He was very excited about the new job. It was his dream job; a well-deserved promotion. A few weeks into the job, he came to me for counselling; “Sir, I don’t think I can continue with this job. I want to resign.” As I listened to him, I discovered that he was not prepared for the atmosphere of his new job. I counselled and prayed with him. He got back on the job, making steady progress to the glory of God.
Friend, always remember that you carry a sacred calling that would mostly be fulfilled in a secular or even demonic atmosphere (Isaiah 60:1-2, John 1:5). While a pastor would usually operate among born-again people, believers would mostly operate among unbelievers. Attempting to resign from a job in a secular, unbeliever setting is to not understand the nature of God’s call on your life.
Most of the Bible heroes served in secular and sometimes occultic settings, yet they lived out the life of God and enforced the Kingdom in their spheres. Joseph was vice to a heathen king, Pharaoh (Genesis 41:38-46). Daniel worked with an occultic king, Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:1-8). Jacob served with an idol worshipper, Laban (Genesis 31:30-33).
Our ministry is not essentially in Church, but in the world (Mark 16:15). The Church is only our place of equipping. The world is our place of manifestation (Ephesians 4:11-12). The issue is not the atmosphere of your work. It is your level of preparation. It is knowing how to hold your Christian integrity while discharging your duties with excellence at work (Daniel 1:8, 20, 6:3).
The higher you go in life, the tougher the atmosphere of your operations would be. Sometimes, promotion for you would mean working in a highly demonised environment. It is part of God’s strategy to infiltrate the world with light (Matthew 5:13-16). It is to make the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and His Christ (Revelation 11:15). God has not called us to segregate; He has called us to penetrate. We are to be separate or different, but not separated (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Demonic atmospheres should not make you back out. They are simply calling for your depth in God and spiritual training (Proverbs 24:10). What is in you must be stronger than what is in the environment (1 John 4:4). Your consecration must be stronger than the iniquity in the world (Daniel 1:8). Your knowledge of God must be stronger than the lies and deceptions out there (Daniel 11:31-32). Your prayer life must command the forces of hell to bow to the lordship of Jesus (Jeremiah 1:10-12, 51:20-24). This is the burden of promotion.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria