Years ago as part of a discipleship class I was taking, I read a book (don’t remember the name) that used the analogy of how we like to keep Jesus close to home. He said we have no trouble saying prayers before mealtime at home or while lying in bed at night, but we don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable or draw attention to ourselves by praying in public. FYI: That’s just an excuse for not doing so.

He also talked about how we have no problem displaying Christian books or other items on a shelf or table in the living room, but that it’s hard to find in the family room because of all the R-rated movies and violent video games we have allowed into our lives without thinking.

And lastly he talked about how easy it has become for many Christians to ignore or downplay their beliefs and their relationship with Jesus in the workplace. Hey, we can’t risk infringing on the rights of others. And we don’t want to be labeled a religious fanatic.

But if you aren’t willing to take Jesus to work with you, you need to ask yourself if he is really the LORD of your life?

Why you need Jesus at work

There are several arguments to be made for why you should take Jesus to work with you—the primary one being that when you accepted Jesus as your LORD and Savior, you promised to give him your whole life. Every aspect of it.

Other reasons for taking Jesus to work with you are:

• Jesus promised to never leave or forsake us, so we should do the same (Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5).
• Jesus cannot bless you if you are not near enough to him to receive his blessings. This includes blessings in your career.
• You spend a good deal of time in the workplace—time you can and should be living out the great commission: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

How to take Jesus to work with you

I’m not naïve. I understand there are things you can and cannot do in the workplace in regards to sharing your faith, but you can live your faith without any repercussions from anyone. So while you may not be allowed to hold a Bible study in the break room, there are still a number of ways to take Jesus to work with you.

As you read through the list, ask yourself how many of them you are already doing and how many of them you can do.

• Ask your co-workers how they are doing. Let them know you will pray for situations in their lives that they are concerned about.
• Keep a devotional or Bible in your desk to read on break or during lunch.
• Display a plaque with a favorite scripture on it at your desk AND/OR use a desk calendar that gives you a different Bible verse every day.
• Invite co-workers to special events at your church.
• Casually talk about things you experienced at church. Example: “Yesterday at church we had baby dedication day. It was so sweet watching the young parents commit to raising their children to know Jesus.”
• Pray for your co-workers and your boss.
• Don’t participate in office gossip and drama.
• Give 100% to your job when you are on the job.
• Don’t take office supplies home with you.
• Have a positive attitude.
• Be honest.
• Don’t display un-Christian behavior on the job or at office parties, etc. (foul language, coarse jokes, etc.)
• Respectfully decline overtime on Sundays.
• Don’t abuse phone privileges, etc. caring for family matters while at work.
• In the course of conversations with your boss and co-workers, let them know your joy and confidence comes from your faith in Jesus: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

Complete obedience and faithfulness… it’s the least you can do for the Savior who gave you his life.

~ By Darla Noble

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