Simon Says: The Realigned Passion of the Zealot

March 31, 2024Leave a comment

I’m sitting in a Wendy’s watching Jesus of Nazareth (1977) for the 24th straight spring. My car just down the street getting that Midas touch, not exactly how I envisioned my Saturday afternoon when the day started. However, I have a laptop. I’m submerged in holy content. I have what I need to preserve a meaningful tradition. Let the Holy Saturday illuminations begin…

As some of you know, each year, I pick an obscure part of the Resurrection narrative to dissect, some closer to the Cross than others. This year, I want to discuss the Zealot component, specifically the contrast between Simon and Judas who prior to Jesus’ condemnation, wrestle with their idea of Jesus’ Messiahship.

While not much is said directly regarding Simon, we can deduce a few truths about his upbringing:

He was saturated in extremist notions and conditioned by a pack hell-bent on retaliation and reciprocity,
He heard the teachings of Jesus and was inspired to lay down the cause of vengeance against the Romans.
He became a disciple after realizing change would come internally, not externally.

The Bible also notes Simon’s whereabouts (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13), proving he, like the other disciples not named Judas, was anointed and appointed to spread the gospel and lay down church foundation in the process. Essentially, the Romans Road in the midst of Roman oppression was more than a pathway for Simon but also a revelation of God’s Kingdom being encountered through repentance as opposed to force. While implied, Simon’s willingness to let go of the past as well as toxic relationships and attached paradigms, models the type of practical sacrifice we must sometimes make to advance the influence and ways of God.

As for Judas, we find a stronger stubbornness in releasing ambitions and presumptions. Blessed with a scholarly mind, the ‘wisdom’ of Judas was more based in rationale and divine proximity than faith and intent to surrender. Blinded by grandiose expectations and Satan alike, Judas seldom operated outside of agenda during His time with Jesus; hence, why Judas never repented when remorseful as unlike Simon, the lifeblood of Jesus’ message never sunk in. Granted, for Jesus’ mission to be realized, he needed to be condemned and crucified first, which couldn’t have happened without a mole, a son of perdition (John 17:12) as prophesied in Zechariah. A scapegoat setting up the sacrificial Lamb, one can only imagine what would have happened to Judas had he held out a little longer and received grace in Peter-esque fashion.

Either way, while Judas’ fate was sealed by his transgressions and refusal to repent, there’s a peace to derive from his part in Gospel history. For all have fallen short of the glory of God and have been blinded by the enemy within the context of sovereignty. Yet, even in the midst of high-level rebellion and disobedience, God’s purposes cannot and will not be thwarted. While Judas’ demise is a cautionary tale, we can humbly relate to his shortcomings, knowing there have been times in our own lives we have wanted God to manifest on our own terms. If any of you reading this have ever craved freedom in a way that made sense, remember the joy of the Cross set before you. Show compassion. Receive forgiveness, Carry on.

As for the rest of us, may we marvel at Christ’s exhibition of rightly aligned passion and change course in the direction of Jesus courtesy of Simon’s example. Before kingdoms change, the hearts of men must change (Isaiah 32:1-5) and in this era of chaos and uncertainty, let’s appreciate how the prophecies of old eclipsed by the Cross still have resounding relevance today.

Selah.

Cover photo creds: Baptist News Global

Office Angst: 7 Signs of a Toxic Workplace (Part 2)

March 22, 2024March 23, 2024Leave a comment

In my last post,  I examined the first four of seven toxic workplace traits and provided Biblical support to each section. For today, I want to conclude this series with my final three attributes along with a recap pod summarizing my points. As a reminder, while we’re exploring cultural and environmental red flags, we’re not hiding from leadership issues as the topics ultimately cannot be detached. 

Without further ado, let’s tie a bow on this…

5) Inconsistent Leadership

 When we talk about toxic work cultures, there are several dismissive characteristics we could cite from narcissism to manipulation to arrogance; however, there’s one, in particular, encompassing a multitude and that is incongruence (I.e. when a person’s actions contrast their words).

Ask any leader or tenured employee with authority and they’ll admit responsibility and accountability are essential to positive team performance and morale. Yet, where there are inconsistencies between expectation and execution, there is room for misinterpretation, miscommunication, tolerance, even negative emulation down the line.   

