If I Wrote God's Résumé
If practice makes perfect, then I should have an ideal résumé by now. In the past year, I have rewritten my resume hundreds of times. I have been bright and charming; I have been dull and boring; I have been, shall we say, creative with the truth, emphasizing some aspects of my previous jobs more than others. I have skipped some employment all together, and on other versions, I've listed any lemonade stand I ever manned. I suppose to some extent I've been successful--I've had several interviews.
But the whole process has got me thinking about the way that we describe ourselves and our accomplishments. Clearly, the job market puts value on certain skills and ability. There is significance to education and training, but the biggest thing that makes a job candidate stand out from the others is results!
When we worship the Lord, we recognize the skills and abilities of God. We appreciate his accomplishments, and we document his results. The Psalms are full of God's "experience and qualifications" and I am reminded of them as I read Psalm 103,
"Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him . . . "
Can you imagine having a résumé like that one?
But the whole process has got me thinking about the way that we describe ourselves and our accomplishments. Clearly, the job market puts value on certain skills and ability. There is significance to education and training, but the biggest thing that makes a job candidate stand out from the others is results!
When we worship the Lord, we recognize the skills and abilities of God. We appreciate his accomplishments, and we document his results. The Psalms are full of God's "experience and qualifications" and I am reminded of them as I read Psalm 103,
"Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him . . . "
Can you imagine having a résumé like that one?