Latest / Prayer Before Work / The 9 PM Text That Made Me Realize I'd Become My Old Boss - Prayer Before Work
Transcript
- Sean Graver: So you just caught yourself sending a message at nine o'clock at night, expecting a response before you go to bed. And it hits you that this is exactly the kind of manager you swore you would never become. Well, hey, this is Sean, and welcome back to Prayer Before Work. I I don't think anybody sets out to be that person. I think it usually creeps in slowly. Maybe one deadline moved up. Maybe one late night message that we kind of justify as like, just this once. Maybe it's just one moment of impatience with someone who's moving slower than you'd like. And then one day you look up and realize you've started managing people the exact way that used to make you hate your job when you were on the other end of it. And that's not a fun thing to notice about yourself. But I think Jesus gives us a simple test for this kind of moment. One that's easy to say, but it's a bit harder to actually apply under pressure. So you're gonna be familiar with this one. In Matthew 7, verse 12, he says, So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them. For this is the law and the prophets. I think what I appreciate about that verse is just how practical it is. It's not asking you to guess at some complicated standard of good leadership. It's just asking you to remember exactly how it felt when someone did this to you and that let let that memory actually change your behavior instead of just fading out of your memory. You know, you already know what the late night message felt like to receive. You already know what it felt like to be talked to like you were supposed to jump at every message instantly instead of having time to relax and unwind. So you have all the information you need. The only question is whether you'll use it. And this doesn't mean lowering your standards or letting deadlines slide. no. Good leadership still requires real expectations and and real accountability. But there's a difference between holding people to a standard and treating them the way you were once treated out of habit rather than intention. So if you've noticed something in yourself recently that looked a little too familiar. It's not a reason for shame. It's actually a good sign. It means you still remember what it felt like. And that memory is exactly what can keep you from becoming what you swore you would avoid. So let's pray. Lord, it's humbling to catch ourselves repeating something we once hated. Help us remember what it felt like to be on the receiving end of bad leadership. And let that memory shape how we treat the people who report to us now and give us the humility to to notice these moments instead of just excusing them and the resolve to actually change, not just feel bad and move on. Make us the kind of leader that we needed once. In Jesus' name, amen. And go make today count.