It was not until just this year that I really connected this verse to being in information security. I’m sure this can be applied to several aspects of our industry if we sat and meditated on it but for me, today, it connects to budgeting. Think about how many times in your career you have had to create a budget or just to see it get cut. I don’t think there is a person here that has not experienced this. Now look at budget season through the lens of this passage. I’m not saying we can perform miracles like Jesus did but there is still a lesson to learn. When it came time, the disciples wanted to send the people away because there was no way they saw that could feed everyone. I’m sure there has been a time when the budget cuts came that you thought like a disciple, “There is no way I can get all my projects or goals completed with this final budget”. Use this verse as a guide, Jesus used what everyone thought was not enough to accomplish was something great. When budgets are tight, we as security professionals need to get creative like Jesus and ‘feed our 5000’. This can be done by getting a little more juice out of your existing investments, exploring licensing additional features within existing products, and working cross functionally to see if a different department has a solution that can help. 

In the end, if a budget doesn’t look like it will be enough, have a little faith and some creativity and see how you can be satisfied and pick up the leftovers. 

This very well-known verse is quoted frequently, even if some of those quoting it do not realize it comes from the Bible. Although plenty of people quote verse 1, verse 2 seems to be left out and is arguably the more powerful verse. As security professionals and leaders these are two verses that we should live by when making decisions and be aware of how it can be used for evil in disguise of good. The Bible teaches us that we are all created in the image of God therefore we are all the same. We may have physical characteristics that make our appearances different, but we are all one from one tribe as described in the story of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9). It was God that created the differences in man but did not change the fundamental that although we have differences, we are all the same. When making decisions about vendors, tooling, new hires, promotions, etc. this fact and the fact we will be judged based on how we have judged need to be top of mind. If you judge a vendor based on marketing rather than strength of offering, you could see the same thing happen to your company during the sales process. If you are making hiring decisions based on characteristics people have no control over rather than their background and skills, you can count on the same happening to you. 

In a culture and business environment where all to often focusing on differences is becoming the new normal in the name of DEI and ESG, Christ centered professional can be a light by keeping Matthew 7:1-2 in mind.