“Then the Lord said, I am Jesus”

This is the last post on this three part series on conversations.  I wrote of the power of the first name in a conversation and then I followed that up yesterday with how important it is that we take a conversation deeper through getting to know the person to whom we are talking. And then there is the trust thing and getting everything on the table if want to have a productive, constructive and worthwhile conversation.  One sided conversations or ones where there is either an obvious power or influence difference don’t usually end up being as fruitful as we desire.  The same frustration can occur when one side of the conversation is guarded and doesn’t put everything out on the table but instead leaves the other person not trusting that they know everything they need to know.  All day long we can fight these problems in the conversations we have at the office.  What we need to do is ensure that our cultures are such that everyone is on the same plane and that full disclosure and transparency is in the DNA.  It’s actually a very, very important organizational trait to monitor and reinforce, both in the positive and when it is not happening.  It means having the courage to confront and call out bad behavior and if there are repeat offenders, helping them find their way into another company.  Companies can’t afford the wasted time, the half-steps that get taken because of lack of trust, and the incomplete conversations that just suck energy out of an organization because the foundational elements for good conversations isn’t there.  If you sense that your company, or your team, department, function, etc. isn’t having the right level of conversations, then today would be the day to start doing something about it.

When Saul asked back to the voice from heaven, “Who are you, Lord?”, God could have easily said back to Saul, “I am who you think I am”, or “Yes, I am the Lord”, or even, “You don’t need to know more than this Saul”. But, that is not our Lord’s way.  He loves conversation with us so he allowed Saul to ask the question and then He answered with His grace, “I am Jesus.” God puts it all out on the table with us each and every day and in every moment so that we can have the best conversation with Him possible. It’s all up to us to to open up to Him and and not hold back.  As we think about how we can strengthen our conversations with others, all in the hopes of bringing glory to Him in all we do, we can also spend the extra time this week to open our conversation with God more fully.  He is calling our name, asking to know more, and putting everything out there and on the table for us.  Now it’s just up to us.

*For those who are reading this and want more on the conversation and conversion of Saul, I recommend you check out the current teaching series: Radical Change by Pastor Terry Brisbane at http://www.cornerstone-sf.org/tv/channel/messages/http://www.cornerstone-sf.org/tv/channel/messages/

Reference: Acts 9:5 (New King James Version)