Diplomacy

I think that’s a pretty clever statement.  The thing about this kind of humor is that it only gets a chuckle if there is an element of truth in it.

I think it’s more true than perhaps I like to admit.

When I was working outside the home one of my jobs was speech writing for some of the executives in our company.  To be a successful speech writer, you really have to get inside the speaker’s head.  You have to listen to them speak so that you can pick words and phrasing that sounds like the thoughts expressed were originally theirs.

Sometimes executives have to give speeches they really don’t like to give.  These were the trickiest presentations to write because I not only had to convince the listener that the speaker thought these thoughts, but I had to convince the speaker, too.  I had to read people well enough to know how to make an idea I wanted expressed seem like it was their idea.

I lived in the place of diplomacy – letting other people have my way.  And when I did it well, no one noticed.  Executives thought they’d come up with the speech.  Employees, chairmen, and investors all thought they did, too.

I don’t think I left those skills behind when I changed commitments in the company.  I’m not sure I left them behind when I came home to work, either.

How much of my day is spent jockeying for control and manipulating circumstances so that I get what I want?

There is simply no place in the Kingdom for that variety of diplomacy.

Of course, as the mother, I have a responsibility to make sure certain things happen – but do I hide a little self-worship behind my responsibility and authority?  Am I tempted to work in the background to make sure things turn out the way I want them to turn out?  Do I manipulate under the surface, or am I forthright and clear about my expectations and desires?

Scripture teaches:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippinas 2:3-4)

• In humility: rightly recognizing my place under God, as a sinner, fallen, saved by grace alone; willing to admit imperfection and depend upon God for perfection; not setting the standard, but accepting God’s standard
  • count others more significant than myself: seeing the image of God in every other person I encounter; recognizing the gifts and unique creation of each individual; willingly sacrificing for their good; seeking to do them good
    • look not only to my own interests: recognizing where my interests conflict with meeting the physical needs of others; seeing where I have opportunity to sacrifice my interests so that another may know the grace of God; willing to forgo my “rights” to serve others
      • but also to the interests of others: striving to help others meet their God given potential by seeking to know and meet physical needs; using wisdom and discernment to counsel others in grace and mercy; drawing others into godliness through endearment, exhortation, and example.

This isn’t the kind of thing that will come naturally for me.  It’ll have to come supernaturally.  In God’s providence, I have access to the supernatural.  His Spirit lives in me.

Perhaps I need to stop trying to play the part of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps I should be striving for righteousness – the art of letting God have his way.