Your response creates a culture!

In my current class in grad school, I'm studying leadership in nonprofit organizations.  This weeks assignment is to look at the cultural components of non-profits.  A culture is the set of norms and behaviors of an organization.  The culture often is created by the leadership in how they deal with stressors, pressures, and circumstances.  For example, when a problem occurs by an employee or volunteer, a leader or group of leaders have many choices on how they respond.  And in those choices, a culture is created.

Families do the same.  If a parent reacts in anger anytime a child acts out, then a culture of fear will permeate the home.  If a parent reacts with calmness to the same kind of event, then a culture of acceptance will fill the home.  When I was a child, my father would often react in anger to anything he perceived embarrassing to him, and so I would do everything possible to never be out of line.  One of my natural responses over the years, that I still struggle to overcome, is to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.  I'd rather not face the potential wrath upfront...only on the backside.

So what is the culture of your home?  What are the set of norms or behaviors allowed in your family?  Where did they come from?  Are they positive norms or negative norms?  Every home has both.  Every marriage has both.  Every church has both.  Every relationship has both.  We learn to handle circumstances by the way we receive the response by someone we respect and admire. 

The culture wants us to live by is the culture he creates with us.  Love, acceptance, and forgiveness.  He wants the door to be open when we blow it to "boldly approach his throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need."  He wants his love to drive us to him at all times.

May we learn more and more to create a culture in churches homes, marriages, business, and friendships like God.  What culture do you see in your home?

Comments

[Linda]

Children learn the good and the bad from mom & dad. When we focus on thoughtful, positive responses we're modeling God's love to our children and create a safe, secure, loving environment.