Balancing Our Emphasis Between Task And Relationship Orientation

Balancing Our Emphasis Between Task and Relationship Orientation

1 John 4:20-4:21 - If anyone says I love God but hates his brother. He is a liar and the truth is not in him. For how can you say you love God whom you do not see when you do not love your brother whom you see?

1. The Holy Spirit knows how to analyze everyone’s strengths and weaknesses in order to help each one find the best balanced between task and relationship oreintation. David wrote, "Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psa. 139:23,24) Ask the Lord to help you rectify any over emphasis that you are giving to either your tasks or your relationships.

2. The Holy Spirit teaches some lion like personalities how to avoid being so concerned about programs, activities and accomplishments that they use people like machines. The Spirit of God is able to give greater compassion to some task oriented leaders by showing them the importance of love. The Holy Spirit is able to lead task oriented leaders to passages of scripture that emphasize becoming and knowing Godliness instead of merely DOING God’s will. John wrote, "If anyone says he loves God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he nas not seen." (I John 4:20,21) Ask the Lord to help you remember that love is the greatest gift of all.

3. The Holy Spirit instructs some teddy bear like personalities how to avoid being so concerned about people liking them, that they seldom get their tasks accomplished. Some preachers are so afraid of offending any in their congregation that they are willing to avoid preaching the whole counsel of God in order to maintain peace at any price. Being afraid of conflict with people in your organization usually means that the leader is more afraid of people than the Lord. Paul wrote, "We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts." (I Thes. 2:4) Ask the Lord to help you remember to please God before trying to please the people around you.

4. The Holy Spirit enables some turtle like personalities how to come out of their shell and stop being so isolated, reclusive or alienated from their congregations. Some shy leaders prefer to hide whenever there is a conflict. They are especially apt to retreat from the most controversial issues, people or problems in the church. The Holy Spirit is able to infuse these timid leaders with His supernatural boldness, power and confidence. Paul wrote, "God has not given us the spirit of timidity, but of power, love and discipline." (2 Tim. 1:7) Ask the Lord to help you come out of your shell & being to stick your neck out for His purposes.

5. The Holy Spirit knows how to help some chameleon like leaders to adapt without compromising on essentials. Some leaders seek to compromise with any person who is pressuring them in order to appease them at the time of their interaction. However, this politically oriented leader depends too much on the opinions of the majority to determine which direction he will lead the church. His preaching is usually characterized by a situational ethics based theology. Being so concerned about balancing tasks and relationships in his organization he forgets that His goal is to complete God’s will for his life and ministry. Paul wrote, "And this I pray that you would be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you can walk in a way that pleases the Lord in all respects and bears fruit in every good work." (Col. 1:9,10) Ask the Lord to help you avoid any tendencies to be so politically oriented that you forget to trust the Lord to help you keep His priorities, responsibilities and perspectives.

6. The Holy Spirit knows how to help us demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit in our tasks and relationships with the best balanced approach. Isaiah wrote, "If you leave God’s paths and go astray, you will hear a Voice behind you say, ‘No, this is the way; walk here." (Isaiah 30:21 Living Bible) Ask the Lord to help you maximize both your relationships and tasks according to the whole truth of God. Trust the Lord to help you seek to integrate healthy relationships with productive activities that seek first His kingdom and righteousness. Look to the Lord’s leading in balancing the way you invest your time between relating to people and accomplishing all of your ministry tasks.

Follow the pattern of Jesus Christ as one who was able to meet the essential needs of people without sacrificing His responsibilities to see that He went all the way to Calvary. Believe that the Spirit of God is able to help you harmonize mercy with justice; love with truth; grace with Biblical commands; peace with progress; gentleness with faithfulness, cooperation with commitment; friendliness with holiness; being with doing; kindness with God’s power; family life with church activities and all of your relationships with your God given duties.