Don't Be Nice, Be Courageous

A while back, one of the more senior people I worked with (I technically outranked him but in reality it didn't always work out that way due to his organizational influence) had a very negative response to an idea I wanted to implement. Like many people, he didn't like change and seemed to resent my
idea. He would have liked me to just be part of the administrative process and leave the "real work" to him. The worst part is, I let him get away with it. In my attempt to have a good relationship with my co-worker, I went against what I thought would be best and deferred to his judgment even when I was ultimately responsible for the decision. The tension lessoned, but the organization didn't get any better.

Don't we all have challenges from time to time with the people we work with? If you have "people pleasing" tendencies (like I often do), you don't want to stir up anything, even if change would likely benefit everyone. People with personalities like us tend to forget that part of our job is the health of the organization rather than just keeping busy and not "making waves" with anyone.

When I recognize a need for some sort of change or realignment that I know would meet resistance, I tend to want to ignore it; but then I hear a verse in the back of my mind:  "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" James 4:17. That verse convicts me and gives me just enough push to get me off my behind and take action.

Part of your calling as a Christian in the workplace is not just being a "good witness." Your calling in the Lord is to do your job as unto him and to do it courageously, in spite of your fears. What parts of your work have you been compromising in? What would your workplace look like if you did that thing that you know you should do...but out of fear (or niceness) have been reluctant to do? 

We are to be courageous people who stand for truth, people who do the right thing and stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, even if there is risk to us. If more Christians would stop being cowards (nice people) and make decisions based on what is right rather than on what is convenient, even with disagreement from others, it would ultimately be far better than indecision or consensus.

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.    Proverbs 29:25

To me consensus seems to be: the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies in search of something in which no one believes, but to which no one objects, the process of avoiding the very issues that have to be solved merely because you cannot get agreement on the way ahead.  Margret Thatcher

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net