In Charge

When I’m having an issue with someone at a place of business or a retail store, I usually ask for the manager. What I’m really asking for is “Who is in charge?” If I can speak to the person in charge, a resolution can often be found. I understand that things won’t always go my way when seeking such a resolution, but at least I’ll be talking to a decision maker. My son and I recently had an issue with Home Depot mixing some paint. I spoke with the young man who was helping us. I asked a few questions regarding his experience and how long he worked in the paint department. I gathered rather quickly that he was quite young. I also observed that he seemed nervous. I understand that everyone has to start somewhere and has to be “new” at some point in their lives. It falls upon the leadership/management to make sure that their team is properly trained and educated. It’s too late to make this long story short, but the paint turned out wrong. My son went back to get it remedied. It was still off pretty bad. I went up there fully prepared to speak to the manager and encountered a different staff person that looked at the recipe and saw the mistakes of the first guy and immediately said, “we’ll just start over on this”. He made it right. He understood customer service. He understood that he was currently in charge of making this right.

The prophet Gideon had just returned from driving the Midianites from the land of Israel and the people of Israel were impressed with his leadership approached him.  Check this out…

22 The Israelites said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us – you, your son and your grandson – because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.’

23 But Gideon told them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.’ (Judges 8:22-23 NIV)

I love Gideon’s response…. “The Lord will rule over you”. He knew Who was really in charge. He didn’t take credit for what God had called him to do. I’m learning that the Lord will lead me in every area of my life whether at home with my family, at church when I’m teaching the Word or at my Real Estate office. I am humbled at what the Lord does through me when I surrender my abilities and gifts to Him. He makes way more of me than I could on my own. He makes me look brilliant and wise. If I’m anything, it’s because of Him. I am nothing without the Lord. I want to grow in my trust of the Lord. He helps me to be wise and discerning as I walk through the maze of decisions in this life.

I see myself as a follower of God PRIOR to being a leader of anyone or anything. The Lord is in charge of me!

Pressing On!

Dwayne