Wisely Balancing Our Relationships And Tasks

Wisely Balancing Our Relationships and Tasks

James 3:18 - "And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity in God’s will in thought and deed) is the fruit of the seed sown in peace by those who work for and make peace in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement and harmony between individuals with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts."

We all need spiritual wisdom to balance those of us who are task oriented with more relational geared people. Without the Holy Spirit’s wisdom we tend to judge others according to our personality type which brings agitation and division. Ask the Lord to give you the wisdom that is peaceful, pure, holy and just.

Illustration: A Christian high school had taken its chorale to England to minister to the churches there. One day after the young people had sung, a member of one of the churches struck up a conversation with the principal of the school, who was on the trip as a chaperone.

The Englishman was a new believer and was excited about his faith. He asked, "Are these the best singers in your school? Is this your whole choir?"

The principal explained that this was a select group of young people, chosen not just for their singing but also for their Christian testimony and their walk with the Lord.

"We wouldn’t want any troublemakers to be in the chorale," the principal explained.

The new believer was surprised. "Troublemakers? Why would a Christian be a troublemaker?"

Why, indeed! That man may not yet have had much biblical training, but he knew one truth for sure: The term Christian troublemaker is an oxymoron. Those two words shouldn’t go together.

We who belong to Jesus Christ and claim to be His followers should be known as peacemakers (Mt. 5:9), never troublemakers. (Our Daily Bread)

O Prince of Peace, keep us, we pray,

From strife and enmity;

Help us to speak with loving words

That quell hostility

1. The Holy Spirit knows how to analyze everyone’s strengths and weaknesses in order to help each one find the best balanced between tasks and relationships. He puts us in fellowship with all four of the personality types (driver, expressive, amiable and compliant). The Lord has a way of filling, controlling and coordinating our personality in a way that our task or relational style can be blended in to the body of Christ in the most efficacious way. Paul wrote, "Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose." (Phil. 2:2)

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)

Application: 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 driver-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)

Application: Ask the Lord to help you remember that love is the greatest gift of all.

3. The Holy Spirit instructs some people oriented 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)

Application: Ask the Lord to help you remember to please God before trying to please the people around you.

4. The Holy Spirit enables some melancholy 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.