I am thinking through some of the issues related to being a Christ-follower at work. What are some of the issues that you have faced as you have tried to follow Christ in the midst of your career? What are some of the issues that your friends have faced?
I first began thinking about this issue (how to be a Christ-follower at work) when my friend Steve began to follow Christ and his teachings. After a tragedy in their family, my friend began to take seriously the call of Christ to follow him. Steve took his baptism seriously and repentance seriously and began living out the teachings of Jesus.
One night Steve called me and asked if we could meet for coffee. We met at a local resturant late that evening. My friend explained to me that the following morning, he would speak with his boss and that conversation would mean the end of his job. I asked him why he was so sure that a job loss would be the end result of this conversation. He said, “I am going to tell him that I have become a Christian and I can no longer close my eyes to some things that are going on in this company.” (My friend was in business with a man whom he had known since he was a child.)
Sure enough, the next day Steve called me and told me about the conversation. It went as he expected. Steve no longer had a job.
This story has reminded me that many, many people face great challenges as they follow Christ and attempt to go about their work and career.
My question to you is:
What are some issues at work that you have faced which challenged you as a Christ-follower? What are some of the challenges? What are some of the temptations?
(I really appreciate your comments and input to these questions. Thanks!)
Some three years ago, my boss asked me to say a prayer before we began a routine staff meeting. During my prayer I asked God to help her in the distinct roles of supervisor and administrator. I had not planned on those words, they just came out of my mouth and, though I was the most surprised of all, in retrospect they felt real and necessary, so I chalked it up to God talking to her at a time in her life and career when she needed guidance. Her reaction did not give away her true feelings and the meeting went ahead as usual, with her subtly bashing all of us with a work ethic and praising those who had sided with her unethical ways. Soon after, those on her side began even more belligerent in their attitudes with clients and co-workers and impudent about their use of working time for chats, personal internet-search and other unethical behaviors. One afternoon, I got so fed up with it that I made a passing comment while they were all in a circle of chairs in the middle of the corridor, blocking the way for those of us working. She immediately went to my office and closed the door, then accused me of being intransigent, antisocial, unfair, not a team member and to have abused her goodwill towards me. The next day my best friend from work was transferred to another agency with absolutely no work for her, my computer was tapped and another friend’s internet access was denied, even though he was the only one who really needed access for work and had used it for such purpose only. Then, to nobody’s surprise, a few weeks later she resigned, not without first leaving a letter for her successor and the Human Resources department to deny us the renewal of our contracts. Looking back I know God allowed it for our better good, for we would have been corrupted by their ways had we stayed there longer, for resentment and strife would have become a second skin.
Zoraya,
Wow! What a story!
What a difficult, difficult place to work. This must have been an incredibly challenging time for you. As I read through your story, I thought about how so much of this tension had to do not with the work itself but the relationships within this company. I suspect that a number of people can relate to your story. Thanks Zoraya.
Just the other day I walked into our breakroom and overheard a couple of my co-workers talking. One was telling the other about a text message he had received and then he showed it to him with the comment “have you ever seen anything like that before!” He could tell I was curious about what they were talking about. He turned to me and said something to the effect of “no, you are too good of a person to see something like this”. At first it kind of set my back, but later I thought “Wow, I guess maybe I am being different and not really even aware of it!” I told him “thanks”. I don’t think he had meant it as a compliment.
Randal,
Wow! I am so glad you shared this story. What a compliment to your character. Perhaps–just perhaps–this guy thought a little more about what he was doing after he said this about you. I would like to think so, anyway.