It's Off to Work I Go by Bobbi Richardson

Every morning hundreds of men and women go off to work in offices, stores and other places of employment. Does being a Christian make a difference? As a Christian should you act, look or speak differently? Has God placed you in the position you hold for a reason?

Employees

The definition of an employee is one hired by another usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level.

Most of us would fit into that category as office workers, clerks, salespersons, and the many other jobs we do to earn a living and that put us under the authority of an employer without the perks and benefits of executive status.

While the word employee is not specifically used in most versions of the Bible, there are many principles that can be applied to employees.

As children of God, it is our responsibility to obey His commands and live by His principles. This is true in the workplace as well as anywhere.

What does it mean to succeed?

We all want to be a success in our jobs, the question is what does that success look like and what are we doing to succeed?

In our current culture success means to get ahead (usually at the expense of others). It means to continually strive to do what someone else expects of you (even if deep down inside it is not what you think you should be doing). It means to always be concerned with how you look, how you sound, how you act. It means concentrating on you.

This type of success is not lasting and does not accomplish much.

God's way is to concentrate on others and let Him take care of you.

As Christians, our goal should be to hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Our ambition should always be to accomplish God's plan.

Slaves and Servants

Throughout the Old Testament God's people were instructed on how to treat those who were less fortunate; the oppressed, the poor, widows, orphans, slaves and servants.

In the Bible, a slave could be one who is actually in bondage or enslaved by another as when people were taken by a conquering army and put into service to the conquering people; or one who was in bondage as punishment for a crime.

Jews who were unable to pay debts were often "enslaved" by their fellow Jews. However, they were to be considered hired workers until their debts were paid.

The Old Testament also refers to slaves as bondservants and there were laws governing the fair and humane treatment of slaves with punishment for those who treated their slaves harshly.

God's care and rescue of Hagar is an example of His compassion and love of those enslaved by another. (Genesis 21:14-19)

Servants were usually free men who were hired to work for someone as an administrator of their household or as a scribe to write letters or other communications (a secretary).

As employees we can look at portions of scripture that focus on slaves in that we are working for someone who determines what our work is and we must follow their rules and procedures. We can look at portions referring to servants in that we are hired to work for an employer and are under their authority and direction.

Jesus as Servant

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28-NLT)

If Jesus' mission was to serve and give His life for others, as His disciples it is our mission also.

Jesus ministered to all who came to Him.

As Christians, we are in the workplace to serve. We serve God by serving others; our co-workers, our customers, anyone we come in contact within our daily work.

We give our lives by putting aside our desires, our plans, our feelings in order to minister to and serve others.

Instead of looking for what we can get from our employers, we can try to find ways to serve them. In learning how to do this and in redirecting our focus in this way we develop humility, compassion, patience, faithfulness (loyalty) and forgiveness. We see all of these qualities in Jesus.

As Christians it should be our goal to live as Jesus lived; to follow Him; to obey His commands.

God is constantly building the character of His children. He has placed us in whatever position we now hold. He tells us to serve others as a general command. If we view our employees as an opportunity for service and look to God to show us how, we will be following Jesus' example and teachings.

What Should We Do?

There is much in God's word that speaks to how we should conduct our daily lives whether as employees or in any other capacity.

Some principles that apply to employees are:

Always do your best work and keep on doing what is good. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Don't be discouraged or easily give up because of lack of results. (Galatians 6:9)

Persevere and let nothing distract from the purpose; the mission; doing God's will; accomplishing His plan. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Some characteristics of Godly employees are:

Respect for authority-All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. (1 Timothy 6:1-NAS)


Loyalty-Slaves must obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but they must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. (Titus 2:9 & 10-NLT)

Obedience-Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. (Ephesians 6:5-NLT)

These are not popular principles in the workplace. You will not find seminars on how to develop these characteristics. There are no motivational speakers encouraging you to act this way in order to further your career. What you hear and read will totally contradict these principles; these characteristics will be scoffed at and rejected by most.

Our choice as Christian employees is whether to listen to those around us and strive continually to be a success on our own or to "lay down your life" and obey and follow Jesus' example, which leads to blessings now and stores up treasures in heaven for the future.

Good Employees

God's word makes it clear that He does not look on His children as slave or free, but all are equal in His sight. This is our promise and comfort that God loves and cares for each of us individually no matter what our position in life or in the workplace.

It is our responsibility to reflect His presence in our lives no matter what our individual circumstances.

It all starts with a good attitude (a good way of thinking).

We should, like Jesus, joyfully serve the Father's purposes.

Hebrews 12:2-3 says, "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterward. Now He is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. Think about all He endured when sinful people did such terrible things to Him, so that you don't become weary and give up." (NLT)

Here are a few practical suggestions that you can try the next time you enter your workplace:

Arrive on time, dress well, speak politely and smile readily.

Don't indulge in gossip or complaining.

Develop the art of listening.

Be kind, compassionate, forgiving, loving, patient (demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit who lives in you).

Pray - for your co-workers, your boss, your company, your customers.

Ask the Father to show you how to be the employee He wants you to be.

Does being a Christian in the workplace make a difference?

