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How can you build relationships with your co-workers, so you have an opportunity to share God’s love with them, tell them of your faith journey, and be a witness for Jesus on the job? That’s what we’ve been looking at this week. I’ve offered eight suggestions so far, and if you missed any of them, they are all available on our website at christianworkingwoman.org
Today we’re looking at the last two ways we can share God’s love on the job.
9. Be ready to apologize when you need to.
My friend, Janet, says the major difference between her and her co-workers who are not yet believers is she apologizes more often! Being humble enough to apologize when you’re wrong is definitely a God thing, and it really does go a long way to breaking down barriers and solving problems.
10. Build relationships with your coworkers by using work break times as an opportunity to talk.
It is not appropriate to use any significant amount of company time for personal conversations. But there is your lunch hour and other times you can use for building relationships.
Let me tell you about my friend, Cynthia. Many years ago, she worked in a difficult environment, where she was not fully accepted as a co-equal, because she is African American. She sensed this attitude, particularly on the part of one coworker, who told her they could never be friends because of their ethnic differences. But Cynthia, determined by God’s grace to overcome those differences, began what she called Project Love. Each week, she invited one of her coworkers to have lunch with her. She even designed special invitations for them, and so one by one, she began Project Love. That began to break down those barriers as her coworkers got to know her and vice versa. And the woman who declared they could never be friends—well, as it turns out, she has become a close friend and confidant of Cynthia’s. Even though they no longer work together, they stay in touch, and Cynthia hears from her regularly.
Love never fails, my friends. If there are some difficult relationships where you work now, why don’t you ask God for your own Project Love idea, instead of giving up on those relationships.
