What Are Your Excuses?

There are lots of excuses for not living out your faith at work. How closely to your excuses match some historical reasons given by Bible characters?

Adam has the distinction of giving the first excuse in history--"the woman you gave me made me do it." Followed immediately by "the devil made me do it." (Gen. 3)

Saul told Samuel that he wasn't obeying God but that it was for a good cause (to worship the very God he was disobeying, 1 Sam. 15).

As a man was inviting guests to a great banquet, they were all too busy with other things (Luke 14).

The man with one talent was too afraid to do what his master wanted (Matt. 25).

And of course, the king of excuses would have to be Moses. While watching God's presence in the form of a bush bonfire, Moses had one excuse after another ("they won't believe me, I don't speak well, I just don't want to, etc., Exodus 3).

What's your excuse for not living out your faith at work?

Finding Just the Right Words

A few weeks ago, my daily reading passage was Matthew 10 where Jesus sends out his apostles to tell the Judean people about Him. As He gives them instructions, one of the things that He says is "do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." To be honest, I didn't think much about that particular passage at the time (it's verses 19-20).

Then, two weeks ago, someone came to me. This person wanted to talk to an unbeliever about Jesus but she wasn't sure what to say. I thought of Matthew 10:19-20. The context is different (Jesus was telling His disciples what to do when they were arrested), but I think the passage applied, just the same. After the conversation, this person felt she said all the wrong things, but as she described what she said and the questions the other person had asked, it seemed to me like she had said everything she should have said.

I think one of the biggest reasons that we don't tell others about Jesus is that we don't know what to say. I think another big reason that we don't tell others about Jesus is that we don't think about it. This person's experience reminded me about two things. First, sometimes I don't feel enough desperation regarding the people around me that need Jesus. Second, when I'm telling people about my faith, I don't need to worry about what I say--I just need to open my mouth and let the Spirit work.

Being Exceptional in Ordinary Things

Sometimes we think that we need to do extraordinary things for God. Oswalt Chambers notes that we like to think about acts like walking on water as demonstrations of tremendous faith, but that following Jesus over the dry land of the mundane takes far more faith. Chambers states that "it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple...we have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people" (My Utmost for His Highest, p. 295).

All of us would like to convert all of the unbelievers in our workplaces and thereby demonstrate our worth to God. But can you live every day without seeing any results? Can you honor God even when it means that you're misunderstood or isolated? Can you choose to do the right thing even in the seemingly insignificant things?

As we end the week, choose to be exceptional, even in the ordinary details of life.

The Great Conversation

Sherman and Hendricks, in their book Your Work Matters to God, lay out what I think is one of the most practical guides to sharing your faith at work. Far different from preaching at your coworkers (which almost never works), they call their model the great conversation.

First, build relationships. People will listen to you if they know you and enjoy being around you. They're much more likely to tune you out if they aren't in a relationship.

Second, pray for the people around you. See Matthew 9:36-38 for inspiration.

Numbers three and four go back to relationship--seek common ground and be authentic/honest. Let the relationship develop--don't try to use it just for pushing the Gospel. Really develop an interest in the people around you.

Five, be appropriate and sensitive to the other person.

Six, start by explaining your experiences, your relationship with Jesus, and what He has done for you.

Seven, be patient. It's unlikely that one conversation will finish the job. You're just planting seeds. God is in charge of timing.

The list ends with a warning--your reputation matters. A lot. If you're known as unethical or unloving, people are unlikely to believe you as you describe God's holiness and love. That doesn't mean that you have to be perfect. Avoid acting perfect (hypocrisy) and emphasize that you are a work in progress.

Sharing Jesus with People at Work

Benny Tabalujan explained that there are four types of Christians in workplaces.

• Isolated Christians, who can't seem to make friends with people at work,


• Insider Christians, who are friendly but never let on that they are Christians,


• Inarticulate Christians, who are social and are open about their own faith but don't take the extra step of sharing the Gospel, and


• Integrated Christians, who are sociable, open about their own faith, and intentional in sharing the Message of Jesus.

Tabalujan argued that far too many Christians are stuck in the third category, and I have to admit that I find myself there as well. I think about the coworker who regularly asked me what I believed, but I could only couch my beliefs in Jesus as one way to see the world, not as The Way, The Truth, and The Life. I think about my discomfort when students bring up their own faith in the classroom--"oh no, I hope other students don't feel pressured to adopt my beliefs."

I'm not proud of these shortcomings, and it's something that I am praying about.

Part of moving from being an inarticulate Christian to an integrated Christian, according to Tabalujan, is to develop new habits. He lists many ideas that are covered in other parts of this blog such as telling the truth and loving coworkers.

