The path to promotion (I)

Psalm 113:5, 7, 8: Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, who raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people.

Psalm 75:6-7 “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

It is very frustrating to be stuck at the same level. God’s mind for man was for him to be the head and not the tail; to be above and not beneath. He was to have dominion and subdue the earth. But man fell and needed to be elevated. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The first man God made was right at the top. He needed no promotion. But after he fell he needed to be propped up by the Lord. He had lost his position of dominion and was being controlled by the very things he was meant to control.

Every man begins at the base. Some rise, some don’t. Among those who rise, some do so very slowly. They may or may not get to the top. You will get to the top in Jesus name!!!

There are levels in life, in ministry, in the civil service. There are spiritual levels, social levels and financial levels. I have seen people remain at the same level for longer than they should.  It is not the level that is the issue. The issue is, is the level consistent with where you are supposed to be at this point in time? You will move to the next level! You will rise to the highest level in Jesus name!

God is a God of equal opportunity. He is no respecter of persons. There is a path to the top. Some have found it and have used it. I believe we can learn from them.

People get promoted at different rates and through different routes. Some promote themselves; others are promoted by men but better still are those promoted by God.

Text: Genesis 41:37-52 (read 37-45). Here we see the king promoting Joseph by royal pronouncement. For your promotion to be valid, it has to be done by one who has the authority to do so. The influence and authority of the one promoting you determines the value and validity of that promotion. You can award yourself a degree but no one will recognise it. You can award yourself a title but your authority ends with yourself. You can call yourself a chief but when a traditional ruler gives you a title, everyone in his domain honours that title.

 Real promotion comes from the king. Promotion does not come from the East or West or South but God is the judge; He puts down one and raises another. If an ordinary citizen in Egypt had promoted Joseph Prime minister, he would have still remained in prison a slave and a prisoner. But when the king called him and promoted him, his status changed immediately. Get ready for divine promotion. The King of kings is getting ready to promote you!

Why then was Joseph promoted? 

The following people were promoted supernaturally and we see the following factors in their promotion: 

Joseph (vision, divine presence, service to others, use of gift, personal discipline, right attitude, righteousness, divine wisdom, hard work etc), 

Esther (mentors, preparation, divine favour, divine timing), 

Daniel (Sacrifice, Courage, trust in God, good habit (your habit is the predictor of your future), team work, consistency and much more. The life of Daniel teaches us what to do with the rocks the enemy throws at us. He gathered the stumbling blocks and made them into stepping stones). 

Also, we have David: the man after God’s heart; the man whose delight was the fulfilment of God’s purpose. He was picked up from the back side of the desert and was anointed to be king despite being the last boy in the family. God’s purpose made him to be promoted out of sequence. People may not think it’s your turn but God will promote you!! He was given a post-dated anointing. 

Finally, we have Jesus. He is the embodiment of every virtue that leads to promotion but the book of Philippians singles out one vital key: humility – manifested in complete obedience to the will of God. 

Predictors of your future: prophets of your destiny include: your heart towards God, your talent and gifting, your anointing or calling (remember David?), your daily routine or habits, your company, your opposition and your attitude to life.

Here are some of the reasons I believe Joseph was promoted by the king. These are the things that characterize the path to promotion.

A. The immediate reasons

1. Competence – Joseph was not recommended for doing nothing. Many people have this entitlement mentality. They feel they should be rewarded for just knowing somebody. ‘He is my uncle; he is from my village, so he should be able to help me.’ You can only be recommended by someone you have been useful to; someone you have solved problems for; someone you have added value to. When Joseph came to Pharaoh, he came with competence. He came with a track record. He came with the ability to solve problems. The quickest way to gain leadership is to solve problems. The man with the plan is the man with the power. Increase your track record by performing every task well – no matter how little.

Many people don’t know the value of succeeding in little things. You cannot mess up at a lower level and expect to be promoted to a higher level. When someone goes for a job interview, he is required to state his experience in addition to taking an aptitude test. The idea is to find out how competent he is and where he fits in. Would you like to give your car to a mechanic who would damage it further? I guess not! Would you like to surrender yourself for surgery to an incompetent doctor? The obvious answer is no!

John Maxwell said, a competent person is 

a. Someone who can see what needs to happen

b. Someone who can make it happen

c. Someone who can make things happen when it really counts 

The king will only promote you if you are going to be useful to him and the kingdom in a higher capacity. Your talent determines your potential but your skill determines your reward. How does the king know how competent you are? He looks at your track record. 

How do you develop competence? You develop competence by developing your gift and talent and using it constantly. “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” Proverbs 18:16. Define your purpose. It informs your talent and gifting. You serve from your strength when you serve from your gifting. Your strength is in your uniqueness. Don’t die with your music still inside you.  

Listen to your inner voice, find what really moves you, and then follow your passion. 

(To be continued…)

Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.