Ep. 271 How To Navigate A Toxic Work Environment As A Christian

[00:00:00] in Faith. Welcome to Husland Faith, this podcast is dedicated to helping women who want to analyze, apply and amplify their God-giving gifts. We accomplish those by dispersing topics such as business, self-improvement, health and beauty, and my random thoughts about life from a Christian perspective.

[00:00:30] I'm your host, Latasha Johnson. Are you tired of feeling less than enough just because you're single? Then you'll love my new book, How to Live an Extraordinary Life with Or Without Mr. Right A Christian Women's Guide on How to Survive and Thrive on Single Avenue

[00:00:52] It's time to acknowledge a dress and dismantle the harmful limited mindset many single Christian women have internalized. Take the first step to discover and embrace the plans God has in store for you.

[00:01:05] If you want to be notified when the book is released please check out the Husland Faith website. I cannot wait to share this with all my single ladies. You have everything you need to live an extraordinary life with or without Mr. Right

[00:01:27] How can you navigate a toxic work environment and come out on top? Whether you're dealing with a difficult boss, toxic co-workers, or a negative work culture I'll share some tips to help you navigate through these challenging situations. I've worked in the corporate world for a little over 20 years.

[00:01:45] Regardless of where you work, no company is perfect. In fact some companies are more tolerable than others. I have definitely had my fair share of working for folks that are of couple-fry short of a happy meal. I'm sorry if you're stuck working in a toxic work environment.

[00:02:04] I completely understand and speaking from personal experience, I know it isn't fun. Obviously the goal is to get out of that toxic work environment as fast as possible. If the company is pressuring you to do something illegal, doesn't align with your values

[00:02:21] or is affecting your health, please do what you must to expedite your departure. God wants us to be bold as a lion, not a door mat that people feel comfortable walking on whenever they choose.

[00:02:36] But while you're working on your exit plan from that toxic work environment, you're still in a position to let your light shine. Why not do some good on the way out? Why wouldn't you want to expose those in power who choose to participate in illegal or

[00:02:54] discriminatory behavior so those after you don't have to experience the pain and suffering you did when you were on the job? Those Christians whenever possible we should strive to leave a place better than how we found it.

[00:03:11] Just because we worked in a hostile work environment doesn't mean we can't play a role to make it better for someone else. In fact that's exactly what Obadiya chose to do. And first Kings, we read about that Obadiya was a devout believer in God and the palace

[00:03:29] administrator for King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Unfortunately, Obadiya worked for both of these extremely wicked people who could care less about God. In fact, Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets. When Obadiya heard that Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets, he was presented with a variety of options.

[00:03:53] Number one, he could have immediately quit, which most likely would have resulted in his death as well. Number two, he could have run away. Number three, he could have suppressed his conscience and helped Queen Jezebel kill the Lord's prophets. Doing so might have even further elevated his status.

[00:04:16] However, Obadiya did not choose any of those options. Obadiya had courage and integrity. He figured out a way to save the Lord's prophets. Obadiya risked his life by saving as many of the Lord's prophets as possible.

[00:04:32] He hid 100 of the Lord's prophets in groups of 50 and two different caves. He then provided them with food and water. I know what it's like to work in a toxic work environment, but Obadiya's situation would definitely win first place for the world's most toxic work environment.

[00:04:52] None of us, or at least I hope. He will ever be in a situation as toxic as Obadiya's. However, if you work in the corporate world long enough, it's only a matter of time before you will find yourself in a toxic work environment.

[00:05:08] While waiting on God to create our escape route from that toxic job, we will face the dilemma of how we choose to react. Here are some of the lessons that we can learn from Obadiya. Number one, he stayed devoted to God.

[00:05:24] Despite Obadiya having a prestigious role working for a king who opposed worshiping God, Obadiya remained faithful to God and protected his prophets. We must prioritize our loyalty to God, even in challenging circumstances. Since we have free will, we will inevitably work for someone who does not honor God.

[00:05:45] God was very clear about our approach. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters. And that's Colossians 323. However, once that person we report to attempts to get us to disobey God, then we must

[00:06:06] obey God rather than this person and that's Acts 529. At the end of the day, the person we report to is just a person. The only power a person has over your life is what you give them.

[00:06:21] That's why you must place your focus on fearing the one that can kill the body and the soul. God. That's why you must place your focus on fearing the one that can kill the body and the soul. God. Number 2. Courage in adversity. Abu Daya was brave.

[00:06:47] He risked his life to save the Lord's prophets. His actions teach us the importance of standing up for what is right, even when it's difficult or dangerous. I completely understand that we work to make a living.

