THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY
1 Corinthians 14:8 ESV
8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?
This fourteenth chapter can get people stirred up. Most of the chapter, Paul is having to address the practice of tongues in a church service. His encouragement to the church is not that they stop speaking in tongues but that they discern when, and if, to speak during a service. Some believe that tongues have passed away, but they have not. In fact, the fastest growing segments of the church worldwide are those who believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit are just as viable today as they were when Paul penned his letter. Data doesn’t always tell the whole story, but there are situations where data cannot be ignored.
This eighth verse, in context, was pertaining to the speaking with tongues in a service when people cannot understand what is being said unless there is an interpreter. But there is also an application that is applicable in many different settings. In ancient times, the bugle would be the means of communication on a battlefield. There were bugle calls for advance and retreat. Bugle calls to get ready for battle. But if the bugle call was indistinct then no one knew what to do. A company that does not have a clear direction and vision is giving an uncertain or indistinct sound and will have a hard time making changes or pursuing a strategy. There needs to be clarity in churches. What is the church pursuing? Who are they trying to reach? What is the heart of the church? Not all this information shows up at one time, but there should be a clear sound coming from leadership as to what the church is and what it is not.
I know that in our staff at The Ark, there was a time where I was giving an unclear, indistinct sound regarding our values. So we wound up with different factions within the staff that were pulling in different directions. I came up with a document about our nine staff values. I had a meeting with the entire staff and laid out the values that would guide us in the future. It was clear and distinct. And during the next few months, we had a decent amount of staff turnover. Clarity provided the framework for the future, and some could work with the framework, and some moved on. Now, at least once a year, I have a staff meeting that I call Blowing a Clear Trumpet to review our values. Turnover is low, and although we have very different personalities on staff, we are moving in the same direction.
This principle also works for families. Clarity is helpful for children as the family values are presented and adhered to. We try to get together as a family at the beach once a year—four couples and their children under one roof. I get everyone together and clarify what the guidelines are. A friend made fun of me for doing this, but clarity has reduced family squabbles, and we all leave the beach unscathed.
I suggest young adults get clear on their dating relationships, particularly if it seems things are progressing. And if the relationship is not progressing, clarity can either move the relationship forward or provide a better framework for ending it. I taught this once years ago at our Lakewood Singles group, and the breakups that happened had my phone ringing off the hook for a week. But hey, at least there was clarity, and no one was spinning their wheels in a dead-end situation.
At first blush, clarity can appear cold and heartless. But with clarity comes the path for moving forward. So, a great question to ask yourself is: Are there any areas of my life that need a clear bugle call? Then, ask God for the wisdom to provide clarity in a way that others are helped and you are on solid ground.