I hold a qualification in Industrial Engineering, and every time I read the Bible, I realize that everything I am and hope to become is reflected in God. It’s intriguing to observe how principles of industrial engineering, such as continuous improvement, lean, and various methodologies, are illustrated in biblical texts. This demonstrates that God is all things we aspire to be and more.
In this article, I will share insights about some of the methods God has used that bear resemblance to the concepts I’ve studied in my coursework. Moreover, my 10 Years experience working in one of the top banks in Africa, as an industrial engineer, has made me realize that some of the cutting edge technology in this sector are evident in scripture. I share examples in this article.
1. What Is Industrial Engineering?
Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering dedicated to enhancing the efficiency of intricate systems, processes, or organizations. Their responsibilities encompass the analysis, design, planning, implementation, operation, management, and maintenance of integrated systems.
Furthermore, industrial engineers create methods that seamlessly blend people, processes, and technology to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in reaching specific goals. These goals may include boosting revenue, lowering costs, enhancing throughput, or increasing productivity, among others. Technology is crucial in industrial engineering, as it accelerates the improvement and execution of processes.
Here are a few examples of how God demonstrates methods and techniques utilized in industrial engineering.
2. How God Solved For Man Praising Him
The sole location for worship before the crucifixion of Jesus was the Temple of God in Jerusalem. This sacred space was filled with the presence of God, where priests could offer sacrifices. Each year, people would journey to Jerusalem to celebrate holy days and participate in worship at the Temple of God.
This process was initially confined to Jerusalem, but God’s intention was for all people to worship Him. Psalm 150:6 states, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” The place of worship confined to Jerusalem presented a logistical challenge, which God addressed by bestowing His Spirit upon everyone (Joel 2:28).
He removed the requirement for individuals to travel to a specific location for worship (John 4:21), enabling anyone to connect with God anywhere and at any time, offering 24/7 access to worship in His divine presence (John 4:23-24).
This reflects God’s use of the Holy Spirit to enhance efficiency, enabling people to worship and praise Him. It’s akin to how industrial engineers leverage technology and digital tools to streamline business processes. For instance, today, a wide array of services are available online, removing the necessity to visit physical stores for purchasing goods and services.
3. The Optimization Of Healing
The four Gospels give several accounts of how Jesus healed people who were plagued with various diseases. Previously, in the old testament, healing was typically a long and repetitive process. 2 Kings 5:10-15 describes how a leper was told to bathe seven times in the Jordan River to be healed.
In John 5:1-7, we discover sick people would wait by the pool of Bethesda. It’d be miraculously and randomly stirred up for individuals to enter the pool and be healed of their diseases.
When Jesus was on earth, healing was administered through his command or through the faith of the individual. No longer is healing administered by waiting at the poolside for water to bubble up. Rather by faith in Jesus Christ, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
The woman with the issue of blood received healing by believing that if she could touch the hem of his garment, her bleeding would stop. In today’s digital world of payments, this process is similar to Tap & Go.
Tap & Go is a contactless payment method that allows users to pay for goods and services by tapping or holding a payment card or device on a merchant’s payment reader.
The woman tapped Jesus and there was an exchange of healing power that was transferred from Jesus to her. Likewise, when we make payments using Tap & Go method, there is an exchange of value that occurs, money is transferred from that buyer to the merchant and products/ services are transferred from the merchant to the buyer.
The processing technology enables this transfer of funds to take place, likewise, faith is the spiritual technology that brings to individuals healing, casting out of demons and more.
This phenomenon is further demonstrated in Acts 19:11-12.
God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
4. Consolidating All Things In Jesus
God unified all aspects of existence and consolidated decision-making and authority into one individual, Jesus. Previously if one wanted guidance they’d consult a prophet of the LORD. If one wanted justice they’d consult a king to render a judgment over a dispute. In this new and enhanced approach, all answers and solutions are found in Christ (John 3:35).
When Jesus was crucified, all of the seven-fold Spirits of God dwelled in him. He is the Lamb that was slain who is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessings (Revelation 5:12). Everything that we desire is found in Jesus Christ since God has placed all things in him.
This notion is expressed in Ephesians 1:22,
God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
Isn’t this wonderful? This means whatever we seek and desire is found in Christ, all things are found in him. This is God’s way of optimizing the distribution of his power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessings to the church through His Son Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus is the round-the-clock one-stop shop, filled with all things, for the church.
5. Final Remarks
Scripture demonstrate how God has improved several processes for the benefit of the church. He established a new covenant through the blood of Jesus. Like in many organizations, they employ process improvement initiative that seeks to improve the ways of working to achieve a defined set of goals.
Revelation 21:3 reads, “A time is coming, where God will live among His people when he establishes the new Jerusalem, the city were God will live among His people.” This will be a new and improved process we as believers anticipate, we will be literally living with God in His fullness.
Dear reader, I hope this article made you realize that everything you aspire to be, God is. and everything we aspire to achieve has already been done before. “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
What is happening now has already happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again (Ecclesiastes 3:15).
As an industrial engineer working in a bank, I see from scripture that God is the great Industrial Engineer and great Banker. Scripture is filled with examples that inspire me in my field of work to be logical, creative and use optimization techniques to solve complex problems.
My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you will also see God in you line of work. Trust that expertise you’d like to develop in yourself, God is already the Expert in the field whom you can draw learnings and inspiration from His word.
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