Who Do You Represent at Work... Team Jesus... Team You....Team No One?

Are we glorifying God at work every day? Most of us go to work each day and are not fortunate enough to work for a company, outside of a religious organization, whose number one core value is to honor God in all we do. There are a few companies out there who live out this value, but they seem few and far between. Just because we may not work in one of those places doesn't mean that we can't work for Team Jesus in our own workplace. Unfortunately, most of us feel the restriction of workplace etiquette, policy, peer pressure, or the even the law that requires us to keep any overt conversations or demonstrations of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ hidden. Regrettably, sin can and does occur inside the workplaces of the nation and the world every day, yet it still doesn’t mean you have to leave God at home. God is allowed at work. But, the only way He can be there is if you take Him there inside of you—allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you in all you think, say, and do.

We can be the workers Matthew spoke of in Matthew 9:37-38(NLT)He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” How do we walk the line confidently representing Team Jesus with a clear conscience that we are not breaking any rules of authority?

In a survey given to those attending training sessions for a Billy Graham crusade in Detroit, attendees were asked to answer this question by checking one of the following answers. "What is your greatest hindrance in witnessing?" 0% said they don't care. 9% said they were too busy to remember to do it. 12% said their own lives were not speaking as they should. 28% felt the lack of real information to share and 51% feared the reactions of those with whom they might share. What would we check?



There are real, practical, subtle and not so subtle ways to work for Jesus in the field, our work place, and in every aspect of our lives. The hard part of witnessing is that we have to choose to do it not letting any of our fears or hindrances get in the way. Below are three ways that you can represent Team Jesus in your everyday life, especially in the workplace. In doing so you will show others what God is like.

Loving others unconditionally. In Romans 13:8-10 MSG, Paul says, "Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don’t sleep with another person’s spouse, don’t take someone’s life, don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t always be wanting what you don’t have, and any other “don’t” you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can’t go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love. Translating scripture into workplace terms...don't be a taker; give more than you take; don't be a credit stealer; be a teammate giving credit where it is due; don't want something you haven't worked for; instead inquire, learn, study, model, do, and then good will come to you. To sum it up, demonstrate good character by putting others in front of yourself.

Acting intentionally. Romans 13:11-14 MSG says, "But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!" Translation...Wake up each morning asking God to fill you, to choose your words, your tone, your to-do items. Give up control of your calendar by intentionally giving God control.

Being a light to others. Proverbs 4:18-19 MSG says The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker— travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.

Likewise, Matthew 5:14-16 MSG says “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.


Finally, 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 MSG says Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. Translation...We make several choices daily, so what would happen if we choose to be a light? Think about it. Have you ever known someone whose work seems golden? His or her witness is so bright. Others are drawn to him or her. No matter what he or she takes on, it turns out beautifully every time. His or her attitude is always positive, even when a mistake is made. What do you think causes all this? It happens because he or she chooses the attitude with which he or she approaches everything. He or she chooses to be a light in every situation and interaction that comes his or her way. We can each make that choice and brighten our workplace with Jesus's light within us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we wake up each morning help us to understand that we represent Jesus to the world no matter where we are. Fill us with the Holy Spirit to remove any fear or doubt in our role. Let each one of us confidently represent Team Jesus in our workplace. Help us to take Jesus to work with us every day on the inside letting Him be in control of our every action. May the light of Jesus's grace and love show through us to our colleagues, bosses, friends, customers, or students through our words, work, and interactions. It is in Jesus's Holy Name we pray...Amen.

Turn Your Fear Into Faith

Do you ever look at the week ahead and just want to say, "No thank you. I'm good. I'll pass."? Is your calendar or to do list filled with appointments, important meetings, sensitive conversations, emotionally charged decisions, or commitments that you just rather not have? Just thinking about all that has to be done makes us tired. Sometimes our natural response is to avoid, but why do we avoid? Other times we become paralyzed with inaction.

If we look deeply within and are honest with ourselves, we see we often avoid situations or tasks because we fear something. Many of us fear failure, rejection, being misunderstood, or maligned especially when it is our job or lifework that calls us to be put in such situations. We often associate our job performance with our personal value and measure our self-worth by how others view our ability to do our jobs which makes our busy calendars that much more weighty.

So, how do we overcome the natural urge to hide and avoid the trials we face?



Turn fear into faith. God calls us to pull from His strength and not rely on our own in 2 Timothy 1:7...God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Debilitating fear is not from the Lord. We can call upon the Holy Spirit to give us the power to face our fears, overcome our foes, the love to overcome evil with good, and the discipline to persevere through the challenges we face. We have been given the power to turn fear into faith. We have to choose to do it.


Find courage in God by immersing in the Word. We learn in Romans 10:17, Faith comes from listening to the message of good news - the Good News about Christ. When we fill our minds with the promises of God, God fills our lives with the provisions we need. Doubt erodes our confidence, but God's promises inspire faith and hope. When we proceed with faith and hope, each task on our to do list is made lighter. Whether we quietly quote meaningful scripture in our own heads or take a moment to pray with fellow co-worker, we will be filled with God's confidence. In Isaiah 41:10 we are directed...Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Courage comes from trusting in the presence of God. Fear comes from feeling alone against a threat. God promises us that we are never alone. Meditate on His presence and not the problem.

Keep integrity in tact through honesty. When we worry about what others will think, we become ineffective. Many may choose to bend instead of standing strong when facing pressure. In 1 Peter 2:12 we are told ...Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world. Integrity keeps us from the trap of dishonesty and all the destruction that can result from taking an easier path. God has given us the ability to lead lives that honor Him. His word gives us understanding, discernment, and the motivation to choose the way of integrity. Choosing to act with integrity is not easy, and it may not bring immediate rewards, but we can be certain that it will one day be recognized. So, even when our decisions or actions are not popular or immediately understood, we can be confident that we have done what is pleasing to God.

Rest in God's strength and not on your own strength. King David says in 1 Chronicles 28:20, Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task, for the Lord God, my God is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Challenges that threaten us are the tools God uses to strengthen and mature us. As we endure, we gain greater wisdom, integrity, and the courage to face whatever comes our way. So, instead of being discouraged by the size of the task, we should be encouraged by the immense power of God. Nothing is too small for God. In Psalm 37:5 we are told... Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and he will help you. When we bring Him in the loop of our concerns and confide in Him, He commits infinite resources to us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please helps us as we face work weeks that are full of weighty issues and important interactions. Help us to rely not on ourselves, but to fully place our burdens on You. Fortify us to stay strong and stand firm in doing what is good, right, and true even when it is not popular or understood. Guide our service and our work to bravely face each challenge with a joy and anticipation of your power and strength. Let us not have a fearful spirit. Instead fill us with a God Confidence to have each conversation or make each decision with courage. Make our work light as we share it with you. It is in your most awesome name we pray...Amen.