Last week we found Joseph in a pit. His brothers did not know his value, so they sold him into slavery to the Ishmaelites for a slave’s wage of 20 shekels of silver. Because of his commitment to excellence, Joseph ended up in Potipher’s house. And while it’s great to talk about the promotion, we would be remiss if we didn’t discuss the level of stewardship required for him to be successful.
Joseph was in a new and unfamiliar land with different customs and culture. He went from a place where Yahweh was the only true and living God to a polytheistic culture where many gods were recognized. He went from patriarchal leadership to the governmental bureaucracy of Egypt. Most importantly, Joseph had to learn a completely different language to communicate effectively with those around him. Promotion is great, but unless we’re willing to adapt and learn how to navigate, success will not be sustainable.
I have spent my entire career—over 25 years—in the criminal justice system. In law school, I started out as an intern with the public defender. I was eventually hired as an attorney, working on misdemeanor matters and later became a senior litigator and ultimately a supervisor. By the time I was appointed to the bench, I was very familiar with the culture, customs and language of the criminal court. Since retirement, I have become an author and entrepreneur. I cannot overstate how different it is to work for yourself when you have only worked—not just for others—but for the government. Not too long ago, I was sitting in a meeting with my team when I realized that I had no idea what a CRM, LMS, MVP was, let alone how to integrate them all for maximum optimization so my ICP could have the best UX. What? Not only was this a completely foreign language, but the speed of business is much faster than the bureaucracy of government. I am adapting and still learning the language, culture and customs of business and being and entrepreneur. I am committed to learning what I need to learn in this new space so I can steward everything in my new jurisdiction. The result of stewardship is abundance.
Presiding Action
If you are contemplating promotion in any area—in your career, ministry or even personal growth—remember that what got you where you are, won’t necessarily get you to where you want to be. Like Joseph, you can maintain your core values, but you must adapt to the new culture and customs, and you must learn to communicate in the new language. Where is it you’re trying to go? Have you studied the customs and culture? Are you learning the language? Your success depends on how well you adapt.