I hear a variety of comments regularly from my counseling clients: “I hate my job!” “My boss is a tyrant!” “ No one in my office is a Christian and they treat me like an outcast”. “If the economy wasn’t so bad I would have left long ago!”
I remember feeling that way numerous times during my twenty eight years in corporate America. I worked in the sales department of a large insurance company that was packed full of “type A”/choleric characters. It was an open buffet for spirits of competition, greed, arrogance, and pride to feast.
I had a head-on collision one day with a spirit of greed that was using my boss to steal my peace. It was during the Christmas season when all of our vendors sent gifts of gratitude for using them during the year. Usually food items that we could share with the rest of the office. One day, as I walked by my boss’ office, I saw boxes addressed to me under his desk. I thought that was odd, but I kept silent and waited.
I noticed when I came back from lunch that day, all the boxes were gone. The same scenario went on for several days until it hit me: my boss was stealing my presents! He received all of the mail for our department first and was taking the incoming gifts, hiding them, and sneaking them out to his car while I was at lunch.
I can say with all honesty, that in my anger I crossed over into sin. That spirit of greed was eating more than my Christmas presents, it was eating my lunch!
During those days, I was not skilled at firm boundaries and confrontation in love. Instead, I headed over to a co-worker who was a mature Christian and blew up. Looking back, I’m sure I startled her with what was coming out of my mouth! She gently took my hand and guided me out of the building. Then, with all respect and tenderness, she looked in my eyes and asked me, “Who do you serve? You have authority over that spirit of greed. Why are you letting it torment you?”
That was the day I started using the authority Jesus gave me with his keys to the kingdom. He promised through his word in Matthew 16:19 that whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven. It meant I could speak that word and bind that wicked sprit of greed and loose generosity in its place. As an ambassador of the heavenly realm, Jesus gave me his authority in this situation!
Having those keys in my hand, I became a mighty warrior. After repenting to God for my melt-down, I started binding up stuff in everyone I worked with and loosing the fruits of the spirit daily. I also set some clear boundaries to avoid feeding that spirit of greed in my boss. The first boundary was having all the mail delivered directly to me.
Almost immediately the atmosphere in my office changed. I started looking forward to going to work again! That year for Christmas, my boss gave me a beautiful hand painted manger scene!
Jesus reigned that year in my office. As believers we all have that authority. Are you using it? Or are you murmuring and complaining like I once was?
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