“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” (James 1:17 NLT Version)
In the large conference room that served multiple uses for a large company; orientations, employee training, and off the production floor meetings, there was one day when this phenomenon of contagious praise took place. It happened in the least expected place, a monthly leadership meeting. Managers from all shifts and every level of leadership classifications, from the supervisor level to the office of the president were required to attend.
Usually corporate news, the introduction of new technology, or some forms of training were the main focal points of the managers’ meeting. Occasionally there was a guest speaker who was visiting the facility from the corporate office. However, this time the purpose of the meeting was to introduce two changes regarding how supervisors would be compensated, a change that would start the next pay period. The first change was that first-line supervisors would no longer receive a low level of pay, a flat amount for weekend work beyond there 40-hour workweek. At the start of the next pay period, it was announced that they would now be paid time and a half of their respective hourly rates. The reaction to the first change produced a variety of facial expression on the faces of the supervisors. Some smiled and some lifted one side of their closed mouths as to say, “It’s about time!” Perhaps the difference in the reaction was because there would be no retroactive pay, none at all, but it would be a change “going forward.”
The second announcement, still regarding supervisor compensation, revealed that the pay range for supervisors was being changed so that the starting annual pay rate for supervisors would be comparable to what survey data for the regional area revealed. An underlying motive was to increase the company’s ability to recruit new talent. At first, there was silence. Obvious because some of the supervisors who had been working for years were now below the starting rate of their pay grade. Their silent, staring, stunned look quickly changed when it was explained that immediately those supervisors below the pay grade would be put on an individual, six-month, gradual pay increase program aimed at placing them where they should be on the salary range. The increase would be based on factors such as current pay, performance, and time in the position. Suddenly, one supervisor by impulse or because of their indoctrination that included being informed where all blessings come from shouted out, “Praise the Lord!” Like popcorn, when cooked the old-fashioned way on the stove reaches the heat point where one kernel after the other can be heard popping, continuously hitting against the cover over the skillet, other supervisors voiced similar praise statements: “God is good!” “Amen!” “Ain’t nothing but the Lord!” After allowing some time for this unplanned, unsuspected, unleashed, and unusual workplace verbal reaction that turned the conference room into a place of praise and worship, the head of the company said, “Yes! Amens are in order and appreciated.” Then he continued to go through the rest of the planned, prepared agenda,
This true account should serve to hold us accountable for not holding back on giving praise to God for all that He does for us! Yes, we can praise Him in the sanctuary! Yes, we can praise Him at prayer meeting! Yes, we can praise Him in our cars while we are driving alone, along the road safely. But do you want to know something? We need to be like the supervisors and praise Him openly, wherever we are, when we realize that the Lord has blessed us and done a great thing for us. When we do, I think you will find that your praise will be contagious. Yes, praise Him when the saints get together! Lift your voices in the sanctuary! But praise Him outside the sanctuary! Break your silence! Your praise just might be contagious and cause someone else to consciously reflect and react openly to the goodness of our God, the One who sits high and looks low, the one who is transcending, but mercifully and graciously condescending. As a matter of fact, while you are reading this, go ahead and give Him some praise right now! Declare the words in the doxology below, words that traditionally come at the end of worship services in many churches. Yes, praise is what you do! Have a great day! Praise God! Be blessed!
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King