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Does witnessing on the job scare you to death? Many Christians go undercover because they have the idea that witnessing means carrying large Bibles to work everyday, grabbing people by the shirt collar, cornering them in the lunch room, and ramming the four spiritual laws down their throat.
That’s not the way Jesus witnessed and it certainly is not an effective way for us, either. Let me suggest three things that all of us can do on our jobs as a witness:
First, be joyful. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that most people you work with don’t know much joy in their lives. Life is a struggle for them. You hear lots of complaining, and negative attitudes are everywhere. If you enter that scene with real joy in your life, it is the most powerful witness you can have.
A second way we can all witness, no matter what kind of situation we’re in, is to do quality work. The Bible tells us to do what our hands have found to do with all our hearts. We are reminded that we will be accountable to the Lord for the work we do for our employer. We have a much higher manager to report to than our co-workers who are not believers. Therefore, quality work, extra-mile effort, should be a trademark of a Christian in the working world.
And the third thing we can all do is to pray. Do you pray earnestly for the people you deal with on your job—co-workers, managers, customers? Be specific and pray for them as individuals, calling them by name. Ask God to intervene in the problem relationships of your workplace. Pray for those in authority, that they’ll do their jobs with integrity and efficiency.
We need to develop relationships with the people on our jobs as much as possible. Someone asked me how far we should go in socializing with our co-workers. My answer was “As far as you can without compromising your beliefs and principles.” Jesus socialized with the most sinful people of his day. By establishing relationships and showing that you care about them as individuals, you will earn your right to be heard. And someday you may have the opportunity to share in a more direct way.
First Peter 3:15 tells us to always be ready to give an answer to everyone that asks us to give an account for the hope that is in us, with gentleness and reverence. If your life consistently witnesses in these three ways, it won’t be long before you will have an opportunity to give an account for the hope that is in you.
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