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This is my fourth business tip on the topic “Preparation for Success.” In the prior tips, I suggested the following keys:
learn to conduct business according to the will and ways of God,
become an outstanding student of Scripture, and
be sent out by those in authority over you.
The last tip regarding being sent out is predicated on being submitted to authority. As an illustration of a proper view of submission to authority, consider the life of Jesus. In the above text, at age twelve, Jesus’ primary authority figures were his parents—Mary and Joseph. Children are placed under the authority of parents for the purpose of preparing them for successful lives.
A biblical definition of a successful life is a life that reflects alignment with the will and ways of God. This means that parents need to thoroughly train their children in Scripture and in their specific vocational callings.
Many parents think that the primary parental role is to develop godly character in their children. While this is important, it isn’t the essence of parenting. The essence of parenting is to proactively help each child find and fulfill his or her role in the metanarrative—God’s overarching story of history. In other words, parents should work with each child to uncover God’s destiny and purpose for that child. To fulfill their role in the metanarrative, children must also be trained in godly character, but godly character alone is incomplete training.
For children to receive the maximum benefit from their parents, children need to be taught the importance of submission to authority and the significance of being placed under their parents. The Greek word commonly translated submit in English is ὑποτάσσω. This is a compound word that literally means “to arrange under.” In the above text, it is translated subject. Metaphorically, the word implies “to put things in order under divinely ordained authority.” It is not orderly to be in rebellion against parents. Rather, it is orderly to recognize the strategic intentional plan of God in placing a specific child under specific parents and therefore it is orderly for children to submit to parents.
Jesus was clearly the model child who understood how to prepare for success. Even by age twelve, he knew that life was about obedience to the will and ways of God. He also knew that mastery of Scripture was critical preparation for his destiny and he knew that being sent was vital. And for all these elements to be efficacious toward finding and fulfilling his purpose, he knew that submission to his God-ordained parents was essential.
Here is your business tip. Management must learn to function as healthy authority figures for organizations seeking to release the God-ordained potential of each worker. There must be a culture of submission to authority throughout the organization. Workers should be screened to see if they understand the importance of submission and are willing to truly submit to authority. Proper submission to parents is an indicator that a worker understands submission to authority and should be one of the key hiring qualifications of every organization. Avoid hiring workers who do not have a history of submission to authority both in their family of origin and in the workplace.
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