All three recognized that no matter how much evil had been inflicted upon them, God would eventually use it for good. They held on to their conviction that God had a destiny for them that was greater and better than their present circumstances.
Because of that conviction, they were able to excel at jobs and assignments that, on the surface, were unappealing, even degrading. If they had quit because their tasks weren’t enjoyable, they never would have fulfilled their destinies.
You need to be in the system before God can begin to transform it. God will not transform your workplace in order to put you in it. On the contrary, He has placed you in it to bring transformation to it.
You are the change agent! When you accept this assignment, you create a monumental problem for the devil because light—no matter how dim or small—has started to invade his kingdom.
Embracing the System
The next step is to embrace the system. God may eventually lead you to a different job; but until that time comes, you need to give everything you have to your current one. Doing so allows God to move you from victory to victory.
You can begin by making a list of all the good things your job has to offer and then affirming those things. Make a declaration that you wholeheartedly embrace your current employment.
Joseph took this step when he embraced the system of slavery. He could have chosen to work half-heartedly or begrudgingly, but instead he served his masters with extraordinary diligence.
Esther also took this step when she served her husband and his wicked guest, Haman, not once, but twice. It must have been difficult for her to embrace her job as a queen, knowing that Haman was evil and sought the destruction of her people. But she did not let this distract her from doing the best possible job.
So often Christians project a tremendous sense of rejection toward their workplace. They point to the flaws in the system and thus condemn it. But when the adulterous woman stood before Jesus, He did not focus on the sins that had ruined her but on the hope that lay ahead: “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11).
Be hopeful about your workplace. After all, when light and darkness meet, who wins? Greater is the One who is in us than the one who is in the world!
Improving the System
The next step is to improve the system. Just as the 70 were told to heal the sick in the homes of those with whom they had fellowship, you and I are instructed by the Lord to make things better at work—especially in those areas where things are not going so well.
When you take the first step and make peace with your job, you neutralize the evil elements that have created strife between you and your work. When you take the second step and embrace your job, you make it a part of your life. That opens the door to the third step, as God’s blessings begin to extend into your workplace.
God bestowed blessings upon Egypt, Babylon and Persia on account of Joseph, Daniel and Esther. They were able to improve the system. In doing so, they proved to their kings that God cared for their nations.
Likewise, when you improve the system at work, you convey a deeply appreciated message to your boss, partner, associates or employees. You also point them toward God. Nothing points marketplace people toward the Lord better than seeing a miracle in the marketplace!
Bringing the Kingdom to Your Job
The final step is to declare that the kingdom of God has come to the place where you work. This is not an abstract declaration. You are the light of the world; therefore, you are able to bless your job, embrace it and bring to bear the power of God in the areas there that require miracles.
I know a Christian who became a high-ranking executive in a large European telecommunications corporation. After a powerful encounter with the Lord, he came to the realization that God wanted him to be a shepherd to the employees who worked for him.
The next day he arrived at the office before anyone else and blessed the working space of every single employee in his department. He did this day after day, and before long the spiritual climate around him improved significantly. This became evident in black and white when sick leaves and conflict levels in his department were reported to be dramatically lower than in the rest of the company.
The man’s boss—the CEO of the company—asked him for an explanation. “It’s God!” the executive said, and he went on to explain how he had put a canopy of prayer over the department.
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