Three Accompaniments of
Promotion
Genesis 41: 41 – 55
Through his unpleasant experiences, Joseph learnt survival
attitudes and skills that would be handy in his role as governor of Egypt. For him,
promotion did not come alone. It came with privileges, pressures and
imperfections that he had practiced to manage on his life journey. Joseph most likely had to overcome some
resistance, obstacles, betrayal and discouragements to his promotion. It is
possible some laughed at his predictions and mocked him. Somebody must have
questioned who Joseph was and where he had been to just come to the top. A few were possibly eying the governorship
position for some time. In these circumstances, the lessons from the rejection
by brothers and being misunderstood in his experience as a leader in prison
became useful. Faced with daunting circumstances on that journey, he did not
always feel he was in God’s perfect will but had learnt to keep integrity,
trust and obey God, shine with good works and to give thanks in everything.
Inability to handle the accompaniments of promotion results
in demotion or fall. The following with Joseph’s
promotion.
1) Privileges
•
Position and recognition – Joseph’s position as
governor attracted honor and respect. Pharaoh gave him a new name Zaphnath-paaneah meaning "treasury
of the glorious rest". He attracted attention and people bowed when his
chariot went by.
•
Power and authority – Joseph received the king’s
ring. He had ability to translate intention to reality, or ability to influence
decisions and make things happen.
•
Possessions – Joseph gained materially. He now
had a mansion, a chariot, and most luxuries he could imagine.
•
Prestige – Joseph gained in social status. He
was associated with the highest social group and was well known. Many functionally
or opportunistically wanted to associate with him.
Privileges have Pitfalls to avoid. Privileges come with assets to employ and
enjoy for effectiveness, but also come with pitfalls that include:
•
Pride.
Humility lifts people up and pride pulls them down. Humility and the fear of
the Lord bring wealth, honor, and life (Proverbs 22:4). Abandoning humility is
embracing futility. Pride makes the privileged look down on those less
privileged. With pride an attention
seeking celebrity syndrome that chases after the stages, lights, cameras, autograph
signing, and microphones at the expense of core role takes over. Instead of
serving, the proud desires to be served. They stop listening and learning. Pride makes a person unteachable and untouchable.
The proud even forget the shoulders they climbed on to their promotion - the mentors
who helped them, the parents that cared for them and God who favored them.
•
Pleasures
on demand. Promotion comes with increased capacity and a strong temptation
to pursue all the pleasures one can imagine (1 John 2:15). Often one can now
afford them, is under pressure to fit into a peer culture and is presented with
many who are willing to trade anything to one who can grant or influence favors
for them. As a result often the more one is promoted to being wealthy and
influential the greater the temptations of vices such as illicit sex and drink
(Proverbs 2:16-19; Ephesians 5:3).
•
Power
abuse. The privilege of power is the most abused. One has to overcome the following tendencies.
-
Settling
Scores. Joseph could have sought to deal with his brothers and the
Ishmaelites in return for what they did against him. He could have seen his
promotion as a chance to hit back at Mrs. Potiphar whose husband was perhaps
still working for Pharaoh at the palace where he was now second in command. Joseph
however channeled his power to the food
security responsibility on his hands. He
was forgiving enough to shelter and feed his brothers (Genesis 45:1-7)
-
Settling
down. Joseph settled in, not down. Settling down has connotations of
arriving, complacence and loosing touch with changes around you. It is allowing
the corrosive effect of power to do its work on you. As the saying, power
corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Settling down effect leads to
carelessness and poor judgment in decision-making. One is no longer as careful
in thinking about consequences of actions. Procrastination becomes a habit. Hard
work and delayed gratification cease to be values. The tendency to abuse power
and financial resources, and manipulate people for personal gain grows (1
Timothy 6:10). One is no longer envisioning for the next level and hence loses
motivation. Joseph did not stop dreaming. He even cared what legacy he left
behind and where they would bury his bones (Genesis 50:25).
-
Settling
Deep. This tendency is to entrench oneself in the new level or position and
building bunkers around your turf to defend it at all costs. Indicators of this
tendency include failure to train potential successors, feeling indispensable
and so insecure to condone incompetence in exchange for allegiance.
2) Pressure to
Perform.
Promotion is assuming
responsibility. It is one thing, telling people a plane can land without wheels.
