Turning Your Workplace into a Blessed Place!
From Ephesians 6:5-8 we read, "Servants (Employees), be obedient to them that are your masters (Employers or Clients) according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eye service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free."
TURNING YOUR WORKPLACE INTO A BLESSED PLACE. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be a Christian on Sunday ... and how hard it is to be one on Monday? Why is that? It is because Sunday is the day to fill up our spiritual fuel tanks with the family of God, but Monday is when the rubber meets the road. Monday is real life in the trenches of our spiritual battle. So, how can you be a shining light for the Lord in your school, community, or place of business? How can you be a Christian at work who really makes a difference for Christ? How can you turn your workplace into a blessed place? Paul explains how in our verses for today. He tells us how to live out our faith on the job and at school… 1. DO A GOOD JOB. This is so simple yet so often overlooked. If we don't do a good job on the job, we hurt our witness immensely. A believer ought to be on time, energetic, prepared, hard-working, honest, and a person of integrity. The Lord wants us to have a pleasing, winsome attitude and do our work cheerfully as unto Him. A good attitude and a hard worker bring glory to God.
2. WORK FOR YOUR BOSS AS THOUGH HE/SHE WERE JESUS, HIMSELF. You might ask, “My boss, Jesus? That wicked devil? Are you kidding me?” But that’s what the Bible is saying in our verses for today when it reads, “Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men…” 3. ALLOW THE WORD BE YOUR STANDARD FOR BEHAVIOR. Work can often be the arena where moral compromise becomes commonplace in order to get ahead. Many people fudge, lie, and cut corners on a regular basis so that they can make a sale, get a good grade, gain a promotion, get a little extra on their expense account, etc. Since that is the way of the world, should a Christian just go along to get along? I mean, when in Rome, do as the Romans, right? Wrong!
4. DARE TO BE A DANIEL. The prophet Daniel is a perfect example of how a Christian is to act when faced with moral compromise. When he was only about 15 years of age, Daniel was forcibly taken from his homeland in Judah to the pagan land of Babylon. He was put in “Babylonian Graduate School” and commanded to learn the literature and language of the Chaldeans. He did all that was asked of him and glorified God by excelling in his studies. But when he was told to eat food that had been offered to idols, he politely, but emphatically, said no. Daniel 1:8 reads, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank…" He would not compromise, even if it cost him his position ... or his life. And God blessed him for his stand. A person who doesn’t stand for something will fall for anything. When it comes to your job, be committed to godly standards. Be bold and say no to those things that you know will dishonor the Lord. Say no to participating in the filthy jokes, the gossip and gripe sessions or the character killing meetings. Dare to be a Daniel, and refuse to defile yourself and ruin your witness. 5. LOOK AT YOUR WORKPLACE AS A MISSION FIELD. God wants to use you on your job or at your school. He is calling you to be a light in the darkness. No doubt, there are people in your plant, your office, your job site, or your school who may never set foot in a church. You just might be the only Jesus they ever see. And make no mistake, if they know you claim to be a Christian, they will be watching you to see if you are real. They will be watching to see how you act and react. They will be watching to see if you party and cuss and put down co-workers and cut corners on the job, just as they do. They will be watching ... but secretly hoping that you are truly different; that there is something to this Christianity thing that really changes a person's life for the good. Remember, we are not called to cram the message down people's throats. We are called to shine for Christ and look for open doors to tell people about the Savior. Jesus said, "Let (not force) your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5:16).
MY CHALLENGE. As believers, every day should be a holy day, not just Sunday! Every place is a blessed place, not just the church building!
*If we would live out what we say we believe Monday through Saturday, the world will come check out Who we worship on Sunday! That’s why you should work your hardest in turning your workplace into a blessed place! Think it over…🙏