"Being a Christian in the workplace"

I thought this was a good article to remind us to share our faith in the place we spend alot of time....work


Being a Christian in the workplace
November 2004
By Liza Hoeksma

When I became a Christian at 18, I very enthusiastically promised God that I would serve him in any way He chose. Which meant, I assumed, doing some kind of church work. His immediate answer was (a very kind) "Thanks, but no thanks." The majority of us aren't called to work full time for a church or in a traditional overseas-missionary role but that doesn't mean our work for God is any less vital.

We need to view each day of working "in the real world" as an opportunity to do God's will and to bring His kingdom into that place. Every one of those you are working with is someone God dearly loves and at this moment in time He has sent you to be His spokesperson in their lives.

Scary thought? But the only qualification we need to be the proud owners of the title 'evangelist' is to love God and to enjoy spending time with people who don't know Him. And there's no need to over complicate things. As we build relationships with the people we spend time with every day, pray for them and see what happens. Simple as that.

I've found everyone is different. Some people want your testimony in the first week of knowing you, others want to thrash out great theological questions but the majority are simply happy to work alongside you as they would anyone else.

Even if they're not interested in talking directly about our faith there are so many opportunities for them to see Jesus in us: by the way we treat them, how we relate to other people in the office, how we live our lives, how we handle difficult situations, how we listen to them and care about what's going on in their lives - the list goes on and on. It's not meant to be unnatural: we don't need to set goals - how many people become Christians, come to church or even how many people we get to talk to about Jesus!

I've enjoyed starting each day asking God what He would like me to do. It yields some surprising answers. Sometimes it's been as simple as taking the time to chat to someone God places on my heart or offering to give someone a lift while their car is being repaired. Once I bought a chocolate bar for a colleague who needed cheering up. Other times it's been to say something encouraging to someone who is having a hard week.

In a world where people are too often wrapped up in their own problems to have time for anyone else, I've been amazed by the difference simply listening can make. Everyone wants to be loved and the person sitting at the next desk is no exception. Whether they come across as super-confident or totally uninterested in saying a nice thing about anyone, chances are they're, just like the rest of us - not sorted and in need of a friend.

Embracing all that God has for us in the workplace also means making the most of each practical opportunity. This may not be your dream job but God has you there for a reason. He sees the bigger picture and knows how the skills you're developing now fit into the things He has for you in the future. God cares about our work just as much as He cares about any other area of our lives so pray for His help with our practical tasks too.

So whether you bounce into the office on a Monday morning with a cheerful heart or are currently struggling to make it through each day without quitting, remember that each day you're there, God has a role for you - you can make a real difference to people's lives.

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Liza is a freelance writer and author-in-the-making. She used to work in PR where she once found herself in David Beckham's bedroom.

From www.soulsurvivor.com