Spread the Good News About People

I blogged about positive gossip a few months ago, but it bears repeating. Positive gossip is telling others about the good things that someone else has done, kind of spreading praise behind some one's back. Think about the good that comes from spreading good news about people. There is a lot of emphasis of getting ahead of people. Part of that may be office politics which some times involves gossiping about others. For a Christian, positive gossip involves using your tongue to bless instead of to curse (James 3:9-12). It's being salt and light in the world.

Take some time to encourage others by praising them behind their backs. They may be suspicious at first, particularly if your workplace is very political. But over time, watch how your encouragement spreads to others.

Celebrate!!

Today is my birthday, which probably has me thinking about celebrations a little more than normal. As I read the Old Testament, celebrations were a regular part of Israeli life. Look at Leviticus 23. The whole chapter is a description of the feasts that God wanted His people to celebrate, including the Passover, the First Fruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, and the list goes on and on. But celebrations weren't limited to Leviticus. David celebrated as the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:12-19). After rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, Nehemiah organized a parade to celebrate (Nehemiah 12:27-43). The example of Nehemiah is particularly interesting because Nehemiah recognizes the specific contributions of the people to the rebuilding effort (Nehemiah 3:1-32).

What do you do to celebrate where you work? Is there some type of ritual that you participate in when someone does something great?

If you're a supervisor, do you celebrate the accomplishments of your subordinates? Recognize the hard work of those around you. Encourage them. And celebrate!

Recognize Others' Accomplishments

Matthew 25: 21, 23

How long has it been since you've recognized the accomplishments of your subordinates? Most of us are quick to correct others' work, but may not be quite as ready with praise. The Bible is replete with instructions about encouraging others (1 Thessalonians 5:11 and Hebrews 3:13 are two examples). One early church missionary was recognized as a "Son of Encouragement" (Barnabas in Acts 4:36). Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus include recognitions of the gifts that each of these subordinates had displayed. But perhaps the best example of a supervisor recognizing subordinates is in Jesus' parable of the talents. The man with 5 talents and the man with 2 talents had worked and earned a 100% return on their masters' investment. The master was quick with praise: "Well done, good and faithful servant...come and share in your masters' happiness." The good work by the servants was followed by praise from their supervisor as well as a promotion/recognition appropriate to their accomplishments.

In this economy, it's hard to give raises and promotions, particularly as many businesses are cutting back. But you can always give recognition to the people around you. Encourage others by showing that you see their value. And brag about their accomplishments to others. You'll be amazed at how hard they continue to work for you. But more than that, you'll be showing Christ's love to them as you encourage.

Encourage One Another

Hebrews 3:13
cf Hebrews 10:25



This passage is a little bit of a stretch in terms of applications to workplaces. The writer of Hebrews is telling Christians to encourage each other. However, I think the idea of being an encourager is something that can be applied beyond just the Church context. Consider the people around you at work. How can you be an encouragement to them? Showing encouragement to others may be one of the most important ways that you can reflect Christ to them.