Scoring the test was the last thing on the job description list—the final challenge to see if I qualified for the office manager position at my local church.
Our pastor used a personality test for premarital counseling, and one of the duties was scoring the test. Mastering this task would determine whether or not I qualified for the position. If the scores were wrong, how would the pastor be able to help them?
At first, I had no idea what to do. I read the manual, but most of the material was like rocket-science instructions in a foreign language. The former office manager, now in a new position, had assured me she would train me, but she had limited hours.
Adding to my concerns was the fact that I could not make a mistake. Doing so would skew the score and give a false assessment. I wanted to succeed, so I prayed that God would open my mind to understand the material.
The process was long and tedious, yet there was enough time for training. God used the previous office manager to teach me, and I was able to complete the process and gain confidence in my work.
Looking back, I realize scoring the assessment was not an ultimatum of my fitness for the job but one of many challenges I’d taken since the first day in the office. Each challenge was a small step in building trust in the God who helps me daily.
Like the apostle Paul, we cannot claim anything for ourselves. God alone makes us competent. He provides time, people, resources, understanding—and the ability to trust.
Whatever your challenge, pray for God’s guidance, and trust the One who makes you competent.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Melody Roberts is a member of Oregon Christian Writers and lives in Oregon with her husband, two children, and a fierce Jack Russell Terrier who patrols their backyard for squirrels and nosy cats. She loves blogging about her faith and writing historical fiction. Melody is a proud native of Wabash County, Indiana, where her faith in God took root and now flourishes in Oregon.