Read the Room, Jack

“Read the Room, Jack.”

Pastor Christine Lewis

This month’s article and title, “Read the room, Jack”, came from a 2023 interview with the coach of our family’s favourite football team. Our team, Collingwood, played in the Grand Final (the equivalent of the Super Bowl or championship) and the night before the big match, one of our young players went to the horse races with his friends. This player had a reputation for being a party boy, and the photos of him and his friends partying at the races made the local media headlines.

The next day, Collingwood won the Premiership.

Everything was great, wasn’t it?

After the match, this Collingwood coach gave a press conference. The media asked him about the young player, and I will never forget the coach’s response.

In the lead up to the Grand Final, the team had discussed strategies for how the players should prepare physically, mentally and emotionally for the match. It was so important to the Club all the players were the best versions of themselves on Game Day and didn’t allow in the distractions or anxieties of playing in the Grand Final.

After the match, the coach admitted he’d spoken to the young player about going to the horse races the night before. The player basically said, “We won, nobody cares,” but the coach sternly replied, “Read the room, Jack.” AKA, nobody in the football club was happy with the player’s actions despite the outcome.

Even though the outcome was okay, the process was not, and it brought disappointment.

That phrase has stayed with me ever since I read the interview.

Recently, the Lord’s spoken to me regarding some challenges we’ve faced, and I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Read the room, Jack.” At first, I thought God meant reading people in the room and recognising what they may be walking through. I am very strong on reading a room and quickly assessing how everyone feels and what needs are represented.

But I soon realised God wanted me to look beyond the natural and into the supernatural. I had an epiphany: when I enter a room, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are there. My words, actions and attitudes should be dictated by “reading the room” and aligning my words, actions and attitudes with them.

Does my way of walking through life’s challenges bring pleasure to those in the room with me? Or am I like the Collingwood player who, despite winning the Grand Final, made choices which brought frustrations, hurts and disappointment to his fellow players?

How much sweeter a victory would it have been if Collingwood won the Premiership and everyone stuck to their strategy leading up to the game? How much more joy could their celebrations have held without the contempt of one player choosing to do it his own way?

When I’m walking through challenges and read the room, I see Jesus, who died on the cross so I could walk in victory (not just to victory). I see my Heavenly Father who is working behind the scenes on my behalf and the Holy Spirit, who is guiding and leading me in the way I should go.

I want to avoid a victory where I cause displeasure for those in the room because I did my own thing.

I want the victory and to see the joy on my Father’s face because I did it His way!