Daniel in the Cubicle: Creative Discipleship in the WorkplaceSample

Head of gold, feet of clay. That was the king's nightmare, and God gave Daniel both the dream and its interpretation. What did Daniel do after God gave him the vision of Nebuchadnezzar's dream? He didn't first run to Arioch with all the answers—remember this is God's story, not the story of mere kings like Nebuchadnezzar. The text says that first, Daniel and his friends blessed the God of heaven:

Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;

    wisdom and power are his.

He changes times and seasons;

    he deposes kings and raises up others.

He gives wisdom to the wise

    and knowledge to the discerning.

He reveals deep and hidden things;

    he knows what lies in darkness,

    and light dwells with him.

I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:

    You have given me wisdom and power,

you have made known to me what we asked of you,

    you have made known to us the dream of the king.

Do those words sound vaguely familiar? Do they remind you of anyone else in another time and place, who worked not as a slave, but still did not work in the best of conditions? A young girl engaged to a carpenter said:

My soul glorifies the Lord

    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

    of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

    for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

    from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

    but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

    but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

    remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

    just as he promised our ancestors.

(Luke 1:46-55)

These are Mary's words to her friend and cousin Elizabeth. Daniel and Mary, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and Elizabeth: God's people. People of prayer; workers, slaves, visionaries.  Who knew that theirs was the God of history, who is also in history with his people, enabling, encouraging, rescuing, and working in and through the fellowship of friendships and family? 

Their prayers are not feel-good prayers; they do not cater to what people want to hear even when that person is the oppressive king. Theirs are prayers born out of lives lived for God alone. If you have any other god besides that God, whether it's the god of the workplace, of money, fame, or even family, or if yours is a god with a golden head and feet of clay, your prayers won't be like that and certainly, your discipleship will be anything but creative and holy.

When was the last time you and your home group or church prayer group really wrestled with challenges of the workplace? Can you bring questions about corruption and bribery, the ill treatment of women, or the fear of being fired to your home group? So much of the contemporary church is about a feel-good gospel. But the gospel of Christ isn't a feel-good gospel; it is transformative and life-giving. From injustice in all its forms to justice; from brokenness to wholeness; from corruption to integrity; from violence to radical love of enemies. Discipleship is the transforming journey of those who say God, not Nebuchadnezzar, is Lord. 

We learn from Daniel and his friends that being a disciple is not about being a hero. Daniel is not a hero—his life and the lives of many were on the line. Rather, they remind us that we are meant to be disciples. We also learn that discipleship requires friends and discernment—paying attention to our contexts and being absolutely honest with each other when challenges arise.