Chapter 5:  Strategize With Holy Spirit About How to Deal With Your Boss

There are some people who make working with them extremely difficult. I want to acknowledge that for some it really is the boss. Your boss may be underqualified, insecure, and unprepared to properly manage those who have been entrusted to them. How do you deal with them? Keep reading; I provide some pointers below. “The natural” things that can go wrong with working for someone are insecurity, poor people skills, and being underqualified and underprepared. Now let's look at the spiritual.

John 18:23-40 AMP

23 Jesus replied, “If I have said anything wrong (if I have spoken abusively, if there was evil in what I said) tell what was wrong with it. But if I spoke rightly and properly, why do you strike Me?”

24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

25 But Simon Peter (still) was standing and was warming himself. They said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!”

26 One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, said, ”Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”

27 And again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.

28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium (judgment hall, governor's palace). And it was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled (become ceremonially unclean), but might be fit to eat the Passover (supper).

29 So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

30 They retorted, “If He were not an evildoer (criminal), we would not have handed Him over to you.”

31 Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and judge and sentence and punish Him according to your (own) law.” The Jews answered, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”

32 This was to fulfill the word which Jesus had spoken to show (indicate, predict) by what manner of death He was to die.

33 So Pilate went back again into the judgment hall and called Jesus and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus replied, “Are you saying this of yourself (on your own initiative), or have others told you about Me?”

35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your (own) people and nation and their chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom (kingship, royal power) belongs not to this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My followers would have been fighting to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here (this world); (it has no such origin or source).”

37 Pilate said to Him, “Then You are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say it! (You speak correctly!) For I am a King. (Certainly I am a King!) This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth (who is a friend of the Truth, who belongs to the Truth) hears and listens to My voice.”

38 Pilate said to Him, “What is Truth?” On saying this he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no fault in Him.

39 "But it is your custom that I release one (prisoner) for you at the Passover. So shall I release for you the King of the Jews?”

40 Then they all shouted back again, “Not Him (not this Man), but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Do you work for Pontius Pilate?
When they brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate to determine if He should be crucified or returned to the Jews, Pilate questioned Jesus. He asked Him, “What is truth?” Pontius Pilate was too blinded by politics [the meaning of his name is well connected], his career, saving face, people pleasing, and trying to fit in to see truth. How much does this sound like your boss? He symbolizes many leaders, managers, and bosses who:

Don't know truth
They have lived lives of deception and lies. They have lived with conversations that are unholy, made unrighteous statements, and have gossiped about people.

Don't want to know/recognize truth
The Truth - Jesus - was standing right in front of him, and he did not recognize it. Even when Jesus revealed it by saying, “My kingdom belongs not to this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My followers would have been fighting to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here (this world); [it has no such origin or source]”- John 18:36-37 AMP. Because he did not recognize truth, Pilate did not do the right thing.

Are afraid to disagree with “the in crowd” or go against the grain?
Pilate was fearful because of his past career mistakes and did not want to risk his career security by making another grave error. Also, he feared offending the Jews by ignoring their Passover custom and indicating Jesus' innocence. How many times have you been the scapegoat due to your boss' fear?

Yes, your boss - Pontius Pilate - is trying to kill you, but so is God. Perhaps, this is the reason you have been assigned this manager or boss: so God can crucify your flesh and resurrect Himself (Colossians 3:1-3 AMP).

Perhaps, God has blinded your boss to show you how you respond when people do not want or will not receive truth. We tend to think all non-Christians do not want to see or accept truth. Sadly, this can prove true for Christians as well. Herein lies the war you find yourself in day in and day out. Do you throw a fit? How about heap and hurl word curses their way dooming them to hell? Do you humbly offer up a prayer of salvation, deliverance, and mercy?

The answers to these questions might be: “Yes, Karen I do pray and don't curse and throw fits.” Good for you! I say take good notes then. God is showing you what not to do/become when He places you in a place of authority.

It never ceases to amaze me how those who are not in a position of leadership whine and complain and hate what they endured at the hand of their present leadership and then become exactly what they hated, whined, and complained about. How about you . . . have you noticed this too? To continue reading, go here and donate for the book.