But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
The stereotype of the executive in the three-piece pinstriped suit working long hours to make it to the top has been around for decades, but his female counterpart is a more recent development. Today, a growing number of men and women are more devoted to their careers than they are to their families. The siren call of careerism lures us away from intimacy and oneness.
Magazines carry articles on husbands and wives who pursue careers with brilliance, energy and drive. Somewhere in the article the wife mentions that she would like to have a child, but her career has been her all-consuming passion. Or she will lament the fact that she has to leave a small baby in some kind of day care situation while she zooms off to catch a jet to the next sales conference. These articles make these couples sound content, chic, sophisticated and totally fulfilled. In a word, they seem to have it all.
We seldom think of careerism as an "affair." But it is. What is an affair? It is breaking your marriage vows and giving yourself to someone or something else-a person, a career or material possessions.
Ironically, careers can be cruel lovers. In the end this kind of love affair is very unfulfilling. There is always another mountain to climb, another business victory to pursue; it's a life void of meaningful relationships. Those who put career above family are rarely satisfied. They are tragically addicted to riding the corporate escalator, and with no way to get off. They must ride it all the way to the top-only to find that at the top it's lonely.
Meanwhile, back at home the fires are slowly going out...
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