God And The Workplace

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 100:4, NLT

The other day, one of my associates was in a large law office in the Chicago area. Hearing a commotion in the corridor, he and the lawyer he was visiting went to see what was going on. It was a birthday celebration; and as the cake was brought into the room, everyone sang a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday." At the end of the song, the woman leading the celebration said, "Now, let's sing the second verse," and proceeded to lead everyone in "How old are you . . ." And everyone laughed when the woman whose birthday it was declined to reveal her age. Then the leader suggested singing the third verse and began to sing, "May God bless you." Politely, a coworker interrupted and objected: "I thought we're not supposed to bring religion into the workplace," he said. The leader quickly responded, "Honey, religion comes in when I do!" Later, I thought of how simple and yet how profound her answer was. Regardless of how people may talk about the division between sacred and secular and the separation of church and state, the fact is that God can never be removed or legislated away--he is present everywhere, and he enters specifically through the lives of those who trust him. I also thought of the countless discussions about how Christians can make a difference in the world, sharing the gospel and witnessing to their friends and neighbors. For example, I work with an organization called the Gathering of Men whose goal is to reach business executives for Christ. We are always thinking of evangelism approaches and strategies. But the truth is that the most effective witness is Christians, like that woman, living for Christ wherever they are and then gently and lovingly telling of their faith when the occasions arise. What about you and your office, store, factory, classroom, warehouse, restaurant--wherever you work? Does God come in when you do? Has God made a difference in your life that others can see? What do your coworkers know about God and faith because of the way you live?