day 1325: "WhatsApp With That?"

"In Christ Jesus, then I have reason to be proud of my work for God."

The news broke yesterday afternoon that Facebook is buying "WhatsApp" for $19 billion.  Yes, $19B!.  "WhatsApp (up) with that?", you might ask about WhatsApp getting that type of valuation.  Well, let's see, they have 450MM users and they add 1MM new users a day.  And, they also have a revenue model of $.99/ year for each user, after a one year free trial.  What's kinda cool about this 50 person team is that lots of people knew about WhatsApp, but not that many people knew about them from a bragging and boasting perspective.  This wasn't a group of people who were the headlined in blogs and conferences as "the next big thing".  They just went about their business, building something extraordinary until, bam!, the unimaginable happened. There is a lesson in here for all of us.  Yes, we have to market.  Yes, we have to ensure that we are known and recognized, but more so we just have to be awesome at what we set out to do, and as the one of the oldest sayings goes, "The cream will rise to the top".

We learn in much of the New Testament about what the Apostle Paul did a a spreader of the Good News.  As the Associate Pastor at my church, said this past weekend, "Paul was an entrepreneur as he started and grew church after church, in land after land after land."  Yes he was, and with his works, he led.  Paul was proud of his work because he could see God working in each place that he went.  But, Paul was not a boaster.  He didn't go back among those who he once worked and bragged about what he was doing.  He just went about doing it and we still read, write and talk about him and his works today.  Our workplaces don't need any more boasters or braggarts. We wouldn't be looking like or acting like Christ and Paul if we were one of those.  If we go about our work in the same way of excellence that we are taught through Paul and Jesus, then we will have people around us wondering what's up with them?  That then becomes our time to share!

Reference: Romans 15:17 (New Living Translation)

day 88: Better To Keep It To Yourself

I was with some friends the other night and as usual in most conversations, the subject drifted to a work situation. One of the guys was describing a person who he works with who no matter what the topic or issue will turn the attention to himself and all the great things he has done. My friend described it as "sickening" and so predictable that everyone knows that it is coming. As such, this person is avoided and others don't want to be assigned projects or work with him. As I reflected on this, it made me wonder if the person who is the attention-grabber even knows that he is being this way and worse, does anyone really care enough about him now to pull him aside and let him know. Probably not on both fronts. It is very easy to become an attention-grabber and focus on yourself rather than others. Work is sort of set up that way anyway with individual contributions being called out and recognized and rewarded so often. But this idea of boasting and pounding on our chests about our achievements runs counter to the life that we are supposed to be living. I love what Paul has to say about it in 2 Corinthians 10:18. He says, "When people boast about themselves, it doesn't count for much." That's about as in your face as something could be said. He is telling us that all of the bravado and the trying to get the attention and the credit is wasted time, energy and effort. Simply put, "it doesn't count much". We only have so much time in the day, the week, and in our careers so shouldn't' we spend that time on the things that do count for something not the things don't count much? The things that count are the time that we spend furthering our purpose and strengthening our relationship with God and others. Today when the credit is getting doled out, the best thing you might do is to just keep your thoughts and words to yourself and let the boasting about something great you did be done by someone else. That moment of silence and restraint might actually end up being something that does count after all.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 10:18 (New Living Testament)

day 34: No Boasting Allowed

There is the old adage; "Oh, what a tangled web we weave". That line could be repeated a hundred times a day at work. Work is the easiest of places to tell the white lie, cover up an issue, fudge a number, point a false finger and worst of all take a little extra credit for something that we really didn't do all that much, if anything. Where you hear this the most is from the subordinates who actually did the work. No one hates it more than when the boss takes the credit. The next worst is when a co-worker steps forward and takes the applause. I have always felt that when it is going right, it should be impossible to have an academy awards type of event at work where one person would get the credit for a big project or success. It is never just one person. There is always a supporting cast who should be getting the same, if not more credit. How tempted are we at work to take a little credit for things that weren't all ours to boast about? If this is something that creeps up on you every now and then, then I encourage you to look to the Psalms in Chapter 12, Verse 3 where David talks about what he prays should happen to those who boast, about anything. He says that the Lord should cut out the tongue of a boastful person. That is pretty harsh, but you can see where he is coming from. Think how hurtful and divisive it is when someone is boastful. I know many a person who does this and no one wants to be on their team or work for them. No one wants to do anything for them as they know that they will take all the credit. When faced with the question, "who did this?", today I would encourage you to begin with all the other people and then add your name last, that is if you actually were a part of the success that wants to be recognized. If you can become known as one who passes credit around and would be the last person in the room to boast about yourself, you will be setting a purposeful and Kingdom example.


Reference: Psalms 12:3 (New Living Testament)