Everyone was made by God with talents and skills, but even the best blessings from God should not divert us from the fundamental object of our hope. At the end of the day, we place our hope and confidence on Jesus Christ who makes all things possible.
With the level of competition that the work place has today, people are always on the look out for the next secret to standing out in the corporate crowd. Nowadays, the idea of the charismatic leader is popular and we can think that the more charismatic we are, the greater our opportunities for success will be.
And while charisma, competencies and talents are wonderful gifts from God, they can fail us every now and then. Even the most charismatic leaders are prone to burn out, run out of ideas and get into reputation trouble. In other words, they reach the point when they have to recognise that their own abilities were not what got them this far and aren't what will take them further; it was God all along.
More than charisma, professionals today, most especially those who are believers, should put their confidence on Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 tells us, "Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober- minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Why does Jesus answer the need for competence? Because Jesus is the one who really forms our character and competence. In Christ we can persevere through trials (John 16:33), we have access to the Spirit who works in our character (Galatians 5:22-23), we have purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) and we have the assurance that God works for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
It is in trusting the God who determines our purpose and our gifts that we become more competent. And I'm not saying that charisma is not important, but even charisma itself comes from God because He is the source of all things. He gives us every ability to be successful and prosperous (Deuteronomy 8:18, Joshua 1:8).
Psalms 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."
When we put our hope in our own abilities for greater advances in our careers, we limit our growth to only the things that we can accomplish, but when we put our hope in Christ, we can do all things and, importantly, all things that matter to God.
