Mars the Interview Dog
On a recent visit with family my step daughter referred to her dog as “Mars The Interview Dog”. She had been telling us about the hiring challenges for the small business of which she co-owns. She explained that taking Mars to work the day of an interview had started to become necessary to insure their hiring decisions were sound. If Mars had any form of a stressful reaction when the candidate entered the office it became clear that the candidate would not be a good fit for the business. The times that she and her business partner overruled Mars’ reaction they’d eventually discovered they should have listened to Mars.
Sometimes I wish I had a dog that could clue me in on making potential bad decisions. If only my dog Polo had insight in areas requiring challenging choices such as where to live, what house to buy, where to work or any other life altering decisions. Unfortunately his greatest gifts are finding food and napping in front of the fireplace! Fortunately, we do have a source who will guide our choices. God knew we’d need help and He has plans for us and gives us guidance. One of my very favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11. Here we read the following:
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Seems simple enough, right? The real deeper more challenging question is this: What is our role in following and finding those plans?
Looking back throughout my life I have discovered that God was guiding me even when I didn’t realize it at the time. What I can see now is when I was able to trust Him, not knowing what the outcome would be, that life plans rolled out in amazing ways.
Proverbs 3:5-6 outlines how to trust and what the outcome will be:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
I have begun to base my daily morning meditation on this verse. I close my eyes and repeat these words several times:
- I will trust You Lord with all my heart.
- I will not depend on my own understanding.
- In all I do I will seek You.
- I know You will guide my path.
Even more than having plans of us, God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit in John 15:26 when He told His disciples this:
“’But I will send you the Comforter – the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me.’”
The Holy Spirit was sent after Christ ascended into Heaven. When we accept Jesus as our personal savior the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. (See Corinthians 1:22) As the source of all truth, when we follow His guidance, Galatians 5:16 makes it very clear what the outcome will be:
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”
Although we don’t all have a “Mars the Interview Dog” to guide us in hiring decisions, we are far more blessed with having the Holy Spirit to guide us in all areas of our life when we trust, seek and know He will guide us.
JW