Being Christ in the Workplace

It's no secret that I haven't been happy with my job this past year, and I have struggled with the type of work I've been given and how to handle the every day interactions with my new co-workers. I recently subscribed to Christians in Commerce (CIC) and now receive daily emails with words of encouragement for working Christians. This was in my InBox this morning and I could relate as similar events have happened with me. It is hard to explain how your feel when this occurs because you don't want to sound egotistical, but when you put a lot of work into something you want to be acknowledged or at least know that your actions won't go unnoticed by those that evaluation your performance. Well, I guess in all circumstances the one thing for certain is that when faced with encounters like this, we should pray. If only I prayed before I spoke, my words may sound less defensive, aggresive or boastful. Read this excerpt from the email I received from CIC today, hopefully it will help you be Christian in the workplace!

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14:26-27

"A close friend of 20 years and former business partner once offered me a job, which I accepted. The job in the high tech industry is in neither of our areas of expertise. To help facilitate our learning curve we interviewed several high tech firms in our region. We spent several weeks interviewing CEOs, CFOs, presidents, and vice presidents of these companies. Each of us wrote a 6-page summary after the interviews. My boss collated the summaries into a final report for presentation at our 40-member Advisory Board meeting. Prior to the meeting she gave me a draft of the final report to review. Much to my surprise, on the title page only her name was listed. I felt hurt that after we had both spend hours interviewing and recapping the site visits, her name was the only one on the final report.

I am blessed to have a CIC sister, Debby, working in the office next to mine. "I need to pray". I told Debby my woeful tale. I explained that public recognition and accolades are not career values that I hold. I knew this was a small issue and that it really didn't matter in the overall scheme of things. I told Debby I wanted to be a shining light for Christ, a loving friend and good coworker, so why was my heart so troubled? My sister looked me in the eye and said, "I guess we're only human", bowed her head, and led us in prayer. I felt a weight lifting from my heart and a sense of profound peace. The Holy Spirit was present and taking the trouble from my heart.

I recently read that God wants us to develop the habit of reflecting prayerfully on the circumstances that we face everyday. He wants us to hold fast to his word and let him guide our hearts. As I remember this prayer time with Debby, I am again filled with a renewed sense of peace."

TAKE THE CHALLENGE: When are you most vulnerable to the world's influences? How do you handle it?