Why do people want to get promoted? Usually it’s because of prestige, power, or simply money. I know that’s been my motivation many times. I wanted to be a program director, senior subject matter expert, or any number of impressive sounding titles over the years. One thing I’ve learned is nobody’s impressed.
There’s a concept of “promoted to your level of incompetence.” If you’re good at Rung One on the ladder of success, you’ll get promoted to Rung Two. If you’re good at that, you’ll soon be Rung Three. That keeps happening until you reach a rung you’re NOT good at, and you’ll end up staying there.
But why do you want that next rung? The reasons boil down to “I get more toys.” Whatever those toys might be.
That’s not the way God’s system works. You get promoted to do more and better work for Him, not so you can put your feet up on a desk and watch others do your work for you.
Most people who know anything about the bible are familiar with the Book of Esther. The king is showing off for his nobles, orders his wife to dance for them, and she refuses. The king gets ticked, puts her “away,” and holds a beauty pageant to find himself a new wife. That’s when Esther enters the picture.
“For such a time as this” is one of the more memorable lines from the book, and is the title of the movie that tells the story. That story is filled with characters who have received promotions, and then tells what they did with that newfound power.
One is a the king’s second in command. There’s a guy he hates, and plots to get him killed. Esther is promoted and she’s faced with the dilemma of using her position to simply live in comfort or help others. Toward the end of the story another character is promoted and everyone lives happily ever after.
But what does he do with his newfound power?
In God’s kingdom we’re promoted to do more and better work for Him. If we’re going to rest on our laurels, we’ll end up not getting promoted in His hierarchy. Sure, we might get a better job with more toys to play with, but if we’re not doing God’s work we won’t get ahead in His economy.
Do you want a job with deep satisfaction and fulfillment? Take on God’s job for you. You’ll have difficulties, but that’s just training for the Next Rung. Once you master the First Rung, you’ll get Second Rung, Third, and so on.
God promotes people so they can do the work of the Kingdom.
Not so they can put their feet up.
