Shaping our Workplace: Shoulder to Shoulder

Jul 21, 2016

Shaping our Workplace: Shoulder to Shoulder – WorkLife.org

Therefore, I urge you, brethren, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:1-2

"You have bled with Wallace, now bleed with me!"

In this stirring scene from the movie Braveheart, Robert the Bruce heads a Scots army still mourning the death of William Wallace. With these words, even members of movie audiences were ready to jump out of their seats and join the battle.

What is it about humankind that makes us able to offer our lives for ideas of justice and freedom, but fails us when called upon to represent our true King, Jesus Christ? It is largely, I think, because we fail to see our routine daily efforts as part of the "living sacrifice" Paul calls us to in the text from Romans. We must commit ourselves not merely to surviving in the work culture that feeds our family, but to minister there, perhaps even to shape that culture.

But how? Where do we start? First, seek out other believers in your workplace and build relationships with them. An employer once told me he could tell when two of his employees were in love by the "electricity between them." He continued, "I don’t sense love between you Christians; you shoot your wounded!" Christians are often defined not by what binds them together, but rather by what separates them. The hope that is in us (Christ Jesus) shines ever brighter when bound to others with that same hope! While it’s true even one person can make a difference in a culture, it’s equally true a team of people often has better success in accomplishing difficult tasks. Consider these five additional advantages to knowing and respecting other Christians in the workplace:

  1. We are able to fellowship, offering encouragement steeped not only in our common Savior, but in our common understanding of the setting where God calls us to work.
  2. We are able to pray for each other with greater insight than are the people outside that particular workforce.
  3. We may be able to seek counsel from, and offer counsel to, each other on matters relating to the particular department or company where we work.
  4. We are able to hold each other accountable in ways pastors, friends and family members cannot during the workday.
  5. There may be opportunities for us to coalesce in shaping or influencing the work culture.

Our world has ample evidence of the bonds of the firefighting profession, and the bonds of miners. It is time for you and me to show the bond of the believers, who hear Christ’s words in John 14:1, "…(you) believe in God, believe also in Me." Like the Scots warriors, may we be moved by His mercy to become living sacrifices every minute of our day.

Written by Randy Kilgore, Senior Writer and Workplace Chaplain for Desired Haven Ministries.  Used by permission. Content distributed by WorkLife.org > Used for non-profit teaching purposes only.