Daniel: A Faithful Young Professionalಮಾದರಿ

God gives clear instructions to the people of Israel about the way in which they should live in exile in Babylon. On behalf of God, Jeremiah writes a letter to the exiles: "seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (Jer. 29:7). The exiles in Babylon are called to be a blessing to the people around them. Daniel, too, works for a purpose higher than his own personal interest. He primarily works for God and to serve others (Dan. 5:17).

As Christians, we are called, just as the Jews in Babylon, for a higher purpose. This purpose has our own personal well-being included in the service of God and in the well-being of the people with whom we live. I am glad to see this realization break through in our times. Young people start or join companies because they want to make a difference. They do not only work for the money. These young professionals work and think from a purpose.

Remco is an example of such a highly educated, young professional. He used to work for a company where he was not sure whether he made any difference in his environment and for society at large. He concluded he did not and, subsequently, started his own business: A production company that only employed people who needed help to become job-ready, people for whom it was hard to find an appropriate job. He invested a lot of time and money in cutting complex processes into simpler, more routine jobs. Remco personally selects and supports his staff members. His purpose was that these people would develop in such a way that they would find a job with another company more easily. It turned out quite difficult to realize these plans. Regularly he considered quitting the whole enterprise, but he could not. He sees his work as a calling, and these people give him contentment in and meaning to his work. He wants to serve and be a blessing.

A blessing, therefore, cannot be defined in terms of pure material welfare. The Bible speaks of blessing in a wider sense. Perhaps the Jewish word, shalom, in its biblical meaning, expresses the content of this blessing best. Its meaning encompasses peace and well-being, as well as life, abundance, happiness, wholeness, justice, joy, and goodness. Such a society and blessing are described in the visions about the Messianic realm of peace (Isaiah 11:1-10; 65:17-25). Spreading shalom, God’s vision, and the accompanying blessing in our society is a wonderful way of working and doing business.

Question for the day:
How do you promote shalom in and through your work?

For more information about work and faith:
For more information about Christian entrepreneurship, read the book, "The Jerusalem Entrepreneur, Becoming a Source of Well-Being", by Wouter Droppers or check out www.europartners.org