I was looking through the help wanted ads not long ago and I ran across an ad that described the job and its duties. It listed the desired skills and experience the employer was looking for in an applicant, and then had this message underneath:
“Willing to train the right person”
That really caught my eye. The employer was looking for a set list of skills and experience, but they were willing to train a person who they thought had potential and would be a good fit. Many ads for jobs have a list of requirements and discourage applicants who don’t have them already from applying. There is a logic to that approach that is undeniable, but I’ve often wondered how many great fits were never discovered because we aren’t willing to develop people into their full potential.
It got me thinking about what things would be like if God put out an ad out to serve Him, and followed the locked down requirements:
Almighty God is seeking applicants to join His Kingdom.
Servants of the Most High will be responsible for faithfully performing assigned duties, and will report directly to God’s Son, Jesus.
Benefits include right standing before God, an amazing health and retirement plan, and all your needs met by His riches in Glory. Your right standing (righteousness) will also include adoption into God’s family as a son or daughter.
Applicants should be sinless, eternally faithful, and possess flawless people skills.
Applicants should have a thorough knowledge of God’s Word, exhibit Godly character traits, and be willing to perform miracles as the Spirit wills.
Less than qualified candidates need not apply.
It’s easy to see that no one would be able to meet all those qualifications. As much as you would love to apply, you are a less than qualified candidate – and so is every other person. Aren’t you thankful that instead of ending the ad with “Less than qualified candidates need not apply”, God’s ad ends with this:
“Willing to train the right person.”
God has been willing to train the right person each time they come to Him, desiring to love and serve Him. Yet God isn’t looking for just an employee, He is looking for people to become part of the family business. He is looking for a servant’s attitude but is offering a son or daughter’s standing.
God takes us in an unqualified state and then works in us to develop us into the people He has created us to be. He sees the potential in you and I and determines that He will patiently come alongside to personally coach and instruct us. He provides an in-depth manual for us to study and follow, and places others around us that can help us grow.
When I read the ad that said the employer was “Willing to train the right person” there was a statement that was hidden between the lines, invisible on the page but apparent to the experienced eye. What it was saying was that the employer was willing to invest their time and effort into the right person. This wasn’t a “watch these videos and read this booklet” type of training. It was going to be one on one, step by step and detailed. When you are willing to invest your time and effort into something or someone, you are expecting results and longevity.
That is what God is willing to do with you. David spoke of this involvement in Psalm 25:
Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.
He teaches. He guides. He teaches His way. He is personally invested and involved in you.
David goes on to describe the trait that makes one “the right person”:
Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
A person who fears the Lord. This “fear” doesn’t speak of dread or terror. It refers to reverence and respect. The person who has a strong respect and reverence for God and His ways – that is the person that God will teach His ways to. It also speaks of humility. “The humble He teaches His way.”
When you come into God’s kingdom you must leave your old ways behind. Just as you don’t bring your old job’s employee manual and procedures to your new job and try to operate the same way there – you can’t come into fellowship with God through Jesus and then keep on living your life as you had before. The new position comes with a new manual, the Bible, and you are encouraged and expected to live according to it – not what you did before, not what society says, and not whatever you tend to think at any given time.
A Less Than Ideal Trainee
Have you ever had someone that you were to teach and train? You made a commitment to show and explain to them the information and skills they need to learn and become proficient, only to have them fail to pay attention. Even worse, they did pay attention but decided that they knew more or better than what you had taught them. The person’s attitude and behavior led you to believe that they did not have a respect for you or value what you had to teach them. It is a very frustrating experience that tries your patience, and it can cause you to wonder if you wasted your time.
It is the person that pays attention to what you have to say, who respects you and values the knowledge you have – that is the person you will pour yourself into. You will take the extra time to share the wisdom you have obtained through your experiences – those things which often came with a cost. These things you share sparingly as they have value to you and must be valued by those you share them with.
Being “The Right Person”
God is willing to teach His ways to those who have a respect for who He truly is, and value His wisdom and ways. Just as you look for someone who is serious about learning from you, so does God. That is His requirement. Your social, racial or economic status has no bearing on His desire to pour into your life. He is seeking “the right person” – one who will respect and revere Him as Holy, Faithful and Just. If you will approach Him in that manner, you will find the Bible has many promises of how He will teach you His ways, reveal Himself to you, and impact your life in wonderfully.
Think of your relationship with God. Do you have one? If you do, how have you been going about life in relation to what God has to say? Are you paying attention to what He has to say, or are you only hearing what you choose to? Do you hear but then weigh it against your thoughts and feelings and make your decisions based on them? It could be that your attitude and behavior resemble that trainee who didn’t value what you had to teach them.
Honestly, I have my times when I act the same way. I know that God’s wisdom is mine to have, but I have moments where my respect and reverence for Him don’t line up with my approach and attitude. I substitute my ways for His, and then wonder why things in my life aren’t working as I thought they should be. I’m so thankful that God doesn’t look at me with a look of disdain and say, “Well, obviously you aren’t the person I thought you were when I brought you on.” He doesn’t do that with you either. Instead, He patiently works with us if we stay with Him – even when we are aloof and not listening. He doesn’t give up on who He knows we can be in Him. Remember, He was looking not just for qualifications, He was willing to train the right person. He knows the quality of an individual that right person can become as they walk next to Him and learn from Him. That is what He sees when He looks at you and me.
Next time you look in the mirror, remind yourself that you are that “right person” and then renew your commitment to live out each day learning and growing in the ways of God. Make them part of who you are, and then reflect on how they have changed your life.
Psalm 128
How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways!
2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!
Thanks for listening, and have a great day!
