Who is Man that I Should Fear Him?

One of the most powerful lessons learned from the bible comes from the Prophet Isaiah. It focuses on placing your trust in God to the point that you realize there is no need to fear man, worldly circumstances - including economic downturns, or evil.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10).

In this verse God tells us that if we allow Him to become our true Lord we will never see a day where He is not by our side or a moment that hasn't already been perfectly planned out for our good. Now don't get me wrong I'm not implying that anyone who follows God is immune from life's challenges. Trials are a part of every ones life that's just the way it goes. But what God is telling us is whether it be good times or bad He's there and helping us live out every moment. Some of my best growth opportunities resulted from my lest desirable life choices. Because of His power, God has the ability to say "No worries - I plan to teach you something powerful as you walk out this situation and by time you are done you will be wiser - stronger and more humble than before".

So how does this translate into career advice for us spending our days in Corporate America? It's simple - businesses are built on hierarchy's. There are those with perceived power and those who fill the ranks. We have spoken rules and more importantly unspoken ones. A business with an established hierarchy is more likely to operate efficiently as opposed to one that runs with very little structure, so they definitely serve a purpose. But interject mans spirit into the hierarchy and you end up with a much more complex structure. One infused with the good and not so good elements of man. You'll find mentoring, vision, leadership and a host of other great attributes on the "good" side and on the "bad" side ego and pride to name a few.

Because I know God as I do I understand that each man one day will stand before Him to be held accountable for every thought, action and word spoken. He's not going to ask us how much money we had in our investment funds. He'll want to know whether we gave some of the money to help those in needs. He won't check our transcripts to see what college we went to and what our gradepoint average was. He'll ask if we took the knowledge gained and mentored others who perhaps didn't have the resources or support to make it to college.

So should I fear someone who based upon Corporate America's heirarchy outranks me? Should I be frightened to ask them for help or approach them when we experience a conflict? The answer is a resounding NO. In God's eyes we are the same. The measure by which He will judge us is identical.

When you have this knowledge it changes your outlook on life. It strips away the power that man places upon titles, money, and position. We're simply left with man - God's greatest creation. We all put our pants on one leg at a time and none of us can go on if there isn't breathe in our lungs or a beat to our heart. We are more alike then we think so step forward in faith and fear no man.

Maria