Pastor’s Messages
Pastor Ric’s Blog – 8/17/10 Shepherd’s Food
Image Changers
Inspired by book Power Shifters by Michael Pitts
I’ve been talking this past Sunday about being Image Changers. So many people have a negative image of Christians. We need to change those images. We talked about a few basic people skills we can learn from Jesus.
#1. Diligence relates to hard work. Most people believe church people are lazy. Hebrews 11:16 says that the Lord rewards those who diligently seek Him. Our diligence should be done as an offering and act of worship.
#2. Decisiveness, as Christians we need to be decisive. It’s frustrating when a leader can’t make a decision. Fear can keep us from making a decision, and also have a lack of confidence. Even if we make a wrong decision God can still get the glory. So press on and don’t look back. The word says simply, “let your Yes be Yes and your No be No“!
#3. The third basic people skill is discretion. Don’t tell everything you know and don’t tell everybody what you are doing. Sometimes you can tell the right people at the wrong time or in the wrong way. Look what happened to Joseph when he bragged to his jealous brothers about his dream. He ended up 20years a slave in Egypt. In his youth he might have been more discreet. Hope your get the point. We have to be sensitive to where people are spiritually, some people are not ready for solid food.
#4. Diplomacy is another basic people skill. Diplomacy is saying the right thing the right way! The definition by Michael Pitts is the art of convincing others to do what you want and causing them to think it was their idea. Truth is important but what good is speaking the truth if no one listens because they are offended by the way we say it.
Eph. 4:15 says to speak in love. Here’s where I’ve messed up. We cannot use our love for others as an excuse not to tell them the truth. We are to speak the truth in love, but be direct. You can be direct and still be diplomatic. Let us apply these basic skills when interacting with all people and see if we notice changes in their attitude toward us.
