Do we harbor "healthy" sins?

[WIP]

If a person is honest that I think helps boat loads. But there are many things that are part of interviews that play into the job market. One is the idea that confidance sales the person. So saying your the best rides the line of confidance a little too much even though confidance in itself might not be a bad attribute. There's also a question I've gotten in many interviews that I think ended my ability to get the job. I answered as honestly as I could, and looking back I think they are why I was never considered further for the job. Every job I've successfully had never asked, "what's your worst quality?" or "why did you leave your last employers?" If I was a little more tactful in my approach I could have skitted by without answering and saved face. Now, several years later I've come up with a few things I think I might say if given those questions that would be better. On that note I hope I'm never given the opportunity to do so.

Either way in some instances job interviewers look at many applicants and look at both questions "why should I hire you," as well as "why shouldn't I hire you." In order to get through that process there's a phrase. Put your best foot forward. It entails dressing nice, being professional. Being mature and possibly more mature then you are on a regular basis, and in some cases, don't express your weaknesses. It's that last little bit that I put the idea that putting your best foot forward might be something that harms our being humble, truthful, or resisting being prideful.

When I was interviewed for my job here, I was attending a Vo-Tech Institute for an industrial electrical maintenance type position. My training involved conduit work, hard-wiring electrical motor controls and circuits, pneumatic/hydraulic controls, troubleshooting, PLC programming, technical writing, etc. During my interview for an electrical position that included troubleshooting PLC programs I was asked what part of my training I didn't like. I replied, "PLC programming because I preferred hands-on work and getting my nails dirty". I got hired anyway and what's really surprising is that four years later I took a position as an electrical designer where PLC programming was about 50% of my job and rest was designing electrical circuits - a desk job.

 

[Mike]

I don't think honest expression of one's capabilities has to be boastful. Suppose you're applying for a job as a taxi driver. Do you have a license to drive? Are you a competent driver? Are you a safe driver (i.e., if they checked would you have a record of driving violations)? Providing information to express the answers to these questions can simply be informative based on your experience. On the other hand if one claims to be the best, well, that's maybe stepping over the line.

As someone who IS the best driver on the road, I take exception to that last comment. I drive next to all you people every day, and I'm confident in my claim. :yes

Seriously, being at the top of your game, no matter what you do requires confidence. You can't manage in the working world if you're not confident in your abilities. You'll be setting yourself up to fail, and people around you won't give you opportunity to grow if all you project is humility, at least that's my experience.

I don't think there's anything wrong with putting your best foot forward during the interview process as long as you're not making false claims. If I'm ever asked what my greatest weakness is, I always say that I can't let go of the reins because I'm certain that I can do it best. I negotiate contracts for a living. I might be way off, but I'm often screaming inside if my colleague is at the table doing the negotiating. He shouldn't have said it like that. He missed a real opportunity! The heck! Take a potty break. I'll take over! I could be flaming out, but I'm confident. If negotiations break down, it must have been the fault of the guy on the other side of the table.

Again, right or wrong, it's what I honestly believe. Is that a sinful attitude? I don't think it is.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think this is interesting. Especially in hardcore capitalist societies, the world values things that don't jive with Scripture. Having said that...I think once can be Born Again and still do what needs to be done to make a go of things in the world. Meek does not equal lack of confidence. Humility does not equal doormat. Follower of Christ does not equal commune dwelling Marxist with a Bible.

At the same time, I'm amazed by how corporate thinking has taken over...I imagine its more in the US than many other comparably developed, affluent nations. People talk about rebranding. The megachurch my dad went to for a while calls its members "part owners" and encourages them to take part by applying a corporate mentality. I'm not saying its necessarily bad or evil, but...wow. Corporations have not only come to dominate the economy, they've moved inside our churches and our minds, too.

I'm learning to be more confident not in things I've done ((at this point)), but in what God has seen fit to give me since I got saved. For whatever reason, He's made me smart enough to do things I want(ed) to do. I now have decent social skills. I write well. So...I'm not all "I'm super-genius and Imma write the great American novel!," but I do try to have confidence in God's goodness and in the raw material He's seen fit to bless me with. For those who have credentials, education, etc., its good ((I think)) to think and act upon: yes, I have what it takes, possibly some extra...as long as one still acknowledges God's work in one's life and keeps a sense of humility and avoids outright sinful behavior ((personal opinion, obviously)).

 

[Mike]

Christ_empowered good stuff. Yes, corporate America can bleed into every sphere of our culture. I like to think there's a difference between being confident and cocky. You can be the former without being the latter.

 

[WIP]

As someone who IS the best driver on the road, I take exception to that last comment. I drive next to all you people every day, and I'm confident in my claim. :yes

Seriously, being at the top of your game, no matter what you do requires confidence. You can't manage in the working world if you're not confident in your abilities. You'll be setting yourself up to fail, and people around you won't give you opportunity to grow if all you project is humility, at least that's my experience.

I don't think there's anything wrong with putting your best foot forward during the interview process as long as you're not making false claims. If I'm ever asked what my greatest weakness is, I always say that I can't let go of the reins because I'm certain that I can do it best. I negotiate contracts for a living. I might be way off, but I'm often screaming inside if my colleague is at the table doing the negotiating. He shouldn't have said it like that. He missed a real opportunity! The heck! Take a potty break. I'll take over! I could be flaming out, but I'm confident. If negotiations break down, it must have been the fault of the guy on the other side of the table.

