A phrase that was popular when I was in High School was this: "Act like a Rock Star till you ARE a Rock Star!" Or another one: "Fake it, till you make it!" These seem like juvenile phrases for people looking for an excuse to act like a big-shot, and that is certainly how my friends meant it. However, is there anything for the modern day believer and servant in the local church to learn from those weird slogans? At their core, these phrases deal with one single element: Attitude!
Obviously, attitude can be positive or negative, helpful or destructive, motivating or debilitating! Obviously, I am encouraging the positive, motivational and helpful attitude in all our lives, but what about an attitude that chooses to see (and accentuate) the best? For instance, when we put someone on our Hospitality Team at Calvary Cross-link, and they greet someone in the parking lot: Do we want their attitude to accentuate the best about our church? Or the Worst?
Could you imagine if someone got out of their car and complimented the grounds of the church as being well-kept, nicely presented only to hear one of our "hospitality team members" say "well they ought to be, we're swallowed up in debt on this property!" And, what about on their way in, that same "team member" tells this visitor "we've got some ornery people in there, watch your back and don't sit in the wrong seat!" Even if (and that's a BIG IF) what that "team member" was saying was true, it represents a pessimistic attitude towards the church. Wouldn't it be more productive to accentuate the positive aspects of Calvary Cross-link to those who may visit? Maybe we do have our warts (who doesn't?), but focusing attention on the things God has blessed us with the ability to do well is a strict principle of leadership that can make or break a church!
They say leaders must focus 80% of their time on complimenting their followers strengths and only 20% correcting their mistakes. So, is that "faking it till we make it?" I guess time will tell!
