Spiritual Gifts pt13: Organizer

By Bill Gothard

Who in Scripture best illustrates the motivational gift of organizing?

* Nehemiah

What guidelines are given for the gift of organizing in Romans 12:14?

* Bless persecutors
* Bless and curse not

What basic principle does the organizer most need to exercise?

* Suffering

Why is this true?

* It causes the organizer to learn to be sensitive to the needs of others.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GIFT

* Able to visualize final results

When a major project is given to an organizer, he is able to picture the completed task and what it will take to accomplish it. When Nehemiah was given the task of removing the “great affliction and reproach of God’s people in Jerusalem,” he immediately visualized the need to rebuild the walls. (See Nehemiah 1:2-3)

* Need loyalty in associates

In order for an organizer to visualize the completion of a task, he needs to know who and what his resources are. Since the efficiency of his entire operation depends upon the faithfulness of the workers, he would rather have fewer that he can count on than more that he cannot count on. Nehemiah required an oath of cooperation from the rulers, nobles, and people. (See Nehemiah 5:1-13)

* Ability to delegate

An organizer knows which tasks to delegate and which he must do himself. He also is able to sense which workers will need more assistance than others. Organizers are able to naturally maintain a continued accountability with their workers. Nehemiah delegated the building of the walls, but he retained responsibility for dealing with the enemies. (See Nehemiah 4:13)

* Withstand reaction to tasks

Once an organizer commits himself to a task, he is willing to endure much opposition to his leadership. This reaction may come from insiders or outsiders. However, he knows that without the continuous pressures that he must exert, the final goal will not be achieved. Nehemiah responded to persistent opposition from outside enemies and fellow workers. (See Nehemiah 4:8-18)

* Make jobs look easy

An organizer has the ability to take seemingly impossible tasks and break them down into achievable goals. Nehemiah took the huge task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and broke it down into smaller sections which each family or group was able to complete. (See Nehemiah 3:1-32).

* Very alert to details

An organizer notices what others might consider small details, but which he knows are essential in order for the project to be completed in the proper way. He also tends to remove himself from distracting details in order to focus on the ultimate goal. Nehemiah did not get involved in actual building; however, he removed obstacles such as financial pressures which would have hindered the workers. (See Nehemiah 5:1-13).

* Complete tasks quickly

The efficiency of organizers begins before they start a project by checking out and securing needed resources. Nehemiah secured timber from the king’s forest before the rebuilding began. Organizer’s also place workers according to their strengths and weaknesses so that maximum productivity can be achieved.

* Able to be decisive

Because the final goal is clearly visualized by the organizer, he is able to quickly evaluate requests and situations and make firm decisions. Nehemiah was consistently invited by his enemies to come and have a conference with them. His decision not to come was immediate and decisive.

* Completion involves cleanup

In an organizer’s mind, the job is not finished until everything is back in its place. He will inspire and encourage workers to complete a job by approval, praise, reproof, and challenge. The organizer’s final joy is seeing all the parts come together. It doesn’t matter to him if others appreciate the job as long as he knows it was accomplished according to the plans laid out.

MISUSES OF THE GIFT

* Viewing people only as resources

If an organizer is in the position of authority, he can simply direct people based upon his gift of seeing the bigger picture. However, if he is not in this position, he must earn the right to be heard. Then he must patiently explain that all the steps which he sees are required to reach the goal. An organizer will tend to make suggestions and then react or become discouraged when these are not followed.

* Building loyalty with favoritism

An organizer is very sensitive to loyalty. He depends upon it to accomplish his goals or the goals others have for him. An organizer in charge of a work may single out individuals whom he thinks are especially important to his goals and show them favoritism or partiality. If he is not in charge, he may cause disharmony by openly expressing frustration.

* Using delegation to avoid work

When a person with the gift of organization is not in charge, it is easy for him to delegate his responsibilities to others. His work may be completed; however, he will miss the character training and other objectives which the one who assigned him the task had in mind. His authority and others may then react to him and accuse him of laziness and irresponsibility.

* Being unresponsive to appeals

When an organizer is in charge of a project rejects valid suggestions or closes his ears to grievances, pressures result. These cause him to become harsh or even resign. When an organizer is not responsive to directions from his authorities, he must be disciplined. If he reacts, he will build patterns of resentment and pride.

* Putting projects ahead of people

When an organizer reacts to people who do not have his spiritual gift, he is usually focusing only on their inefficiency and disorganization. By reacting, he overlooks their real needs and potential and damages important relationships and the potential ministry which God intended for him.

* Overlooking workers’ serious faults

If an organizer is given a position of authority in the local church, he will appoint workers on the basis of their ability to get the job done. If serious character flaws are discovered in a valuable worker, the organizer will be reluctant to dismiss him. Failure to do so, however, will communicate approval and acceptance of the behavior and will cause reaction or imitation by others.

* Failing to explain or praise

When an organizer is put in charge of several people to accomplish a job, he may tend to give instructions without explanation. This neglect causes fellow workers to feel like pawns in a chess game. Their feelings of being used are intensified if they are not given proper praise or appreciation when the work is done.

* Forcing decisions on others

An organizer can misuse his special abilities of persuasion and decisiveness by coercing others to help him achieve personal ambitions. They can also be misused on legitimate jobs by insensitivity to the schedules, weariness, or personal priorities of his workers.

* Losing interest in finished job

The fulfillment of an organizer is to see a job completed. However, before moving on to a new job he must make proper provision for maintenance of the completed job. When this trait is carried over into the personal life of an organizer, he is never content with the things that he has or that he has done.

THIS SERIES IS CONTINUED…