Show grace to your circle of authority

S - Colossians 4

1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

O - another amazing revelation from Paul regarding how we are to lead lead lead and how we are to spread the good news. I think Paul has met through these words broke in my own mental model of him. I am off and rejoiced of his passion and vigor and willing to be direct with people. Yet the underlying principles he shares here challenge my own. That we are to grant justice and fairness to those who work for us, and we can do this through prayer and being open To what God is telling you either through his word or through his Spirit. Paul exhorts us also to conduct ourselves with the wisdom towards those outside of our circle of influence and how we do that is to guard our speech to ensure it is always full of Grace seasoned with love and truth.

A-The application for me today it is well specific and general. Specific in the perspective that I am working with one of the leaders who works in my department on building trust. If I was to be honest I feel like he is outside my circle of influence, though it was in my circle of authority and this has caused great tension in our office. Normally as well as in this case when I find somebody out of my sight my circle of influence pricing out against my circle of authority I use my favorite tool the bulldozer to fix things. Today the Lord is showing me through people he has placed in my life, as well as his word family apostle Paul do you show me that I need to treat all of those within why authority with  Fairness.   I have to always show grace in all that I say to both direct reports and those around me, for this is what God has done for me, and without it the open doors.

P - Dear Heavenly Father , thank you for today’s lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you help me overcome my overwhelming feelings and put on my full armor so that I may show grace and love and represent you well.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name,  Amen.