Consider a secular example. As a neonatologist at an academic medical center, I’m responsible for the delivery of medical care to critically ill newborns. But I don’t do my job in a silo. Each newborn that I take care of has a nurse, they have a dietician, a pharmacist, a respiratory therapist, parents, and even trainees who are all participating in their care. The delivery of medical care in an intensive care setting is a team sport. And, although I am in the senior position, and the leader of the team, I don’t run a dictatorship.
Sure, there are occasions when I tell the team what to do. Most often those are emergency situations when a life or death decision needs to be made quickly. But more often than not, more frequent, are those occasions when my function as a leader is to facilitate each person contributing, each member of the team with their long suits. The dietician is expert at composing IV nutrition, the pharmacist knows just how to look up medications and see what interactions there might be. The respiratory therapist knows how to set up the breathing machine. Each of their contributions is vital to the care of the patient. The parents are keenly aware of how their newborn typically behaves, and when something is amiss. After all, our newborn patients can’t talk to us.
And the trainees, although they may not have the wisdom that comes with experience, acquire that through their independent management of their patient. If I told them what to do, as tempting and as easy as that would be, it would not give them space to apply what they know. So, as their teacher, my approach is to tell them principles about how to manage sick newborns, and then to give them the space and the freedom to apply these principles in any number of reasonable ways to nurture their patients to health. Just as my trainees learn the ropes through guided experience, God’s children can learn how to listen to Him and trust Him through the counsel of seasoned believers. God gave each one of us spiritual and written guidance about how to make choices in this life.
Parenting a three-year-old reminds me of the importance of freedom of will on a daily basis. We structured her bedtime routine to facilitate this. We start by reading a few stories of her choosing, and because she gets to pick, sometimes we read the same stories over and over again. Then we ask her, “How did God bless you today?”, and after responding she asks us in return. I can count many times when she looked at me sweetly and said, “Mommy, how did God bless you today?” And it helped snap me out of a tired, or stressed-out, or ungrateful persona, into one of thankfulness. Then we let her pray. And we don’t tell her what to pray for, we just let her pray. And it’s really fun to see who is on her mind when they come out in her prayer. Her story time teacher at the library was top of the list for weeks when we started this. Then we sing a favorite song of her choosing. And she’s always picked Peace, Peace from the very beginning. And then we give her goodnight kisses.
There are so many choices that we have when it comes to applying God’s Word: in our marriages, with our children, and on the job. As Philippians 2:13 states, God works in each one of us to will and to do of His good pleasure. The way that you live the Word might not be the way that I live the Word. What builds your believing might be different than what builds mine. How I contribute in the household is different from how you contribute. And thank God for those differences! As mystery-minded leaders, we can empower others with God’s Word. And then step back and enjoy the diverse ways that His Word comes to live as He works within them.
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