Most of us spend the greater part of our waking hours at work. Here we interact on a continuous basis with many people from all walks of life. They observe us as we do our daily tasks and form their own impression of who we are and what we stand for. It is perhaps not so much the verbal interaction but the witness of our life that our co-workers see, remember, and reflect upon. Long periods of time spent working together allow others to see us as we truly are. This presents a great opportunity for the Christian.
DILIGENCE
Your primary responsibility as a Christian is to deliver exactly what you were contracted to do. This is the fundamental starting point that establishes credibility and gives weight to Christian testimony. We are to do our job with sincerity (Eph. 6:5), remembering that we are really serving the Lord, not just our earthly employer. It is very important to do not just an acceptable job, but a good job where your supervisor notices that you are performing well. If the boss does not seem to notice, God does and will reward you (Col. 3:22-25). Ephesians 6 highlights obedience, fear, and sincerity of heart with wholehearted commitment to getting the job done.
Service for the Lord is not a valid excuse for not doing your job—in fact, used as an excuse, this undermines your testimony and makes your witness ineffective.
INTEGRITY
Stand firm on principles and do not compromise under any circumstances. If your company asks you to engage in practices that are dishonest, then leave that employer. Second, be consistent and truthful in your dealings with the company (e.g., are you completely honest on expense reports?). Titus 2:10 instructs us not to steal from our employer and to show that we can be fully trusted. This is tremendously important and is the second building block that should differentiate a Christian employee. Our dealings with fellow employees and customers should be marked by integrity. Our word is good and we don’t play games. Sooner than later dishonest behavior will catch up with you. It is wonderful to have a clear conscience and know that you are not misleading people.
ATTITUDE
Demonstrate in your daily work the attitude and compassion of a Christian. Your attitude and reactions to circumstances speak far more loudly than words (this applies to your subordinates as well as your superiors). It is a very poor testimony for a Christian to be known as a person who cannot get along with others, and does not treat his own staff well. Treat employees as you would like to be treated and remember that if you want respect you must show it to others. In addition, enthusiasm goes a long way to making work more interesting. Colossians 3:23 indicates that we should serve wholeheartedly. Try and make work enjoyable both for yourself and others. We do have bad days at work, but that does not prevent us from being upbeat, enthusiastic, and respectful of others. If something does go wrong when you have been involved, don’t deflect blame and responsibility. 1 Peter 2:18-21 is tough medicine, but God will honor us if we take criticism patiently, even when we are not at fault.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
When the going gets rough, remember this verse: “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1). A person who promotes peace and harmony while at the same time seriously tackling the root problem becomes an invaluable asset to any company. This is extremely difficult to do and at times we may have to go back and apologize for saying things in anger that were not right. Often when words are flying and the temperature is rising it is best to use conciliatory statements and diffuse the situation before you say something that you will regret. Sometimes saying very little or nothing is a better strategy during times of intense conflict. The servants of Naaman are an example of using soft rational words to cool down a man’s anger. The result was wonderful blessing for Naaman (2 Ki. 5:12-13).
PERSEVERANCE
Don’t run away from problems—solving tough issues builds character and enhances experience. Changing jobs every time a challenging situation arises does not build character. It weakens your ability to handle stress and keep calm under pressure. Sometimes a job change is the right answer but if Christians repeatedly change jobs every time they hit some rough water, this demonstrates they have not learned to endure hardship and resolve problems.
Let us remember the set of objectives our Lord had when He came to earth. The job was not easy and many obstacles lay in His path. However He steadfastly endured and set His face as a flint to go to Jerusalem, even when He knew that conflict and suffering lay ahead of Him. His great work of redemption on the cross is the culmination of a life of devotion and service to do the Father’s will (Heb. 2:14; Jn. 17:4). Perseverance is enhanced by trials and we should strengthen our resolve to do our jobs even when the going is rough and problems arise. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).
Nehemiah is a great example of a man that motivated people to keep going when circumstances were really rough. How would you like to be in construction when you have tools in one hand and a weapon for protection in the other (Neh. 4:17-18)?
