These two items, bad bosses and uncertain futures, can sew such a fear in our souls. They contest our control on our destiny. They question our ability to control the situation at hand. The unknown aspect of what they can do to us gives birth to an anxiety we never knew we were capable of having.
Well, here is a public service announcement. The Old Testament is overflowing with wise counsel and examples of people who survived. You are certainly not alone if either of these are causing overwhelming feelings. Bad bosses and uncertain futures have been a bad thing since the dawn of time, since man decided to be his own boss.
Those believers who held on despite the odds were placed in the Book of Hebrews Hall of Fame.
"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins." Hebrews 12 MSG
Old Testament believers didn't just face bad bosses, they worked for tyrants and were often enslaved. They shared cubicle space with self-centered ambitious coworkers who could torture or kill them at a moment's notice. Israel's future was uncertain a majority of the time. They lived a nomadic life, always in and out of captivity. Sometimes even their own blood couldn't be trusted.
Scripture is a place to go to seek ideas, contemplate ways ahead and most of all, learn to trust God. This is why the stories of the great cloud of witnesses were spoken through generations, penned in holy books and set in a Bible that many sought to destroy in its travel around the globe by brave couriers of the faith. The one constant in all the testimonies is God.
He has been, is and forever will be the solid in this crazy, broken world. When you report to Him first, all else falls in place. He has your future secure, in your best interest, and when you can walk in that truth you walk in a confidence like no other.
"Keep your eyes on Jesus , who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there , in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"
Hebrews 12 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/heb.12.1-3.MSG
Hebrews 12 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/heb.12.1-3.MSG
So go check out the Old Testament. I've been behind again in writing because I've been lost in the book of Daniel. This young man watched his friends survive a blazing furnace and lived through a night in the lions den. He wasnt afraid to tell his bosses what God revealed about the uncertain futures even if it meant death.
Despite the odds he kept his daily routine of spiritual exercises. That communication with God on the regular kept him going. Daniel knew it was his lifeline no matter the cost. His obedience made him fearless. His faith made him strong. God was always in control.
After you read the stories of the Old Testament, comment below on the bad bosses and uncertain futures you find. Most of all, discover how to stop them from developing an unhealthy fear in your soul and share what you learned.
May His peace be with you.
