Assume No Harm Intended

I just read a short story about an executive who modeled incredible success in business ventures. Her ability to lead, manage and navigate teams and employees through all kinds of circumstances was something that she had a great reputation for. Her co-workers sought her out; management esteemed and valued the skills that she brought to the table. One of the managers wanted to get a closer look at her techniques and people skills that was garnishing such praise for her, so he sat in on a few of her meetings. The common thread was a foundation that she laid for each of her meetings with the following opening statement. At the beginning of each meeting she would say. “Let us assume and believe that no one around this table has the intent to harm one another.” With this agreement each meeting could then move forward with an understood assessment of each other and leveled the ground of potential conflict.

Imagine if every time you needed to hammer out a situation with someone you could do it with the heart that says, “we assume no harm is intended.” How does this statement then impact a person who all ready has sustained harm and now has to move forward? The problem is that once someone has harmed you, the tendency is to always assume that this is his or her continued intention towards you. The truth is that they see you in the same light; therefore we propagate what we assume to be true.

The challenge is that someone has to take the first step to break the cycle and believe for something better. The greatest thing we can do is to ask for the Spirit of Truth to come and help us apply as much grace towards someone else as we want for ourselves.

I am committed to being a cycle-breaker in my life and for others, looking for all that God has ahead; assuming no harm intended.