Systemic Influence:
It often operates through people in positions of power, such as leaders, managers, or even abusive church systems that demand absolute loyalty at the cost of personal freedom.
Courageous Decisions: Making godly, decisive moves to say “NO” to the restrictions.
The people of Israel were strongly bonded in the system of Pharaoh such that, they did not have a choice. It is said that, ‘when you go to Rome, you do what the Romans do’. It’s not as if the people of Israel were blinded by the culture of the Egyptians but indeed, they were slaves. Slaves have no choice such that, they are inadvertently bounded by the rules of the Egyptians. Pharaoh knew that he commanded power in Egypt and the Israelites had no choice but to agree to his orders which was part of their slavery conditions.
Indeed we have to choose where we want to spend our corporate or working life. If you decide to work in a King’s palace, you’re bounded by the rules. For instance if due to competition of having the Prince of the palace, it was conspired to put poison in his food, if the palace chef is a lady, she faces the wrath of the King because she is known to be the one who cooks. If the truth comes out later that she was not the one, the culprit is either banished from the palace or at worse case, can be cruelly put to the sword.
You will observe that people who work at the palace have something common in their hairstyle and the way they dress. Palace guards have their peculiar uniforms, the handmaidens dress in a particular way with particular hairstyle, approach and the way they address the monarchy. These are part of the systems of the palace. No matter how loving or caring a King and a queen may be, they are entrenched in the rules of the palace. Arabians have a lifestyle of praying five times a day. Nothing interferes in their prayers and it is a discipline. If you’re not an accustomed Arab, you may see their spiritual discipline as a burden or punishment.
Most Christians can find it hard to obey the rules of the Christian life. Going to church three times in a week can be a huge burden for some Christians. Going through the fast is hell for most Christians. Enduring that ‘all-night’ or three-hour prayer time can be herculean for many. It is not advisable to converse or stay outside of the temple when church service is going on. You must go through security and protocol before you enter the auditorium. All these are systems that operates in the believer’s service of his God.
The God that the believer serves is great and Almighty. With this in mind, believers are expected to operate in such a way to show reference to their God. In the same way, the church leader who represents God, has to be strict with the church’s obeisance of the rules so that, members can attach seriousness to the God they don’t see. Members sometimes can feel uncomfortable, domineered or oppressed by church systems.
Circular organizations also hire strong leaders who can drive the systems of the organization such as time, productivity consciousness, discipline to work, excellence and so on. Staffs who have not built such disciplines can be bothered about meeting the working standards. There is nothing like eloping from a palace house when you are not officially released. It’s an oath and you’re bound. Indeed if you’re a slave in that palace house, it is only diligent prayers that can free you from the oath one day.
In the Christian and Moslem world, the rules and systems are to make you serve your ‘god’ better. The believer must say ‘no’ to the behaviors that prevents him from serving God better. In an organization, desists from attitudes that does not make you an excellent staff and say ‘no’ to organizational behaviors that frowns on your Christian ideals. If that Moslem CEO is enforcing his religion at work, you can say no’. A believer must make a decision to move away from that tobacco or liquor company if his conscience or guilt is aroused.
