God, The Supervisor
posted October 22nd, 2007 by adminI manage circulation at a local newspaper, and often God speaks to us(Christians not circulation managers) about Himself in terms that we understand and are associated with.
Example: I have a friend who is a zoologist. He knows more about animals than Jeff Corwin and the late Steve Irwin combined(this might be an exaggeration.) So God uses information about animals to teach my friend things. He will come to me with great revelation about birds and sea creatures and how they act in nature as an example of how we should act in our own lives.
So being in management God has used the little understanding that I have about it to teach me about Himself.
A Few Definitions First:
A Micro-Manager is someone who insists on doing a majority of the work, which they are overseeing, themselves. Often they operate believing “if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.” The people they oversee are simply there to support them in the work they do.
A Macro-Manager is someone who insists that the people he oversees learn to do the work correctly and do all of the work themselves. This often frees up the time of the manager to accomplish bigger and more important tasks.
From what I see a Micro-Manager will often get more work done better and quicker at first but will suffer down the road because no one besides themselves can handle the responsibility of the work required. While a Macro-Manager will get less work done initially but will by far make up for it a few years down the road because they have trained many to have the expertise it takes to do the required work rather than depending on themselves.
God Macro-Manages everything.
He wanted trees, so instead of creating each individual tree, he created a system where all previously created trees would make seeds that turned into baby trees.
He wanted the trees to change to keep things interesting, so instead of adding, changing the color of, and taking away leaves every few months, he created the seasons and a system so that the trees know when they need to change colors and lose leaves then regain them, according to the temperature.
He wanted the universe to be rotating and dynamic without the planets running into each other, so instead of turning everything with His hands constantly like a science fair project, He created a system that moves and keeps the planets in place and yet ever-changing.
He wanted each of us to stand on the ground and not to just fly out into space, so instead of tying strings to each person, animal, and thing anchoring them to the earth, He created gravity to hold us all to the ground.
He wanted new humans to form continually, so rather than creating from dust each of us continually at a rate of 360,000 per day(yeah that’s a true fact), he created a system of sex, conception, and birth.
Pretty awesome stuff. This Macro-Manging can be applied to anything in creation.
…well, almost everything.
Here’s the part where you learn something practical. Earlier it seemed like I was knocking(Old People Translation: belittling) Micro-Managers and hyping(Old People Translation: exhalting) Macro-Managers, and honestly, my flesh would love to do that(because I am a Macro-Manager). But regardless of what my flesh thinks the truth is a truly great manager is one who appropriately(not equally) balances Micro with Macro Management. By appropriate balance, I mean sometimes using more of one than another depending on the situation. In a crisis situation, a good manager will get his hands dirty and micro-manage in order to pull out of the crisis(a bad manager will lazily assign the task to someone else). While in times of great profit, a good manager will macro-manage more, by hiring more employees and expanding the business. Appropriate balance is the key.
I think it’s safe to say that God is probably the best manager around. So when does He Micro-Manage? In the crisis times, delicate times, and times that He would not and could not trust to another. Just about all of these times concern US(humans not the country), His greatest and most beloved creation.
When we are seeking Him and want to know how to grow and conduct our lives does He solely leave it up to others around us to give us the answers? No. He will speak the answers to our hearts. James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
When we are in sin, lost in the world, dead to God, suffering without any peace or joy in our lives, does He say “My system is, if you stop sinning everything will work out?” No. He Micro-Manages, He comes down here right along side of us and dies for us in our place. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
In everything that we consider great and amazing (creation, the universe, and birth), He Macro-Manages and lets a system handle it, but concerning those things which He considers truly amazing and special He will only Micro-Manage. Let us be wise enough to realize that people and their salvation are truly at the center of the heart of God. And let us be humble enough to consistently do the work that He has called us all to do, evangelism. Not necessarily in the streets or preaching to the masses but certainly, to the few that He will cause to cross the path of our lives in an intimate way, these are the ones whom we can truly touch with the love and power of God.
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