I mentioned this to Jordan about a year ago. As I try to become more Christlike, I need to change the first impression people have of me.
It needs to be “I love you” or at least (and maybe a step along the way) “you are loved.”
For my entire life—and I’m not sure the reason—the first impression I felt I needed to communicate is “I’m smart” (with the subtext “I need you to tell me you are aware of that.”
In the realm of “most Christlike attributes” intelligence isn’t really near the top. (It’s important, but I generally just doesn’t get mentioned in the scriptures. Although “I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all” (Abraham 3:19) is pretty clear that intelligence is a Godly attribute, but you hear things like “God is love” (1 John 4:8) much more frequently.)
So changing first impressions. By what process does a person go from one first impression to another? By practice. Continually and without ceasing.
It’s possible to do this in almost any situation; but for me when professional requirements on me are to “be smart” (my last two jobs), I struggle with double mindedness (James 1: 8, 4: 8).
When I coached and taught, my primary focus was on people and I could (although at the time it wasn’t intentional) show love first. Because teaching, sharing, helping, coaching, advising, and mentoring is how I show love. (Sometimes it comes across harsh—that’s a different, but related, issue to address.)
So how does that influence me now? How does that affect jobless me? How does that affect what I choose to do professionally?
Based on my background, there are lots of jobs I can do. But can doesn’t often sync with jobs that encourage attributes I need.
And often I’m not entirely qualified for attributes I need and I could more easily get jobs where I already have skills (and many of these are jobs that pay better that jobs that foster attributes I need). So applying for jobs which foster attributes I need and put me in positions to practice, but for which I may lack some qualifications requires me to be humble. It requires me to act in faith. It requires me to be committed to a course of action and be willing to sacrifice to grow.
Which is the essence of spiritual growth.
If I’m praying to improve myself, to change myself, to grow, then not only can I be faithful about desiring the change, I can be faithful about the process of applying to jobs where that growth will be encouraged.