[00:07:00] However, somewhere along the way, certain folks who are sent to management level tend to develop a God-like complex. They adopt this warped mindset and view employees as objects they bought instead of hired. The folks who typically possess this tyrant attitude tend to overcompensate because

[00:07:22] they have a low self-esteem or problems at home. The list of reasons why they choose to behave this way could go on forever, but this does not excuse them from dealing with their personal problems. They should not take their frustration and anger out on their employees.

[00:07:38] The sad thing is I've seen and worked with so many people willing to give up their happiness to feed these ego maniacs. I've seen people basically sell their souls, lie, cheat, steal or suck up to those

[00:07:53] in management because they thought this behavior would help them save their jobs. The sad thing is that even if you willingly choose to be a liar, thief or a coward, you will lose that job and your dignity and the process.

[00:08:12] Unfortunately, those who enable the ego maniacs behavior will never experience the plans God has in store for them. All of this is due to fear. If you're unwilling to fight for your rights, God won't waste his time helping you. God will never cast his pearls before swine.

[00:08:32] God knows you'll just allow someone else to steal his blessing from you. Fear is contagious. I don't want to catch it in my life. Once fear gets inside of you, it will hold you hostage. This may sound harsh.

[00:08:46] But when I encounter people who live in fear are too afraid to stand up for themselves or are too afraid or too lazy to invest in themselves. Then let them go. God warns us that evil communication corrupts good morals.

[00:09:04] If you keep hanging around the wrong people, their bad habits in lifestyle will eventually rub off on you. Hence, why it's not to keep cowards in my inner circle. God did not give us the spirit of fear but power, love and a sound mind.

[00:09:22] I know how hard I fought to gain the courage I possess and I'm not about to increase my chances of losing my courage by hanging out with folks who have no intention of gaining it. Like Obadaya, I will show you compassion if you're willing to defend yourself.

[00:09:40] And that brings us to point number three. Show compassion. When Obadaya heard that the Lord's prophets were going to be in danger, he didn't just sit there and think, man that sucks. I really hope it works out for them.

[00:09:55] No, Obadaya assessed the situation to figure out how he could prevent the Lord's prophets from being persecuted. Obadaya provided for the needs of the Lord's prophets by hiding and feeding them in two different caves. This demonstrates the importance of showing compassion and hospitality towards others, especially

[00:10:15] those in need or facing oppression. This was their assignment or purpose in life. Our purpose may not be to preach, but we could certainly share a gratitude to God by being willing to assist in this endeavor by helping it with capacity. My mom is an amazing cook.

[00:10:35] She can throw down in the kitchen throughout my life. My parents invited various families to our house after church and we would always send them home with leftovers. On more than one occasion, those families would comment that their meal at our house was

[00:10:53] the best meal they had had in a long time and they were eternally grateful for the leftovers. Our actions may seem small to us but may mean the world to someone else. Last but not least, divine reward. God ultimately rewarded Obadaya's actions.

[00:11:13] God used Obadaya as an instrument to initiate the conversation between Elijah and King A. Hab. Now, Obadaya did express fear in honoring Elijah's request but Elijah reassured Obadaya that he could trust Elijah. Obadaya gathered his courage and did what Elijah told him to do.

[00:11:35] Obadaya was spared from harm and continued to serve in a position of influence. This illustrates the principle of divine blessings for those who have faithfully served in Obadaya. I can't begin to get into all the examples of how I've seen this principle play out in my life.

[00:11:54] Sometimes I just sit back and reflect on my life as if I was reading one of those choose your own adventure books. For those unfamiliar with these types of books, it's a book that requires you to answer various questions that force you to make a decision.

[00:12:12] Your answers determine how the story will end. I thank God and my mom every day for not allowing fear in patience and discouragement to prevent me from obeying God. Your willingness to allow God to use and leverage the gifts he's given you to amplify

[00:12:28] his kingdom will lead you to discover your purpose in life and place you in a position to experience the extraordinary life Christ came to give us. We're all connected. God blesses us so we could be a blessing to someone else.

[00:12:45] As you can see, Obadaya has taught us that a toxic work environment doesn't have the power to beat us down or rob us of the opportunity to help other people. Don't let a toxic work environment bring you down.

[00:13:00] We embrace and empower the lessons we learn from Obadaya so we could survive and thrive. And so God sees fit to move us on to our next adventure. We pray to everyone the rest of you know what?

[00:13:36] You never know who you will inspire and see the next episode.