Living Out Your Faith…At Work

Are you a person of faith who’s trying to figure out how to bring God into your workplace in a more meaningful way? I thought I’d touch on this subject today because I’ve had a week full of wonderful business conversations that included spiritual dialog.

I’ve been a leader in both faith and non-faith based businesses and, for example, I’ve started meetings with prayer in both settings. While the corporate setting is more of a maze to work through (due to HR legal restrictions) it can be a more rewarding environment to show Christ because in the business world your spiritual health isn’t an expected talent that you must have to be successful.

So how do we, as business leaders who are faithful to Christ, balance business and God in our day work life?

Faith isn’t a sweater.

Your faith is part of you, and it doesn’t come and go based on the environment you are in. Faith isn’t a sweater that we put on when we’re at home and take off when we get to the office. So be real and be the same at the office as you are at home.

Live by faith.

Put God in your actions before you put him in your vocabulary. I’m not saying you shouldn’t talk about your faith; what I am saying is that your example as a leader is way more powerful than any lecture you can give. How do you handle on-the-job stress? Do you treat others with kindness and patience? When others notice that you are different, they will comment on it, which will open the door for you to share your faith.

It’s all about you.

Ha, you don’t hear that much! But your faith is all about you. Don’t feel that you have to push it onto others. God will open those doors. You are a representative for Him to use as an example of his love and to demonstrate that it can live inside of a profit-driven and tenacious business. So relax and allow God to use you instead of feeling pressure to use God.

Be competent at your trade.

Your influence inside the business world starts with your ability to produce. Competence is a non-negotiable. As you bring your faith openly into your work you will be viewed with a more critical eye, which is a great thing because you’re intriguing others. People will be watching your attitude, how you steward company funds, your trust level, your humility and the reasoning behind your decisions. Without knowing it, you’re teaching through your walk.

Be part of the team.

Every environment is different, but the last thing you want to do is alienate yourself from your coworkers by acting “holier than thou.” You don’t want to scare others away; instead you want your actions and your attitude to draw others toward you.

In business, we’re not impressed with your talk, nor are we impressed with a fancy well-said prayer before the company luncheon. What impresses us is your ability to perform, and when you humbly praise God for that ability, then we’re intrigued.

And intrigue leads to a hunger for learning more.