Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” 1 Kings 3:24-25

A wise process protects. It protects life; it protects relationships; it protects resources; it protects commitments. The process, on the surface, may not seem smart, but time wins you over with its wisdom. It is tempting to bypass the process. After all, you know what needs to be done, or so you think. It is tempting to barrel ahead into activity because the need is so great and the time seems so short.

But even if you are confident of the needed outcome, continue to trust the process. At the very least, it will involve others who need the process for understanding requirements and support of a new role. For example, your work may require a new position to be filled. Will you fill this role with the first interested warm body or will there be a defined process for the protection of the company and the protection of the one being interviewed? The rule of three is normally a wise process to employ. Interview three legitimate and good candidates with the purpose of selecting one.

During the interview process, you may discover new issues related to what the job really requires. You may even rewrite the job description. Perhaps this process of employee selection needs to include four or five other interviewers. Their perspective and wisdom is invaluable, as you seek to discern the most qualified person for the position. These “people” processes need not be rushed so that everyone is protected from unwise decision-making. Opportunity evokes emotion. Process channels positive energy into better options.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – A Wise Process Protects From Poor Performance →

Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin. James 4:17

As a parent of young children, I find myself often breaking up disputes and arguments. “Don’t cut your brother’s hair,” “Don’t sit on your sister’s head,” and “Don’t hit each other with the soccer ball” are all things that have come out of my mouth in the past month!

When I reflect on these moments, I realize that from a very early age we learn to associate sin with the breaking of rules and direct disobedience. And in part, this is certainly true. But I wonder if this is the full picture of what Scripture means when it says to “put on the new self,” (Eph. 4:24) and to live “in holiness and righteousness before him all our days?” (Lk. 1:75)

Sin isn’t just our active disobedience but it is also our willingness to withhold love. I’ve often heard it said that sin is a “failure to love.” At times, this failure results in explicit actions of anger, pride, and selfishness. Yet we can also fail to love without saying a word or doing a single thing!

One of my favorite prayers is a prayer of confession to God which acknowledges that we have sinned by “what we have done, and by what we have left undone.” I think it’s easy for us to identify and repent of the things we’ve done that we shouldn’t have done. This is how we as parents often speak to our kids: “Don’t!” Yet do we have the wisdom and grace to also see the things we’ve left undone that we ought to have done? This is the “Do!” of the Christian faith.

“Those who withhold kindness from a friend forsake the fear of the Almighty”(Job 6:14).

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Do’s and Don’ts of Faith  →