IF YOU THINK that your boss is terrible, imagine working under King Nebuchadnezzar. He was not a nice person at all. After a couple of previous sieges, Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC utterly destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple, and carried many Jews into exile in Babylon (2 Kin 25:8-12). Daniel and his friends were among them (Dan 1:1-7). In Daniel chapter 2, when Nebuchadnezzar’s top advisers were unable to meet his outrageous demands, he ordered the killing of all the wise men in Babylon (Dan 2:1-16). Known for his idolatry and occultic practices, Nebuchadnezzar would be offensive to a pious Jew like Daniel. However, Daniel understood that Nebuchadnezzar was God’s appointed agent to punish the people of Israel for their persistent idolatries and disobedience against God.⁴⁵ This may explain Daniel’s position and posture in responding to Nebuchadnezzar (v.19) after the king had a terrifying dream of divine judgment (vv.4-18). Daniel could have rejoiced inwardly, pleased that justice was finally going to be carried out against Israel’s adversary. But instead he was “dismayed” and “alarmed” that such a judgment was going to befall the king. This tells us that Daniel genuinely sought the king’s well-being and honoured him from the heart. Daniel communicated with both courage and consideration, and graciously offered clear and godly counsel for the king’s next steps for the best possible outcome (v.27). Having a difficult boss is not the problem. Having a wrong posture of heart towards the boss is. May we grow in having the right posture of heart even towards difficult bosses, thereby shining for God and bringing glory to Him.

⁴⁵ For example, from the prophecies of Jeremiah.