Dealing with Impossible Situations

Sep 04, 2008 05:47 AM EDT

Daniel 2:10-28 NIV

By human terms, what Nebuchadnezzar was asking was irrational. It was not humanly possible to do what he was demanding that the astrologers do. Nebuchadnezzar became so angry that he ordered that every astrologer and wise man in Babylon be executed. This included Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The astrologers stalled, they argued, they got angry at the king. Daniel, on the other hand, dealt with the situation wisely. Faced with an irrational demand, Daniel requested time to accomplish the task the king had demanded. Granted time to pray, Daniel - through God's help - was able to accomplish the impossible.

Very few of us are bosses. Most of us have a boss - someone who is in authority over us at work. Occasionally, the boss will demand things from us that seem impossible. It could be that, in his demand, he is holding the best interests of not only the company but of us. By pushing us harder, he causes us to achieve even greater things than we thought possible. But there are also impossible bosses - men and women who have allowed power to go to their heads - people who gain pleasure from keeping their subordinates in total turmoil. demanding the impossible in a self-serving attempt to show those under them how really incompetent the boss thinks they are. So how do you and I handle such a situation, whether it is a boss who is merely trying to challenge us or a boss who is trying to doom us to failure?

By following Daniel's example. Don't stall or try to get out of doing the assignment. Instead, pray! Ask God for wisdom in handling the situation. Let Him show you how to handle the impossible. With the wisdom you gain from God, nothing will be impossible for you.

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 NIV

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