Discernment 

God on Monday
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‘But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king‘ (1 Samuel 8.6-7). 

Reflection

Today, as in Samuel’s day, appointments are sometimes made to leadership positions based on preferment, rather than suitability for the role.

Often this reflects the difficulty of making wise recruitment decisions. Selection should involve careful assessment of whether candidates have the right balance of skills, know-how, and experience to do the job well and to contribute to the effectiveness of teams.

Samuel appointed his sons to administer justice. But their lack of integrity and accountability brought themselves and their fellow judges into disrepute. 

Consequently, the Israelites wanted to move on from judges and appoint a king. This highlighted the tension between human desires (wanting a king) and the plans that the King of kings had for them. 

Similarly, business leaders must balance the desires of a range of stakeholders (often for short-term gains) with ethical considerations and a longer-term focus.

Discernment over the way forward is essential. When Samuel heard the people’s request for a king, he prayed. Prayer is key to decision-making, no matter how sensible something might appear at first, as wrong decisions have repercussions. God can be trusted to bring about what is beneficial for us.

A key staff member left one of my companies. We were so cash-strapped at the time that we had no prospect of replacing him. Within 24 hours of praying for God’s favour and solutions, we received a phone call from a young marketer who had just moved from Ireland. He had heard of us and wondered if we had a vacancy. His experience was just what we needed. We were amazed when he volunteered to work for free while we assessed his skills! It was so encouraging to know that God had already been on the case before we realised it.

Response

When making difficult work decisions this week, pray for discernment, rather than relying on your own understanding. Consider before God if your decision is wise, supports others, moves your projects forward, and demonstrates integrity.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are first in my life; help me seek your purposes and follow your lead. Give me wisdom, insight and understanding. Strengthen me to follow your ways when there is pressure from others not to do so. May I demonstrate integrity in my work. Amen.

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God on Monday is produced in partnership with the Church of England. The reflections are based on the scriptural readings designated for the next Sunday in the Church's lectionary. You can sign up here to receive each God on Monday instalment.

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