The good news here is the fix doesn’t have to be complicated: If you’re a team lead, supervisor, or director, walk the talk.

For example, if you say you’re not a micromanager, don’t micromanage, even if your intent is to the contrary. Rather, assess your intent to probe past normality and be willing to receive feedback if the actions involved communicate distrust or produce uncomfortable vibes. Remember seeking clarity is one thing but second-guessing motives without compassion, grace, and understanding is another. 

If you struggle to model any of these qualities, dare to explore any area where intention and action aren’t aligned. Naturally, no one should want to be inconsistent in their work; hence, why leaders especially should understand consistency isn’t limited to the fruit of one’s hands but also the words of their mouth and the reflections of their heart. 

Supporting Bible verses: Psalm 19, Matthew 7:3, Mathew 23:3, Luke 16:13, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Galatians 6:9, 1 John 4:20

6)  Overtolerance and Permissiveness

To be fair, this point flows from the one prior, but based on perceived abuse, this warrants a separate explanation. If you say certain actions won’t be tolerated, don’t make the principles behind them conditional. Instead of granting exceptions based on seat or situation, handle moral failures and detrimental conducts consistently regardless if the person involved in an established personality or rookie within their probationary period.

From what I’ve seen, the top-down ripple effect of steady rationale and decision making can be empowering in the long term, even if it’s messy in the short term. Whenever trust bends or breaks, abiding by proper protocol will not only enhance security but also encourage people to adhere to higher standards of integrity. 

Put another way, if you’re a leader, don’t sacrifice reproach by synonymizing forgiveness and tolerance. If an employee has an established track record of poor conduct, scale the offense, and timely oversee the appropriate actions in a way that benefits the whole of the team. When in doubt, just say ‘no’ to permissiveness and ‘yes’ to due diligence and follow-through.

Supporting Bible verses: Proverbs 21:16, Romans 6:1-2, 11-15; 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Ephesians 4:2, 1 Peter 3:8-11

7)  Lack of awareness and accountability 

No workplace is perfect, and employees, leaders and teams may display negative traits from time to time. However, if that behavior is pervasive, leadership must consider how the culture they’ve cultivated may be impacting the trend. Unless a single employee is the root of the hostility, a leader best serves their company by investigating beyond the conflict into its source region.

Often, if an employee starts deregulating, there’s a corporate tie-in, be it a lack of recognition/development, unclear communications, and/or insecurity. Yet, even if these currents aren’t underlying, there could be larger problems involving personal, domestic, and/or health issues, which leads me to a key point:

When a work boundary is breached, don’t automatically assume ill-intent but gauge the transparency of your corporate principles and reassess them before the repercussions.
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Handled the right way, a potentially volatile situation can de-escalate into a refreshing reset when humility meets resolution. Conversely, if a leadership committee lacks awareness and accountability, the employee will almost always follow suit.

For instance, you may have a teammate or subordinate who acts ignorantly at times. Yet perhaps he/she feels ignored, like a number within a company that hoards autonomy and withholds clarity. In these cases, don’t deal with the contention topically but with meekness that anticipates understanding.

‘Cause truth is: If leaders and teams don’t take inventory of their internal processes and how they affect personnel, discouragement, even burn-out will inevitably result. Why not rightfully deal and scale tension internally before your clients and supporters smell smoke?

Supporting Bible verses: Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 27:17, Ephesians 4:15, James 5:16, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:11

As always, selah, thank you for reaching and…

Cover photo creds: Wellable

Office Angst: 7 Signs of a Toxic Workplace (Part 1)

March 8, 2024August 28, 20241 Comment

Recently, I was driving to work and it occurred to me: By the end of this year, I will have reached the 15-year mark as a full-time employee in corporate America. Crazy how time flies (or Frys in my case), eh?

While I’ve benefited from tight teams in years past, I’ve also worked on some, ahem, not so tight teams educating me to the contrary. With a notable marketplace mileage marker on the horizon, I want to examine some signs of toxic leadership/work culture as well as how we can overcome within our co-worker in Christ identity (1 Corinthians 3:9).

As always, let’s dive in!

1. Teammates aren’t treated as diverse in function, co-equal in value.

While diversity, inclusivity, and equality discussions are expected initiatives in today’s marketplace, let’s be honest: How committed are most employers to consistently upholding these principles? As much as we gravitate towards hierarchy, performance-based metrics, and capitalistic tendencies, the bottom line to this point is essentially outcome divided by constancy.

