My Place in the World
I'm in an all too familiar place these days. I'm facing a potential layoff from my job. Our company is in the process of trying to go from good to great; to right size; to make itself built to last. All of these things are impossible for two reasons. One, over half of the employees at the company belong to the union which pretty well dictates what their working conditions will be. Want a pardigm shift? Take it up at the next collective bargaining session. Second, the people trying to fix the problem are the same ones who got the company into its pickle in the first place. Oh, yeah, we're a utility, which by definition means we're just not all that sexy when it comes to high performance. We move at glacial speed. It is our nature.
It's been awhile since I've been staring at the prospect of losing my job against my will. The last couple of jobs I left on my own accord. This time around, I have an advantage. I have faith that God has me exactly where He wants me to be. So while the VPs may have a say in my cash flow, they don't hold a candle to impacting God's will. I need only surrender myself to His will, which is love an mercy. I have great confidence that come what may I'll be okay.
This view of the world through eternal eyes probably precludes me from ever rising to the level of CEO. Having worked with a number of Presidents and CEOs I know the breed. I admire their commitment; their work ethic; and their drive, but I've yet to meet one that had a sincere faith life. I'm sure there are a few out there, but the job of being the head of a billion dollar company doesn't leave much room for things outside one's own ego. Money being the root of all evil; they are swimming in it. I don't begrudge them for it, and I'm as interested in a buck as the next guy, but I also have come to realize that money is man made, and the true riches of life are found in something far more ethereal.
Bill Gates recently gave over $30 million dollars to Planned Parenthood. I'm sure they sold him on the notion that their organization helps women in crisis. Getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy with the ease of a Ctrl-Alt-Delete probably made tremendous sense to him. Why struggle with the consequences of a bad choice when one can simply start over; reboot their lives as it were? Her will be done. The pragmatism of that must have been irresistable.
Friday I will learn my fate or at least have a better understanding of the direction the company is going. Over the last six months, senior managers, and middle managers who really want to be senior managers have been meeting to craft this new strategy. I wonder if they ever prayed before any of their strategy sessions? Did they ever ask the Holy Spirit to guide them? I ask that rhetorically as ours is a company that views God as mere opinion of a diverse culture. So with God pushed to the sidelines we are left with the folly of man.
God help us.
It's been awhile since I've been staring at the prospect of losing my job against my will. The last couple of jobs I left on my own accord. This time around, I have an advantage. I have faith that God has me exactly where He wants me to be. So while the VPs may have a say in my cash flow, they don't hold a candle to impacting God's will. I need only surrender myself to His will, which is love an mercy. I have great confidence that come what may I'll be okay.
This view of the world through eternal eyes probably precludes me from ever rising to the level of CEO. Having worked with a number of Presidents and CEOs I know the breed. I admire their commitment; their work ethic; and their drive, but I've yet to meet one that had a sincere faith life. I'm sure there are a few out there, but the job of being the head of a billion dollar company doesn't leave much room for things outside one's own ego. Money being the root of all evil; they are swimming in it. I don't begrudge them for it, and I'm as interested in a buck as the next guy, but I also have come to realize that money is man made, and the true riches of life are found in something far more ethereal.
Bill Gates recently gave over $30 million dollars to Planned Parenthood. I'm sure they sold him on the notion that their organization helps women in crisis. Getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy with the ease of a Ctrl-Alt-Delete probably made tremendous sense to him. Why struggle with the consequences of a bad choice when one can simply start over; reboot their lives as it were? Her will be done. The pragmatism of that must have been irresistable.
Friday I will learn my fate or at least have a better understanding of the direction the company is going. Over the last six months, senior managers, and middle managers who really want to be senior managers have been meeting to craft this new strategy. I wonder if they ever prayed before any of their strategy sessions? Did they ever ask the Holy Spirit to guide them? I ask that rhetorically as ours is a company that views God as mere opinion of a diverse culture. So with God pushed to the sidelines we are left with the folly of man.
God help us.
posted by David Jackson | 10:27 PM
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