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Meditation
Babel and Babylon are synonyms. The city, founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10:10), soon became one of the most important and most prominent cities of Antiquity (Gen. 10:10 and 11: 1-9). The purpose of the city was to show the greatness of man. The people aimed to build a tower reaching into the heavens in order to be noticed and famous (Gen. 11:14). Babel was the capital of the expanding Babylonian Empire. It was under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BCE) that Babylon’s fame reached its climax. It became one of the most beautiful cities of Antiquity. The city was famous for its Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Also, in the book of Revelation, its greatness, beauty, prosperity, and riches were recognized, but because of their sins, the city had fallen (Revelation 18:18).
This drive to be noticed and respected reminds me of the first years of my career. Receiving respect was very important, especially the respect of my parents and my boss at the time. I was lucky to be successful in business. In a few years, I developed from a modest staff member into a member of the management team of a large company. Professionally and socially, I had made it, and everyone complimented me, yet it felt uncomfortable. On the inside, I was quite uncertain, and I had by no means found the right balance emotionally. My life consisted of the pursuit of outward successes. My identity was formed by my last success, and I lived from one kick to the next. When I had to wait for success, and the pressure was on, I was prepared to stretch guidelines and regulations in order to deliver. This led to improper behavior and gave cause for discussions within the company. Proud and arrogant as I was, I decided to leave. I was convinced that I could start the very next day for any company, based on my proven successes and reputation. However, this turned out to be false.
My Babylon, the life that I had built up based on my business successes, was less solid than I had anticipated. The security that I had looked for in my successes, turned out to be absent. I had to start all over again and accepted a position at a lower level within a retail company in the same sector. (What happened next is part of the reading for tomorrow.)
Question for the day
What defines your identity?
About this Plan
How can we as entrepreneurs contribute to the happiness and well-being of all those involved with our company? Where do we find our own happiness and contentment? The biblical cities of Babylon and Jerusalem form the basis of this first series. They are symbols for two ways of thinking about happiness and business.
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