January 12. Secret and Public Codes are Important!

As a leader, there are many decisions that we make that affect others. The circle of people that are on our team are as important to us as customers are to a business.

That circle is large and might include friends, coworkers, employees, neighbors, family, peers, church members and even competitors at times. That circle impacts us and therefore can shape the way we treat others. Do you have a way to let your team know that you have been thinking about them?

At work, is there a personal way other than an employee benefit program or writing a check you use? We affirm the different people in our lives in different ways. The neighbor may get a wave or personal invite to your backyard picnic.

But if someone on your work team lives in another state working virtually, they likely are not coming for a picnic. The members of our circle want to be affirmed. Affirmation is one of the four things that is built in the brain as a desire.

We all want to be affirmed at some level and if we are not affirmed, it seems like it might leave a hole in us. We might never be fulfilled if those we are connected to miss affirmation in their life.

Different circles of influence exist for everyone and our ability to affirm will likely be different in those different areas. Regardless of the area you focus on, I believe affirmation is likely a magnet. Genuine affirmation has the power to pull people together when used and if not used, it is pushing people apart.

The force is always present and the closer the two subjects are the more powerful it is. Which areas in your spheres of influence might you have been neglecting to affirm? The power of the magnetism of affirmation is likely at work there repelling.

Want to pull a team together? Perhaps we can use curiosity today to consider how we might affirm our teams this week.

In our faith, we can be asking God to have an impact in decisions that affect our circles. In Genesis 24, Abraham sends his servant back to his relatives to seek a wife for his son Isaac.

The servant wants to please the people in his circle and be successful so he asked God to have a secret signal so that he might do the right thing. That right thing was that he might find the right woman, a special woman for his masters’ special son.

That seems to be a very important decision. The purpose of the secret signal “I’ll water your camels too” which Rachel uttered was so that he would know that he might be pleasing God. If God is pleased, then his circle is probably going to be pleased.

He wanted to be affirmed and found a way for God to be able to do that clearly. What if we asked God to have a special signal to influence our relationships? Would our circle appreciate that we had specifically prayed and talked to God about them?

Would you like to know that others have affirmed you to the Lord on a regular basis? Is there anything more powerful for our circle, our community, than to relate to God and allow his influence to be recognized in our lives?

To count on his wisdom and influence seems appropriate. Maybe we can think of a way to have an "I'll water your camels too" signal in our lives for each of our circle members. What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, you sent Jesus to be our Savior and is therefore in our sphere of influence. We are connected as a people through your love and it is easy sometimes to get more involved with each other than with you.

Bless us today with a connection with you first as we affirm you. May we look for your influence to lead us. Lead our families, friendships, communities, and our circles this day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,

P.S. It's our hope and prayer that these devotions connect you to Jesus a little more.  You can learn more about what we do and our Tribes at https://www.corescore.net/peer-to-peer-groups .