In terms of taking that next step and verbalizing the Gospel, Tabalujan notes that it begins with relationships to others and genuine concern for them. He also notes that discussions of faith should never "hijack" conversations, but instead, should come naturally. These conversations are rarely one-shot experiences. Instead, you may start planting seeds day-by-day. You may or may not see the outcome of those seeds (consider 1 Corinthians 3:5-9). But that's not your concern. Just focusing on taking the opportunities that God gives you to share His Good News. And keep praying for more opportunities.

Something's Missing Here

I was reading something a few days ago that made me realize that amid the topics I've blogged about recently, there was something that was noticeably missing. This author was discussing workplace evangelism. When I started this blog, one of my concerns was that people would see being Christian at work as beating people over the head with a Bible. I don't think that's the ideal way to honor God. But in reacting to that, I feel like I've gone the other direction and under-emphasized evangelism.

Part of the issue may be that I find talking about evangelism at work more than a little uncomfortable. Part of it may also be that I don't feel like I'm very good at it. Nevertheless, an important part of honoring God at work is sharing the Good News of Jesus. Today and for the next several posts, I'm going to think about these ideas and explore what workplace evangelism looks like.

Jesus told us how to start. Look at Matthew 9:36-38. Jesus looked at the crowds of people around Him and realized they were "like sheep without a shepherd." Look at the people around you at work. Don't just see them as supervisors, colleagues, or customers. See them as Jesus would see them. But wait! Don't say anything to them yet. Notice what Jesus tells His disciples. He doesn't say, "go out there and convince them that I'm the Messiah." He doesn't tell His disciples to stand up and tell the people that they're going to hell. Jesus says, "ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." Jesus tells His followers that they need to start by praying about the harvest.

This weekend, think about the people around you at work. See them as Jesus does, as harassed and helpless, sheep without a shepherd. Then, pray. Intercede with God on their behalf. Ask Him to send workers.

Mission Trips

I heard a sermon a few Sundays ago about what mission means. The preacher said that mission isn't necessarily a big task that we have to go somewhere to do. Mission is who we are as a church. He said that "God is a god who sends." That's an interesting idea. Acts 17:26 explains that God intentionally marked out the times and boundaries for the nations, and I've already posted about what this might mean in terms of God placing you here at this time. What if God has been preparing you to be a missionary in your workplace? Depending on where you work, you might be your coworkers' connection to Jesus. Perhaps God is sending you to your workplace.

If so, you cannot serve him living one life on Sunday and another Monday through Friday. You cannot fulfill your mission if you compartmentalize your life so that "church life" never intrudes during the work week. That's why it's so important to focus on Jesus every day, not just on Sunday.

Do People at Work Know You're a Christian

A few years ago, a men's group that I was in studied Tony Dungy's book, "Quiet Strength." That may sound like a strange choice for a weekly devotional group. But as we went through the book, each chapter was built on situations where Coach Dungy's faith was challenged, where he had to make tough choices, or where he was forced to accept that there are somethings that are beyond his control. One thing that struck me was that, in one of the most intense industries, where your successes and failures on are display for everyone to see, Dungy met criticism with faith and failure with hope. Not necessarily hope in "next year," but hope in Christ. Another thing that struck me was that he was unashamedly Christian at work. When I think about football teams and locker rooms, that doesn't exactly seem like the type of place where religion would be all that welcome. But Dungy talked about witnessing to others and praying with coaches. Other players have similarly stood for Jesus (Reggie White comes to mind), and a few high-profile college players including Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow have also been open about their faith.

Regardless of your job and the pressures that come with it, there are opportunities for you to be a light in your workplace. Let me be clear--I'm not talking about cramming your religion down the throats of all your coworkers. Being a light in your workplace will look different for everyone. But three things are probably applicable to most. First, it means that your faith is going to affect the way you make decisions. Second, it means your faith is going to shape the way you face frustrations and difficult circumstances. Third, it means that your faith should affect how you talk about those decisions and difficulties. Make sure others know that you make decisions while thinking about Christ. And let them know that the reason you can face uncertainty in the future is God.

This weekend, take a look at whether people know you are a Christian in your workplace. Then, think about how your faith will influence you at work next week. Finally, pray for opportunities to tell others about why you do what you do, and pray for the courage to take those opportunities. I would love to hear stories about how God answers those prayers.

Why Do I Feel Awkward?

I recently felt very convicted about an attitude toward work. But as I think about my attitude, I would bet that I'm not alone. As I mentioned a few posts ago, my wife and I recently had a baby. Since then, my supervisor has been asking for a picture to go on a video announcement board in the lobby of my building. So I pose, wearing a very school-spirited shirt. And my son was looking right at the camera, with a wide-eyed look on his face. It was a great picture. We had taken it in his room, and one of the ways that we have decorated his room is putting a scripture on the wall using vinyl lettering. It was completely accidental, but just above his head in the picture, is "The Lord will rejoice over you" (Zephaniah 3:17). And it looks like the picture was taken specifically to get the verse in the frame.

