Academiolatry: A Prayer of Confession & Thanks

I’m learning, Lord, how to be happy for those whom I harbor some jealousy toward. Lately, nearly every few days it seems, I read or hear of someone getting that coveted “full professorship” I had long staked my hopes on. For years, those in academia ingrained in me the desire for notoriety and name-making. My value and self-worth became wrapped up in the upper echelons of universities and seminaries. Land the job. Get my name plate on the door. Hold my achievement up high for all to see. Let everyone think that I have the best job in the world. Put my family through the gauntlet. Prove myself. Have my say. Stand out. I don’t know that I ever made academia an idol (academolatry?), but perhaps I’ve come close. Not sure. Either way, it has taken me years, decades, to come to a point where, when I see someone else accept a job offer, I simply give them to you, give my jealousy to you, and pray that you would use them for good and to your glory. That’s not always easy, but you’ve taught me that it is always healthy. Thank you for that, God. And thank you for hearing my prayers.