1 Chronicles 23:12-2 Chron 6
Currently in my job, I'm facing a bit of a leadership challenge. I won't go into all the specifics and the doldrums of the mundane, but suffice it to say it is enough that if I let it, it steals my joy and my enthusiasm for performing my job with excellence. (Honestly, some days I just plain don't want to go into work because I know the issue is still going to be there and its not going away.
When this happens my first instinct is to avoid the pain and try to work around it. If this doesn't work, then my next step is to complain. Then when that doesn't work, I look for someone else to help motivate me... and on and on. When this particular challenge started (... can I even remember when it started or was it always there? I'm not sure but that's not important to the story...) I began looking for my supervisors approval of how to handle it. Of course that never came - directly. So today as I was reading the many names and lists of people in Chronicles I stumbled across the passage where David is providing a word of admonishment and blessing to Solomon.
"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." 1 Chron 28:9-10
Today I was doing my reading outside during my lunch hour. I was sitting on a park bench under a shade tree. When I read this, it was almost as if God himself were speaking to me about my "crisis." I could hear Him as my heavenly father, speak to me just as David spoke to Solomon.
The challenge I received from this was multifaceted...
- Am I acknowledging the Lord and serving Him wholeheartedly? The answer to this is... "NO" because I'm trying to seek the approval of man and attempt to avoid this struggle. Perhaps He's ordained this struggle for a specific part of my development I need right now...
- ... serve him with a willing mind.... Well, I think you know the answer to this challenge too given what I've said previously about not wanting to go to work some days. God has ordained the day - and its struggles - yet I my mind is not willing.
- ... [the Lord] understands every motive behind the thoughts... uh oh! BUSTED! My motives are known. If I were engaging in conversations to tackle the problem... but it was merely to make me look better or to escape the confrontation... then the Lord knows. I'm not fooling Him.
- If you seek Him, He will be found... but if you forsake Him, he will reject you forever. Well at least here I can't say I've forsaken him - completely. However, I haven't been seeking him to help me deal with these challenges or provide me with the words he wants me to share.
- Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. God has chosen me... me... to build a sanctuary. He's chosen me to lead this group of people at this very time. He's chosen me to experience these challenges right now. He's chosen me... what an awesome privilege it is.
- Be strong and do the work. This is when real chills went up my spine because I could almost hear my earthly father saying something like this... "suck it up and just do it." Once when I was complaining about growing up and the accompanying responsibilities my dad just looked at me and said "You're just growing older, and sometimes growing older sucks." So when I read this, I imagined that God was telling me the same thing. That this challenge wasn't designed for my enjoyment. Rather it was designed to develop my strength so just do the work.
Who says God doesn't still speak to us... so gotta go now... I've got work to do!