I don't know why, but when I saw that in the picture, I kind of felt awkward about sending it to my work. I thought about photo-shopping it out, but I don't really have time for things like that right now (new baby and all). It just felt weird to know that such a bold declaration would be visible for all to see. It's not that my workplace is anti-religion. In fact, my university has "Christian" in the title, even if that may not influence day-to-day decisions as much as it once did.

As I looked at the picture, I thought, "maybe no one will notice." The first thing I heard back from my supervisor was "great picture and a beautiful sentiment." No luck with the verse not being noticed. I have only been at this university a year. If it wasn't already, I guess my faith is out there (at least a partial verse of it).

Why did it feel awkward? I think part of it is general academia's hostility to religion. Part of it is wanting to be accessible to all students, not just Christian ones. A lot of it is just trying to manage impressions.

I realize it's immature. In fact, the picture is an incredible opportunity to witness to others. And it's something that I have gotten over now. But the initial reaction was hesitation and awkwardness. You may not have any problems with telling others about Jesus and may not experiences any pauses as I did. How Christian are you in your workplace? Do you look for ways to share your beliefs or do you hesitate like I did? I'm not saying that any of us should be the "Bible-banging," in-your-face coworker that no one wants to be around. Look for how you can share your beliefs with others. It may not be easy at first, and the awkwardness may not go away completely. Pray that God opens doors for you to share your faith. And when He does, walk through them.

Christ's Ambassadors

2 Corinthians 5:16-20

We hear a lot about ambassadors from this country or that country, but have you really thought about what ambassadors do? Essentially, an ambassador enables a country to have a close presence with another country. The ambassador represents the interests of his/her home country while living in a foreign land with foreign people.

That description may be what Paul had in mind as he explained to the Corinthian Christians that they were ambassadors for Christ. Think about that for a moment. We're citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). But we are residents on earth. As ambassadors, Christians represent the interests of our King in this foreign land. Which is why Paul said that "from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view" in verse 16. We need to see the people around us from a heavenly perspective. Why? Because God has reconciled us through Christ and He wants others to know that this reconciliation is both possible and necessary (verses 18-19). In our role as ambassadors, God is making His appeal to the world through us.

Don't underestimate what that means. Everyone watches what an ambassador does. Because he/she represents another country, an ambassador's actions have far-reaching consequences. If he or she messes up, people see it and make assumptions about the home country. How you act at work is very similar. People are watching. You have the opportunity to be God's appeal to the world!

How Will People Know That You Follow Jesus?

John 13: 34

If you want people to know that you are a Christian, the best way, the only way to let them know is to love other people. "By this, everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." It's part of the greatest commandments. It's certainly going to make you stand out in the crowd as others notice that you're different. Love means that you're not justing "looking out for Number One." Instead, you consider others before you consider yourself. Love means turning the other cheek toward a vicious coworker. Love means not hoarding information so that you're the only one positioned for a promotion. Love means treating your subordinates with respect and dignity. Love means praying for your supervisor and obeying him/her, even when they don't deserve your loyalty.

The holidays are over, the new year has begun, and most people are starting to get back into a rhythm, the "daily grind" as some people call it. Before you become too set in that rhythm, think about how you can show God's love to the people around you. You may be surprised that it doesn't always win you friends. In fact, some people may make fun of you or gain at your expense. They did that to Jesus also. Remember that you're not doing those things to advance your career--you're doing them to be known as a follower of Jesus.

Be Ready to Give An Answer for Your Faith

1 Peter 3:15-16

This is a tough one to talk about. When I started this blog, I started with the idea that Christianity in the workplace had to be about more than just proselytizing. I think when many people think about any religion in the workplace, negative stereotypes of "Bible-bangers" come to mind, people who distract from the process of "work" in order to convince coworkers to become Christians. And I think Christianity in the workplace is much more than that.

However, it has to include that as well. 1 Peter 3 says to be ready to give an answer for your faith. The Greek word there includes the same connotations that accompany a company's defense in the face of a PR attack. You are giving a defense of why you believe what you believe. I don't think that means cramming it down coworkers' throats. But it does mean that, if someone asks you what you believe, you are ready to share. I remember talking with a coworker from another faith one time. He shared a great deal about his religion, and then asked what Christians believe about a particular subject. I knew what I'd been taught. I knew what I thought the Bible said about that subject. But I admit that I really stammered when it came to explaining it. I took a very politically correct stand rather than explaining what I believed. And that coworker, a new convert to a non-Christian faith, continued to mover further away from Christ. We never know when those opportunities will come, so Peter tells us to be always ready.

But there's another aspect to this idea of a defense of our faith. Peter explains that this should never be a shouting match. Our answers should be filled with "gentleness and respect." Very rarely will shouting persuade anyone. As you talk with others, even when they are not respectful, respond with tact.