The Risk With Competency
“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29, ESV)
There is a difference between simply doing something and learning to do it well. We all have
responsibilities we can complete with minimal effort. We can do enough to get by, meet the basic expectation, and move on. But Proverbs 22:29 points us to a different standard: notice the person who is skillful in his work.
Skill does not happen by accident. It develops through learning, practice, correction, failure, and a willingness to keep improving. Competence requires us to care enough about what we have been given to grow in it.
Woodworking can be an exhilarating hobby.
You take raw materials, use a few tools, and create something useful or beautiful—furniture, decorations, or something entirely your own.
Woodworking can also be incredibly frustrating. Without experience, you don't always know how to solve problems or handle the nuances of the craft.
I taught woodworking as a high school Skilled and Technical Sciences teacher, and it was always interesting to watch students enter the shop for the first time. Most had little or no woodworking experience. At first, many were intimidated by the saws. They were big. They were loud. And, quite literally, they could kill you.
But something changed as students learned to use the tools safely. They learned to measure accurately, make precise cuts, solve problems, and turn raw wood into something useful. As their skills developed, so did their confidence. A sense of pride came from looking at a finished project and knowing, “I built that with my own hands.”
Some students developed those skills faster than others. A few came in having already worked alongside a father, grandfather, mother, or grandmother. They were familiar with tools and had some experience building things and solving problems. They started with a level of competency that other students did not have.
Others did not even want to be in the class. Some never quite got over their fear of the tools or accepted the idea that they could learn to create something from nothing. Lacking confidence in their abilities, they often avoided the work that would have helped them become more competent.
That was one of the biggest differences I saw among students.
Those who were willing to take a chance developed greater competency.
As their competency grew, they attempted more difficult projects. Completing those projects gave them more confidence, which made them willing to try something harder next time.
The students who avoided the work experienced the opposite. Because they did not practice, they did not develop competency. Because they did not feel competent, they were even more likely to avoid the work.
Every student had the opportunity to develop those skills. They did not have to walk into the shop already knowing what they were doing. But they did have to be willing to learn, practice, fail, and make mistakes.
And woodworking gives you plenty of opportunities to make mistakes.
Some mistakes are significant enough that you have to scrap the project and start over. Others require a little refinement, adjustment, or creative problem-solving. Either way, mistakes are part of learning the craft.
The students' woodworking competency was built step by step, practice by practice, small project by slightly bigger project.
I watched it happen in student after student. They became competent because they were willing to try what they did not yet know how to do, make mistakes along the way, learn from them, and try again.
Proverbs 22:29 shows a clear progression: first, the person becomes skillful in his work. Then he stands before kings. The opportunity comes after the skill is developed.
It's easy to want that order reversed. We want the opportunity first. We want the promotion, leadership position, successful business, larger platform, or greater influence. Then, once we receive the opportunity, we will prove what we can do. Proverbs gives us a different approach: become competent with what is already in front of you.
This does not mean we have to be perfect before we can lead or take the next step.
Competence is not perfection. It is a commitment to develop our capacity so we can faithfully handle greater responsibility when it comes.
Sometimes we look at people who have opportunities we want and assume they were simply fortunate enough to be noticed. We see them standing “before kings,” but we do not see the hours spent developing their craft. We do not see the mistakes they learned from, the criticism they accepted, the questions they asked, or the ordinary responsibilities they completed when nobody important was watching.
Competence is often developed in obscurity.
That makes the work we are doing today important. The responsibility that seems small may be preparing us for something larger. The skill we are struggling to learn may become essential later. The feedback that is difficult to hear may expose an area that needs development. Instead of asking why we have not received the next opportunity, ask, What capacity do I need to develop to be ready for it?
As Christians, there is an even greater reason to pursue competence. Excellence is not simply a strategy for getting noticed or advancing our careers. The abilities, opportunities, and responsibilities we have been given are things we can steward for God's purposes.
That changes our motivation. We do not pursue competence to prove we are better than someone else. We pursue competence because we have been entrusted to use our gifts for the benefit of others (1 Peter 4:10, Col. 3:23). Developing our abilities allows us to serve people better and be prepared when God places an opportunity in front of us.
You may not be standing before kings today. You may not have the position, opportunity, influence, or recognition you desire. That does not mean today is wasted.
Master the work already in front of you—don’t wait for the next opportunity to begin preparing for it. Learn, practice, ask questions, accept correction, improve, take responsibility for what you do not yet know, and develop your capacity. Start where you are and grow, so you are ready to step faithfully into greater opportunities when they arrive.
Go and Live Beyond Average
Aaron
P.S. Do you want to be crystal clear on what you value, how you want to contribute to the world, and be able to identify barriers that you buy into so that you can overcome them and Live Beyond Average? It would be my honor to serve as your life coach. Please reach out to me or one of the Leadership Harbor coaches or me to set up a discovery coaching session, or join one of our fantastic leadership opportunities.
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