Have you ever had a well-known person come into your workplace? I remember when a former U.S. President boarded a flight that my wife and I were on. There probably was not one person on the plane that hadn’t heard of him or his influence on the nation, and in no time everyone in the place was aware of his presence.
When Christians enter their workplace, they bring more than their personality, skills, and knowledge to work. They bring with them a Divine presence that bears witness of their relationship with a personal God. The Bible describes how God abides in each of His children and thus they become His dwelling place (1Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 2:19-22). That being true, the radiance of His glory will shine through the lives of Christians, when God’s presence is actively working in them (1Peter 2:9).
We can read about two of Christ’s disciples and how after they were jailed and threatened by the establishment, the people were amazed at the confidence these two had in the Lord. Interestingly, these people also were aware and told each other that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:1-13). The point here is that the relationship these men had with Christ brought nothing less than a dynamic presence to those around them, which was observed by all.
Christians going to the workplace take with them the same presence these two disciples had, the Holy Spirit (John 14:17). The fruits of the Holy Spirit are attractive and will point to our Creator. You see…when God shows up in our workplace, He does so mostly through the presence of Christians, whose lives exemplify the God they serve. One of the most effective witnesses Christians can have in their workplace is by letting others observe how their faith operates throughout their workday. Both in the routine as well as in the rough times of work, people should see God’s influence in our life. Just as those who noted the disciples’ confidence in God, so the people around us should be able to see our confidence in the Lord.
When God’s presence is working through us, we take on the characteristics of salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). Light as well as salt make no sound or noise; however, their influence can be both immediate and long term. Light pierces darkness and illuminates everything. The nature of salt brings out the taste of food and will also prevent it from decaying. Salt can also bring healing to infected wounds. The presence of our faith should never come across as obnoxious, pushy or coercive. In fact, we should never leave any reason for people not to like us based on how we treat them.
Sometimes Christians conclude that fulfilling one’s job is merely showing up at work and putting in the requested hours. However, this lacks authenticity of how God wants to work through His people as they do their work. Our calling in the workplace is to demonstrate how His presence can bring a healthy and positive effect on those around us, a presence that cannot be overlooked and will be noticed by all who work around Christians and observe them as they do their work. (PMC)
“I will dwell in them and walk among them.” 2 Corinthians 6:16