Cairo: Jesus in Egypt & God's Unusual Leaning
God seldom gives us all we need to understand, but He always gives us what we need in order to obey. The story of Jesus in Egypt as a boy offers a...
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Jan 10, 2017 9:00:53 PM
One of my mentors used to say, “You can tell a lot about someone’s relationship with God by their relationship with people.” These words have stuck with me for years. But a recent experience with a physician drove it home.
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The doctor entered the exam room in a rush with his scribe/nurse behind him. I had never visited him before.
“Hello, Mr. Stiles, I’m Dr. (Name), and this is Nancy who writes down stuff for me.” That is literally how he introduced his nurse. Nancy’s eyes never left her clipboard, and her face betrayed the fact she had heard the belittling introduction before.
“Good morning, Nancy,” I said, interrupting the doctor’s next sentence. Nancy looked at me with a hesitant smile. No words. After speaking with the doctor for the reason for my visit, I mentioned to Nancy that my daughter was about to graduate as a nurse and how much I admired the hard work it took to get there. When the doctor realized he was done in the room, he promptly shook my hand and left—with Nancy in tow.
After I walked out, my mentor’s words came to mind: “You can tell a lot about someone’s relationship with God by their relationship with people.”
Then I thought about Jesus and how He modeled an entirely different way of treating people.
If you think about it, everybody was “under” Jesus. But you’d never know it by His actions. One of the most brilliant leadership models of history, Jesus gave priority to those under Him—His disciples.
You may be a parent, an employer, a Sunday School teacher, and elder (or a physician!). It doesn’t matter. In whatever way others serve “under” you, consider these 3 ways Jesus modeled the value of others.
As we read the Bible, two primary ways of motivating people emerge:
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On one occasion, Jesus pulled His disciples aside and told them the world and its “lord it over” mindset was backwards. He gave the godly alternative:
It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant. —Matthew 20:26
The harshest rebukes Jesus offered came to the religious people who knew God’s standards but ignored them (or redefined them) to suit themselves. Imagine if we showed up on judgment day with no idea of our guilt. We would be more than surprised; we would be angry (and rightly so)! Why? Because God gave us no chance to change.
Instead, the Lord has given us ample evidence of Himself and His holy standard.
In other words, no one is going to show up on judgment day and say, “That’s not fair!” Each day is a gift of grace.
Do you have something to say to someone by way of correction? Say it in the context of a regular relationship of grace. I remember Josh McDowell once telling us parents: “Rules without relationship equals rebellion.” That also works in the workplace. I have always made it a habit of leadership never to surprise someone at an annual review. (Much less a dismissal.) If a disciplinary act has to occur, it should come as no surprise.
Jesus didn’t operate that way. Neither should we.
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Did you have parents who nitpicked every fault? That’s really tough to deal with as an adult. It stifles all creativity and creates an atmosphere where you always hear the thin ice cracking. You never know which step is your last. When we grow up, this is called “micromanaging.”
Jesus gave freedom to fail:
As I reflect back on my experience with the doctor and Nancy, his nurse, I wonder how much more effective (and loyal) his staff would be if they experienced care, communication, and grace?
I want to be more like Jesus, don’t you?
You can tell a lot about someone’s relationship with God by their relationship with people.
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