Words matter.
They simply do.
Words we speak, words we receive and words we declare.
Cultivating a positive culture of encouragement is so important in building a healthy, unified, thriving team. As leaders we will be the ones who set the culture, because the way a leader behaves dictates how the team behaves, how they respond to each other or how they receive feedback; it will impact their attitude towards serving each other, leadership, His people and ultimately God.
I’ve been in many different team situations where I’ve seen two-fold: build up and tear down of team members by a leader. An encouragement gives someone the courage to thrive, to rise up and master something they’ve found challenging. Devastatingly I’ve witnessed the flip-side where criticism or unhelpful feedback masked in love deconstructs value or the ability to step in and up into gifting for fear of not being good enough. Because you don’t know intimately what each person walks in the room carrying we need to learn how to love His people with wisdom, to set our words and our actions on the platform of grace. I’m not saying we falsely pat people on the back or not to rebuke when it is necessary, I’m suggesting we approach how we lead would stem from a heart that seeks to edify. Always striving to make sure our messages received reflects affirmation and growth, not the alternative. Our words shape the culture we lead in, they have the power to build one another up to follow the call God has on our lives with confidence and an unshakability or make a very huge mess, one with ongoing ramifications. I desire to be a leader who cheers on each person I cross paths with to keep going, to keep persisting, to keep growing, to always bring people back to Jesus… I know you do to.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”
Ephesians 4:29
Words are a gift. So let each word be one.
The way you speak is seen by everyone: the person you are speaking to and those in the peripheral; each impacted by the language culture you set and your home or team cultivates. A simple word can boost or break someone, so sweet one choose your words wisely, you can’t take them back.
A language culture that promotes affirmation will always outweigh injury. A shift can be made in the way team members work together when we bring into the light the strengths of one another and build life into our growth areas. When we get relationship right, we get worship right. When we build an environment that values respect, we dissolve disrespectful attitudes to one another. When we demonstrate a genuine love we no longer allow indifference an invitation to dictate our responses. When we build one another up we thrive and break a critical spirit. When we show kindness, we grow in grace and leave our preferences behind. When we extend honour we build beyond creditability, we instil value. When we cultivate a forgiving culture, bitter resentment can’t take root. All of these attributes impact how we operate as a team, how we play music together and how we lead His people to His presence. Sunday’s worship culture and overflow begins in how we speak to each other in our every day off the platform.
T.H.I.N.K Before you speak
I have found this process a valuable life tool in the way I do relationships. If our main goal is to benefit each other… Let’s work at being good at pointing people to Jesus, to encourage, to edify and to equip from a place of love. Let’s work at developing a filter before we say something we might regret or say loosely in those off-the-cuff moments, when tensions are high. Pause, and ask yourself this before you say your thought out loud:
T – Is it TRUE?
H – Is it HELPFUL?
I – Is it INSPIRING?
N – Is it NECESSARY?
K – Is it KIND?
Examine why you are saying what you are saying… Is it for their benefit or yours? Do you need to process something and is this the right person to unpack this with? Are you feeling threatened or insecure or perhaps overreacting? Is this response simply because that’s how you think it ‘should’ be done or are you equipping, teaching or growing this person to be all they can be?
When love and life are spoken not only do your team members flourish a divine here is a language culture created which becomes a contagious overflow into the nature of relationship and in turn affirms how we lead worship. We now create a safe place for people to feel they can truly be themselves, to fully step into their gifting authentically and flourish as they serve the Kingdom’s purposes.
To be continued…
Until next time. xox