Adorning the Gospel at Work

Work dominates our lives. If you have a job or a business then you spend more of your waking hours in the work place than anywhere else. And you can be a good witness for Christ in that environment. The apostle Paul tells us how in his letter to an associate named Titus. The Scripture reads:

Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things (Titus 2:9, 10).

In the time of Paul and Titus the work force was composed of “bondservants” or slaves. Some people became bondservants voluntarily others involuntarily. But many held high-ranking positions in their master’s household. The bondservants Paul was concerned about were Christians. In our world today the words “bondservants” and “masters” could be interchanged for employee and employer. I know that sometimes employees can feel like slaves, but I’ll leave that for another blog!

But Paul’s exhortation to Titus presents us with five bullet points on being an effective witness for Christ where you work.

      1. “be obedient to their masters in everything” – Do the job you were hired to do and strive to be the best at what you do. Engage in every project willingly even if your boss is difficult to work for. If you are the boss, remember that you have a Master too. Scripture says. “Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven (Colossians 4:1).

   2. “be well pleasing in all things” – Be agreeable. This doesn’t mean you have to be a doormat. But be timely in all that you do, be professional. Put in a little extra effort that others will notice.

   3. “not answering back” – R-E-S-P-E-C-T, that is what this means. Contribute your ideas with a positive constructive tone. Do not undermine the values of your product or service. Don’t undercut the reputation of management. If there is a problem, deal with it in a respectful manner.

   4. “not pilfering” – Put in a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Don’t steal from your employer. Make sure that other workers who have helped you are rewarded when you are.

     5. “showing all good fidelity” – Be loyal, faithful and steadfast. Keep your word. Prove that you can be trusted.

Incorporating these five points in your work will enable you to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. In other words you will make the Christian life and the Christian good news about salvation in Christ attractive to those with whom you work. As Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).”

Oh, and one more thing. Once you have the attention of your fellow workers and your employer, pray and find the right moment to actually share the Word of God.