How Promotion Works in God’s Organization

Biblical promotion and success

God’s idea of success and promotion varies from the world’s idea of success. The world thinks that impressive titles, flashy cars, where you live, etc is what success is all about. It actually includes sooo much more than just material things. Yes, financial blessing is part of it, but so is peace, love, favor….

God’s Kingdom has various leadership positions open, but He does a thorough search and the selection process is tough!

And the criteria is certainly not what we think it is, because it differs so much compared to what we are used to here on earth. For earthly positions, we know exactly what the criteria is for a possible promotion. Things like a university degree, a certain number of years of relevant work experience, etc. are often necessary to put you in line for a promotion. But in God’s Kingdom, they count zero.

A matter of the heart

What matters most to God is our heart. He looks straight into our heart. There is nothing that is inside our heart that we can hide from Him. Since He formed us, He knows us the best. If you want to be promoted to a leadership position in His organization then your heart is what needs to be right.

God is looking for a certain kind of heart….a pure heart. Does that mean that we should be perfect? No, He knows that we are human and that we sometimes make mistakes. You may still have things in the flesh that you have to deal with. He is simply looking for someone who has a heartfelt desire to please Him and to live and do right. Our performance means little to Him if we are doing things with the wrong kind of heart. It brings God no honour whatsoever.

If you want to be promoted in God’s organization then it is time for a thorough internal inspection. An inspection of those inner parts that only you and God know about. What is going on in your head? Are you carrying unforgiveness in your heart? Who are you when no one is looking or when the lights go out? Be honest with yourself and with God. These are the things that need to be sorted out before any kind of promotion can happen in God’s Kingdom.

Sometimes we have been carrying some kind of darkness in our hearts for so long that we don’t even realise it. It has become like a blind spot. It is for this reason that we as believers should pray and fast and seek after God with all our hearts so that He can show us our blind spots and what it is that needs changing and fixing in our lives in order for us to move forward and into everything that He has planned for us. God loves us and if we repent He is always ready to forgive us and help us to become better people.

Blind spots – My Story

Unforgiveness is something I struggled with for years. It was one of my blind spots. I just couldn’t forgive my father for having an affair, fathering another child while my mother was pregnant with me, denying that I was his child and then abandoning my mother. The list goes on. I just couldn’t forgive him or the woman that he left my mother for.

Everytime I would even think of them I would get all worked up, imagining doing all kinds of pure evil things to them. It began to fester. I would have very terrible anger outbursts at the most random times and my poor husband would bear the brunt of it.

Thank God he stayed with me long enough to see me change! Change only came once I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and decided that enough is enough.

I asked God to forgive me, I repented and asked God to help me to get rid of the anger. He showed me that the root of the problem was my unforgiveness towards my father and that I was taking it out on my husband out of fear. Yes, fear – believe it or not.

I feared that my husband would leave me for another woman in the same way that my dad had left my mom. But God is a good God and he healed my heart…I still pray today Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (NIV).

The High is for the lowly

God also cares very much about how you handle seemingly lowly positions. Positions where you have been given a little bit of responsibility. How do you serve in that position? What is your attitude when it comes to your daily job, when caring for an aging parent or taking care of your kids? How do lead a small Bible study group? Are you slothful or do you approach your tasks with a servant’s heart and a spirit of excellence? The Master sees it all.

2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him….”

It is imperative for the hearts of leaders in God’s Kingdom to be right because a leader ministers from their heart. And the heart is at the core of a person. Working for God means serving and helping people and that requires a kind and a pure heart. We all have things in our heart that need to be exposed and rooted out. Today I want to encourage you to let the Holy Spirit help you to examine your heart so that any darkness can be expelled and allow you to be free. Let Him change you from the inside out so that you can become eligible for promotion in God’s kingdom. It will be worth it in the end.