As a manager, I've used Jesus as a model and his example has served me well. I approach my job as a servant 1 , and the people under me are the ones I work for. I follow the foot-washing principle 2 . I lift my staff up, so they can do their jobs better. Why hire a dozen brains if I have to do all their thinking for them? Here are some of the key actions Jesus took, I think, to pass on his legacy. All these principles carry over very well to the working world.
- established his authority (miracles)
3
- he watched out for the little guy 4
- told stories to the masses to get his message across 5
- chose a select few (the dozen) who would have the chance to know him intimately 6
- modeled behavior for these select few 7
- delegated his responsibilities to his crew, under supervision. 8
- corrected as necessary 9
- when they were ready, he handed over his responsibility and left them to grow up 10
One notable absence was any written instruction. That came later. I wonder if this is because Christianity cannot be passed on by written word alone. It is essentially an ACTION religion, and we learn how to behave by those who have gone before, our Christian mentors.
Using the manager analogy further, Jesus did not write an instruction manual. In my experience, manuals are both a blessing and a curse. My dad, a thirty year veteran of bureacracy, set me free with this. "Policy manuals are just common sense written down. We end up writing it down because people refuse to follow common sense. That is how every rule came in to existence. An idiot somewhere didn't know how to follow common sense. Do you have to follow every rule? Understand the PRINCIPLE and the REASON the rule was written down in the first place. Then if you have to break the letter of the law in order obey the principle, DO IT!" Dad's explanation set me free.
I've followed dad's advice for many years now, and it has never let me down. I've had a few run-ins, though, with the manual-keepers
11 . Manual-keepers are those who have memorized every line of corporate policy. When a customer asks for help, a manual-keeper can quote section and verse of all the customer's obligations prior to service. A manual-keeper is eager to catch either newbie or veteran stumbling over a forgotten rule. If the manual-keeper is right, I concede. But if their rule is HINDERS our corporate reason for existence - customer service, efficiency, economy - I will challenge them. I go back to the underlying PRINCIPLE that we are founded on.
So don't be caught up by the chaper-and-verse dudes. What are the PRINCIPLES 12 you live by?
1. servant of all Mark 9:35, 10:43,44
2. foot washing John 13:4-16
3. miracles http://landru.i-link-2.net/shnyves/jmbible.htm
4. the little guy http://www.thewords.com/english/index.htm
The woman with the issue of blood. Mat 9:20, Mar 5:25, Luk 8:43, 44
The widow with the two mites Mar 12:42, 43, Luk 21:2, 3
It is lawful to heal on the sabbath Luke 13:15
5. list of parables http://www.comportone.com/cpo/religion/christian/parables/list.htm
6. chose a select few Matthew 4:19 Matthew 10:2
7. modeled behavior, John 15:15
8. delegated his responsibilities Matthew 10:1-42
9. corrected as necessary Matthew 22:21, Mark 9:38-39
10. handed over his responsibility Acts 7:1-8
11. Tithing mint. Luke 11:42
12. It is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Luke 13:15 There are no commandments greater than these: Mark 12:29-31