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Key Bible Verse: Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has helped me in preaching the Good News (Philippians 2:22). Bonus Reading: Proverbs 9:7-9

An acquaintance approached me, looking for a job. He'd been fired from his last two, and wondered if I might help him out. Letting him know that I didn't have anything for him, I asked him what had happened at his former job. He admitted to causing some trouble for his supervisor but concluded that he was fired because their styles didn't gel. As I listened, I noticed that a lot of the problems he mentioned seemed to lie with him, but he'd never asked for clarification or help in working through them. Instead, he viewed the whole situation as a battle between him and his supervisor that he eventually lost.

After he left I called his former supervisor for her version. She said that he'd been unwilling to hear feedback from her and others about how his work could be more efficient. In a couple of cases, the employee made decisions that were inappropriate, even against direct instructions.

My acquaintance was hired because he knew what he was doing in many ways; he was well qualified. He went into the job thinking he knew exactly what he was doing, and no one could tell him otherwise. He was fired because he didn't have an attitude of teachability that would help him grow.

—Craig Dunham in Twenty Someone

My Response: One lesson I've learned from my current role is …

Thought to Apply: He that won't be counseled can't be helped.—BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (publisher & diplomat)

Adapted from Twenty Someone (WaterBrook, 2003) by permission.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

Lord, I want to make a significant contribution to Your kingdom. Please shape me for service.

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