Professional Generosity

Transcript

Jane, whose business always remained small, frequently boasted about her independence. She would say, “I’m not in the business of passing out ideas for free.” She refused to join associations, and she avoided conventions. She never gave counsel that she couldn’t follow up with an invoice.

Mary, a professional in the same field, also started small. But within a few years, Mary’s company blossomed into offices across several states. She said, “My career leapt when I began to exchange ideas with my peers—and to help other people with what I’ve learned.”

This is Howard Butt, Jr., of Laity Lodge. Life turns on many paradoxes and one is this: the high walls we build to prevent getting taken can also prevent our getting ahead . . . in the high calling of our daily work.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

(Eph. 4:29)