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Did you ever think that an Old Testament saint could be a great role-model for you as a Christian in the marketplace today? I can assure you that Daniel is that man. We’re looking at workplace principles from the life of Daniel. Consider this:
- Daniel was taken completely out of his comfort zone, away from familiar people and surroundings, into a different culture altogether.
When you go to work each day, you are likely to be leaving your comfort zone and entering a different kind of world—maybe a pagan world. The pagan gods may be a bit different today, but they are there:
- The god of materialism and success
- The god of “I have my own truth”
- The god of sexual pleasure
- The god of any kind of pleasure
- The god of “it’s all about me”
Our challenge is to remain true to the Lord even though we may work in Satan’s territory. Daniel—and his three faithful friends—were fully immersed in a pagan culture. They worked hard and succeeded in that society. But they did not accommodate their lifestyles or beliefs to the pagan world around them. Their approach was obedient involvement. They stayed involved in the world, while at the same time remaining obedient to God and his principles.
Have you ever felt like a foreigner in your working world? Well, that’s because you are, if you’re a Christ-follower. This world is not your home. Peter wrote that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood a holy nation, a people belonging to God. He goes on to remind us that we are aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:9).
But Jesus has you there—in that pagan culture—for a purpose. And when you keep a joyful spirit, it is one of the most powerful weapons you have, both to fight off the enemy, to sustain you—because the joy of the Lord is our strength—and to testify to those around you that you have a good reason to be joyful.