How to be a Christian @ Work - 1/2

Full article follows [optional] 3-minute video...

As working Christians we are keenly aware but find it hard to change the gap that exists between our Sundays and Mondays.

The question we ask is this:

How can we better think about the relationship between our faith life and work life?

Although the two days are next to each other on the calendar they seem miles apart in how they see, feel, and think about themselves.

On Sunday we hear that we are the children of God, saved by grace in Jesus Christ and on Monday there are endless amount of emails to be answered, spreadsheets to be filled in, people hired and fired, meetings to attend and important decisions to be made.

The Sunday sermon about God, faith, His Kingdom and Jesus are quickly become a distant memory.

So how can we better think about the relationship between our faith life and work life?

Here are five ideas on how to think about being a Christian at your work place. It comes together in this idea:

Just be NICER?

Let’s take a look at each of the 5 letters in the word N-I-C-E-R.

N: No Compromises

Daniel 1:8-14 is a wonderful introduction to a young Jewish man, Daniel, who is willing to stay true to his beliefs and faith in God despite unfavorable circumstances.

When faced with demands that go against his values and beliefs, Daniel comes up with a creative solution that allows him to stay true to his beliefs, and he does this in such a way that it is a win-win for both him and his boss.

As part of the Babylonian “management training program”, Daniel is told to eat certain foods that violate Jewish dietary rules. Daniel negotiates a creative solution with his manager, lays the risks before God in prayer, and passes the program with flying colors.

Being a Christian at the work place means that you also should not compromise any of your core beliefs for the sake of your employer. Like Daniel, look for the creative solution and involve God also.

Are you compromising any part of what you believe in your work?

I: Integrity 

The story of Daniel continues in Daniel 6:1-5. Daniel’s work product was impeccable and those around him could find nothing wrong with which to hold him back from eventual promotion over them.

Daniel is all about character. He was shaped by his faith in God and life’s experiences. He stood out at work because of his integrity. But that drew criticism from his colleagues – especially when they were vying for the same promotion opportunity.

When his competitors looked to find a way to eliminate Daniel from the promotion opportunity, , Daniel’s track record and personal integrity spoke for itself. So much so that his jealous competitors resorted to underhanded ways to undermine Daniel's reputation and most of all his faith.

Does your integrity speak for itself? 

C: Compassionate in relationships

As we read the gospels, we see Jesus often preach about the Kingdom of God. But despite his busy work and travel schedule, he never missed an opportunity to be compassionate. All throughout his ministry, Jesus encountered people who were sick, demon-possessed, hungry, poor, blind. 

From a project management point of view, taking time to show compassion might well have been seen as hindering overall progress. But not for Jesus. He took the time to show compassion because the Good News of the Gospel is all about compassion.

For Jesus, and for us today, having compassion means to enter into the pain and the suffering of the other. However, our reaction all too often is to walk away from the difficult life situations of others, especially at the work place. After all, we are at work to get the work done, right?

But let’s look again at Jesus. He had a busy 3-year work and travel schedule and still he walked right into those situations and to become a companion in suffering.

Jesus teaches us not to walk away from those who face difficult situations in life but have compassion. We might not have all the answers, we might not have a solution, but we still can walk with someone who is suffering as a companion.

Jesus calls us to be compassionate at work – can you do that too?

E: Excellence 

Excellence in your work is perhaps the most obvious way to be a Christian at work.

After all, the Bible makes it very clear that God values excellence, and that no matter what your job – as employee or as an employer –you should do your very best – as if working unto the Lord himself. 

Check Colossians 3:22-24 where Paul writes the following for the Christian slave: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Slaves own nothing and they work for their masters. Yet even before the abolishment of slavery, slaves belonged to the family of God, because work relations change in the Kingdom of God.

Even as Jesus Christ was considered a slave (Philippians 2:7) and served others, we should therefore also consider no work to be below us.

Whatever job we may hold, wherever we may work, we should do all to the best of our ability for the pleasure and the glory of God. 

The motto Do your best and let Jesus do the rest exactly captures this idea.

Are you doing your best – and with the right spirit – at your work?

R: Responsible to others 

Our lives and our jobs are not about us. Life is about glorifying our Creator in whose image we have been made – sometimes by serving as the very hands and feet of God Himself.

In fact, God often will choose to help others through you as a way to draw them closer to Him. The story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 is example of exactly this. In this story, the businessman passing by acts to help someone that the priest and Levite have avoided, taking on the responsibility that even God’s church of the day did not.

In telling the parable, Jesus walks his listeners through the story to realize that the responsibility to help others is for everyone, not just “religious” workers. The point is that in the Kingdom of God, it is the stranger – like you and I – who is to help and show responsibility for others.

In this case, the businessman makes a detour, spends his own money and effort on someone with whom he has no ‘business’ with.

The point of the story is that we are not to be so caught up in our work that we walk by those needing our help and care. Jesus’ story is an invitation to take responsibility for the ‘other’.

In this case, Jesus may be telling you something that you might not want to hear – don’t only do good within the bounds of your job, but go one step further and look for opportunity to help others, even outside your normal work area.

Can you make the necessary detours to help others?

In conclusion, can you be NICER at your work? 

Abstracted from the group Study Guide "2 Words from God @ Your Work" and reference handbook "How to be a Christian at Work". More materials @ www.GodandWork.org