Daniel: A Faithful Young ProfessionalSample

Daniel, a Jew and inhabitant of the city of Jerusalem, is moved into exile to Babylon, the great city of King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:10-17). After arrival in Babylon, he is selected for a trainee program of the King of Babylon. He has a bright future ahead of him as one of the leaders within this great and mighty empire of Babylon (Dan. 1:3-6). You might say that Daniel is one of the "high potentials" within the kingdom. Babylon has discovered his talents and capacities and has, therefore, decided to invest in him. Daniel only needs to conform to the rules and the culture that are customary in the Babylonian Kingdom. He receives a new name because he is supposed to forget about his Jewish identity and identify himself with Babylon and its culture (Dan. 1:7). In addition to this exquisite education under the guidance of the best teachers in the kingdom, he also gets the best and most healthy food available.

Imagine you are being scouted by a large multinational. You are a "high potential" for being extraordinarily gifted. You receive a traineeship and have the opportunity to have an extraordinary career. You are no longer Mr. or Mrs. X; you have the prospect of becoming a managing director. In the future, you will no longer introduce yourself with just your name, but you will add your position and the name of your company. People want to be close to you; you receive status, appreciation, and attention. Luxury hotels, cars, the appropriate status symbols, income, bonuses, and contacts; everything within your reach. You receive all this because of your status with the multinational. You only have to conform to the rules and the culture of the company. These are not bad or wrong per definition, they are just different, different from the personal values and convictions that you were taught at home. For instance, the company has as a rule: The end justifies the means. This is not necessarily bad, but it potentially may lead people to misbehave ethically. In the business market where the company operates, you either eat or are eaten. The organizational culture is similar: either you join in and will grow, or else you are out. The company also has a culture of manipulation and politics; there are a lot of power games. Everything goes.

Question for the day:
How would you conform to these rules?