*4*Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. *5*Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
Daniel 6:4–5.
The high officials and satraps, Daniel’s; fellow workers, leaders, peers, sought to find fault in him, why? They had no grounds to dislike him or seek to punish him, yet they desired to. They saw his success, and no matter how hard they looked, they could only find that in all things he dealt with integrity - how annoying! They had no reason to complain about him, yet their hatred/jealousy of him did not abate. The only thing they could probably say is that maybe he made them look bad, or not as good as they thought they were because of his integrity. Ultimately, this desire to catch Daniel out, to report him for misconduct or error is not because they were concerned or worried about his work ethic, but because they were all jealous. Not of his character or righteousness, but of his commendation and position.
I wonder what could have happened if they had approached Daniel and sought advice or assistance to improve their reputation and ability in their responsible positions. Or if they had been as diligent with inspecting their own work and resolving problems rather than trying to find problems with Daniel’s. These officials were all men of high regard, authority and power, intelligent and capable. They had similar roles and responsibilities to Daniel, and yet they are consumed with jealousy. They see that eventhough he is the same in position, he is different. Daniel is regarded differently by the king himself, so instead of looking at what they can improve or seeking Daniel's aid and advice, they become consumed with jealousy. They have lost sight of what they already have and are disgruntled because someone else does the job better. Rather than seeking self-improvement they seek the destruction of the one better than them.
Have you ever seen that in your life? Can you be like that?
Be honest with yourself; do you harbour annoyance, anger, jealousy when others have what you do not? Do you find yourself complaining about others because they are successful? Or are you jealous when others have different roles and responsibilities than you?
You may not outwardly express the jealousy, or seeks another's downfall in practice, but internalising it is just as unhealthy.
Jealousy can sneak in over time, and it can be easy to justify our feelings of resentment and dislike by seeking reasons to talk and think badly of others, finding solace in the fact that others feel the same. This is what Daniel's fellow leaders did - they realised they all disliked Daniel and got together to plot his downfall. Yet, finding that others may harbour the same response to someone doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t mean that you are right to feel that way. We can take warning from this story in Daniel about how it is. Jealousy is ugly, so watch yourself, watch your heart, and your responses to others. If you find any jealousy there, talk to God about it, and ask Him to help you. Jealousy is really admiration taken the wrong way, so ask God to help you to restore relationships and help you to see the good in the person, maybe even seek their help and advice - what is it in them that you actually want? Ask God to grow YOU rather than desiring the downfall of another.
I am sure Daniel must have been aware of the other officials and satraps scrutinising his work, and probably their disgruntled feelings towards him, but he does not deal unkindly with them (that would have been grounds for complaint), and he continues to work diligently. He did not change his work style when he realised his fellow officials and satraps were looking into his business. He did not work slower or less in order to make himself seem less good. He simply did what he knew was right and did what he could. You should do the same.
Daniel knew that this job, as important and significant as it was, was just a job. His aim and what he lived for was to work in such a way as to honour the God he served in whatever capacity he had opportunity to. As followers of God, we to0 should work as if we are working for Jesus, not for the approval of others. So, work diligently, faithfully, with integrity and dedication to whatever task you are given. Do not worry about the others around you - you are responsible for you. You are responsible for the way you behave and your own responses to other people. If you are a follower of Jesus - you are working for a higher purpose, for a greater, more powerful boss than any other. Do those around you see it?
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