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Do you sometimes feel like nobody really understands what you have to put up with? Nobody really knows what it’s like to live in your shoes—in your world? In writing to the church in Pergamum, the Lord Jesus said through John, “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name” (Revelation 2:13a).
Jesus understands where you live, and he knows you and I are living our lives where Satan has his throne. Satan is temporarily in power, and we live and work right in the middle of his territory. It’s analogous to living in a foreign land, where you speak a different language, have a totally different culture, and a completely alien set of values to everyone else.
But Jesus says, I know where you live—and where you work. Right in the midst of people who care nothing about spiritual things. They don’t want to talk about Jesus, and what you find exciting and encouraging would bore many of them to death, because they’re spiritually blind.
How do we manage in that kind of world? Well, Jesus says we are to be in this world but not of it. So, we are not to allow the people of this world to pull us down to their level. Yet we are to be available and open to be their friends, to help them when we can, to spend time with them for edifying and harmless reasons.
Each of us has to pray a lot and ask God how we draw these lines in our own lives. For example, if the conversation among your coworkers is almost always crude, immoral, degrading or negative, you probably don’t want to voluntarily put yourself into those group gatherings. Admittedly, that could make you appear to be a loner, but if you have a loving attitude toward these people, you can still have an impact on some of them.
Usually we exert influence in one-on-one situations rather than group settings. So, look for ways to develop relationships with individuals and spend time getting to know them. People are more willing to be open one-on-one than in a group, so that may be one way to deal with this problem.
Since you live in enemy territory, don’t be surprised to discover that those around you see life totally different because they don’t have God’s viewpoint. They are spiritually blind. But you must remain true to the name of Jesus. That’s more important than anything else.
Remember Jesus knows where you live and he will be with you in your difficult work environment. So take heart, because he has overcome the world.