5603 Powercat Pl, Manhattan, KS, United States
July 30. That Is Too Much!
Being wise with our words is not about worldly weath.
As a leader, we balance the use of resources. Our teams are assembled with our people, their thoughts, and energies. We provide them with systems and procedures. We might even have materials or technologies to mix in. But when our service or product is ready for delivery what words do we choose to share?
Do we focus on how inexpensively we assembled it? Or could it be we focus on something else like how valuable it will be for our customer? To focus on our costs is not acknowledging that a value proposition company wants to achieve a win-win solution.
We can be profitable, and our clients can be significantly better off because we have been in a relationship together. Where have your communications been focused lately? Do your clients and customers know you want to deliver a win-win? If we are not in relationships that are win-win then the relationship will be at the expense of someone.
We would do well to remember that the people on our teams are also customers. They make the decision everyday as to whether they want to be aligned with the team or not. When we lose sight of them as customers, we begin to see them as costs. Team members are not costs for a value company approach.
They are investments that we make to provide value to the other external customers. What are you doing to inspire your investments to perform in a more valuable way? I suspect that the team leader that finds a way to inspire the internal customers to a high win-win level we will see exponential growth. What is the first thing you can do about it in the next seven days?
Do you haggle about prices? I know that I have before. And I must admit that I have lied before when haggling and felt justified when I did it to get a better price. The whole process can challenge your perspective in many ways but maybe only if we haggle with the wrong person.
How would you haggle with God? What price do we think is acceptable for God’s grace? Is the price to have eternal life and love something that we want to minimize the cost of in the first place? It certainly is not worth any lie to others because you cannot pay for his grace anyhow.
It is priceless. We read in Proverbs, "The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It is worthless,” then brags about getting a bargain! Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies.” Proverbs 20:14-15 NLT. Maybe we can share some valuable words in the hearts and ears of one another instead of focusing on how much is in our pockets.
Where are you being challenged about the change in your pocket and the words in your head? Our negotiating and haggling in this world might tend to create a habit of negotiating with God. That is a slippery slope. Perhaps it is better to determine the cost of the actions of our faith and make a measurable commitment for what we can afford at this moment.
Where might you be tempted to haggle or negotiate this coming weekend? How about being inspired to do no negotiating, no settling, and no haggling with our faith? I hope that you make it to worship and fellowship without negotiating with other activities.
What is the first thing you can do about it in the next seven days?
Let us pray, Heavenly Father, your word is Holy. The words from your Holy Spirit speak directly to our hearts. Help us to heal from the words that we share in this broken world. Guard our tongues, shield our ears, and protect our hearts from the attacks of this world.
Bring us together with words of love, words of compassion and words of truth. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,
