LIVING ON MISSION: IN THE WORKPLACE

Do you have a yearning to share the love of Christ with others in your workplace? While I realize that every place of employment is different in its’ challenges, and some areas are darker than others, I believe God has strategically placed you there for His glory and your refinement as a follower of Jesus.

Read on for five missional strategies in the everyday workplace.

5 Ways to Be Missional in Your Workplace

#1 Missions Start When You Abide.

When I think about missions, one of my favorite scriptures is John 15. It is not a traditional missionary passage and does not present a detailed list of “how to be a missionary.” Still, it contains a powerful promise that you will produce lasting, eternal fruit when connected to Jesus. All Christians abide in Christ because their life is in Christ. However, the degree to which you abide increases as you meet with the Lord through prayer, studying God’s word, and worshiping Him. When you spend time with the Lord, you are guaranteed to produce transformed character traits (Gal. 5:22-23) and fruitfulness in sharing the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). It is of great value for you as a follower of Christ to start your morning meeting with the God of the universe and lean on Him throughout the day.

#2 Prioritize Relationships.

Sometimes the workdays are filled with so many to-dos it is easy to overlook the people around us. When I was a teacher, I often felt like my days were just one blur after another. So how do you do all the things and be mission-minded?? I think the answer is simple: you prioritize, and relationships come first.

Creating trusting relationships with others is essential to sharing the love of Christ. I learned I couldn’t overlook the relational aspect of our humanity, and when I did, my rushed attempts to be intentional were disingenuous. While I firmly believe a good work ethic is important to the Lord, if you become to task oriented and begin to treat people as a “to-do” list, you will miss out on the joy of knowing others and inviting them to know God. It was in the times I looked away from my grading and just had a conversation with a student or fellow teacher that I felt a connection being made that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. People know when you are being genuine or not, and building trusting, real relationships is where mission work often begins.

#3 Find Your People of Peace.

While you represent God to all people, there will always be a smaller group you connect with more than others. Perhaps you were assigned to work closely with them, or maybe you just naturally jived with them. Whatever the case, these are the people you are to be especially intentional with through prayer and relationship building. People of peace are those who are also interested in building a relationship with you. These are people God has strategically placed in your path to love and serve, and more times than not, they are people you often learn and benefit from as well.

#4 Be Genuine. Be Honest.

As a teacher, when a student would ask me why I didn’t get angry quickly or why I was happy all the time, I would respond, “I know God.” My response was a genuine, honest answer. Many times, employees, especially teachers, are afraid to bring up the Lord in the work place because of fear of being reprimanded for preaching. However, if God is in you, He cannot be left out of any area of your life. I never so called “preached” to my students. Yet, because my students saw distinct and consistent quality traits in me (the fruit of the Spirit), they were curious about my motivation behind those characteristics. When they asked me about what made me different, I did not shield my answers to hide my faith but answered truthfully.

The more you practice pointing to God’s goodness, the easier it becomes. A real yet straightforward answer can lead to many more fruitful conversations in the future. With that in mind, the genuineness you display comes both from your words and deeds. Ask yourself, do those two things match in my life? If not, bring your flaws before the Father, who will prune what is displeasing and help you bear good fruit.

#5 Get Creative!

For several years I taught high school English. I would often ask God for creativity in teaching, whether it was a simple concept for the class or for an opportunity to point to Him. One method He gave me to share my faith was through modeling writing skills. While teaching my students to use personal examples in their writing, I occasionally use a spiritual instance from my life or church family that supported the prompt. I stayed true to my profession and taught a good writing technique, and I also represented God by sharing real-life testimonies.

May God be with You!

God is part of every area of your life. When you ask Him to reveal new and creative ways to display His image to the people in front of you, He will give ideas. I love the promise attached to the Great Commission: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. You are not alone in this mission of making disciples. God will give you the creativity and wisdom to work for His glory. It is in the most challenging situations I have rejoiced the most in the creativity God gave me.

Reflect and Connect

Do you view your workplace through a missional mindset? Why/Why not?

What are some of the challenges you face when being missional in your workplace?

What are some other ways to be missional in your workplace?