Lead with Compassion

Rom 12:1 CPDV And so, I beg you, brothers, by the mercy of God, that you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, with the subservience of your mind.

In Paul's style of introducing Christian believers to how they should conduct themselves in their daily living, he starts by begging them to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Doesn't it appear odd to you? I must confess, it took me a while after reading this verse over and over again to see this truth. I also understand that because of our different biblical leanings, we might see it differently, so I will explain. 

I will start by asking you when last you heard a sermon in church begging you to live up to your status as a believer or a message about eternity that admonished you to keep standing in Christ and the preacher was practically begging you to make it your top priority. I am almost certain that if Paul the Apostle were to be preaching this verse as a sermon in the church in Rome, he would most likely be on his knees urging them while also showing them the importance. 

How would you feel seeing your Pastor on his knees begging you to do God's will, not his personal standard or obligations, but to live indeed as Christians during his sermon? I am so sure even if you forget the topic that day, the graphics of the message won't be lost. Instead what is common is using the fear of hell to make believers live right. 

I also personally believe there is a leadership principle we can learn here. It's not all the time commanding and ordering people because they are "under" us and we are their leaders or superiors so we dole out commandments for them. Many times this doesn't work because people have a mind of their own and what is in their heart to do is really what they will eventually do, it doesn't matter what you say. Maybe you have not realised, the reason why anyone will follow you headlong is most likely because of their paycheck or favour they have received or will receive from you.

The whole essence of my story today is to make you realize there is another way to get people do what you want them to do without forcing or raising your voice. Maybe it's time you considered urging them instead as an alternative to shouting that has not proved to be effective. Whenever I try to correct someone and this person still goes ahead to do the wrong thing the next time, I like to believe I probably didn't pass my message well to this person and try to be better next time.

I know it's not culturally a norm for a senior to plead with their juniors to get a task done, the usual mentality is to use the age difference as a point to get them to work, but you will soon realise with your own relationship with your seniors that it doesn't always work well. Next time you want to reach out to someone to get something done, instead of going through the bossy route, try a more compassionate way and make them see reasons with you.