“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
This is the second of a three part entry learning from a session I
attended given by Dr. John Hull about the Good Samaritan story (found in
Luke 10:25-37). What I am attempting to do is take this lesson and put
it to work at work.
Yesterday, I pointed out the importance of
being able to face reality and showing compassion with a fellow
co-worker who has been beaten down. In order to face that reality, we
must be able to recognize when someone else is hurting and then reach
into their hurt or pain and find a way to touch them at the point that
can help them become better. Words like pain and hurt are not ones that
are often heard in the workplace unless someone has suffered a physical
injury. However, I would say that the workplace is one of the most
dangerous battlefields for the attack and potential destruction of
someones ego, pride and self-worth, which are pains and hurts that can
far surpass physical issues. So, to be a Good Samaritan at work before
we can act, we need to be able to recognize and identify when someone is
in pain. This is not hard if we slow down for a moment and listen and
watch those around us, putting ourselves aside for a moment. There are
tell-tale signs. Some are subtle. You can see it in someones energy
level, how fast they are to answer or slow to give a response, how they
react to questioning or challenging, how they respond or don't respond
to the opportunity to take on more, the willingness or lack of
willingness to present to others their ideas, and the list can go on and
on. Other signs are more visible. You can see open frustration,
throwing in the towel, or using words that are either words of defeat
and resignation or words that are defensive and protective. Regardless
of the signs, it will be apparent that there is pain and hurt under the
surface. And as those who want to follow the lesson of the Good
Samaritan what are we to do?
The Good Samaritan, when he did his act of
kindness was not afraid to reach with his bare hands and pick up the
dirty and bloody man from the side of the road. He most likely dirtied
his own clothes as he propped us and helped the broken man walk back
into town. Fortunately for most of us we don't have real blood at work,
but figuratively it can feel the same. For us to really reach down and
help someone else we have to be willing to dirty ourselves and be
willing to get some of that blood on our own hands. It means that we may
need to stand up for someone else, or take on a part of their work for
them for a time frame for them to dig out of the hole they are in. It
means getting dirty and taking a risk for a fellow co-worker. It means
reaching into their pain and hurt and putting ourselves on the back
burner. It means that the other person can feel and know that you are
saying to them, "it is not about me, it is about you". If we can dig
deep within ourselves and find a way to make our work about others and
not always about ourselves and we are willing to reach to others to help
them through their struggles, regardless of the dirt we may have to
take on ourselves to do so, then we can be the Good Samaritan at work
and be more purposed in the work that we do.
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
Showing posts with label Dr. John Hull. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. John Hull. Show all posts
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
day 1230: Facing Reality as a Samaritan @ Work
“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
It's the time of the year when churches do Men's Retreats. My church is no different. A few years ago, I was fortunate to hear the teaching of Dr. John Hull, President of an organization called InJoy. John spoke on a number of topics but one that struck me was a session that he did on the well-known story of the "Good Samaritan" (found in Luke 10:25-37). As I sat and listened and took notes from his talk, "Strength and Power of Compassion", I was hearing how this story, which I have heard so many times and is a common term in our everyday language when someone helps someone else, is so very applicable to our work lives. I am going to break down into three parts what Dr. Hull spoke about and relate it to how it is that we can conduct ourselves at work and make our work environment better for others, more purposed, and better for ourselves. This is part 1: Facing Reality.
We all know the story of the Good Samaritan and how he helped the beaten, robbed and near death Jewish business man as the man had been been traveling on a dangerous road. Two other people, a Priest and Levite, had seen the naked man lying on the side of the road and had passed him by and had not helped him. The Samaritan, who as a people were not friendly to the Jewish people, which makes the story that much more powerful, not only stops to help the man but instead but goes above and beyond to then take him with him and ensure that he gets what he needs to recover and get back on his feet. Like any of us, the Samaritan had to have stopped and weighed the consequences and ramifications of his decision to help the hurt man, before he stopped and stooped over to help him up to his feet. What was going through his mind had to be things like, "what is this going to look like to my friends, family and co-workers if I help this guy?", "how much time and/or money is this going to cost me?", "what if this guy deserved the beating and I am taking in someone who is going to rob me next?", and if it was modern day, I am sure he would have said to himself, "what is my liability if I help him, will I get sued?". These are all normal and reasonable questions to ask as he was facing a reality in front of him and deciding to run away like the other two men or be different and not run away from the problem in front of him.
