Consider this story: Once when a man was
faced with a problem, his boss suggested that he discuss it with a peer saying,
“He has some knowledge that may be helpful.” So, near the end of the day and
after the boss had left, the man mentioned the problem to the peer whom the boss
had suggested (indirectly asking for help which men do). The peer stayed after hours and worked
through the problem resulting in a promising solution. They agreed to go to
their common boss together to present their work the next morning. When the
peer arrived, the man with the problem had come in early rushed into the boss
and presented the work as his alone. The boss acknowledged the work of the
first man in an open meeting complimenting him in front of the gathering of
peers that he had stay after hours and working alone had solved a most
difficult problem.
Take a look at some text from The Pulpit Commentary on Ecclesiastes
9:15-16 for another analogy of this issue.
15. “Now there lived in that city a man poor but
wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.” In 2 Samuel 20:14-22, we are told of a
certain wise woman who saves her city from a siege through her wise advice to
the residents. In the case described in our text, a man poor but wise is
responsible for saving his city from a similar attack.
But
nobody remembered that poor man. Apparently nothing has been done to
commemorate the wise man’s heroic efforts; thus future generations will lose
this vital link to their past. Sadly, many people treat God in much the same
manner as this wise man has been treated: they accept his blessings each day
and even call on him for help in time of need, but when the crisis has passed,
so has their faith.16 “So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.” In the situation described by Solomon, military strength and preparedness had nothing to do with rescuing the city from destruction. The rescue happened because of the exercise of wisdom. Thus, concludes Solomon, wisdom is better than strength—at least that’s the ideal that one would like to see acknowledged on a regular basis.
In
reality, such acknowledgment does not always happen. In the example cited, the
poor man’s wisdom is despised; his wise counsel to the people is forgotten.
In today’s world, the accomplishments that highlight physical strength (such as
those in sports) quite often generate far more interest and receive much more
publicity than those that reflect wisdom, especially the wisdom that is
grounded in a firm faith in the Lord."
Only
when we are humble and respect others with selfless consideration will this
issue be resolved by an individual. What are the chances you will?
Peers seeking & listening to the wisdom to a peer is required if teams are to work with great cohesion and unity. That is trust. But we must get over the "look at me and what I've done" mentality to be successful.
(c) Ray Ivey
