Video Transcript: The Relationship Engine of Correction

In the last lecture, we talked about the relationship engine of authority as being the power to serve. 

Well, every position of authority has a knowledge and skill level that I'm going to refer to as the basics - the basic level of knowledge and skill that you have to possess in order to serve in that position of authority.  As you grow and develop in your skills and your knowledge and you are promoted to a position of higher authority, that new position has another set of skills that would be the basic level skills for that position. 

So the understanding of continued growth and learning I hope you understand.  That we aren't just born with what we need to handle every skill for every position that we might want to pursue in life.  We have to go to school, we have to obtain a mentor or tutor or someone who can teach us the things we know so that we're qualified for the positions of authority that we seek.  And through that education, through that experience, we prepare ourselves for higher positions of authority, or other positions of authority, as the Lord leads us in life. 

Well, in order to have continued growth and learning, it's important to learn and to study. 

In 2 Timothy 2:15 the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy and says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”. 

So especially in ministry, in PeaceSmart Relationships of authority, when you have authority over a team, or an organization, or a ministry staff, or a business, the staff of an enterprise, study, continued learning and growth is important.  It's essential to continue to grow and strengthen and improve the skills that the Lord has given you. 

To serve effectively in any position of authority, the ability to give and receive correction is essential.  The power of the correction engine, which is the topic of this lecture, is the power to grow.  Correction is part of life, but like authority, correction carries for most of us a negative connotation.  

I don't know about you, but I don't like to be corrected.  It hurts my pride.  I view it as kind of a negative thing.  I didn't do it right so I've got to do it again.  But when you think about correction as the power to grow, as the power to learn, correction can take on a different light for us. 

Proverbs 3:11-12 reads, “My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, (correction) and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son He delights in.”

When we talk about the dynamics of conflict, and the things that happen at the trap of offense, we talked about how often in conflict the Lord exposes something in our life that He wants to change, something that He wants to correct, something that He wants to transform to make us more like Jesus Christ. 

Well correction in the workplace, correction on a team, correction in an organization is no different.  When we're in an authority relationship, and that person in authority over us sees something in us that needs correction, we can discern when that correction is given whether they are giving that correction to bless us, to help us to grow, to become better, or whether they're giving us that correction just because they are abusing their authority and correcting us for their own self-interest. 

When we discern that that correction is accurate, we can take that matter before the Lord rather than become bitter about it, or become angry at our boss about it, we can take that matter before the Lord and ask Him to change us, ask Him to help us learn what we need to learn from that correction to grow because that correction is a sign of His love for us.  It’s a sign that He is at work in our life. 

Even in the relationship with that person in authority over you, at least they're paying attention to you even if their correction is not accurate. 

The fuel of the correction engine, respect and responsibility, is essential for the correction to bear fruit in the organization.  When the correction engine is fueled by disrespect or irresponsibility, dysfunction will occur in the organization.  For growth to occur in an organization, through correction, that's the power of the correction engine. 

The correction engine can be powerful in an organization that understands that it's for growth, to improve, that we get better when we're corrected, when we change the way we're doing something because there's a better way to do it.  When an organization is on the same page, when all the team members are on the same page, correction can be a powerful force in an organization and on a team.  And the interesting dynamic about the correction engine is that the fuel comes from two places - the person in authority who's giving the correction and the person under authority, who's receiving the correction. 

There are fuel sources on both sides of that dynamic.  And they both have to be fueled by respect and responsibility in order to bear fruit that produces growth in the organization and in the relationship.  When one or both of those parties is using disrespect or irresponsibility to fuel the correction engine dysfunction will occur. 

In Ephesians 6, Paul writes, “Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right (authority relationship).  Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers do not exasperate your children.  Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.  Servants, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and with sincerity of heart just as you would obey Christ.  Obey them not only to win their favor when their eyes on you, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from your heart.  Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free, and masters treat your service in the same way.  Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.”

