“There’s a huge difference between being a replaceable cog on the assembly line and being the one who is missed, the one with a unique contribution, the one who made a difference.” – Seth Godin
Many people worry, with justification, about getting replaced at work. Lower-skilled substitutes, foreign workers located in plants thousands of miles away, and robotic machinery all contribute to this pervasive anxiety.
To counter the trend, it’s easy to assume you have to master new capabilities and become an expert in your field, but that’s not the case.
Basing her career advice on Seth Godin’s book, Linchpin, Lilly Zhang suggests that “What makes you irreplaceable isn’t a set of skills or experiences, it’s you. And that’s great news! A great fear of modern workers is that robots will replace them one day, but someone (or something) who can work better, faster, or more efficiently isn’t what employers are looking for at all. In fact, if you want to be indispensable, it’s important to bring to the table what no robot ever could.”
And what’s that? Zhang lists the abilities to connect, troubleshoot, and specialize.
I appreciate her reasoning. To secure yourself in the marketplace and enjoy success, you need to make yourself irreplaceable. If your boss can’t do without you, he or she will pay you top dollar to stick around. If your customers think you’re the cat’s meow, they’ll keep you in business no matter what.
This principle makes sense, but no one’s irreplaceable.
Even Jesus.
Creation
He created the the heavens, the earth, and everything in them.
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” – John 1:3
Jesus had the biggest job in the world because He made the world!
And that’s not all; Jesus also sustains the universe. Reality exists because He keeps it going.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” – Hebrews 1:3
“Sustaining” is in the present tense, which indicates ongoing action. But did Christ’s word preserve creation during His incarnation? I suspect not. To conduct Himself as one of us, Jesus laid aside His divine privileges and prerogatives.
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” – Philippians 2:6-7
If Jesus abandoned maintaining the cosmos during the days of His earthly walk, who stepped in? Did God the Father do it Himself? If so, then at least for a time (about 33 years), Christ was supplanted.
Jesus volunteering to relinquish His role in creation demonstrates that no one is irreplaceable. Even if we do important work, others can fill in for us.
Reaction
How does this make us feel? It’s one thing to agree with the logic of the explanation; quite another to undergo the experience. Displaced workers suffer distress at getting a pink slip or finding out that the company is going in a new direction and they aren’t invited. They face the disruption of their world; a thousand questions gnaw at their souls. And the sense of humiliation dampens hope for the future.
Jesus identifies; He put Himself through the trial. Christ humbled Himself but He had a reason–us! Our salvation was His motivation. Driven by love, the Lord relinquished heavenly glory for the shame of the cross.
“When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.” – Isaiah 53:11 (NLT)
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2
How much can we endure? When it involves the benefit of other, sometimes we can face quite a lot!
Application
Accept the fact that you’re replaceable. This isn’t a defeatist attitude; it’s a recognition that your peace of mind rests in God. Regardless of how others evaluate you, He esteems you.
But the fact isn’t final. No matter how unsettling or damaging being replaced can be, it’s not the last word. That’s Christ’s purview and He intends to bless you.
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