Recently, my office mates and I got all new job titles.
We had just finished a strategic plan/ continue improvement plan and felt
that all of our positions needed to be realigned. We needed job titles
that fit what it is we actually do.
It
really got me thinking about why we have titles... is it for power,
justification, or self-worth? Why does it matter if we are a
"manager" "director" "officer"... what titles
really matter.
When you think of these "TITLES" below, do you really
think of the definitions given to us?
MOTHER: a woman in relation to a child or
children to whom she has given birth.
FRIEND: a person whom one knows and with
whom one has a bond of mutual affection,
SPOUSE: a husband or wife, considered in
relation to their partner.
EMPLOYEE: a person employed for wages or
salary, esp. at nonexecutive level.
EMPLOYER: a person or organization that
employs people.
COLLEGUE: a person with whom one works
esp. in a profession or business.
TEACHER: a person who teaches,
esp. in a school.
JEW: a member of the people and cultural
community whose traditional religion is Judaism and who trace their origins
through the ancient Hebrew people of Israel to Abraham.
CHRISTIAN: a person who has
received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and his teachings.
HOMOSEXUAL: a person who is
sexually attracted to people of their own sex.
VICTIM: a person harmed, injured, or
killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action.
The list could go on forever, things can be added or taken
away like drug addict, recovering alcoholic, liar, thief, etc... Even in the
church people put titles on each other... Preacher, Deacon, Elder... There is
even a wikipedia page full of official ‘status’ titles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_titles
So often and so easily we put labels and
titles on people and on ourselves. It’s
for vanity or for humility. Those are
the titles we put on ourselves when we can’t accomplish something. The times we say to ourselves... I could never do that I am not a BLANK...
Don’t we feel more important if we have
all good and significant labels and titles?
It’s our human nature to have pride in what we do and that’s not what I
am talking about. We look for
justification and awards from people... we want to be called you a super hero
mother or a rock star employee? Too
often we look for this world and the titles of this world to confirm who we are
or what we want to be.
Even at the last supper the disciples
bickered and over the title of ending up the greatest. Jesus intervened saying “Kings like to throw
their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy
titles. But not so with
you. Rather, let the greatest among
you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.”
Jesus told his followers to give up their
titles, become less... Become the least of these... Can we do that today? Can we give up the things we so inherently
want? Statue, Fame, Titles...
You will be so much more, if you accept
that what you really need is to be less... throw away the titles.
At the end of it all... when they lay
your body to rest, what ‘title’ will be on your tombstone? Do you really think it will read: “Present of
the BLANK club” or “Director of BLANK” or “Volunteer of BLANK?” Most likely it will only say a few
things. Your name, your birth, your
death, and the one thing that defines you most.
Don’t get caught up or hung on the titles
of this world or who will be the greatest, but rather live a life that is legendary
that no words will ever suffice... that no title can ever capture...
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