Soft skills are among the most sought-after qualifications in Corporate America today—abilities for which there is great need and rapidly growing demand. Corporate giants such as General Motors and McDonalds as well as local small businesses are diligently searching for workers who possess these skills.
Yet institutions of higher learning, which produce brilliant students with amazing technical abilities and qualifications for demanding careers, apparently are not effectively infusing these skills into their graduates.
Soldiers in the nation’s demanding, specialized, high-tech armed services may actually find these skills diminished through their military training.
Public schools—where moral and ethical areas are now gray rather than black and white—appear incapable of developing soft skills in their students.
People in professional sports—indeed, the whole entertainment industry—do not need or want them.
Consumers dealing with government or private corporation service sectors often experience the painful lack of these skills in employees.
What Are They?
In their simplest terms, soft skills mainly refer to qualities people display in the workplace: courtesy, sympathy, cooperation, dependability and honesty.
But surely everyone has these, right?
Wrong. They are very rare.
Consider this: These five simple skills are so difficult to find in employees that a recent search of the Internet revealed over 300,000 Web sites dealing with information, training and principles concerning workplace soft skills for the corporate world!
Do Christians Have Soft Skills?
Yes! We have them, through our blessed Lord Jesus, because we have “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” We’ve also been “called . . . to glory and virtue” and have been given “exceeding great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:3-4). We—right now—have the necessary skills to be a blessing in this life and honor God in doing so.
There is not one blessing which God has held back from His dear children—“blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). Not only this, but our Father “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” so that He can “with Him also freely give us all things” (Rom. 8:32). Through the Spirit we have the power needed to use those qualities—seen perfectly displayed in that blessed Man, our Lord Jesus Christ.
What Are Christian Soft Skills?
The fruit of the Spirit produced in the believer describes some of these beautiful Christian soft skills—“love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22-23).
First Corinthians 13 gives more of them, adding that their root is love (agape—divine love). The list begins with love which “suffereth long, and is kind,” and it ends with love that “endureth all things” and “never faileth” (vss. 4-8). What would an employer give to have employees with these wonderful qualities working for him!
Paul admonished Timothy—his beloved son in the faith—to be “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). To be “an example” required that Timothy put his Christian soft skills to use in each circumstance of his daily life.
Though many other similar precious passages might be noted, the question is not whether believers possess these skills, but, rather, do we use them?
The Need for Soft Skills
Every day, believers have (just like Timothy) numerous opportunities to represent the Lord Jesus Christ by displaying these qualities—at home, work, school, neighborhood and in many other places.
What effect will a shepherd (1 Peter 5:2) have who does not use soft skills with sick, straying sheep?
How can a believer effectively “do the work of an evangelist” if he does not use Christian soft skills?
How can Christian fathers effectively “bring [their children] up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” if soft skills are not used?
How will a wife and mother be able to emulate the beautiful pattern of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 (see especially verses 20,26-27) without using them?
How will brethren (elders; 1 Tim. 5:17) who have the oversight of the local assembly see it strengthened if they do not use soft skills in their ministry?
Rewards and Reaping
The haughty Ephraimites in Gideon’s day present two striking examples of soft skills—once when they were used, and once when they were not.
In Judges 8:13, Gideon returns in victory and is met by the Ephraimites, whom he had not called to battle first. They angrily strive with him about why (Judg. 7:23-24), causing a situation ripe for strife—a time that called for soft skills. And dear Gideon used them beautifully. He who had won the battle with a handful of men humbles himself, speaking softly and graciously to his arrogant brethren. Ephraim (though still proud) was conciliated and peace ensued.
But in Judges 12:16, the proud, indolent Ephraimites again feel slighted and this time confront Jephthah, who had won a great victory at great personal cost. But Jephthah didn’t know how or wasn’t interested in using soft skills to defuse the situation. He truthfully (but in anger) pointed out that the fault lay with Ephraim, not with himself. The threats and words became more intense, and the sad result was the death of 42,000 men of Ephraim.
What a terrible slaughter that might have been averted by using soft skills!
Use Them!
The next time, dear husband, that your beloved wife doesn’t react in the way you wish, try using soft skills rather than setting her straight.
The next time, dear wife, your husband gets mud on your newly vacuumed carpet, try using soft skills instead of telling him how thoughtless he is.
The next time, dear brother or sister, that you are offended by unkind words from another believer, see how soft skills can change harsh, unloving spirits.
Let’s put to use what God has given us in Christ!
“Be ye kind . . . tenderhearted” (Eph. 4:32). “Great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
Ed.