Three Accompaniments of
Promotion
For Joseph[1], promotion
did not come alone. It came with privileges, pressures and imperfections that he
had practiced to manage on his life journey.
Inability to handle the accompaniments of promotion results in demotion
or a fall. The following are three things that came with Joseph’s promotion.
1) Privileges. Joseph’s
position attracted honor and respect. He had power to influence decisions and
make things happen. He gained a home, a chariot, and luxuries he could imagine. Privileges however also come with pitfalls
that include pride, pleasures on demand and abuse of power.
2) Pressures. Promotion
comes with pressure to perform that has its perils. The pressure can leave no time
for other important things of life. As a result, performance comes at a personal
toll of fatigue, ill health, stunted personal development, strained vital relationships
and spiritual decline. Willy Adei taught avoidance of five sacrifices: sacrificing
your marriage, sacrificing your family, sacrificing your friendships, sacrificing
integrity, and sacrificing eternity
3) Potipheras. On
Joseph’s promotion, Pharaoh gave him for a wife, Potipherah’s daughter whose
name Asenath meant ‘belonging to the goddess Neith’. Her father was some Egyptian priest of On. Interestingly
earlier in his life Joseph had run away from Mrs. Potiphar but as governor he
had to live with a Ms. Potipherah. Perfect situations do not exist under the
sun, even in your church group. Even best of promotion comes tainted with blemishes.
You find yourself saying ‘Wow it is such a great opportunity but …’ The
qualifiers after the ‘but’ can be certain lazy or difficult individuals you
have to live with, learn from, study or work with, or a work structure, a work schedule, a type of
work or certain aspects of your responsibility you would eliminate given a
choice. Thanks to God, who gives grace to monitor and govern such imperfections.
Joseph did not allow the Potipherahs to shape his values[2]. That
way he protected his reputation and promotion.
How well are you coping with the pitfalls of privilege, the perils
of performance pressure and the imperfections of Potipheras that come with
promotion?
POWERFUL INSIGHTS
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