Feeling stuck

⁴⁸ Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. ⁴⁹ Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.

Daniel 2:48,49

Ever felt like you were stuck in a place where you are forced to make a decision that seemingly could make or break you?  Several years ago, the company that I was working for had a proposal due at a college about an hour away from our office.  I had worked really hard to get our foot in the door and the proposal was for a significant project.  Well, the proposal got to our office late and there was no way we could get it there on time.  So my boss at the time says "Wags, just tell them you broke down on 95 and that you are now on your way."  (Little back story about my boss at the time is that he was a great guy, great boss, but you never said no to him.  He wasn't in our office but carried a lot of weight in the company.)

I took a breathe and told him, "No.  I won't do that."

His response?  Silence, then, "Ok, bye."

Soon after I called Lacy and told her I may have just lost my job but that I was ok with it because I kept my integrity and stood up for what was right.  In the end, my boss gained greater respect for me and actually said, "It took a lot of ***** to say no to me.  I respect that."  My status with him continued to grow after that.

We are just 2 weeks into our study in Daniel with the college students and I can't get enough of it.  I didn't even get to the last 2 verses in my sermon this past week but they are amazing.  Daniel, stands up for what he believes in, God uses him to interpret the King's dream, and through that Daniel's influence is increased and he's able to bring his boys into greater influence as well.  ALL FOR GOD'S KINGDOM!!!

Does it work out that way every time?  Nope.  Some times the decision to stand up for what is right may cost you your job, friend, significant other etc...But in the end, isn't God really protecting you and clearing the way for you to be in a better place?  Why would you want to be in any situation that tears down your witness, your integrity, and constantly puts you in places to make bad choices?

Maybe being "stuck" isn't as bad as we make it out to be and it's really just about making the right decisions.

Peace,
Wags