Need a Promotion?

If you’ve ever felt slighted, overlooked, or boxed in, whether it’s on the job, in the church, or in your personal life, you’re not alone. I would venture to say that most of us have at some time or another. I remember having a supervisor once who seemed very unable to do her job well. She always very politely gave me all of her “dirty” work on top of my own responsibilities. This supervisor consistently caved under pressure and blamed others for her own lack of competence. She was more qualified on paper, but I was more equipped in other ways.

Frustrated beyond words, I remember praying that the Lord would strengthen me to deal with her. I also prayed fervently when other co-workers slammed her with unkind words behind her back. Admittedly, every fiber of my being wanted to indulge myself and join in the worthless chatter, but I resisted the temptation.
Instead, I obediently did what she asked without complaining and murmuring, which is monumental for me. I tried to help her in every way that I could, and when she made what I thought to be demeaning comments towards me, quite uncharacteristically, I didn’t retaliate.

God had given me the endurance to go through, but I wondered secretly if anyone recognized that I was the one doing the work. She seemed to be getting the credit for the good work I was doing. I mean, while she was sipping tea from a porcelain cup, adorned with roses and gold plated rims (literally), I was meeting with clients, working computer programs, and crunching the budget.

One day on my break, I went out to my car and cried in frustration, praying that God would give me strength. A very kind lady that I trusted and had confided in told me quite simply that promotion comes from God. That stuck with me, and at the time, I didn’t even know the scripture from Psalm 75:6, 7 which reads, “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

I realized at that moment that I had to trust God’s sovereignty. It boiled down to my faith. I had to trust Him, even when it came to things that I thought may have been too minor for Him and even when it looked like He wasn’t showing Himself to me the way I wanted Him to.

Over the years, I’ve learned that promotion is exaltation. Exaltation for Christians only comes through service. Remember when Jesus gave the Beatitudes in Matthew 5? The poor in spirit get the kingdom of heaven, and the meek inherit the earth. People who hunger and thirst after righteousness are going to be filled. Those that are merciful will receive mercy. Another says that the pure in heart will see God and the peacemakers are called the children of God. You are elevated when you are humble and in service, which is quite opposite of the world’s definition of success!

We can never earn a promotion by manipulation, retaliation, jealousy, or backbiting. As Christians, we have to know that God is in control, and we must serve. In God’s timing, promotion may come. When it does, we have to remember that we received that promotion and/or exaltation, not because of who we are, but because of who God is.

If we become anxious while we are waiting, we will get tired, frustrated, and miserable. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

We just need to make sure that God has truly called us to the position or promotion that we desire. Our will must line up to His will for us. I’ve seen many people striving for positions that God has clearly never meant for them to have. However, if God has let you know that the promotion is yours, it will happen. Trust Him an keep on serving with a good attitude.

That supervisor I mentioned ended up quitting and I was offered the job. The Lord blessed me with the promotion I had waited for, and He’ll do the same for you.

Be sure to check the Abiding in the Vine Facebook Group page out and leave a comment. (Just type Abiding in the Vine in your search tab on FB.) Let’s get the message boards hopping with discussion from you, and invite friends to join!

Trusting Him With You,
MaRita

What's Your Final Answer?

Lately, I’ve found myself asking so many questions as many close family members and friends struggle with serious health challenges, heavy financial burdens, and devastating job losses. Out of the many questions, one always rises like cream to the top. I wonder why. Maybe you’ve wondered why you’re facing the giant that towers above you. You may wonder how you’re going to get through the crisis. You may be asking yourself how to respond to others around you are suffering. We have so many questions, but there is a final answer to them found in God’s Word.

Asking the question “Why?” in the midst of suffering seems pretty logical. After all, Job endured the suffering, but what plagued him most was why he suffered. He was given a host of incorrect answers from his friends, but in the end, God didn’t really answer Job’s question. Instead, God reminded Job that it was better to know Him than the answers to his questions.

When we suffer and it is not a direct consequence of sin, we have to rely on and trust in God. He’s sovereign and in control. Our final answer should be to continue to love Him and love one another with compassion.

Love is a word that’s really been watered down by the world and has come to mean much less than what God intended. The depth of God’s love cannot be measured. It’s supernatural and powerful, extending far beyond what we can imagine.

Chapter 13 in I Corinthians beautifully instructs us about love. The second verse says, “And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity [love], I am nothing.” Paul lets us know that we can know the future, understand deep mysteries, have unending knowledge, and have deep faith, but without the love of God, we are nothing.

