Proverbs at Work: Bringing Self-Control to Work

"Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." (Proverbs 25:28)

Self-control is a characteristic of a wise leader. The biblical definition of self-control is “the physical and emotional self-mastery, particularly in situations of intense provocation or temptation.”

Choosing to be self-controlled is a wise choice as those who do not control themselves can leave themselves open to being controlled by others. It is also an important “risk management” tool as speaking and behaving wisely helps prevent regrettable circumstances.

When you think of being self-controlled, what automatically comes to mind? Do you think of some areas in your life which are easy for you to control and other areas which could use some further attention?

If you want to develop more self-control, consider your present status in the following three areas:

Emotions

Are you able to handle negative feelings such as frustration and anger? When you start to feel an emotional wave of negative emotion, do you take a moment to control the emotion before you say or do something? Can you look back at times when you had said or did something you regret because you did not take time to think before you spoke or reacted? Is this an unusual occurrence for you, or is dealing with these kinds of emotions something you think you could use more self-control over? Learn from these situations, commit to self-control and move forward with God.

"Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly." (Proverbs 14:29)

Words

Are you someone who takes a moment to consider what you are going to say? This is especially important in tense or emotional situations. Although the problem may be a tense one, you can choose to respond wisely. One way to improve this area is to make sure you have the correct information before speaking. Even if others are not careful with what they are saying and how they are saying it, you can choose to communicate respectfully and professionally. Can you think back to a situation when you perhaps spoke too soon, and this caused conflict or a regrettable circumstance? Learn from that situation, commit to self-control and move forward with God.

"The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered." (Proverbs 17:27)

Actions

Are you someone who takes time to decide on the best course of action? There are some circumstances and difficult situations when a quick response is required to which we are not referring to here, but rather more the day-to-day cases where decisions are needed. Do you sometimes decide without fully thinking it through? Do you jump at opportunities without looking at the risks and benefits? Are you easily influenced by others and are swayed to do something you later regret? Can you look back and see circumstances where maybe you did something that you should not have? Learn from that situation, commit to self-control and move forward with God.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

Take Proverbs 25:28 to work with you this week as you consider praying this prayer every morning:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word, which guides us in living wisely. You have said You want us to be self-controlled, an area in which I want to become more mature. Would You please give me the wisdom and strength to have self-control in my emotions, behavior, and words? Please help me see where I need to improve, whether it is to better control unhealthy/negative feelings, unwise behaviors or speech. I desire to honor You in my thoughts, behaviors, and things I say. Over the coming week, please give me the awareness to see where I am falling short and where I can improve. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Have a wonderful week full of self-control in the areas of your emotions, words, and actions.

God Bless!

Bonny, Christian Women at Work

Servant Leadership

Did you know Servant Leadership is a defined theory of Leadership? Do you think that is a main style of leadership for you? In the article “Servant Leadership: A Philosophical Foundation for Professionalism in Physical Therapy, Meryl Roth Gersh commented that Greenleaf proposed “people bestow leadership on those people identified as servants first, those who have made a conscious choice to place others’ needs as their highest priority” (2006, p. 13). Roth Gersh also commented that Servant Leadership traits include caring, hard work, dedication, warmth, openness, and a positive attitude (2006, p. 14).

In defining Servant Leadership, Greenleaf noted qualities such as listening deeply to understand, keeping an open mind, dealing well with ambiguity and complexity, sharing challenges and asking for input, sharing clear goals and giving direction, serving, helping and teaching first, choosing words carefully, using insight and intuition and having a sense of the whole (Barr and Dowding, 2019, p. 76).

Barr, J., & Dowding, L. (2019). Leadership in health care (4th ed.). SAGE Publishing

Roth Gersh, M. (2006). Servant-Leadership: A Philosopical foundation for professionalism in physical therapy. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 20(2), 12-16

Proverbs at Work: Overcoming Work

Did you feel a twinge of fear at work this past week? Perhaps you thought you would not complete a task on time, maybe you were going into a performance review, or you may have been afraid you would be embarrassed in a meeting.

Fear is defined as "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat." It can be at seemingly little thing or something significant. It is still fear.

Most fears at work are not physical. Instead, they are often a fear of something possibly happening or feeling unable to cope with something adequately or someone. Public speaking, failure, becoming embarrassed, and losing one's job are common fears.

There are healthy fears and non-healthy ones. Knowing what is a potentially dangerous situation and taking steps to avoid it would categorize a healthy fear. For instance, perhaps you are asked to physically do something you have not been adequately trained in and are therefore fearful of doing this task. That is reasonable fear and a warning not to do something due to the likelihood of harm Perhaps you have been asked to lead a team, but you do not feel ready for this responsibility. This is also a reasonable fear, but you can do something about it if you need to take this role. You can take a course on leadership or speak with a mentor.

However, unhealthy fears, such as worries about what may or may not happen, keep us from taking the next step that God wants us to take at work. We need a strategy for these unhealthy fears. That strategy is grounded in our faith in God.

Consider these four steps next time you are experiencing a fear:

1. Identify specifically what the fear is.

If it is regarding a person, what is it exactly? Is it how they might treat you in front of others? Is it not living up to their expectations? If it is about a job requirement, what exactly is your fear? Is it that you need more training or that you are afraid to ask? We can only deal with something when we know what the exact problem is. As a Physiotherapist, if a person's leg pain is coming from their back and I treat their leg, it will not get better. It is the same with our fears. If we do not get to the core root of the problem, it will not improve.

2. Determine the difficulties around this issue.

Be honest with yourself. The problems are essentially the reasons why this is still a fear. Is it because you are concerned you might disappoint someone? Is it because you need more training in an area, and pride is getting in the way? Is it because you are afraid of being embarrassed? Determine what barriers may be keeping you from dealing with your fear.

3. Acknowledge you need God’s strength and wisdom and pray about the situation.

Take Proverbs 1:33 to work and remember that God’s plans for you are for good (Jeremiah 29:11). Thank Him that He has given you a gift of peace of mind and heart and has told you not to be troubled or afraid (John 14:27).

4. Take an action step to help you overcome the fear.

Take the core root of the problem and choose a treatment (strategy) to get rid of the symptom (your fear). Perhaps speak to someone or take a course in being more assertive or what the issue is that you are fearful about.

Take the core root of the problem and choose a treatment (strategy) to get rid of the symptom (your fear). Perhaps speak to someone or take a course in being more assertive or what the issue is that you are fearful of.Take the core root of the problem and choose a treatment (strategy) to get rid of the symptom (your fear). Perhaps speak to someone or take a course in being more assertive or what the issue is that you are fearful of Faith can be defined as “belief and trust in God.” It is by faith in God that we can overcome every fear. God has promised that we can live without fear of harm when we turn to Him and listen to Him. If you have any fears at work, it is time to turn to God.

Have a fearless and blessed week!

Bonny, Christian Women at Work