It is another, being asked to be the pilot. Joseph proved his trust in God by
accepting the offer to be governor. A lot was at stake. What if his dream
interpretation had proved wrong and seven years of plenty never came. What if
the plan he proposed had failed and what if people refused to cooperate. The
pressure to perform was enormous. There was no room for excuses not to deliver
results when he even had the very king’s ring of authority. Promotion comes
with pressure to perform. Even in the Promised Land, there was work to be done.
It is recognition of potential. No sooner than the glamour of appointment ceremony
settles does work begin, and you have to prove your merit. You feel the
unspoken demand to confirm your interview promise. Promotion is not merely
gaining a title but a function. That is why it does not help you to accept
promotion beyond your level of competency. Unmerited favor of God does not mean
lack of merit on your part because true God’s favor endues with merit to prepare
and do the work. Work is a blessing and
need not be a pressure.
It must have been challenging for
Joseph rising from prison. He had to learn fast. As Joseph realize that you
arrive at a new level as a baby and need to learn and grow. Learn as much as
possible by asking the right questions, observing and listening more than
talking. At times, he would have felt lonely seeing a future that others did
not see and relied on his description of it. If promoted to a leading role you
need the wisdom to set up a good team. Joseph also had learnt to depend on
wisdom from above. He knew God was able to make him ten times wiser than his
Egyptian colleagues. He was productive and a success (Genesis 41:55).
Pressure to perform has Dangers to overcome. Pressure can be
so much that that no time is left for other important things of life. Working
hard but not smart has personal tolls of fatigue, ill health, stunted personal
development, strained vital relationships and spiritual decline. Many are looking
for money but those with it are looking for time.[1] Willy
Adei taught five sacrifices to avoid: sacrificing your marriage, sacrificing
your family, sacrificing your friendships/fellowships, sacrificing integrity,
and sacrificing eternity
3) Potipheras
Joseph’s promotion brought Asenath the wife Pharoah gave
him. Asenath’s name meant ‘belonging to the goddess Neith’. Her father was Poti-pherah
some Egyptian priest of On. We can therefore refer to Asenath as Miss
Potipherah. Earlier in his Joseph had run away from Mrs Potiphar. As governor he ruled over Mrs Potiphar but
had to live with a Ms Potipherah dedicated by her name to goddess Neith.
Promotion brought this relationship and it seems he could not get rid of her.
That is the nature of promotion in an imperfect world. It comes tainted with
blemishes or Miss Potipherahs that qualify your joy. You find yourself saying
‘Wow its such a great opportunity but …’ The qualifiers can be certain lazy or
difficult individuals you have to work with, things you can not wisely mention
and a work structure, a work schedule,
some kind of work, travel demands or
certain aspects of your responsibility you would eliminate given room.
An example is excitement students have for getting a place
to study at a prestigious University but they struggle with the values of one
of the lecturers but the course is a requirement. Promotions come with
Potipherah’s daughters. However the closer to your ideal situations you can
find the better. For example, a culture that gives you freedom to express your
values is a precondition to accepting any promotion. However, perfect situations
do not exist under the sun, even in your church group. Daniel, Modecai, and
many others in the bible and to date had to content with their imperfect
situations. A parallel one can think about is that as a believer you can run
away from external sin ensnares but have to manage and subdue the sinful nature
in you by yielding to the Holy Spirit. Every human situation has an internal
sinful nature.
So unlike from Mrs Potiphar, you may not run away from Ms
Potiphera. You monitor Potipheras closely and govern them. Joseph did not allow
the Potipherahs to determine his values and defile his heart. That is not an
easy feat as Samson and Solomon could testify (I Kings 11:4-6). In any case unlike Samson and Solomon who
chose the wives for themselves Joseph’s wife was given Joseph named his children
after His God (Genesis 41:51-52). He
maintained his fear of God (Genesis 42:18; Psalm 139:23-24). He
consistently tried to do the right thing by staying on the straight and narrow.
That protected his reputation and promotion. He did not lose his intimate
relationship with God. He did not stop praying or going to church, as some do
the moment promotion comes.
At whatever level of promotion, watch out for the pitfalls
of privilege, the dangers of performance pressure and the imperfections of Potipheras.
How well are you coping by avoiding them, overcoming and subduing them in order
to excel like Joseph?
Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.
Faith Ministries – Johannesburg
Faith Life
Center.
Ground and First
Floors Sunset
Bay Building,
204B Bram Fischer drive,
Randburg, Johannesburg,
South Africa
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