“On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.”
(Genesis 2:2)
“My father is always working and so am I.”
(John 5:17)
God worked and balanced this with rest. We all need to make room for rest and relaxation. We are no use to anyone if we burn ourselves out. Work can be challenging but shouldn’t damage our own spiritual, physical or mental health. Work can be rewarding, personally satisfying, joyful and full of opportunities to reach out and show God’s love.
We shouldn’t let work define us. My identity is in who I am and not what I do. If we don’t realise where our true identity lies it will be difficult to handle when we lose a job or retire.
Sharing our faith comes from a place of intimacy with the Father.
If we start off with intimacy, it is more likely we will practice the presence of God at work. Starting the day with God can create the right atmosphere for what is to come. If we feel the peace of God we are more likely to be open to sharing our faith with others.
The commute to work can be a time to calm our spirits and to practice the presence of God. We may listen to worship music or the spoken word but sometimes it is good just to be still and ask God “what do you want to say to me today?”
People judge us very much by what we do and not just what we say.
People will be more open to us sharing our faith if our deeds match our actions. We should be wise in how we share our faith and discussions about our beliefs should not take precedence over our employment duties.
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
(Col 3:23)
Our attitude to our work tells people a lot about our character and we should be industrious and diligent, working to the best of our ability. We respect and honour our colleagues as well as God when we are punctual, organised, positive about others, trustworthy and don’t join in with gossip.
So much begins with relationships
Our faith should allow us to see each person as someone that God loves. Colleagues aren’t projects for us to work on until they are saved. We shouldn’t be aiming to corner people just to pour out our testimony. We can just try too hard.
Everyone needs to feel valued, so we should make time for colleagues. If we are friendly and approachable, they are more likely to open up about their lives and give us the opportunity to share our faith. Once we are at ease with colleagues, chances may arise to pray with them, often for healing, work or family situations. We should always be sensitive in doing this. If we pray for someone it is likely they will tell someone else.
When sharing our testimony with anyone it is good to talk about how our faith helps us, not as something everyone else needs. No one likes to be preached at but they cannot deny our personal experiences. They know what is genuine.
Janette Battye