bringing oxygen and developing these sparks into roaring fires?
Pray
I trust in you Lord Jesus and help us to remember that it is you that we are serving.
Reflect
What are your gifts that have been bestowed from the Lord? How do you use them to find flashes of brilliance in your coworkers?
Discuss
Share about a time when the Holy Spirit guided your work. What sparks were developed that helped to enhance your work?
Ben Briedall is an engineering manager in the R&D group at Boston Scientific. He and his wife Laura have five children and live in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.