A Christian's place in Human Resource Development

Human Resource Development (HRD) holds at its heart humanistic assumptions. One fundamental assumption is that humans are inherently good

This is incompatible with the Christian worldview that "There is no one righteous, no not one" (Rom 3:10). Does the fact that we believe that humans are fundamentally sinful mean that Christians cannot or should not function in HRD?

First of all, the judgement of good is not from one person to another. Rather the judgement is by God (who is infinitely good - holy) to man. By His standards, we are not good.

Knowing that the "Wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23), He however does not simply just bask in His holiness and allow us to languish. He "so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). He did not do this just so that humans will be declared righteous, but also "because you (Jesus) were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. ou have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God..." (Rev 5: 9-10). That is the greatest intervention anyone can make to 'help people become better' (Understood fully, this phrase is probably the understatement of world history.)

And so we are called "to be holy as I (God) am holy" (1 Pet 3:16). He did not leave His disciples (and I pray I am one of them) alone though, "the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my (Jesus') name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26) Our ultimate Developer "lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:17)

All these include human development in processes and actions.

But as disciples, we are not called to simply develop ourselves. We are also called to be salt and light in the world. (Matthew 5:13-14). Ideally, it's to prevent decay from sin and bring about God's goodness. Isn't the aim of Human Development to help people to become the best that they have the potential to be? (And from the Christian argument, hasn't God shown the greater vision and imposed the more rigourous standards than what any man has devised?)

So though Christians can differ in our beliefs in this fundamental difference, it doesn't mean that Christians cannot and should not be in the field of HRD. In fact, in the ideal situation (where alot of Christians including myself have failed by God's standards in), we are all called to "Love your neighbour as yourself." (Matt 22:39). These will necessarily include interventions that will help our fellow people to become better - necessary Human Development functions, with our hearts being driven by love.

History also attest to how ordinary Christians, being driven by this heart of love, have helped bring about better human conditions and education. William Wilberforce took forceful actions to lead to the lawful abolition of the Slave Trade; St Margaret's School remains the legacy of Maria Dyer, a missionary who opened the school to give orphan girls a chance for free education; Bishop William Fitzjames Oldham provided the male counterpart in Anglo-Chinese School to get boys off the streets.

From the way I see it, there's nothing in our belief system that should prevent our involvement in HRD, rather the bigger question is are we driven enough by God's love to do it well enough?