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.