Who Is Talking About You

Proverbs 27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. KJV

I hate doing resumes and not good at interviews. Besides the fact that there are too many suggestions on how to write them there are things that I consider just part of the job and would never mention them, but that is the task or keyword some HR personal is basing their qualification judgments on. I have interviewed for jobs that I would not have hired me based on the interview and was hired while interviews where I knew I was qualified and could be an asset from day one I could not have gotten if I offered to work free for the first year. I walked away from one hour long interview wondering if I was even in the same career field as the interviewer and was hired. It is mind boggling.

I don't like self-evaluations either as I figure if I am not doing a good enough job for my Boss to know I doing a good job then maybe I am not or the Boss is so detached from the scene that what I say would not really matter. I have only been at a couple of jobs where this was an issue. One place it was mandatory and the other optional. I never did the optional.

Secular interviews are bad enough, but ministry ones are even harder. In some respects, I can understand that, but it does get weird at times. I have been too strict, too loose, too young, too old, too fat, not educated enough and now for some I am too educated. Wow! It is a tough audience that not even Jesus and the Apostles would get a chance to minister in many places today. Some of the "job descriptions" are out of this world and far longer than the requirements in 1 Timothy 3.

This is a real issue in our culture. Yes, they ask for references on some applications, but I was hired sight unseen and without an interview once. Unless you can write like Shakespeare showing that you can walk on water, though it only be a millimeter deep, you have a hard time getting them through. Others want just bullet action words so which one do you use? I had a T/F questionnaire that I think was designed by an old school teacher who had a template so they could grade it quickly. They left no spaces between the questions to add qualifiers or explanations.

I was talking a bit about this to someone at my son's birthday party and based on the passage I said I might do a Write Ron's Resume on Facebook and let folks list my qualifications or put whatever the power, action or buzz words are the current fad then I could figure out how to incorporate them. That can get interesting as some of my friends have an interesting sense of humor. Anyway, maybe some of y'all feel the same way about resumes and such so at least you know you are not alone. ;-)

Maybe if we saw ministry as a calling instead of a career, we would not need resumes. God called who He wanted when He wanted to where He wanted and with the message He wanted them to give. That worked throughout the Bible. God called all of the prophets. Some who had no aspirations to be a prophet. He call Saul of Tarsus. He did not seek out a prophet or healer after his conversion. God sent Ananias to him.

1 Corinthians 7:17  But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 

18  Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 

19  Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 

20  Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 

21  Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 

22  For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. 

Stay where you are be faithful in whatever ministry you are doing. Let God separate you to another ministry like He did Paul and Barnabas. If you are not doing faithful ministry where you are do not expect to be called somewhere else. Maranatha