A HUMBLE SPIRIT
Remember that you are not indispensible. Sometimes we get an inflated and unhealthy sense of our own importance to the success of the company. There are many others who have equivalent or perhaps even better skills than you have. Furthermore the company will have no difficulty filling the vacancy should you leave. For some people it has been devastating to realize that the projects actually can continue without them and that they are not the kingpins after all. Nebuchadnezzar learned this the hard way (Dan. 4:28-33). He was filled with his own self-importance and his great accomplishments in Babylon. How quickly he had to learn his true position by being brought low like an animal; God had other plans for the kingdom that did not include him. Keep humble and walk softly before the Lord in your work. God is over all and has a long-range succession plan that you can’t see.
CONCERN FOR OTHERS
Mentoring those in your group with high potential and seeking their well-being has a very dramatic impact on the success of your own career. It enables you to attract top talent into your group because they know you care and will give them recognition where it counts. This really boils down to concern for others, not using others as doormats and dispensable stepping stones for you to get ahead. Philippians 2:3-4 tells us to esteem others better than ourselves and avoid doing things for vainglory. I have found this principle of looking out for the interests of others to be one of the best accelerators in moving forward in corporate responsibility. If you truly demonstrate this in how you do your job, then the best and brightest will be asking to come and work with you. They in turn produce top notch work for which you give them the credit and recognition. Proper leveraging of the strengths of other people is the secret of good management. How seldom we see this principle put into practice. Pride and ego so often get in the way. If we truly are concerned for others, then leave a “sheaf in the field” for those less fortunate. In other words be generous, not small-minded. Help out a fellow worker, pay that overtime instead of ignoring the extra effort, and don’t forget the little things like saying “thank you” for a job well done. One of the most basic human needs is for recognition and so often we fail to provide it when it costs us nothing.
LIFELONG LEARNING
Another principle is using our work to enhance skills and develop specific expertise versus just drifting along and learning nothing. You have to apply yourself to learn, and your company is not going to spoon-feed you. You need to apply yourself and surprise them with your development of expertise. Second Timothy 2:15 is a verse that I often think of in relation to acquiring skill. Study of the Scriptures requires skill, just as a workman cutting a straight line requires training and experience. The workman cuts a straight line because he has learned the trade. Paul knew that a good tent required the canvas pieces to be cut out properly. The workmen who built the tabernacle and the temple in the Old testament were skilled craftsmen and were able to use these talents to glorify the Lord (read Ex. 36:1; i Ki. 5:6; 2 Chron. 2:7). Try to develop a particular skill and become known as an expert in that area. A specialist usually progresses farther than a generalist. We can be learning as long as we live, and this learning creates a sense of renewal and excitement.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Balance work and home life priorities, i.e., don’t make yourself available all the time or at any time for the company. There is a time to lay down the tools, shut down the computer, and give your time and attention to the family. Watch that the “tyranny of time” does not begin to erode the foundations of family and spiritual life. This is a particular problem in today’s environment when computer productivity has actually increased the load on the humans that interact with them. Now we cannot enter the data fast enough to feed the applications. Our bosses expect us to be “online” and available on cell phones, Blackberrys, pagers, and PCs. It is important to maintain a sense of discipline in time management. As has been said, if we are not careful, we will let the urgent things crowd out the important.
Our Lord sets the example for us in this matter as well. Mark 1:35 illustrates that Jesus took time early in the morning, long before daybreak (in spite of incredibly busy days of healing and teaching), to pray and commune alone with His Father. Perhaps if our days were ordered in the quietness of our study we would not be so stressed and anxious about all the demands on our time. If you are married, spend time with your spouse and children. Many families have disintegrated because the working spouse gives all his time to the job and crowds out quality time that should be spent at home understanding and helping with the challenges of the family. It is possible to be too busy and lose our perspective.
DISCRETION
Choose the time and place carefully to speak to coworkers about spiritual things. My experience is that a word spoken quietly, perhaps to someone over a coffee break, lunch hour, or after regular working hours, is very effective. I have used email to suggest verse of comfort and salvation to those who have lost loved ones and the feedback has been positive. The overriding principle is to use discretion and do not use company resources for evangelism unless you get pre-authorization to do it.
If our life backs up what we are talking about, then it has tremendous weight; if not, then less talk and more practical Christian living is the key. It is interesting how sometimes a simple statement can cause great searching of soul and further dialogue. Avoid trying to cover all the ground when an opportunity arises to speak to someone. Everyone has a different style based on personality, so use techniques that match your disposition. But keep it simple, casual, friendly, and non-threatening. Delivered in the right context, it can be an arrow of conviction to someone’s conscience.
Written by Alan Kember/Elmer Curtis