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Lions' Den Survival Principles 24-Part Series

57 Lions' Den Survival Principles

Lions' Den Survival Principles PART 5 of 24

Hanging in There Until Your Big Break Comes

" O King, live forever . . . there is a man in your kingdom who has
the spirit of the Holy Gods in him . . . Call for Daniel and
he will tell you what the writing means."
—Daniel 5:10-12 (NIV)

One of the frustrating things about relating to God is that He is not an American! He does not believe in "instant everything," He isn't committed to the "bigger is better" mentality, and time and money don't have any value to Him, He owns all of both. I've observed that God's "unamerican" ways rub particularly hard on those in media, especially when vocational work is unfulfilling or nonexistent.

Daniel apparently found a way to handle both being vocationally unfulfilled and unemployed. In this column I want to share some insights on Daniel's incredible ability to cope over the “long haul.”

When the frightful finger of God wrote on the wall of Belshazzar's feast, Daniel was unemployed. His influence in the Kingdom had lapsed with the death of Nebuchadnezzar in 562 B. C.. This event is 23 years later. When the queen mother punctuated the terror that had gripped the banquet hall with her recommendation, she referred to Daniel's influence clearly in the past tense, "In the time of your father [emphasis added] he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods." There is no reference to Daniel as a "player" for nearly quarter of a century.

Many media pros can relate. In an industry filled with wannabes, has-beens, and never-was-gonna-bes there is a more or less constant terror over work. Nagging questions are, “Will I ever work again?” “Am I past my prime?” “Will my break never come?” “Why am I not able to use my God-given talents?” “Is this unchallenging work I have to do to eat a sign that I have failed God or that He has abandoned me?”

Daniel seems to have had all these dynamics licked. Survival Principle 9: Don't confuse being unfulfilled or out of work with being out of commission. God hasn't forgotten you or abandoned His plans for you.

Daniel was past eighty when the call came from the banquet hall. He had served as vizier or prime minister to the greatest monarch in the world. How soon people forget. He wasn't even invited to this ball held by Nebuchadnezzar's arrogant son! But Daniel wasn't "out of commission." He was obviously still in fellowship with his God, and still had his skills honed for service. He remained "on call."

I know one top media executive who got "dumped" in a corporate shakeup and who turned his unemployment into a blessing by spending quality time with the Lord and his family--things he'd desired for years--rather than sponsoring a "pity party" for himself.

Survival Principle 10: Maintain the kind of character and reputation that will recommend you when the "big job" comes along.

How wonderful that Daniel wasn't passed over to speak for Jehovah to the king because the word was out he'd turned bitter toward God for the years of royal disfavor! How terrific that Daniel hadn't disqualified himself for this incredible spiritual task by compromising his spiritual character through immorality, addiction, or vocational work that tarnished his testimony!

I've heard it said, "We'd like to use [fill in the name] but he's become so angry and bitter in the years since his last picture that nobody can work with him." Don't let the "attitude of ingratitude" disqualify you for the big break.

Postscript. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the very night of the handwriting on the wall the Medo-Persians captured Babylon. Belshazzar was murdered, and Daniel got a fabulous position in the new realm under Darius the Mede, the new king . . . because of his character.

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© 2000-2004 Larry W. Poland, Ph.D., Mastermedia International, Inc.