The last week of June is a tense time for all hospitals involved with the education of medical students, interns, and residents. During this week, the graduating residents have left, and a new group has taken their place. Some have never worked at that hospital, some have never been addressed as Doctor, and all of them have new responsibilities thrust upon them. During this week, it is critical for the residents who have advanced to senior positions to closely supervise and micromanage the activities of their less experienced students and residents. Anything less could lead to disastrous results, including placing the lives of patients at risk.
Micromanaging sometimes gets a bum rap. In this current business climate, it is perceived as one of the reasons many employees chose to become quiet quitters, unwilling to tolerate such a restrictive work environment. However, as illustrated by the week of transition in teaching hospitals, there are certainly situations when it is critical to be implemented.
What about our spiritual lives? There is a long debate amongst Christian theologians and scholars over whether we have free will or does God micromanage us? God is omniscient and He knows everything we will do or ever will do. However, that does not mean He is forcing us to do those actions. Foreknowledge does not mean loss of free will. We are still responsible for our actions. As Pastor John MacArthur forcefully stated, “Divine predestination, divine providence, divine power, divine purpose; divine planning does not void human responsibility.”
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. Ephesians 1:4-6 (NLT)
If we have been saved by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, we should welcome the opportunity for God to micromanage us as His adopted children. Left to our own free will, we will choose sin and rebellion because this is our unsaved nature.
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
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