Try some of the suggestions above and see the reactions for yourself.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Interview with Santa

Standing in the Marketplace

"And about the eleventh hour He went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing idle all day?' They said to Him, ' Because no one hired us.' He said to them, ' You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive." Matthew 20:6-7

We know that these verses are talking about the world as God's vineyard the mission field and laborers being sent out to reap. I would like to look at the men mentioned in the verses above. The day was half-gone and they had not heard the call for workers. Why were they late? Did they sleep late? Did they have other jobs? Either way, they were unavailable. This is a picture of the present state of the church. We are standing idle in the marketplace, waiting to be hired. This article is for those still waiting on their call.
The days of D.L. Moody, Brother Bryan and others have passed. No longer is it easy for the clergy to enter the workplaces and minister to the laborers. With the fear of religious harassment and insurance liability the doors to the marketplace have almost closed. Who then will reach these souls that labor their days away? Will they seek out our churches on Sunday, for some the only day off they have for their families? Do they have the time or energy to make a mid-week service? The numbers say "No". Who will reach them? The Christian that is full of motivational teachings urging them to reach out and work their way to the top of their potential, where they will have influence. Then they can be a light on a hill. Or should I say Ladder? I am not saying they cannot be used. They have and they will. But I speak from experience when I say that the one with his sites on that top run had better be sure that's where the Lord wants him. I gave an employee new to the management world a hard-learned lesson. To be management he must realize that everything he does and says becomes a reflection of the company you have chosen to take responsibility for. Even the way he reacts to co-workers after hours is not his own. So for the Christian seeking a place in management, he had better make sure that his faith and job could co-exist. Can you fire an employee that you have been witnessing to, and still maintain the witness? You must choose your priority, your position or souls. Or can they be one in the same?

How about the Christian that is trying to solve all of his ethical problems and believes he cannot be a witness until he is the best worker in his field? God can and will use the perfect employee. Each of us strives for Holiness in Christ. But just being the best worker is not enough. When the Lord started dealing with me about witnessing in the workplace, I searched everywhere for resources. Most of what I found was advice to be the best worker your boss could have. Be on time every day, stay busy and productive, do your work without complaining, be honest ...etc. I have had many workers with these qualities and they were not Christians. These things should be fruit of our lives and not something we must work hard at obtaining. We should not have to be told to "Work as unto the Lord". People may not notice our witness if we do these things, but they will definitely receive a witness if we don't. There is a place for this, but don't rely on them for your complete witness.

Or how about the one that believes he must develop a relationship with his co-workers and his life will be his witness and there isn't a need to speak? Relationships are needed for an effective witness but not to be relied on completely. God can and will use these, but He commanded us to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel". Yes I have heard it all my life. "Our lives preach". But we must add words to our lives, and relationships, in order to be complete.

Back to the question, who can reach the workers in the marketplace? I am persuaded that the Lord is calling for those late comers standing idle in the marketplace to go on into the fields, it's not too late. I believe He is looking for men and women that hear His call to become missionaries. Maybe they owe too many bills to be free. Maybe they are paying child support from bad marriages before they got saved and have this responsibility until the children are 18 years old. Maybe they have health problems that keep them from traveling to other countries. God is calling them to reap in His fields right here in the United States, The workplace, where the clergy cannot go.

He is calling for people who will take up the workplace as their mission field. They will work at the task just like we expect our overseas missionaries to work at theirs. Not to seek jobs or positions where they get the best pay or recognition, but for the ability to reach more people of the greatest need. For years the laity movement has tried to motivate the people to join in the work, but still maintain that the clergy are the ones that are "Full Time" in the ministry. God is calling people to enter the ministry full time through the workplace. Your pastor or denomination may not see you as called, but the Caller knows better. And He is the one who sets the wages.

He's calling for the person who will take a thankless job at a processing plant, which is noted, for the hardest work and the lowest pay. Just so they can reach the low-income families of their town. That is our mission field of today. This is being called the Fourth Frontier by people in the Faith@Work Movement. Who will take a job at a cigar plant just to be exposed to the lost? Who will take a job that requires Sunday work in order to reach the unchurched? And who is so bold as to get a job as a bartender, just so they could reach their town's outcast. These may be extreme moves to make, but most people are in the jobs that the Lord wants them in. They just need to hear their call to it. If you cannot be satisfied in your position, even after deciding to do it for the Lord, then it is time for a move. I hired a brother one time that was called to the mission field overseas. He worked with me until he could hear where the Lord wanted him. It did not take a large degree of discernment to know when it was time for him to go. He was stressed and unfit for any more work. He could do nothing else but "GO". So no one needs to fear that if they take a "regular job", that they may lose their "sense of mission". The Lord will not allow someone he intends to use on the foreign mission field to stay in the marketplace forever. Many have stayed when they were supposed to "GO", and the Lord has sent their jobs overseas instead.

If you are called out, then you will go in God's time. Until then the Vineyard owner is looking for those idle in the marketplace. He has a job for you. I would not belittle the great need of foreign missions. Their need is so much greater than ours in the United States, but we are missing a great training ground for our troops heading to the fields of the world. I have a vision of persons unable to "Go" now because of restrictions on their lives. But God is calling them to the workplace and not to be idle waiting on a call. In the workplace they will train for their service to foreign lands. Where in America can you get cross-cultural exposure like that in the marketplace? Try factory vending machine food, roasted grubs may not be that bad. I'm not against training schools; they are very much needed. But they need to incorporate the workplace as part of their training. A person needs just as much faith to support them in a job as the one that depends on others for support. Many people are missing a perfect training ground in the marketplace. With this, I end by saying, "The Owner of the vineyard is asking, 'Why do you stand idle, there is plenty of work for all. There is no unemployment in the Kingdom of God.'"
Original posted 12/03/2004