“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
By Jim Ingram
Earlier this year our Chapter had a “Working for Our Father” event. We had Chapter members who were attending for the first time, and in the Small Group I was in, I was the oldest and the only one retired. The others were young professionals with a lot of questions after the talks.
I listened intentionally to how the group was answering questions. Our group leader made sure everyone had a chance to talk but also drew all of us into the conversation. These young men brought up real life difficulties at work and they were seeking guidance on how to deal with them.
As the talks progressed, I became aware of something valuable to contribute to because their difficulties were things that I, too, had to deal with at work.
One brother talked about a hostile work environment, and that he was often at the receiving end of that hostility. I felt the Spirit wanted me to share with this brother something more than my own experiences with these types of situations, so I offered that he needed to be a “Man of Prayer.” My understanding of that concept is that I needed to be prayed up before I went to work so that my responses and actions would be reflective of my prayer time. The Spirit would help me know what to do in whatever situation I was in, especially the ones when there was no time to pray.
That interaction showed me that we older men have something to offer our younger brothers. We can provide good counsel, and we’re honored when our younger brothers seek us out.
Pray
Lord, help me to be faithful to daily prayer so that through your Spirit I’ll be ready for whatever happens.
Reflect
How can we rise above workplace hostilities and lead our coworkers down a different path so that they may shine brightly?
Discuss
When have you provided good counsel to one of your coworkers when faced with a difficult situation? How did you offer it and how was it received?
Jim Ingram lives in Burnsville, Minnesota, with his wife Brenda. In addition to WorkLight, Jim leads students on service projects in Minneapolis and goes wherever someone needs help. He can be reached at ingram7@msn.com.