This week, I left a bad review.
I didn’t do it to be mean, but rather to be truthful about my experience to that point with the business that I was interacting with.
Interacting with isn’t the best way to describe it because there had been very little interaction to that point about something I needed to interact about.
I’m sure you can begin to get the picture of why I left a low-star rating and a less-than-stellar review.
Can you guess what happened after I left the review?
Exactly. Nothing. Not one email or phone call to follow up. Crickets.
Can we detour for a paragraph before I tie this to a biblical truth that I’m guessing you need to be reminded of as much as I did? Since I left the review, I have worked with the business to resolve the issue, but none of the communication came in response to the review. I had to take further steps to reach out another way in order to start the process. So, it’s a good company, but a good company with a bad process.
Now, let’s look to the Word and see how my experience illustrates God’s truth.
Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank. (Proverbs 22:29, emphasis mine)
The word translated as skilled in our verse is the Hebrew word, mahir. It’s only used four times in the Old Testament, and it means to be “quick, prompt, skilled, or ready.” In addition to our verse, it’s used to describe how thoroughly Ezra knew the law of Moses (Ezra 7:6), how ready and prepared the choir director was to speak the words given to him by the King (Psalm 45:1), and how quickly a good judge will act in righteousness as he seeks justice in a matter (Isaiah 16:5).
In other words, in each of these situations, the word describes someone who was ready for the assignment, and because they were ready, they were responsive.
They were everything the business reviewed wasn’t.
I want to encourage you to spend the time you do have preparing for the opportunities you don’t have … yet.
Don’t wait for the open door to get the stuff together for the journey. Start packing now so that you can jump on the opportunity when the door opens!
If I hope to write a book, I shouldn’t wait for a publisher to call me and then start writing. I should write now (and I am!) so that I have something that reflects my readiness.
What skill do you have that can set you apart? Do the work where you are to master the craft, and you’ll be ready when the Master brings your craft before kings.
Photo by Robert Linder on Unsplash