Again, right or wrong, it's what I honestly believe. Is that a sinful attitude? I don't think it is.

Too often I think people equate humility with wimpiness or a lack of self esteem. I see humility as just the opposite of arrogant and an extremely strong self esteem. Strong enough that they don't feel a need to boast of themselves and puff up their chest. One who is humble is one who is able to put others ahead of himself/herself and never above others. I believe Paul defines humility here...

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly," Romans 12:3 NKJV

 

[smaller]

Being a new Spiritual creation in Christ we shed those things of the flesh as we set our sights on those things from above where Christ sits at the right hand of God making intercession for us. We are to subdue this flesh and walk in the Spirit who helps us with our infirmities as we have risen with Christ and seek those things from above, Colossians 3:1-17. Our religion becomes vain if we deceive our self and allow ourselves to be subdued by the flesh that will always sin and this is why we battle against the flesh daily, James 1:26, Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 6:10-18.

The flesh or more precisely what is in the flesh that can't be seen likes to have us think the contrariness to the Spirit doesn't exist for believers. That isn't true. Gal 5:17 remains a reality for all of us. When we lie and say this isn't so, it has soiled us. And deceives us.

A true heart comes before God with the understanding our evil conscience is a reality. Heb. 10:22. God inclines our ears to truth. The flesh lies.

 

[smaller]

In the real world I was blessed with being in the seat of employer. Would get 200-300 or more applications. Jobs paid highest in the industry. I was looking for warriors. Hard competitors. Not a team, an army.

From these I would eliminate by resume those without specific expertise. Usually 40-50 would remain. Then phone interviews for them. Another 2/3rds gone. Down to 10-15 face to face interviews. From these down to 2-3 finalists. The finalists would get a group interview with my partners. I'd be lead inquisitor or lead closer depending on our intents.

There was always a point with the finalists where I requested them to disclose their biggest failure in business, just to see what they'd say.

In the end we usually hired the people who had collosal failures and learned their lessons in the field the hard ways. Knowing these lessons ourselves and not wanting them repeated on our dime/watch.

Economics 101. Failure is mandatory for ultimate success. Even observed failure from others and avoidance gets high marks. But those who claim they never fail are probably arrogant liars, not fit for team reliance.

It was not easy to get people to admit their failures. To get at the bad took skill. But it could be had.

 

[for_his_glory]

The flesh or more precisely what is in the flesh that can't be seen likes to have us think the contrariness to the Spirit doesn't exist for believers. That isn't true. Gal 5:17 remains a reality for all of us. When we lie and say this isn't so, it has soiled us. And deceives us.

A true heart comes before God with the understanding our evil conscience is a reality. Heb. 10:22. God inclines our ears to truth. The flesh lies.

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the flesh is sinful and contrary to the Spirit, but you have to remember also that Christ gave us a way to overcome the flesh, Ephesians 6:10-18, Colossians 3:1-17. Instead of teaching about the flesh only why not mix your teachings with how to overcome it.

 

[smaller]

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the flesh is sinful and contrary to the Spirit, but you have to remember also that Christ gave us a way to overcome the flesh, Ephesians 6:10-18, Colossians 3:1-17. Instead of teaching about the flesh only why not mix your teachings with how to overcome it.

We overcome by honesty. There are places in Scripture where no liar is allowed to go.

It is not a pleasant pill to swallow, that evil is present with us, but it IS true.

Jacob came before Isaac as a lying deceiving thief. And quite remarkably God blessed him. I think for his honesty.

A believer who knows what they really are knows that we need God's Mercy. The conditions we have require it as our life's blood. Trying to tell God otherwise isn't going to get far other than into delusions.

 

[for_his_glory]

We overcome by honesty. There are places in Scripture where no liar is allowed to go.

It is not a pleasant pill to swallow, that evil is present with us, but it IS true.

Jacob came before Isaac as a lying deceiving thief. And quite remarkably God blessed him. I think for his honesty.

A believer who knows what they really are knows that we need God's Mercy. The conditions we have require it as our life's blood. Trying to tell God otherwise isn't going to get far other than into delusions.

You just aren't getting it. Satan will always try to tempt us as his only work is to try and steal our faith and will use any means he can. We are all sinners saved by grace through faith, Ephesians 2:8. Does that mean we will never sin again, no, because we still live in this fleshly body, but now we are of faith and Satan can not steal our faith unless we allow him to. This is why God allowed Satan to temp Job to prove to Satan no matter what he did he could not steal Jobs faith. Did Job get angry at times, yes, but he never lost his faith in God.

There is truly only one sin and that is the sin of unbelief. If we have no faith in Christ and His finished works on the cross then we will be consumed by the deeds of the flesh and be destroyed in the end. Satan is not going to work on someone who has no faith, but he will work through them to try and steal our faith that is Christ Jesus. All the great men like Abraham, Issac, Jacob, David etc. etc. were men of great faith, even though they fell at times, but yet God forgave them their shortcomings because of their faith in God as they were justified by Gods grace, Romans 3:19-31; Titus 3:1-8.