Why I thought this is such a great lesson for us as we try and inject purpose into our work, is that each and every day we are faced with a reality where we can help others who are not doing so well and who have been figuratively beaten down and left to the side of the road. How many times have we been in meetings where someone was unfairly treated, talked about, or accused and without the time to defend themselves the conversation moves on and they are left to the side of the table with their egos bruised, their feelings hurt and in some cases left worrying about their future within the company. And what do we do more often than not? We let the conversation move on without defending them or we let the meeting break up and we head back to our offices or cubicles without the encouraging or helping word or hand extended to them. What the story of the Good Samaritan says is that we are to face the reality that something bad has happened and we are not to run away but instead reach forward and down to them to show compassion. What I love about compassionate people is that they don't run from reality just because reality hurts or will cost them something. They give of themselves to express their compassion. And, I will call upon the phrase, "what goes around comes around". If we are ones who face reality and show compassion to others in the workplace and try to model ourselves after the Good Samaritan (even to those in the departments that we just don't like to deal with), then on the day that we stumble and find ourselves down and out, then just maybe someone will remember that we were there for them, and they they will reach down and give us a hand to get back on our feet. The question to be asked today is, to bring more purpose to your work are you working to the example of the Good Samaritan and showing the same compassion to others that the Good Samaritan modeled for us?
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
It's the time of the year when churches do Men's Retreats. My church is no different. A few years ago, I was fortunate to hear the teaching of Dr. John Hull, President of an organization called InJoy. John spoke on a number of topics but one that struck me was a session that he did on the well-known story of the "Good Samaritan" (found in Luke 10:25-37). As I sat and listened and took notes from his talk, "Strength and Power of Compassion", I was hearing how this story, which I have heard so many times and is a common term in our everyday language when someone helps someone else, is so very applicable to our work lives. I am going to break down into three parts what Dr. Hull spoke about and relate it to how it is that we can conduct ourselves at work and make our work environment better for others, more purposed, and better for ourselves. This is part 1: Facing Reality.
We all know the story of the Good Samaritan and how he helped the beaten, robbed and near death Jewish business man as the man had been been traveling on a dangerous road. Two other people, a Priest and Levite, had seen the naked man lying on the side of the road and had passed him by and had not helped him. The Samaritan, who as a people were not friendly to the Jewish people, which makes the story that much more powerful, not only stops to help the man but instead but goes above and beyond to then take him with him and ensure that he gets what he needs to recover and get back on his feet. Like any of us, the Samaritan had to have stopped and weighed the consequences and ramifications of his decision to help the hurt man, before he stopped and stooped over to help him up to his feet. What was going through his mind had to be things like, "what is this going to look like to my friends, family and co-workers if I help this guy?", "how much time and/or money is this going to cost me?", "what if this guy deserved the beating and I am taking in someone who is going to rob me next?", and if it was modern day, I am sure he would have said to himself, "what is my liability if I help him, will I get sued?". These are all normal and reasonable questions to ask as he was facing a reality in front of him and deciding to run away like the other two men or be different and not run away from the problem in front of him.
Why I thought this is such a great lesson for us as we try and inject purpose into our work, is that each and every day we are faced with a reality where we can help others who are not doing so well and who have been figuratively beaten down and left to the side of the road. How many times have we been in meetings where someone was unfairly treated, talked about, or accused and without the time to defend themselves the conversation moves on and they are left to the side of the table with their egos bruised, their feelings hurt and in some cases left worrying about their future within the company. And what do we do more often than not? We let the conversation move on without defending them or we let the meeting break up and we head back to our offices or cubicles without the encouraging or helping word or hand extended to them. What the story of the Good Samaritan says is that we are to face the reality that something bad has happened and we are not to run away but instead reach forward and down to them to show compassion. What I love about compassionate people is that they don't run from reality just because reality hurts or will cost them something. They give of themselves to express their compassion. And, I will call upon the phrase, "what goes around comes around". If we are ones who face reality and show compassion to others in the workplace and try to model ourselves after the Good Samaritan (even to those in the departments that we just don't like to deal with), then on the day that we stumble and find ourselves down and out, then just maybe someone will remember that we were there for them, and they they will reach down and give us a hand to get back on our feet. The question to be asked today is, to bring more purpose to your work are you working to the example of the Good Samaritan and showing the same compassion to others that the Good Samaritan modeled for us?
