It has long been my complaint that no matter how big the buzz about the latest business book, the truth is that if the book has anything new to say, it is wrong. If it has anything true to say, it is saying nothing new. Back in the stone age The Peter Principle was one such book. Its startling revelation was this- people tend to be promoted to their level of incompetence. That is, Mr. Jones does job A well, and so is promoted to job B. He does job B well and is promoted to job C. He will keep being promoted until one day he finds himself doing a job poorly. So, business men, be careful not to over-promote.
There was once a far wiser man than Laurence J. Peter, the man who gave us the principle above. His principle was this. When confronted with incompetence of the most egregious kind in Peter’s denial of Him, He said, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” To seek to put this wisdom into management terms, the principle is this- those who fail in a peculiar way are well equipped to encourage others who are tempted to fail in similar ways. We have a special calling to recognize our own sins, even when we see them in others. First, we must repent of our own sins. We are to return to Jesus. Then, we strengthen the brethren. We let them know the temptations we are apt to face, and we show them the path to repentance.
Several years ago the church where I served went through some terribly rough times. God sent those challenges, I believe, at least in part to show me my own pride. He had blessed that body so abundantly, and though I gave Him thanks for those blessings, somewhere deep inside I came to believe that I was a source of those blessings. God painfully reminded me that such was not the case. Though pride continues to assault me, even as Peter’s instability showed itself again even after he denied our Lord, at least I can be more on my guard.
Of late being called in to minister to other churches and pastors. My counsel has, not surprisingly, followed the Peter Principle. That is, what we see time and again is pride. Whether pride makes elder A guilty of the sins elder B accuses him of, or whether elder B makes the accusations because of his own pride, or some combination thereof, pride goeth before destruction. We come face to face with the James Principle- For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there (James 3:16). That’s both confusion, and every evil thing, in case you missed it.
My counsel? Watch out for pride, for envy and self-seeking. If you don’t see it in yourself, you’ve already stepped into confusion and self-delusion. Instead find it, and repent of it, fully. Then, go strengthen the brethren.
