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A good friend of mine was once working as a Personal Assistant to the wife of a major Christian mission organisation that I admire greatly. My friend was very good at her job and enjoyed it. She became very close to her boss. However it was an extremely difficult job. At times the pressure to get things done for God was great and in these times her boss treated her with less than the respect she deserved.
It left her with a lot of hurt. I remember spending nights with her encouraging her to keep her heart soft and find the right fit for her.
It reminded me in some ways of the biblical stories of Abraham. He is a truly wonderful Biblical figure, being the great father of the Israeli nation. Even God ties himself to Abraham. Many times in the Old and New Testament God calls himself ‘the God of Abraham’.
However twice we read how he mistreats his wife, Sarah, really badly. Twice (Gen 12:11-20, Gen 20) he gives his wife to a foreign king as a wife. I wonder how Sarah felt about that. Abraham had some major failings in the way he dealt with people close to him.
When I consider the way people such as Abraham and even my friend’s boss can treat people it seems like for thousands of years great people of faith have been failing those closest to them. It does make me wonder about me. How do I treat those with whom I work? For those who have worked under me, did they feel valued or mistreated? I wonder about those who are close to me and the way I sometimes treat them. Do they feel valued or mistreated?
From Give her away | Ontoxenos
Used with permission
It left her with a lot of hurt. I remember spending nights with her encouraging her to keep her heart soft and find the right fit for her.
It reminded me in some ways of the biblical stories of Abraham. He is a truly wonderful Biblical figure, being the great father of the Israeli nation. Even God ties himself to Abraham. Many times in the Old and New Testament God calls himself ‘the God of Abraham’.
However twice we read how he mistreats his wife, Sarah, really badly. Twice (Gen 12:11-20, Gen 20) he gives his wife to a foreign king as a wife. I wonder how Sarah felt about that. Abraham had some major failings in the way he dealt with people close to him.
When I consider the way people such as Abraham and even my friend’s boss can treat people it seems like for thousands of years great people of faith have been failing those closest to them. It does make me wonder about me. How do I treat those with whom I work? For those who have worked under me, did they feel valued or mistreated? I wonder about those who are close to me and the way I sometimes treat them. Do they feel valued or mistreated?
From Give her away | Ontoxenos
Used with permission