{"id":1184,"date":"2013-10-17T05:45:28","date_gmt":"2013-10-17T11:45:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/?p=1184"},"modified":"2013-10-17T05:45:28","modified_gmt":"2013-10-17T11:45:28","slug":"upward-mobility-can-bring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/upward-mobility-can-bring\/","title":{"rendered":"Upward mobility can bring you down"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

(My thanks to the High Calling <\/a>who published this article on their work channel. I would encourage you to join in the conversation over there<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

When I was a teen, I worked at a local restaurant as a busboy. It was my job to splash water in tall glasses for each new table, carry plates out for the waitresses, and set the tables after each party finished eating.<\/p>\n

It was hard, honest work and I used the money to fuel my car and fund my pizza habit. I loved the work and the interaction with both staff and customers.<\/p>\n

Things changed when the boss gave me a little more responsibility. Suddenly, it was my job to stock the non-food supplies, to schedule the other busboys, and to keep the centerpiece displays updated with the latest messaging from the owners. I got the title \u201cSenior\u201d in front of my busboy name tag and a 25 cent raise.<\/p>\n

I proudly told my parents of the\u00a0promotion and secretly plotted my course up the restaurant ladder. \u201cGive me five years and I\u2019ll run this place,\u201d I said in my silly 17-year-old brain.<\/p>\n

It only took a month for the reality of responsibility to start taking its toll. I was trying to be a good student, involved in several extra-curricular activities at school and in my youth group. But all I thought about was work. It consumed me. The promotion became a drag and made me despise the job I once loved.<\/p>\n

Is it okay to stay put?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Wall Street Journal article, \u201cHold On To Your Dream Job<\/a>,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0cites\u00a0a survey that claims \u201c3 in 4 employees say they have no desire to move up in their organizations.\u201d This goes against the presumption that we are all clamoring the upward ladder. It seems that most of us are perfectly happy, right where we are. We like comfortable.<\/p>\n

Tom Nelson, author of\u00a0Work Matters<\/a>, says \u201cupward mobility often uproots us from our sense of place and the ever-deepening relationships that are part of that space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere we are\u201d is the place for friendships, connections, and the ability to excel through excellence. The next step removes those safe places. And many of us just aren\u2019t willing to give those up.<\/p>\n

Check your motives<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve pursued promotions throughout my adult career. Some of them have paid off. Some have left me with the same nagging feeling I had as a \u201csenior busboy.\u201d Upward mobility isn\u2019t always what it\u2019s cracked up to be. Chasing new titles, pay raises, and increased responsibility isn\u2019t always what it\u2019s cracked up to be. In fact, the dream job is usually the one I left.<\/p>\n

I am finding that I need to check my motives, to make sure they aren\u2019t hooked to the train of pride, position, and power. The temptations are the same throughout time. From the Garden of Eden to Christ in the wilderness to me in the workplace, the voices say the same thing.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0You can be invincible. Stick your chest out and take control!<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Go to the high place, and they will worship you. They will think well of you!<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Just strike the rock, and the bread will fulfill your wants. More wealth means more happiness!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve considered promotions just because it was expected of me. I\u2019ve applied for new positions just for nothing more than the pay raise. I\u2019ve thrown my hat in the ring because I wanted to control the ring. All of these are terrible reasons to seek new responsibility.<\/p>\n

Restlessness and contentment<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"upward<\/p>\n

We wouldn\u2019t make such terrible mistakes that accompany new and different jobs if we would first solve the restlessness in our hearts. If we learned to be content, to deal with interpersonal strife, and to live within our means, then maybe our current positions wouldn\u2019t look so unappealing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile there are times God uproots us, let\u2019s make sure we don\u2019t follow the seductive siren song of the restless muses of our time,\u201d says\u00a0Nelson. \u201cStaying put often means staying faithful.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you read the writings of Paul, faithfulness was a key ingredient to his successful Christian walk. He led the religious elite in the New Testament then found himself stitching tents in the desert. Then he was elevated again as a major leader of the early church.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t let his status go to his head. He simply lived out God\u2019s blessing in the moment. \u201cI have learned the secret of being content in every situation,\u201d he wrote in Philippians.<\/p>\n

Looking backwards, just being a busboy wasn\u2019t such a bad job after all.<\/p>\n

Have you ever taken a promotion for the wrong reasons?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/em>Image by\u00a0<\/em>Tim Miller<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0Used with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Enhanced<\/a><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Three in 4 employees say they have no desire to move up in their organizations. This goes against the presumption that we are all clamoring the upward ladder. It seems that most of us are perfectly happy, right where we are. 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