• The Peter Principle - I Will Change Your Name

  Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Jan 19, 2026 (message contributor)

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  Scripture:  John 1:42, Acts 5:29, 1 Samuel 16:7, Philippians 4:13

  Tags:  Name, Heart, Peter, Change, New Creation, Principle  (view more)  (view less)

  Denomination: Anglican

Back in the 60's ... a man named Laurence J. Peter ... visited several corporations ... and studied some of their management styles ... and characteristics.

As a result, ... he came up with a maxim ... which was later named after him ... called ... "The Peter Principle." (Pause)

I was an Executive Vice President in the banking field for 32 years.

So, ... it's nice to know ... that some of my financial experience ... can transfer ... to the pulpit.

Well ... The Peter Principle ... roughly states:

When A person is hired by a company ... and they are doing very well in their position;

Someone will notice his or her competence ... and they are promoted to a higher level of responsibility.

They again perform well ... and they are elevated another notch ... within the organization.

This occurs again and again.

Eventually ... the individual is promoted to a position ... that they do poorly at ... or cannot handle.

That is ... They are promoted to a point ... where they are less competent ... or in many cases ... incompetent.

And They remain in that position ... for their remaining tenure ... with the company.

And sadly, ... they lose their value ... or in many cases ... have no value ... or even worse ... a negative value ... to the company. (Long Pause)

The World too ... evaluates people ... based on a kind of ... Peter Principle:

People are often regarded as valuable ... based upon ... good looks, ... intelligence, ... personality, ... wealth, ... or on things that they do ... or accomplish.

Yet sooner or later ... we will all reach a point in our lives ... when we are no longer useful ... or no longer have value ... at least ... by those standards.

By contrast, ... when it comes to the value of individuals ... God has a different posture ... than that ... of the world.

God looks less ... at what the world considers valuable.

Why? .... for He knows what lies within them ... he knows ... each person's inner worth.

God told the prophet Samuel ...this spiritual truth: Hear God's Word: BIBLE "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man, looks at the outward appearance, ... but the LORD ... looks ... (Slow) At the heart." END (1 Samuel 16:7)

The world focuses on the ... outward.

God focuses on ... what? ... The heart: ... the potential ... which lies within.