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
day 17: The Big Give: A Samaritan @ Work, part 3
This is the third of a three part entry learning from a session I attended given by Dr. John Hull about the Good Samaritan story (found in Luke 10:25-37). What I am attempting to do is take this lesson and put it to work at work.
After the Good Samaritan made the choice to stop what he was doing, risk his reputation, and dirty and bloody himself all for the help of another, he then made even a larger decision when he decided to bring the man that needed help back into town and share the resources of transportation (a donkey), a bed, clothes and money to get him back on his feet. And most of all, all of this took the most precious resource that any one person has, his time. At work we are not often faced with having to reach into our own pockets to help others, but we are asked all the time to share a budget we have or cut back on our own needs to help out someone else. There are times when we know that helping someone else and giving of our resources is absolutely the right thing to do. There are other times when someone else on the team or in the company is without transportation to and from work and it may be out of our way but we know the right thing to do is offer to give them a ride. And more often than not in the workplace, what someone really needs from us is that precious resource; our time. Making the time to just sit and listen to someone as they tell of their struggles and challenges with their boss, a co-worker, or a project, can be invaluable to them. In the office any of these, or all of these offerings to another person may not seem like a lot to give of ourselves for someone that is hurting, but I can tell you for sure, that when others see someone else give of their time for them, it is perceived as a big give on their behalf. They know that you, and other people are busy. But what is important is that we know that if we are too busy to give ourselves to others who are hurting, then we are just too busy with the wrong things. If the Good Samaritan had been too busy, or not willing to give of himself, then another man may have died. Thank our good Lord that most of us will never face a moment that is that acute. However, are we not being asked to show that same level of compassion and giving in the everyday world we live in, in the everyday work that we do?
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
After the Good Samaritan made the choice to stop what he was doing, risk his reputation, and dirty and bloody himself all for the help of another, he then made even a larger decision when he decided to bring the man that needed help back into town and share the resources of transportation (a donkey), a bed, clothes and money to get him back on his feet. And most of all, all of this took the most precious resource that any one person has, his time. At work we are not often faced with having to reach into our own pockets to help others, but we are asked all the time to share a budget we have or cut back on our own needs to help out someone else. There are times when we know that helping someone else and giving of our resources is absolutely the right thing to do. There are other times when someone else on the team or in the company is without transportation to and from work and it may be out of our way but we know the right thing to do is offer to give them a ride. And more often than not in the workplace, what someone really needs from us is that precious resource; our time. Making the time to just sit and listen to someone as they tell of their struggles and challenges with their boss, a co-worker, or a project, can be invaluable to them. In the office any of these, or all of these offerings to another person may not seem like a lot to give of ourselves for someone that is hurting, but I can tell you for sure, that when others see someone else give of their time for them, it is perceived as a big give on their behalf. They know that you, and other people are busy. But what is important is that we know that if we are too busy to give ourselves to others who are hurting, then we are just too busy with the wrong things. If the Good Samaritan had been too busy, or not willing to give of himself, then another man may have died. Thank our good Lord that most of us will never face a moment that is that acute. However, are we not being asked to show that same level of compassion and giving in the everyday world we live in, in the everyday work that we do?
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
day 16: Pain Points: A Samaritan @ Work, part 2
This is the second of a three part entry learning from a session I attended given by Dr. John Hull about the Good Samaritan story (found in Luke 10:25-37). What I am attempting to do is take this lesson and put it to work at work.
