Christians and Public Service (2)

“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Genesis 39.9

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1.8

Begin here
Daniel and Joseph provide two excellent examples for Christians considering a calling from the Lord to public service. These two men, separated by nearly 2,000 years, show us how one who is committed to serving the Lord can fulfill that service in the public arena, with powerful and beneficial results.

In this series we want to ferret out a few principles for Christians thinking about – or already engaged in – public service; so we’ll be looking at Joseph and Daniel as exemplars for a brief overview of the Biblical teaching about public service.

We begin with the most important principle of all: Christians who wish to enter the public arena and serve in the halls of civil government must make up their minds that all their service, at all times, will be first of all unto the Lord. As Paul put it, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3.23, 24).

Politics and compromise
Politics and government is the vocational arena in which compromise is celebrated as a great virtue. Indeed, politicians spend a good deal of time vilifying one another because, as they claim, their opponents are not willing to compromise for the sake of the public weal.

It is true that some kinds of compromise are allowable and useful, but compromise on matters of ultimate moral and spiritual concern must never be tolerated on the part of those who are, first of all, citizens in the Kingdom of God.

Serving on God’s terms
We see this in Joseph while he served as a house-slave in the home of Potiphar.

Joseph was a good worker. Granted, he was not given the option of entering public service, at least, not at this stage in his life. But he demonstrated no resentment, did his work excellently and without grumbling, and so gained the trust of Potiphar, who often left him alone at his home.

Potiphar’s wife, on the other hand, saw other qualities in Joseph. So she tried to seduce him. But Joseph would have none of it, avowing that his first allegiance was to God. People could do to him what they will, but Joseph set his heart to obey God, and he was not about to compromise for any reason (Gen. 39.1-10).

The same was true with Daniel.

Impressed into service in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel requested not to go beyond the teaching of God’s Word, even in so simple a matter as to the diet he should follow. He knew that King Solomon warned against the enticements of royal cuisine (Prov. 23.1, 2). Doubtless, too, the instructions of Ezekiel, Daniel’s contemporary, concerning what the people of God were to eat while in Babylon, were fresh in his mind (cf. Ezek 4.9-12).

Daniel was to honor God at all costs, and not to serve on the terms of a pagan king. It was a noble beginning to many years of productive service.

Accepting a call from the Lord to serve in civil government, at any level, in any capacity, is a valid way for believers to fulfill their service to the Lord. But they must realize, going in, that all kinds of compromises may be expected of them. It is simply how the business of politics is conducted. Some of these compromises will be allowable because they do not relate to matters of principle or morality. Very often, in seeking to get things done, trade-offs, promises of mutual support, postponing best policies for the best we can get right now will be the way to proceed. As Daniel shows us later in his career, there are limits to the kinds of compromises believers can tolerate.

And no believer should ever do anything in the way of compromise that he would not feel good about before the face of God and in the hearing of his or her constituents.

And no Christian, under any circumstances or for any reason, should compromise truth or morals for political gain. Make up your mind going into public service, or thinking about those you will support in that arena, that like Daniel and Joseph, your policy when it comes to such matters, will always be “no compromise.”

For reflection
1.  Do you agree that a Christian thinking about public service should make his or her beliefs known up front? Why or why not?

2.  What might be some examples of “legitimate” compromises a Christian serving in the public sector could make?

3.  What would be some examples of compromise a Christian will have to decline?

Next steps: What are some areas where people in public service might be tempted to compromise beyond what God approves? Pray for the people on your list, that God would protect them from such compromises. Compile a list of email addresses for your public servants. Begin writing to them to let them know you pray for them regularly.

T. M. Moore

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This week’s study, Christians and Public Service, is part 4 of a 5-part series on The King’s Heart, a Biblical view of government and politics, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We cannot understand God’s view of government, or how to function in a political environment apart from faith in King Jesus and His rule. Order T. M.’s books The Kingship of Jesus  and The Ground for Christian Ethics to supplement our studies of God and government.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.