Week 22 Day 4


On Rank and Title

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Philippians 2:3

Oh, let each esteem his brother

Better than himself to be;

And let each prefer another,

Full of love, from envy free:

Happy are we,

When in this we all agree.

Today’s culture places high value on a person’s title and position, especially at work. President Lincoln was perturbed when officers begged for better rank. What mattered to Lincoln was not material reward, such as title or money, but instead that a person be respected and honored. Lincoln cared more about eternal rewards than earthly rewards. “Truth to speak, I do not appreciate this matter of rank on paper as you officers do,” he wrote to an officer. “The world will not forget that you fought the battle of Stone River, but it will never care a fig whether you rank general on paper.” Are you obsessed with your rank in life compared to other people? If so, maybe you ought to take Lincoln’s approach. Let your promotion be in what others think of you, not what you tell others they ought to think of you.