In the long run, no organization can reach its potential without each member understanding and operating within their value.
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Granted, some leave it to the individual to derive their own sense of purpose which can be fair in the context of guiding from a distance. Otherwise, vocationals should know whatever systems they’re in cannot reach their ceiling if people aren’t treated as diverse in function, co-equal in value.

Think about it: If your work leadership encourages favoritism and limits opportunities to a select few, then odds are teamwide morale will decrease and internal tension will increase. Why is this? I submit the significance of this reality is due to it being one of deepest core corporate identities. From an original design perspective, we were (and are) intended to serve as one body. Applied to the marketplace, this means we steward structures that provide equal opportunity for growth to every position and take the same approach to feedback and general engagement (More on this in a future post as honestly, this is one of my favorite topics to discuss).

Note: To those in high-level positions, consider the Jethro principles and seek to execute them effectively so middle managers are accountable to develop those under their care. If you’re young and starting out, find a leader or seasoned veteran with mentorship potential and watch how they respond to feedback and instruction. Who knows? Even if the culture is weak, you may still be able to derive motivation and inspiration from those who are secure in their strengths.

Supporting Bible verses: Hebrews 10:25, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, 1 Corinthians 3:9, Exodus 18:14-26

2. Passive-aggressive and/or manipulative leadership.

Another side-effect of toxic leadership involves the deliberate withholding of constructive criticism, encouragement, and/or gratitude. In a post-pandemic world, you may have noticed passive-aggressive supervisors falling into one of these camps, using silence or support withdrawal as primary communications tools; however, under no circumstances, should these behaviors be tolerated.

‘Cause truth is: A mature leader not only knows when and how to deliver feedback but facilitates phycological safety, trust, and confidence in challenging situations. If you’re in an environment where leaders have ambushing agendas, redelegate tasks without proper communication, or uses silence to communicate, then I have news for you:

You deserve better!
Leaders who drive wedges and/or use ego to stir division aren’t true leaders!

Of course, I’m not suggesting you abandon ship if you’re currently working under a similar authority. Conversely, I’m encouraging you to take inventory of offenses, collect your emotions, and find a time to speak with the appropriate authority (I.e. supervisor or HR Manager depending on the situation) to clear the air. As long as you integrate other voices and honor your leaders and colleagues, your intentions will be well grounded as you steward peace, advocacy, and forward motion.

Supporting Bible verses: Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 28:2-26, Romans 16:17-18, James 3:14, Ephesians 4:14, Luke 16:8b, Matthew 5:37

3. Lack of trust, communication, and engagement.

Per point #2, if a leader lacks trust, even with a subordinate, the ideal move is to confront the issue fostering the deficit or dissonance. Generally, an employee who feels they aren’t trusted wants to discern areas of improvement; hence, why indifference, or the perception thereof, is not only deflating but often an overflow of a toxic environment.

As you may have learned in your own experiences, a lack of communication will almost always create some form of chaos, angst, or strife, but sound leaders are keen to promote the well-being of their teammates. Remember an occasional check-in or positive acknowledgement can go a long way in reinforcing a worker’s understanding of their value while also regulating their emotions. Regardless of our role, dare to diffuse discord through compassionate engagement and curiosity.

Supporting Bible verses: 1 Corinthians 15:33-44, Titus 3:10

4. No formal review process and/or pathway for development.

As an employee with public, private, and liturgical experience, I can speak candidly to this point having seen this process mapped out a variety of ways. If your employer has no formal performance evaluation process where the only criticism is given in moments of error, then you have a major red flag in your hand.

As my time has taught me, all employees deserve to know if the work they’re doing is effective and efficient. Since we’ve established feedback and communication withholding as signs of environmental toxicity, the call here is straight-forward: Develop and promote a review process where all team members top-down are accountable and have a means to build areas of strength and weakness alike. Even if the meeting frequency is quarterly or biannual, the impacts can be massive as you streamline a process to preserve morale in tandem with corporate performance.

Supporting Bible verses: James 1:19, Proverbs 15:1, Colossians 4:6

Stay tuned next time when I’ll conclude this post with my final three points including a podcast overviewing the content. For now…