In our last blog, we noted that we see so little discussion on how to apply Christianity to our work. Maybe that is because we have made Christianity a belief system instead of the way we live our lives. If Christianity is just a belief system, then applying Christianity at work becomes finding ways to convince our co-workers to accept Christianity. The problem is that takes time and our employers are interested in us doing our job, not in our philosophical and religious discussions.
However, living our life as Jesus would live it does not require words or time. As Francis of Assisi proposed we should preach the gospel constantly and only if absolutely necessary should we use words. [1]
Applying Jesus’ teachings to our work is much more difficult than trying to “convert” someone at work to our belief system. However, the Bible does not give us a pass on how we conduct our professional life. The same standards apply to our personal and professional lives. An example is Zacchaeus, a tax collector, who after his encounter with Jesus resolved to repay those he had cheated in his collection of taxes (Luke 19:1-10).
So how well do we apply Jesus’ teachings at work? How do we treat our co-workers? Do we take advantage of our subordinates? Do we disparage those with whom we are in competition for the next promotion? Are we silent when our superiors propose a program that will unfairly take advantage of our customers or suppliers?
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[1] Paul Marshall, Heaven Is Not My Home, Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998, pp. 207-208.