So this passage talks about the dynamic of several authority relationships, in how the serving in those relationships is unto the Lord and not just to that earthly authority person whether it be a parent, whether it be an employer, whether you be an employee, whether you be a son or daughter.  So what does it look like to serve, to use my authority to serve, when I'm giving correction?  What does it look like when the correction engine is powered by respect and responsibility when I'm correcting another? 

Well, first question I'm going to ask myself, do I have the authority to correct?  You'll see this dynamic in many organizations, co-workers correcting co-workers when they're on the same level of authority.  And what will happen most of the time when that occurs is offense will be taken because the person has been corrected is going to say, if not outwardly at least inwardly, who are you to correct me?  You're not my boss. 

So one question to ask when you're going to correct someone is, do I have the authority to correct this individual?  If I don't, I usually need to go and talk to the person who does have the authority to correct or I just need to keep my mouth shut. 

Second question, am I correcting out of a desire to serve and seek what is best for the person I’m correcting and what is best for the team, or am I correcting for my own self-interest?  When I'm giving correction am I being respectful or am I disrespecting this person?  Am I judging this person, or am I correcting this person?  Do I recognize and reward the positive as often as I correct the negative?  How am I handling my authority? 

And finally, don't correct out of anger or to provoke anger.  Remember that man's anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God.  And if I'm using my authority as the power to serve, if I'm angry at something, I need to let that anger subside before I go to address that situation.  And if I can't, I need to make it right as soon as I can, after I have provoked someone's anger or expressed out of anger.  

The power of authority, the power to serve, the power to correct, the power to grow.  Typically, when I'm correcting out of anger, I'm not correcting out of a motivation to serve and see that person grow. I'm correcting for my benefit to express my anger, my frustration with the situation. 

So what happens if I'm receiving correction with respect and responsibility?  Well, I'm going to be respectful, not defensive.  I'm going to maintain my integrity when I'm corrected whether I'm corrected for things that need correction or for things that I don't think need correction.  I'm going to maintain my integrity, and I'm not going to be a man-pleaser. 

I'm not going to talk about the person who's corrected me as soon as they leave the room and say what a loser they are for trying to correct me about that, and that they're completely wrong.  I'm not going to gossip about the correction to other people who are outside of that authority relationship. 

But if I have concerns about whether that correction is accurate or not, I will only take that up with the person in authority over me or another appropriate person in the chain of authority if that relationship is strained.  I want to develop a teachable attitude about correction, recognizing and going before the Lord and saying, Lord, give me a heart that receives correction. 

If you're a person who struggles with being corrected, ask the Lord to change it.  Ask the Lord to give you that heart that responds to correction as the opportunity to grow; as a sign of the Lord's love for you, that He is at work changing you and that He's simply exposing the next thing He wants to change.  There's no shame in being corrected. 

And finally, don't become bitter.  When you don't understand why correction has been given, ask questions.  Ask questions so that you understand where that person in authority over you wants you to go next.  Where is it that they are asking you to go so that you know how to serve that person in the manner that pleases them and that bears fruit for the organization. 

When we correct from an inward focus as a person in authority, and I'm speaking now to you as a person and authority over someone else, whether it's your children, whether it's your team, your staff, your organization, your ministry, when you correct out of an inward focus, you're going to create dysfunction.  When you're just having people do what you want them to do because you want them to do it, you're eventually going to create frustration, division and dysfunction in your organization.  

But when you correct out of the power to serve, you're correcting for growth in that individual that you're correcting.  And your correction can be a blessing to them when you correct out of an outward focus, or a focus that's driven out of your relationship with the Lord.

So, in your organization, when the correction engine is running, what direction is it taking you? What direction is it taking your team?  When the authority engine is running in your organization and in conflict erupts what direction is it taking your team? 

In the next session we're going to look at the third relationship ends of conflict. 

God bless you. We'll see you then.