Psalm 119:125 Discernment

I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.Psalm 119:125

Over the decades of my working life, I've helped to train dozens of new employees. They tend to fall into categories.

There are the ones who want to write everything down and need to be told everything multiple times. Even then, they don't seem to ever fully put it all together. Their problem is not that they're stupid. They just haven't ever learned to see how all the little rules and procedures fit together to former a larger overall plan. No matter how much I try to help them see the big picture, their minds refuse to focus on anything more than "what do I do next."

Others are able to see the big picture as well as learn the important details, but their attitude is terrible. Some of them are just too lazy to care to do it the right way. Others are easily distracted by interactions and conversations with other employees. That includes both the ones who are overly gregarious and the others who are obsessively contentious. To me, these are the worst type of new employee.

Another frustrating type of new hire is the person who has a lot of experience in a similar job in another place. This could be and should be a positive. Every supervisor loves getting that person who has been there and done that and catches on quickly. Unless they're the type who has been there and done that and immediately, on day one, is telling everyone - including the boss - how they did it a different, better way back at his previous job.

I'm always glad to hear fresh ideas from knowledgeable employees. But not if they come in a condescending manner, clearly signaling the new guy thinks he should be in charge.

What he really needs is discernment. He needs to be able to not only see the details of the job, but also to see the reality of the situation. He's not in charge. He might be someday, but right now he's been hired to do a specific job, not the one he wants to get next. So he needs to demonstrate his skill at performing the job he has, according to the rules and procedures laid down by his supervisors.

He needs a servant's attitude. The best leaders and managers are the ones who got there by being the best servants, helping everyone be better by the way they do their job.

As servants of God, we need to make sure we're not being a "bad employee."

Are you so focused on the lists of rules that you aren't grasping the overall scope of God's righteousness? If so, practice seeking God's heart, not just his laws.

Are you more focused on the church culture than on serving God? That can lead to being distracted by the social aspects of church life rather than being on mission for God. Or it can lead to becoming too entangled in church politics. If so, practice spending quality and quantity time with God, on your knees and in the Word. Spend as much or more time one on one with Him as you are spending with church activities.

Or are you the type who thinks you know better than God how things should be done? You've got your own ideas of how God should be going about His business, and you're going to run with your own ideas about spirituality and "cutting edge" Christianity. If so, ask God for discernment, to embrace His righteousness rather than your own self righteousness.