Power and Influence 

God on Monday
Read Previous 

‘Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper’ (Jeremiah 29:7)

Reflection

Imagine a teeming settlement of displaced people on the edge of a large city. Forcibly removed from their homeland, they are bitter toward their captors. Familiar in several places in the world today, this is also the scene of the Israelites in exile in Babylonia in the 6th century B.C.

But one day, a letter arrives from Jerusalem from the prophet Jeremiah. It contains the shocking injunction in the verse above. Seek the shalom of the pagan and hostile city of Babylon? Surely no Israelite exile could comply!

Well, at least one of them does. He may well have been in the crowd listening to that letter. He and three other bright young men are selected on behalf of the Babylonian king for a three-year course on pagan culture to prepare them for service at the royal court.

This man, named Daniel, then dedicates himself to this task but refuses to compromise his faith. He and his three study mates could have been half-hearted in their work, given its pagan setting. Or they could have restricted their faith to private prayer while adopting pagan culture uncritically for the prestige and sense of belonging it would have given them.
 
In being wholeheartedly dedicated both to excellent work in an ungodly culture and to living for God without compromise, they have influence. This eventually turns also into power as they are promoted to become government officials (Daniel 2.48 -49). They use their power and influence in responsible leadership.

Response

Whether or not you have power in your organization, think of the influence you have through your work. Determine to do that work whole-heartedly, yet in full obedience to God.

Prayer

Lord God, may Jeremiah’s words and Daniel’s actions inspire us to use the influence and power we have to increase the well-being of all that you have made.

This Week's Author

Read next

God on Monday is produced in partnership with the Church of England. The reflections are based on the scriptural readings designated for the coming Sunday in the Church's lectionary.

You can sign up to God on Monday here to receive each instalment.

Feel free to share these reflections with your contacts via email and social media.