Yesterday, I pointed out the importance of being able to face reality and showing compassion with a fellow co-worker who has been beaten down. In order to face that reality, we must be able to recognize when someone else is hurting and then reach into their hurt or pain and find a way to touch them at the point that can help them become better. Words like pain and hurt are not ones that are often heard in the workplace unless someone has suffered a physical injury. However, I would say that the workplace is one of the most dangerous battlefields for the attack and potential destruction of someones ego, pride and self-worth, which are pains and hurts that can far surpass physical issues. So, to be a Good Samaritan at work before we can act, we need to be able to recognize and identify when someone is in pain. This is not hard if we slow down for a moment and listen and watch those around us, putting ourselves aside for a moment. There are tell-tale signs. Some are subtle. You can see it in someones energy level, how fast they are to answer or slow to give a response, how they react to questioning or challenging, how they respond or don't respond to the opportunity to take on more, the willingness or lack of willingness to present to others their ideas, and the list can go on and on. Other signs are more visible. You can see open frustration, throwing in the towel, or using words that are either words of defeat and resignation or words that are defensive and protective. Regardless of the signs, it will be apparent that there is pain and hurt under the surface. And as those who want to follow the lesson of the Good Samaritan what are we to do? The Good Samaritan, when he did his act of kindness was not afraid to reach with his bare hands and pick up the dirty and bloody man from the side of the road. He most likely dirtied his own clothes as he propped us and helped the broken man walk back into town. Fortunately for most of us we don't have real blood at work, but figuratively it can feel the same. For us to really reach down and help someone else we have to be willing to dirty ourselves and be willing to get some of that blood on our own hands. It means that we may need to stand up for someone else, or take on a part of their work for them for a time frame for them to dig out of the hole they are in. It means getting dirty and taking a risk for a fellow co-worker. It means reaching into their pain and hurt and putting ourselves on the back burner. It means that the other person can feel and know that you are saying to them, "it is not about me, it is about you". If we can dig deep within ourselves and find a way to make our work about others and not always about ourselves and we are willing to reach to others to help them through their struggles, regardless of the dirt we may have to take on ourselves to do so, then we can be the Good Samaritan at work and be more purposed in the work that we do.
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
Yesterday, I pointed out the importance of being able to face reality and showing compassion with a fellow co-worker who has been beaten down. In order to face that reality, we must be able to recognize when someone else is hurting and then reach into their hurt or pain and find a way to touch them at the point that can help them become better. Words like pain and hurt are not ones that are often heard in the workplace unless someone has suffered a physical injury. However, I would say that the workplace is one of the most dangerous battlefields for the attack and potential destruction of someones ego, pride and self-worth, which are pains and hurts that can far surpass physical issues. So, to be a Good Samaritan at work before we can act, we need to be able to recognize and identify when someone is in pain. This is not hard if we slow down for a moment and listen and watch those around us, putting ourselves aside for a moment. There are tell-tale signs. Some are subtle. You can see it in someones energy level, how fast they are to answer or slow to give a response, how they react to questioning or challenging, how they respond or don't respond to the opportunity to take on more, the willingness or lack of willingness to present to others their ideas, and the list can go on and on. Other signs are more visible. You can see open frustration, throwing in the towel, or using words that are either words of defeat and resignation or words that are defensive and protective. Regardless of the signs, it will be apparent that there is pain and hurt under the surface. And as those who want to follow the lesson of the Good Samaritan what are we to do? The Good Samaritan, when he did his act of kindness was not afraid to reach with his bare hands and pick up the dirty and bloody man from the side of the road. He most likely dirtied his own clothes as he propped us and helped the broken man walk back into town. Fortunately for most of us we don't have real blood at work, but figuratively it can feel the same. For us to really reach down and help someone else we have to be willing to dirty ourselves and be willing to get some of that blood on our own hands. It means that we may need to stand up for someone else, or take on a part of their work for them for a time frame for them to dig out of the hole they are in. It means getting dirty and taking a risk for a fellow co-worker. It means reaching into their pain and hurt and putting ourselves on the back burner. It means that the other person can feel and know that you are saying to them, "it is not about me, it is about you". If we can dig deep within ourselves and find a way to make our work about others and not always about ourselves and we are willing to reach to others to help them through their struggles, regardless of the dirt we may have to take on ourselves to do so, then we can be the Good Samaritan at work and be more purposed in the work that we do.
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
day 15: Facing Reality: A Samaritan @ Work, part 1
I recently attended a Men's Retreat at my church and was fortunate to hear the teaching of Dr. John Hull, President of an organization called InJoy. John spoke on a number of topics but one that struck me was a session that he did on the well-known story of the "Good Samaritan" (found in Luke 10:25-37). As I sat and listened and took notes from his talk, "Strength and Power of Compassion", I was hearing how this story, which I have heard so many times and is a common term in our everyday language when someone helps someone else, is so very applicable to our work lives. I am going to break down into three parts what Dr. Hull spoke about and relate it to how it is that we can conduct ourselves at work and make our work environment better for others, more purposed, and better for ourselves. This is part 1: Facing Reality.
