The True Power of the Bible

May 10th, 10 / 1 Comment

The Bible is truly an interesting work. Written thousands of years ago, many people still hang on it’s every word today. Even more still find the Bible to contain great wisdom, though they would never dream of trying to take it literally. And everyone has their own interpretation of the Bible, skewed by the verses and stories they choose to highlight amidst the huge pile of contradictory text that exists within its pages.

It is this contradictory nature and the way people invest so much effort into it that gives the Bible the power it has. That power is to reveal the character of the person interpreting the Bible. Those who think of homosexuals as second-class citizens will harp on the parts that condemn homosexuality. Those who believe that people are evil will focus on the role of original sin. Those who believe in social justice will highlight the way Jesus tended to the downtrodden and the poor. Those who believe in equality will focus on the elements that proclaim everyone to have a right to enter paradise. You can justify just about anything by picking and choosing your Bible verses. What you choose to justify speaks volumes about your character, not God’s.

Consider the large variety of Christian churches. Then consider religions outside of Christianity that still read and interpret the Bible in their own ways. You will find groups who are liberal, centrist, and conservative. Authoritarians and libertarians. Groups that are inclusive and exclusive. Groups that believe in their own superiority, and those that believe in the equality of all people. Groups that believe we’re all evil, that believe we’re all good, and that believe we determine our own morals. They all interpret the Bible in their own way, and how they interpret it tells you a lot about them. It tells you what their organization thinks. And it gives you a good idea what most people in that organization think, though listening to personal interpretations will tell you more.

People full of hate will use the Bible to justify hateful actions they take towards other people, and other groups of people. People full of love will use the Bible to support others. Generous people will use the Bible to promote charitable works and likely donate what they can of their own time and/or money as well. People with a need for control will focus on those elements that let them assert control over others when those others buy into what is said.

Naturally, you’ll learn the most about a person who puts a lot of stock in the Bible. Still, you’ll even learn a lot about people who don’t really care much about the Bible if they’ll play along and put forward their own interpretations, or if they decide to enter into a debate with someone who does believe the Bible is an important book. How they debate this person will give you insight into what even they believe in terms of earthly morals.

The same could probably be said of many holy books. The Bible is what I am most familiar with, so that is what I chose to talk about.

In the end, the Bible isn’t the path that gets you into Heaven. The Bible is a path to explore your own heart. If you are vocal about your interpretation, you tell everyone else what is in your heart as well, whatever that may be. The interpretation you choose exposes what you believe.

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Personal Development, Religion, Spirituality

How to Help Someone Find Employment

May 3rd, 10 / 1 Comment

Unemployment is currently a huge problem through much of the world today. Chances are good you know someone who doesn’t have a job, or has one but would like a better one. If you do, this person may be hunting diligently, or they may have become discouraged by the difficulty of finding a job and taking a breather to recharge. In any case, a little support goes a long way towards helping someone get or stay motivated in the hunt for a better job. Here are some tips, from what I’ve observed both in myself and in other people.

1) Provide what help you can, as needed and asked for.

If you’ve managed to land a job lately, you’re a prime candidate for providing this help. The job market has changed a lot, and it’s not as easy as it used to be. Still, even those who found jobs a couple decades ago will still have some good, timeless advice, so long as they can adapt it to the job market today. Help with resumes, cover letters, and even making applications as appealing as possible can go a long way. Even knowing when it is a good time to make follow up calls is helpful information to many job seekers, as this is not common knowledge. All the little things that may seem obvious to you aren’t obvious to others, so point them out when possible.

2) Support, don’t nag.

Pop quiz. What’s the best way to make someone not want to look for a job? Nagging them about it. This is true of most anything, but when you’ve applied to twenty different places in the past month, and been turned down at all of them, the last thing you want to hear is how you should try harder, put in more time job searching, and just get a job already. By this point, a job seeker’s self esteem has already often taken a huge hit, and piling more on top of that isn’t going to help. Instead, gently direct them to places and people that may be able to help and other possible opportunities. Also, be sure to congratulate them on their victories, such as landing an interview. While they may seem like small victories, sometimes, they’re the best encouragement you can get.

3) Don’t act like it’s the job seeker’s fault he still doesn’t have a job.

This goes hand in hand with the above point. This is a huge self-esteem killer, and on top of that, is very likely to make the dedicated job hunter annoyed with you, cutting off your chances of helping them out. It’s true that some people don’t want a job, but the ones who are out looking are trying, and treating them as though they aren’t is not going to sit well with them. The economy is in still in the tank, even if it’s possibly getting better now, and it’s still difficult to find employment. There’s no sense in blaming this on the person trying to overcome it.

4) Job search sites are helpful, but not everything.

Use all reputable, available job search sites to find potential job opportunities. It’s way easier than looking for now hiring signs, which many places don’t even put up anymore. Still, encourage job seekers to do as much in person as possible, since establishing a connection with other people at the job will help in getting hired. This isn’t always possible, but it should be done whenever it is.

5) Don’t get discouraged if they don’t take every tip you give them.

Sometimes, job seekers know something you might not. For instance, you might know someone is good with computers, so you send them a bunch of IT and computer analyst jobs. What you don’t know, but the job seeker does, is that just being “good with computers” doesn’t qualify them for these jobs, and that additional training or knowledge may very well be required. This doesn’t mean you can’t show them how they may be qualified for a position they think they aren’t qualified for, just bear in mind there might be more to the job than you understand.

Hopefully, these tips can help you better assist someone in finding a job. Positive support will go a long way toward keeping them motivated and applying, and new tips and tricks can help them polish their technique. Good luck to you and those you may be helping.

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Jobs, Relationships