When a ministry or church takes a low view of the preaching of the Word, or does not preach the whole counsel of God, people are led astray. More precisely, they are led into the ditch! Even subtle or implicit teaching  that is inconsistent with scripture will manifest itself in unbecoming behavior. Right doctrine, right living; sloppy doctrine, sloppy living. One area where bad teaching can be evident in the life of a Christian is the manner in which a Christian relates to his or her employer.

In his book, Practical Christianity, A.W. Pink states, “Nowhere has the hollowness of professing Christians been more apparent…Nowhere has more reproach been brought upon the cause of Christ than by the majority of those employees who bore His name. Whether it be in the factory, the mine, the office, or in the fields, one who claims to be a follower of the Lord Jesus should stand out unmistakably from his fellow employees who make no profession.” (page 183)

Too many Christians wrongly view their place of employment as a place where God is removed.  Their understanding of Christian service is that it is strictly relegated to those areas commonly referred to as “ministry” or “missions”.  Just because an activity does not take place underneath the umbrella of the local church, or on Sunday, within the confines of the four walls of a church building, doesn’t mean that our work is  not “unto the Lord”.  On the contrary.  Christianity encompasses the whole of our being and existence.  We don’t act like Christians on Sunday in the company of believers, and then behave like heathens on Monday in the work place.  Quite simply, any area where Christ does not rule is a place of rebellion for which He alone can subdue and take over.

Of the Christian employee, Pink explains, “ His punctuality, his truthfulness, his conscientiousness, the quality of his work, his devotion to his employer’s interests, ought to be so apparent that there is no need for him to let others know by his lips that he is a disciple of Christ. There should be such a marked absence of that slackness, carelessness, selfishness, greed and insolence which mark the majority of the ungodly, that all may see he is motivated and regulated by higher principles than they are.” (page 186)

Given that the workplace is where so many spend such large quantities of time, doesn’t it make sense that God would be honored here?  We should seek to glorify God in such a way that, as Pink puts it, we “adorn the doctrine we profess.”

Lastly, as I thought through all of this, it occurred to me that there are a couple of extremes worth noting.  There are work situations where the workload is so light you feel if something doesn’t change, you will start to climb the walls.  Or, there are work situations where the ability to work as meticulously as you would like is compromised by the sheer volume.  I have been in both.  In these situations we do what we can, by God’s grace, to honor Him, and we have faith that one way or the other, He will deliver us.  But wherever you are, the point is, magnify the Lord with all your strength!

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” (Colossians 3:23)