Paul goes on to explain that love suffers long. When we love as Christ loves us, we don’t look inward to ourselves, but we look up to God. God’s love causes us to be unselfish, and as a result, we love outward to others. Love automatically shifts our focus to Him instead of our problem.

Having the love of God is like putting gas in an engine. It fuels us, making our gifts and service to Him useful. In addition, God’s love enables us to go through the storms of life without caving under the pressure.

I Corinthians 13:7 explains, “[Love] beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” When we are operating in God’s perfect love, we can bear all things, not just some. We can believe and trust that the Lord is going to keep his promises. Hope is always present, no matter how dismal the situation may seem. Finally, we can endure the pain, discomfort, and suffering, knowing that the Lord is going to supply our every need.

Paul tells us that the greatest of all the spiritual gifts is love. So, what is the final answer to our questions? The final answer has to be that we know that God loves us. “[Love] never faileth: but whether there be prophesies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (I Cor. 13:8). God’s love never fails in any situation.
When we don’t know how to respond to life’s challenges and difficulties, remember that there is an answer and response that never fails. He loves us, and when we love Him and spread His love, we are equipped to stand strong against Satan’s attacks.

Paul says that “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” We may not have the specific answers to some of the hard questions, but one day we will when we meet Him face to face.

Until then, I pray that the Lord will continue to shower you with His love and that you draw closer to Him, sharing and extending His love to others.

Love to hear from you. Drop me a line . . .
www.MaRitaTeague.net
www.MaRitaTeague.blogspot.com

Part II Stressed on the Job? Don't Give Up!

Have you ever been overlooked for a promotion on the job? Have you ever had a boss that’s jealous of your accomplishments, gifts, and talents? What about a boss that’s out to destroy you, or better yet—kill you? Well, that’s just a bit of the stress that David had to handle doing his job. David handled all of these pressures of difficult job situations and overcame them.

While Saul was still on the throne, Samuel privately anointed a very young David to be king. Although David knew that the Lord had chosen him to be king, he had many tasks that could be considered “beneath” what a king would perform. For example, David, a shepherd known for being “a cunning player on a harp” was beckoned by King Saul to play for him, a job most would not choose if they had already been anointed king. David played under the anointing and “Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (I Sam. 16:23). By being obedient and humble, David was blessed.

When Goliath challenged Israel, David stepped up courageously to fight the giant. His boss, Saul, was “greatly afraid” of the giant, yet that did not stop David (I Sam. 17:11). Saul didn’t even have confidence that David could do the job. Saul told him, “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth” (I Sam. 17:33). David did not let Saul’s negativity sway him from the task. In fact, when Saul “girded his sword upon his armour,” David took them off. David knew that he had to use the tools God had equipped him to use to get the job done. You know the story, with five smooth stones and a sling, David killed Goliath, leaving no doubt, as David says, that “the battle is the Lord’s” (I Sam. 17:47).

When faced with Goliath, others saw a giant, but David’s perspective was different. He saw a mortal man defying God. He looked at his position from God’s point of view and could fight more effectively.

There is so much more that David faced as Saul’s admiration of him turned to jealousy. Saul hunted David down, trying desperately to murder him out of his rage and hatred of him. While Saul’s position had made him proud and arrogant, David’s humility remained apparent, even as a whole nation praised him.

Whether you’re working on a job or in the ministry, it’s important not to let jealousy enter your heart. Jealousy destroys a person on the inside and then spreads like a virus, wanting to kill everything in its path. David didn’t hold malice in his heart toward Saul. He had to wait and go through the process before he could be king. (Although he made many mistakes along the way, he was a man after God’s heart because he quickly confessed and repented of his sins.) Moreover, when he had the opportunity to kill Saul and was being coaxed into doing it, he didn’t compromise his standards to go along with the group. He refused to kill Saul (several times), his family, or descendents.

Most of us would never imagine doing the things that Saul did to someone on the job or in the ministry, but we do have to be careful about not being jealous when others are elevated and we are not. Even if you feel that you are more qualified, deserving or gifted, harboring jealousy towards anyone else is most dangerous for you. Spreading gossip or talking unfavorably about anyone else is wrong. Period.
One way that I’m sure to eliminate potential stress is to watch what I say and avoid negative conversation about anybody or anything. Tension and stress on the job or at church can’t be eased by negative talk or “venting” as we like to say. I don’t know how many times I’ve said I was just venting and there was no positive end. (However, I do think if you can talk to someone in confidence and pray, that can be productive.) We have to pray about difficult people and love them. Instead of being led by our emotions, we have to use the tools that God has given us in His Word and through prayer to defeat the enemy so that we can live the victorious lives that God has for each of us.