14. When I work on my own, I often manipulate people and outcomes.

(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.) 

DO YOU FIND YOURSELF WANTING TO “USE” OTHERS IN YOUR VOCATION? DO YOU NEED OTHERS TO HELP YOU “SUCCEED”?

CAN YOU VALUE “OBEDIENCE” OVER “OUTCOMES”? CAN YOU GIVE YOURSELF TO DOING THE BEST YOU CAN, AND THEN LET THE OUTCOMES OF YOUR EFFORTS “BE WHAT THEY WILL BE”?

The statement, “it’s up to me to make it happen,” often reflects how we feel about our work. Sometimes others may even tell us this. But when we assume the responsibility of “making it happen,” it can often lead to harmful results.

Most harmful is when this causes us to manipulate the people around us. Instead of seeing them as persons with value, we treat them as objects to be moved around and used to accomplish the outcome we have taken responsibility for.

When we reduce others to pawns on our chessboard, we lose the opportunity for relationships, and we impede our relational growth. We not only hurt others, but we also hurt ourselves. Sometimes it is not only the people we work with that we manipulate, but we may also manipulate the resources and materials we work with. When this happens, creation suffers.

We can avoid manipulation by seeing ourselves as simply stewarding what God has given us to care for: people, relationships, resources and outcomes. We learn that nothing is really up to me, that I am a small part, but a valuable part, of God’s creation and that I have been invited into a partnership with God to care for his creation.