The Man God Made You to Beනියැදිය

Dirty Hands, Clean Work

Have you ever had a negative experience with a business? I’m sure we all have.

And how do you usually respond? Of all the options, one that is often used is to talk to the manager.

Why?

Because the employee is a reflection of the business that the manager represents.

Daniel’s story in Scripture is a fascinating one. He is captured and exiled from his homeland of Israel, educated in all that Babylon had to offer, took a stand for his faith, and rose to second-in-command under King Darius.

And why did this happen?

It was because Daniel “distinguished himself” among his colleagues (Daniel 6:3 NIV).

That means he did everything he could to reflect King Darius and his interests.

While the other “employees” tried to take every advantage they could for themselves, Daniel crossed his t’s and dotted his i’s. In other words, he was trustworthy, and no corruption was found in him (Daniel 6:4)

The apostle Paul calls men to serve our “earthly masters” (read: employers) (Colossians 3:22 NIV). He goes on to tell us to do it “not only when their eye is on [us] and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23 NIV)

As Christian men, our identity in our workplace should reflect honesty and integrity. We should be the ones our employers can trust, especially when they are not around.

“But what if I don’t agree with my employer?”

Great question. I would bet that neither did Daniel, at least at times. Babylon and its king were famously pagan.

And what did he do about it?

Two things.

First, he went to the Lord in prayer, like he always had (Daniel 6:10).

Second, he did his job to the best of his abilities “so that the king might not suffer loss” (Daniel 6:2 NIV).

Our identity as Christian men in the workplace needs to reflect the business we work in and the boss we work for. But it’s even bigger than that, as Paul gives us the real reason to work hard for our employers, saying that “since [we] know that [we] will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ [we] are serving,” (Colossians 3:24 NIV).

As Christian men in the workplace, we don’t just reflect our earthly boss. We also reflect our heavenly Father. And it’s His identity that ours should reflect.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the jobs You have provided in my life. Help me to reflect You better in my workplace so that others see You through me. Amen.

Reflection: Take some time to pray for the people in your workplace and ask Jesus how He wants you to reflect Him more to them.