What does Faith in Your Job Look Like?

In addition to writing here, I try to read what others are saying about living out your Christianity in your workplace. I came across a website called Faith in the Workplace, and an article there described what it might look like to consistently express faith where you work. The article says that Christianity at work starts with ethics and with doing high quality work. Evangelism is part of it, but not in an overbearing way. Finally, being Christian in the workplace means considering how any work reflects the creative work of God.

Seeking God in Every Decision

Joshua 9:1-27

My wife and I were reading Gary Thomas’ book Sacred Parenting. One of Thomas’ points is to emphasize the need for parents to seek God as they are raising children. He cites the Gibeonites as an example of the dangers of not seeking God. The story is found in Joshua 9. Joshua and the Israelites are in the midst of their conquest of Canaan, and the other peoples in the area are fighting for survival. One such people came up with a trick. They wore old clothes and had old food, and convinced the Israelites that they had come from far away. They wanted a treaty with the Israelites. The Bible specifically says that, before making the treaty, the Israelites “did not inquire of the Lord.” Thomas’ point was that parents should be seeking God in their parenting decisions. What about at work? The lesson of the Gibeonites fits the workplace as well. When you’re faced with a decision at work, do you seek God or do you make your decision on your own? Even in small things, do you seek the Lord or go it alone? From all of the evidence that the Israelites had to go on, they were making the smart decision. It made sense. Have you been in a situation like that, where the “smart” decision turns out to be the wrong one? Seek God in your decisions, even the small ones. Don’t take a risk on a bad treaty.

Setting a Good Example

Titus 2:7-8

Have you ever wondered about the effect of your example? Consider the story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-9). The Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s wisdom and religion and came to test Him (verse 1). After she saw for herself, she left praising God. He must have had an incredible testimony as he talked about how God had blessed him.

Compare that to people who interact with Christians today and leave shaking their heads at the hypocrisy. Perhaps they had an openly Christian coworker stab them in the back for a promotion. Or maybe a Christian beat them out of an account by lying or cheating. If that’s the only contact they have with Christians, it’s easy to see how someone could be very turn off of God’s Word and His people. In Paul’s instructions to Titus, Paul explains that Titus has an obligation to set a good example so that even those people who don’t like his cause won’t have the opportunity to criticize his character.

You may be the first or only exposure someone has to Christ. What impression will you leave? Your example is powerful, either way. Make sure it’s the right example, the kind that will lead people to Jesus.

Be Good at What You Do

Matthew 25:14-30

Although a talent in Jesus’ time was also a unit of money, it’s easy to look at the parable of the talents and see parallels between the master who trusted his servants with money and our Master who entrusts us with unique gifts and abilities. So one lesson from this parable is to use your abilities for God’s glory, and I think that’s a great applications.

But there’s another way of thinking about it. Consider the servants who were given five and two talents. The Bible doesn’t tell us for certain, but I would guess that each was a very hard worker. For the master to be as pleased as he was, they had to have done something worthy of high praise. “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I can’t see the master being that pleased with mediocre performance. Consider what was said to the worker who just sat on his hands and did little more than dig a hole in the ground: “you wicked and lazy servant.”

God cares how well you do your job. That doesn’t mean you have to be the top performer—the man who was given fewer talents was rewarded for performance based on what he had, not based on what the five-talent servant had. But God wants you to do well with what you have. I’ve mentioned this before, but a teacher of mine once said that “to be a good, Christian artist, you first have to be a good artist.” The same thing can be said of any vocation. For me to be a good, Christian teacher, I first have to be a good teacher.

What can you do to sharpen your skills in your job? It doesn’t mean that you have to be the world’s best at whatever you do, but you do need to use the abilities you have. Think about your job performance over the last week. Where did you waste time? Where could you have put in just a little more time and effort to make something better? God wants your very best, and that doesn’t just apply to Sundays.

Do Not Steal

Deuteronomy 5:19; Ephesians 4:28

We can hear stories of embezzlement and fraud on the news and think to ourselves, “how could they ever do that?” It’s easy to look at the publicized ethical lapses and realize that stealing millions of dollars from a company (or from individuals) is wrong. Most of us will never be in a situation where that’s even a temptation. But what about the little things? Some extra copies here, a few paper clips there. Never missed. A pack of pens as the kids go back to school, some “extra” expenses that no one will ever question. Not a problem, right? Even though many companies are trying to tighten their belts in a tough economy, most of these things are caught and happen frequently in organizations. But that doesn’t mean that these “white” sins are ok with God. God doesn’t differentiate between the Wall Street tycoons who are driven by greed and steal millions and you and me when we take those extra office supplies home. Stealing is stealing, and either way, it’s wrong. Write a note to yourself (where only you can see it) to remind you not to steal, even in the little things. Sure, no one’s counting the copies that you make and they might not even miss the paper. But as a Christian, you are called to a standard higher than “can I get away with it.”

The Real Power of Positive Thinking

Phillipians 4:8

Have you ever been around someone who is a negative person? Growing up, I heard such people referred to as "gripey guts," although I'm not sure labeling a person that way is exactly the best cure. Some people always see the glass as half empty, always see the problems before the solutions.

A number of years ago, there was a series of programs entitled "The Power of Positive Thinking." The idea was, if you think about something positively, you can make it happen. The reality is that we live in a fallen world, and sometimes, bad things happen. Work is no different. There are challenges and hardships that we can't overcome, no matter how positively we think about them.

But Paul tells us that attitude still matters. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble...right...lovely...admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Our minds are to be filled with positive thinking, not because of some mystical, self-help power, but because our hearts are set on Christ. Look just before verse 8--Rejoice in the Lord. Don't think that your attitude will necessarily change your circumstances; your attitude should be based on God, not on anything around you. Look just after verse 8--Paul knew what it was like to be content, regardless of his situation. He could hold that positive attitude because of Christ (verse 13). Maybe that's a good verse for you to keep at your desk today.

Today, focus on Phillipians 4:8 and how many things around you are excellent or praiseworthy. I know it's cheesy, but don't think about the glass as half full or half empty--think about your Savior who gives you Living Water, more than you can ever drink. He is the one who lets you see the world through eyes of joy.

Calling Upon the Lord...At Work

How often do you call upon God at work? How often are you meditating on his word while sitting at your desk or workstation?

If you're like most, perhaps you cry out to God if something's going really wrong at work. Or maybe you think about how God would have wanted you to handle a situation as you think back on your day.

Go to God when you're making decisions at work, even the seemingly insignificant decisions. Go to God when that coworker that you don't like approaches you. Go to God when you're tempted to push the limits of ethics in a business transaction. There is a tremendous, untapped Power that is waiting for you. If you are serious about living out your faith in your workplace, call on God and watch His Spirit move you.