Do you work in a hostile or competitive environment where your coworkers are contentious and will do anything to get ahead? That’s a difficult place to be day in and day out, but with God’s help, and lessons we learn from his Word, you can be a light in that place.

For example, look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. We read in the Bible about how they were targeted for their faith. Nebuchadnezzar, the king decrees that as soon as anyone hears the music they are to bow down and worship his golden image, which is the very definition of an idol. Anyone who doesn’t obey will be thrown into a blazing furnace.

Of course, these young Israelite men are God worshippers, and so they do not follow this order. And the other Chaldeans, or maybe we could call them coworkers, observe their behavior and call them out—basically tell on them to the king. Nebuchadnezzar confronts them himself and kind of gives them one more chance to worship him. Listen to their reply:

King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up (Daniel 3:16b-18).

Did you hear that? They are so confident God would rescue them. They know he can do it. They have heard the stories of how God rescued the Israelites from Pharoah, how God parted the Red Sea and led them in the wilderness, how God went before Joshua and the walls of Jericho came down from the trumpeting of the horns. They know God can save them. Then this phrase—But even if he does not— they will still not worship any other God. They have faith in an everlasting God, even if he doesn’t save them from the immediate fiery furnace.

And the end of the story is they do get thrown into the blaze—so hot the men who threw them in died. But they are not there alone. When king Nebuchadnezzar looks in, he sees four men walking around. God was there with them in it. And when they came out, not a hair was singed. God not only miraculously saves them as no one else could do, but because of their beliefs and behavior it is an example to everyone how great and mighty God is.

I hope this encourages you to be your authentic, genuine self at work. May you find your identity in Christ and know you can trust him for anything! Even if you can’t see how it could possibly resolve itself, you and I serve and worship a God who can do mighty and miraculous things, even in a contentious and hostile workplace. Trust him to guide and help you. You just might be an example to others and glorifying to God.