We all know the story of the Good Samaritan and how he helped the beaten, robbed and near death Jewish business man as the man had been been traveling on a dangerous road. Two other people, a Priest and Levite, had seen the naked man lying on the side of the road and had passed him by and had not helped him. The Samaritan, who as a people were not friendly to the Jewish people, which makes the story that much more powerful, not only stops to help the man but instead but goes above and beyond to then take him with him and ensure that he gets what he needs to recover and get back on his feet. Like any of us, the Samaritan had to have stopped and weighed the consequences and ramifications of his decision to help the hurt man, before he stopped and stooped over to help him up to his feet. What was going through his mind had to be things like, "what is this going to look like to my friends, family and co-workers if I help this guy?", "how much time and/or money is this going to cost me?", "what if this guy deserved the beating and I am taking in someone who is going to rob me next?", and if it was modern day, I am sure he would have said to himself, "what is my liability if I help him, will I get sued?". These are all normal and reasonable questions to ask as he was facing a reality in front of him and deciding to run away like the other two men or be different and not run away from the problem in front of him.
Why I thought this is such a great lesson for us as we try and inject purpose into our work, is that each and every day we are faced with a reality where we can help others who are not doing so well and who have been figuratively beaten down and left to the side of the road. How many times have we been in meetings where someone was unfairly treated, talked about, or accused and without the time to defend themselves the conversation moves on and they are left to the side of the table with their egos bruised, their feelings hurt and in some cases left worrying about their future within the company. And what do we do more often than not? We let the conversation move on without defending them or we let the meeting break up and we head back to our offices or cubicles without the encouraging or helping word or hand extended to them. What the story of the Good Samaritan says is that we are to face the reality that something bad has happened and we are not to run away but instead reach forward and down to them to show compassion. What I love about compassionate people is that they don't run from reality just because reality hurts or will cost them something. They give of themselves to express their compassion. And, I will call upon the phrase, "what goes around comes around". If we are ones who face reality and show compassion to others in the workplace and try to model ourselves after the Good Samaritan (even to those in the departments that we just don't like to deal with), then on the day that we stumble and find ourselves down and out, then just maybe someone will remember that we were there for them, and they they will reach down and give us a hand to get back on our feet. The question to be asked today is, to bring more purpose to your work are you working to the example of the Good Samaritan and showing the same compassion to others that the Good Samaritan modeled for us?
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
We all know the story of the Good Samaritan and how he helped the beaten, robbed and near death Jewish business man as the man had been been traveling on a dangerous road. Two other people, a Priest and Levite, had seen the naked man lying on the side of the road and had passed him by and had not helped him. The Samaritan, who as a people were not friendly to the Jewish people, which makes the story that much more powerful, not only stops to help the man but instead but goes above and beyond to then take him with him and ensure that he gets what he needs to recover and get back on his feet. Like any of us, the Samaritan had to have stopped and weighed the consequences and ramifications of his decision to help the hurt man, before he stopped and stooped over to help him up to his feet. What was going through his mind had to be things like, "what is this going to look like to my friends, family and co-workers if I help this guy?", "how much time and/or money is this going to cost me?", "what if this guy deserved the beating and I am taking in someone who is going to rob me next?", and if it was modern day, I am sure he would have said to himself, "what is my liability if I help him, will I get sued?". These are all normal and reasonable questions to ask as he was facing a reality in front of him and deciding to run away like the other two men or be different and not run away from the problem in front of him.
Why I thought this is such a great lesson for us as we try and inject purpose into our work, is that each and every day we are faced with a reality where we can help others who are not doing so well and who have been figuratively beaten down and left to the side of the road. How many times have we been in meetings where someone was unfairly treated, talked about, or accused and without the time to defend themselves the conversation moves on and they are left to the side of the table with their egos bruised, their feelings hurt and in some cases left worrying about their future within the company. And what do we do more often than not? We let the conversation move on without defending them or we let the meeting break up and we head back to our offices or cubicles without the encouraging or helping word or hand extended to them. What the story of the Good Samaritan says is that we are to face the reality that something bad has happened and we are not to run away but instead reach forward and down to them to show compassion. What I love about compassionate people is that they don't run from reality just because reality hurts or will cost them something. They give of themselves to express their compassion. And, I will call upon the phrase, "what goes around comes around". If we are ones who face reality and show compassion to others in the workplace and try to model ourselves after the Good Samaritan (even to those in the departments that we just don't like to deal with), then on the day that we stumble and find ourselves down and out, then just maybe someone will remember that we were there for them, and they they will reach down and give us a hand to get back on our feet. The question to be asked today is, to bring more purpose to your work are you working to the example of the Good Samaritan and showing the same compassion to others that the Good Samaritan modeled for us?
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
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