you ’ ve been treated like a door mat without coming across as arrogant ?
How do you get that promotion without manipulating your way to the top ? Is it quicker or even easier to get ahead by pushing others to the background so you stand in the limelight ? I don ’ t know that it is . If you push yourself in the spotlight , how do you know you have what it takes to be able to stay there ? If it was not strong , godly character that opened the door for you in the first place , how can you feel confident you can pull it off ?
Perhaps it ’ s not even about trying to so hard to get ahead . Maybe it ’ s more about just doing your job to the best of your ability . Maybe it ’ s about running the race . Remember the Tortoise and the Hare ? The hare thought speed was the most important thing since he knew he was much faster than his opponent . The tortoise was wise and he understood that speed was a benefit that he lacked , but it was not the only benefit .
He knew that although he could not win with speed , he could win with consistency . The same is true for the employee who deserves that promotion and feels overlooked and overshadowed by others and their accomplishments . It may seem to take forever , but in due time , the boss will notice the one who is consistent , and faithful in doing their job well . Those are the characteristics I would be looking for as an employer .
The one who is loyal , dedicated , and interested in not just looking good but in doing good . The person who operates in integrity doing a good job even when no one is watching is the person that eventually gets noticed . The important thing to understand is that the recognition and appreciation may or may not come when we want it or feel we deserve it . Even if it does not come , the question is : are we still able to continue doing good work ?
GET AHEAD GOD ’ S WAY
Godly character answers with a resounding “ yes !” Even though it is hard , and may even be heartbreaking , the work still needs to get done . I have been in a position like this before . It was hard getting up going to the job each day , but I had to do it . Quitting for me was not an option . Perhaps some feel as if they just could not continue in a job they were not appreciated in . For them , the only way to look themselves in the mirror is to leave that position .
Well , I guess one just has to know themselves well enough to know what you will and will not be able to handle . I am not a quitter . I stayed and I prayed and yes , it was very , very hard . I felt unappreciated , and even unwanted at times . Yet , I waited until the Lord released me from the position . That is how I can look myself in the mirror today and have peace .
Even when others do you wrong at work , even when you feel alone , and underappreciated , know that God is at work . It is not your job to get ahead any way you can . That mindset is a worldly one and although it may be tempting to try it , it will not work for the believer who seeks to please God .
Galatians 6:9 says , “ And let us not grow weary while doing good , for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart .”
Getting ahead God ’ s way means waiting on Him to open the door and not prying it open ourselves . It may mean waiting for Him to allow you to leave a job instead of leaving for lunch and not returning . It may mean waiting on Him to give you that promotion even if it is a long time coming and you were the one who deserved it all along . But there is a pattern here , waiting .
Patiently waiting on God is a virtue and one that we do not hear about often anymore . That is because we live in a society that truly does not like to wait – for anything . I am not speaking of things we are committed to doing and should be doing timely . For those things , we should strive to keep commitments and be efficient in keeping deadlines , etc . This is difficult sometimes as we tend to lead very busy lives .
However , the art of learning to wait on God is a beautiful virtue indeed . I believe it brings with it a peace that others see and may seek to emulate but can never imitate . It is when we are being mistreated and yet choose to live and love with patience and endurance that we are behaving most like our Father . So go ahead and get ahead , but do it God ’ s way .