From “Wired to Lead: Being the Leader the Church Didn’t Think You Could Be” by Suzanne Nadell
Throughout this book I’ve shared lessons I learned while working in newsrooms across the country. They are lessons I had hoped to learn in our churches. Instead, I learned them in the workplace.
I learned about justice and ethics in a newsroom. We have biases that are deeply rooted – sometimes in sin. We have to follow Jesus’ lead and address those biases. When we do that, we can truly love our neighbors and are not intimidated by doing the right thing. Doing so also enables us to speak truth to our brothers and sisters in love. If we don’t first address the justice and ethics issues to which the church has turned a blind eye, we can’t take those other steps.
I learned about how to handle gender issues by working in a newsroom. There, I learned to regard others based on their God-given gifts, not primarily based on their gender. This includes understanding why some men with good intention unknowingly hold back and diminish their sisters in Christ. It included knowing that the Spirit guides me though tough situations and conversation simply because he is always there and always helping us walk in the ways of God. Sin happens when we don’t listen to the Spirit. When we don’t listen, we tend to give in to our baser instincts, including but not only sexual ones. The free will God gave us he expects us to use to increase his glory here on earth.
It was in a newsroom that I learned how women can support women. I learned to stand up for myself and not let others push me in directions that fulfill their dreams for me, not mine. I learned that it’s up to God and me to determine his plan for me, not someone else. And I learned that through it all I am not alone. And neither are you. When women get out of each other’s way and help each other, they do great things.
I’ve also learned that I’ve got to take care of myself in order to grow, and to help others to do the same. God is the only one I need to please, not others. Such growth depends on setting and keeping boundaries and taking care of myself, especially by taking a sabbath regularly. It’s only then that I have the wherewithal to take care of others and to be a good wife, mom, boss, and follower of Jesus.