I clipped out an article in 2010 from Fast Company  that was written by Ben Paynter, titled “Five Steps to Social Currency”.  I was so struck by Paynter’s five steps/lessons that I thought they would be worth exploring in depth and applying some of our purposed worKING thoughts to what he has written.  This will be the second in our five part series.

“Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord…”

I’ve written before about the importance of context when we go to market or sell.  The same is also true internally.  The employee who asks for a raise or promotion during a tough financial quarter or during a pressured month to hit the numbers, is probably not going to get what they want.  But, those companies, and people within a company, who understand how to use context to their advantage will be the ones to close the deal.  There is a reason we don’t sell school supplies in April or coats in July.  I’m over simplifying, but you get the point.  Paynter speaks of how even more important this is in the social realm.  Being out of context is like trying to strike up a conversation about basketball at a World Series Game 7 in the bottom of the ninth with the game tied.  So, we have to have a good sense of the contextual layers that come with building and delivering a successful message.

If we want to strengthen our testimony and witness, we would be advised to take a few lessons on how to read context. While being an encourager is a gift, even the best encourager knows that trying to shower someone with platitudes and accolades when instead what they need is a listening ear to hear their pain and hurting, can be more damaging than good.  I don’t at all want to take away from those who praise the Lord all day long, but the context of the workplace is important to recognize.  Jesus may have been the best ever at reading and applying context to what He came to tell us.  No one ever read the hearts and minds of people like He did and when He responded, it was nothing short of miraculous in what happened.  Well, actually it was all miraculous, because over 2000 years later we still are learning from Him.  Consider today the context that you work within and see how you can take that context and bring Christ alive in a way that matters to those around you.

Reference: Deuteronomy 28:10 (New Living Translation)