Why should I talk about my faith in the workplace?

Answer

As followers of Christ, there are many reasons why we should be eager to share our faith in all circumstances. However, in the case of our workplace, there is one other consideration. As employees, we have made a commitment to yield to our employer the full benefit of our services for a given amount of time. To be a good Christian witness, we must first follow through with this commitment. Evangelistic efforts should not interfere with the duties we committed to fulfill (1 Thessalonians 5:12-14). If they do, then our actions will betray our words, and the credibility of our witness is lost. So, we should be eager to be the best workers our employers have “and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”, (Colossians 3:23). This will lend some authority to our words later when we do share our faith.

Among the many reasons to share our faith are three imperatives:

1) Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ commands it. During His last moments on earth with His disciples, Christ could have said anything. What He chose to tell them was that they were to go with His blessing and power to preach the Gospel so that others could come to know the saving power and blessed relationship with Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).

2) Duty demands it. If we have been redeemed by Christ, then we have been given something that is not our own. Without God’s grace, we would be lost for all eternity. Chances are most of us came to faith and salvation because someone shared with us; how can we then not do the same for others? Jesus said that as we have freely received, we should freely give “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.”, (Matthew 10:8).

To cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8). We have been entrusted by God to be His messengers to the lost (Acts 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:4).

3) Gratitude prompts it. An attitude of heartfelt gratitude is one of the many things that mark a true believer in Jesus Christ. The more we honestly examine the depravity of our own hearts, the more we recognize how great is the forgiveness that was and is extended to us, and the more we are thankful to God for redeeming us. This thankfulness expresses itself in giving Him credit for what He has done for us—that which we could not do for ourselves. The best way we can thank God is to give Him all the glory for what He has done for us and tell others of His great love and mercy.

How do we go about sharing our faith in the workplace? First, there is the “quiet” testimony—the one that speaks volumes with no words at all. It involves being a loyal and faithful employee, not bad-mouthing our employers or our co-workers. No one works with a perfect boss or perfect colleagues, but if we work with the attitude outlined in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,” we will bring honor to God by doing all things for Him, the only truly perfect Boss. When we are working for the Lord, our ability to handle on-the-job stress and treat others with kindness and patience will make us stand out among our co-workers. When others notice our attitudes, they will invariably comment on it, giving us the opportunity to explain whom we really serve and how He has impacted our lives. In other words, sometimes we need to “walk the walk” in order to get the opportunity to “talk the talk.”

When the doors do open to share our faith, we must “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reReason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” «but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: », (1 Peter 3:15). This means being diligent about our Bible study in preparation for those open doors. If we “let the Word of God dwell in [us] richly in all wisdom” «Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. », (Colossians 3:16), we will always be ready. Finally, pray for God to open up opportunities to share Christ with others—those “divine appointments” with people whose hearts have been prepared by God to receive His truth from us.