I’m Fired?

As an HR director, Jen Sandbulte had tough situations in which prayer made the difference. In this community post from our Clear Conscience series, she says, "As Christian leaders, we must understand that grace is addressing what happened, and loving the person in spite of it."

The policy was clear, and the documentation was in hand. In the human resources world, this was an easy decision. However, as a Christian, it wasn’t that cut-and-dry. You see, firing someone is a big deal. It impacts more than just the workplace and that individual. How would it affect the person's family, employee morale, etc? More importantly, what would Jesus do?

I can’t tell you how many times someone has said to me, "Just give me one more chance. How can you do this to me?"

In my years as a human resources professional, I’ve had to lead several very sensitive conversations. As I’ve coached and mentored other individuals in the field, one thing I’ve taught them is to listen to the Holy Spirit. It’s easy to get so caught up in the details and the day-to-day tasks at work that we forget to pray. We think we have the “right” answers, and we forget to pause and ask God for his opinion, words, and guidance.

I recall some particularly hard situations, when, if I’m honest, I was angry. Why would “they” do that to “us”? And then I would pray. I’d close my office door, and take a couple of minutes. I’d ask God to help me to love like he loves, to help me to see this person and situation as he saw them. Spending a bit of time in prayer before those meetings significantly changed how I approached things. That doesn’t mean that people didn’t lose their jobs. But, with Jesus' help, I was able to see the situation a bit differently than I would have with my mere human eyes. I was able to love through hard circumstances time and time again, simply because I asked.

God is a God of Details

Over time, I realized that God is a God of details and accountability. Grace does not mean that there aren’t consequences. In fact, many times it is just the opposite. At the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis, we see God enacting accountability for a person's actions. If God would have said to Eve, "It’s ok if you ate that fruit," the Bible (and our lives) would look completely different. Instead, God loved Adam and Eve, even though they sinned and made bad choices. He loved them, but there were still consequences. It’s foundational to our beliefs as Christians.

As Christian leaders, we need more love and grace. However, we also need to understand that grace is not pretending something didn’t happen. Grace is addressing what happened and loving the person in spite of it. If we don’t address the hard things, do we truly love that person and want what's best for them?

When someone is sitting across from you with tears brimming, you need a clear conscience. When they say things like “How could you do this to me?” you need to know that you have prayed and are loving like God would love. When you know that, your heart changes. In the hard parts of our everyday life, we need the confidence that comes with following the Holy Spirit.