I recently visited the last session of a Leadership@Work Study group that was completing Esther: A Leader of Influence. I don’t often visit the last session of this workplace Bible studies, but when I do, it’s always a blessing to hear participants share their insights. I think you may find the insights of one man who participated in this workplace Bible study interesting.
This man said it’s important to him to do his work in a way that exemplifies his faith and witnesses to others. Before doing the workplace Bible study, it was overwhelming for him to consider how he might share his faith with everyone around him. Through the study, he realized that he doesn’t have to share his faith with everyone. His life and testimony will speak to some of those people, where someone else’s testimony will reach others he may never reach.
This sounds simple. It sounds obvious. Yet, it’s profound and SO important for us to understand and remember in our own faith-and-work journeys.
Here’s the problem. See if you can relate.
- When I think about sharing my faith with others at work, it’s easy to slip into thinking that I have to share with EVERYONE and impact LOTS of people. That’s going to take a lot of TIME and could result in quite a bit of FAILURE.
- If I fall into that thinking trap, the next series of thoughts that’s bound to pop up in my head are – “but I don’t have that kind of time,” “I don’t know how to speak to all of those people in a way they can relate to,” “it’s too overwhelming,” “oh, never mind.”
When you really experience the good news of Jesus Christ, it’s natural to want to share your faith with others at work. Let me give you some encouragement for a solution.
- Share your faith with the people God puts in front of YOU. You don’t have to share your testimony with EVERYONE. God put us and many other Christians here to reach those who have not received Christ. You are going to reach people that others will never reach. Others will reach people you could never reach.
- “Do for ONE what you wish you could do for all.” I love this quote from Andy Stanley. It’s had a huge impact on my thinking since I first heard it and I repeat it often. I can’t buy a meal for every homeless person. But I can buy a meal for that one. I can’t develop a relationship with every single person I work with. But I can have coffee with a few.
- GOD does the converting. It’s not your job to convert people. God has planted a desire in our hearts for Him (Ecclesiastes 3:11). When you share your faith simply in the way you do your work, speak and live your life, people will see the joy in you and want to know where it comes from. As you share the ways God has worked in your life, God works in the hearts of those people with whom you share and ignites their desire for Him.
Whether you know it or not, you are influencing people at work every day – perhaps more than you even realize. By being intentional with your influence at work, you may help one more person find Christ. You may not reach everyone, but you will have made a difference for that ONE. And every single one counts to God.
