Goal - Your Best

Colossians 4:2-6 (Message) Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don't forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I'm locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I'll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.

Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

This is part of a letter from Paul to the church at Colosse. I don't know what was going on there. I don't need to know that to get something from this passage for me now. The part I especially need to take note of is "Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. THE GOAL IS TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS."

Much of the time a person's goal, whether they know it or not, is to bring us more stature or power. To build ourselves up even at the expense of others. Bringing out the best in others can be very hard to do, especially if we have to take a back seat. In business, oftentimes, it seems necessary to make sure we look out for ME. We don't usually care about the other person. We step right over them if they are in our way.

What would it be like if our goal was to bring out the best in others instead? Bosses, leaders, managers would give credit to those around them, those who support their efforts as boss instead of making sure that everyone knows how much they have to do to support their group. I personally believe that a boss is only as good as they allow those who report to them be. Bosses can kill productivity and creativity or create an environment where those things flourish!

The same is true for any group of people. A husband can be as good as his wife expects and supports him to be. A wife can excel when HER best is the goal of the husband. A child will grow and blossom as much as the teachers, parents, coaches and family members allows him/her to be.

It is a lofty goal to say that you strive for bringing the best from a person. This limits
negative words and promotes compassionate counsel/correction. this takes work. We have to think before we speak. We have to choose words wisely. Some words and conversations, we just can't have. If the conversation will only tear-down, what is the point? Giving someone a piece of my mind isn't appropriate if bringing out the best in someone else is my goal.

Help me Father to think before I speak. Let my goal be to bring out the best in others. Amen

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