Betrayed By Work

Job-satisfaction studies over the past 20 years indicate that people are looking for identity, purpose, and meaning in their work, but very few are finding them. Work becomes too personal for too many people.

When you look for unmet emotional needs at work, you’re setting yourself up for betrayal. Psychologist Ilend Philipson explains. “Work is not a meritocracy. Your boss is not your friend. Your colleagues are not your family. Workplaces are intensely political environments.” 

Three signs that work has become too personal say Philipson are: 

1. You rarely miss work, even when you’re sick and should’ve been in bed. You never vacation with friends or family, and when you choose between a child’s activity and work-related meeting, you usually choose the latter.
2. They always thought that putting work above all else made them valuable employees, but in the end, it damaged their relationships, hurt their health, and emotionally devastated them.
3. The primary motivation for working long days and longer nights wasn’t because people love work, but because of the praise and recognition received. If you rely on work for a sense of self-worth, you’re putting yourself at the mercy of the whims of the higher-ups.

You need to value what you do and know your assets – even when your employer doesn’t.

Friendships at work should be approached with great caution. At work, you are in a hierarchical situation, where you’re vying for attention, raises, and promotions. People tend to become unglued when there are layoffs, transfers, or changes in positions.

The problem occurs when work is the only place where your needs are met. Your identity should not depend on one relationship. You need different relationships to get your needed affirmation. 

Source: Article: Betrayed by Work, Fast Company Magazine, Issue 29, November 1999.

Betrayal, jealousy, and failing to resist temptation are a condemnation of the soul and of self. They are short-term tools of the wicked and never without consequence.

Jesus knew where he was going and never waivered. He lived everyday knowing his purpose was to die for our sins. Although our mission lacks the same scope, we must head in a clear direction. The road will likely have the same bumps, such as betrayal, jealousy, and temptation. Jesus didn’t let that deter him from his purpose and we shouldn’t either.

Betrayal has different meanings to different people. However, in the simplest sense, it is an employees feeling, justified or not, that he or she has been deceived, mislead, or led astray in one way or another.

Gary is the brightest, most intelligent, hard-working man I’ve come across in my many years of government service. Additionally, he had great human relations skills. He would have made a great Plant Manager, but he wasn’t willing to sacrifice his family time that it would entail. He remained in Operations Support and did a fantastic job until he felt his company betrayed him. Managers outside the building questioned the amount of work he was doing and made him write down what he was doing every 15 minutes.

Outside managers drove the existing Plant Manager into retirement and rode everyone that came in to take his place. Gary was close with the Plant Manager and was very upset that someone did this to him and didn’t understand why. This office was doing very well in terms of productivity so there didn’t seem to be a logical reason for the sudden lynching.

The fact of the matter was that Gary was very knowledgeable, intelligent, and resourceful. He did things efficiently and accurately the first time. In the end, his reward for his ability was ridicule and humiliation.

Betrayal

What prompted Judas to turn Jesus in? (Matthew 26:14-16) - - Judas’s greed may have been a factor in his accepting 30 silver coins to betray Jesus. Some speculate that Jesus’ talk of burial (v. 12) disillusioned Judas, who may have been put off or confused by the idea that a real Messiah could die (see 16:21-25; Mark 9:9-10). Others think Judas was disappointed because Jesus seemed unwilling to establish the earthly kingdom many expected. Whatever the cause, Satan was behind Judas’s act of betrayal (John 13:27).

If Jesus can be betrayed when he had everything to provide, especially salvation, we can expect to be betrayed. Inevitably, some people will become disillusioned with your ideas or blame you for situations that may be out of your control. Whatever the reason, you must weather the storm and let the truth come out.