By Tyler Graeff
Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” How countercultural is the word of God in a society that encourages individualism? Being independent and self-reliant is encouraged through the promotion of individualism. People are apt to exploit and hurt others, no position or person is exempt. Many times, these things may be in the spotlight of the news, behind people’s backs or on social media. It’s becoming hard to trust; people are being hurt and people are falling into a pattern of looking out for themselves. This can prevent the pursuit of personal relationships.
What does it mean to be devoted to one another? Our relationships start to look personal rather than transactional. Individualism allows people to operate in the transactional mindset: what can I get from this person? Being devoted to one another helps us to ask the question: what can I do for this person? In a transactional leadership approach, those that we serve end up feeling used and devalued. When we serve others in a personal way, those we serve start to feel empowered and valued. Two opposite sides of the spectrum, right?
In our individualistic, highly transactional society, how do we begin to craft a culture which honors one another? In chapter 21 of “High Impact Teams”, Witt identifies two foundational building blocks that can be used to craft a culture of honor. The first block starts with you! In order to have a culture that is devoted to one another, we must know how accepted we are by Jesus. Insecurities can cause us to become selfish, worrying about ourselves or what others think. Once we have an understanding of our identities in Christ and we operate in that confidence, we can shift our focus outwards.
This outward focus brings us to the second block of viewing others through the eyes of God. A culture of one another is viewed from the lense of Christ. A culture of honor puts those that you serve and those you serve with, first. We are called to treat people with dignity, respect, value, and care. Often times when a leader’s focus is turned inward, it starts to affect those that they serve. We treat others with value so that there may be no divisions within the body of Christ. We are made in the likeness of God and He does not show partiality.
It’s not about us! In ministry, we need to remember the example that Jesus set as a servant leader. As leaders, we need community. Crafting a culture of honor takes work and is counter-cultural. Take the challenge and start to craft a culture of honor and devotion. When we craft a culture of one another, we begin to maximize unity and minimize division. Let’s show the world the standard of God by showing honor and devotion to one another and influence the status quo of a fallen world.