A Culture of Encouragement

I am a big football fan.  I LOVE a great game! And in my opinion, the Super Bowl coming up between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers is going to be one of the best in recent memory.

Not only do you have the head coaches of each team being blood brothers, but this will be one of the true legend's of football, Ray Lewis, last game.  

 

Say what you will about him, the guy is amazing.  Almost 38 years old, in one of the toughest positions, torn tricep, with 44 tackles in the last 3 games.  

But what I love most about him is something I heard another former Raven say last Sunday:  "Ray Lewis is the BEST there is at getting his team to play together at its very peak.  He is a true leader in every sense of the word, hard on his team-mates, expecting 100%.  But every man in that locker room loves his presence.  There is a 'culture' in there that is addictive."

A few days later, we had our Staff meeting at Harvest with our key personnel.  Each of these guys knows how much I love and appreciate them.  They are the best I have ever worked with.  But one of them brought to my attention that I needed to give them more TANGIBLE expressions of encouragement, as they dont always know for sure if they are doing a good job.

I have been thinking hard about that.  I have raised with my wife 3 of the best kids on planet earth.  I well remember walking that balance between praise and correction, not wanting to over praise to where it became meaningless, not discouraging with too much correction.  

But the real goal should be that we are sincere and honest in giving correction and praise, not worrying about if it is too much or too little.  The goal is to create a 'culture':  A culture of encouragement, where the child, or now in my case Staff, always knows I BELIEVE in them, that they CAN achieve anything, that the correction and praise are always in this context.

I am working on my leadership in this season.  After 30 plus years in ministry, it would be easy to coast.  No way.  I want to give my all to being a growing leader til my last breath is drawn.  I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

To Growing,

PB 

Comments

[Deborah Bixler]

Psalm 91 is on his shirt! You know he is a true witness for our Lord Jesus. Only wish there were more like him as role models for our next generation and this one for that matter. Praise the Lord for all He is doing thru this one man!Looking forward to the Super Bowl too! and our Sunday service!

[David Bixler]

You could not said it better. Ray Lewis is a man of deep Christ like values on & off the playing field. The Sports media witness him on his knees praising & praying to The Lord after winning 1st rounds of playoffs. The Lord is not done with him yet. The next Rosey Greer.