World Changing Words Devotional-Day 61

Daniel 3:19, 21 | ¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary,

 ²¹ So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.

 The King is faced with a limit to his power. He cannot command the conscience of these three Jewish employees. He can, however, make an example of them to intimidate others from similar acts of independence. His rage is suggestive, as is his need to demonstrate a control he does not have by physically binding the three, even as he has them put in the fire. It is frustrating, when we want control, to discover that others cannot be manipulated by rewards or punishments. They are pursuing their sense of right no matter the consequences. They have an ultimate goal and serve an ultimate authority beyond self-interest.

 Do you ever find yourself using threats or inducements to
control others?

 Do you get frustrated when they resist? If so, how do you
express this?

Tags: control, frustrated