God teaches us about all things through His Holy Word. There is so much knowledge and wisdom in His Word and all we have to do is tap into it to lead full life. I fear that the work ethic of old has been distorted in younger generations and it’s high time us Millennials and Gen X’rs step up and show our kids who God created us to be and in whose image He created us.
Whoever has worked in IT has worked with one at one point in their career, the “do just enough to not get fired” guy/gal. And likely they complained when things got tough. However, I didn’t write this post to point out others flaws. I am writing to you today to point you in the right direction and to equip you to point others you work with in the right direction as well.
So if we want to enact positive change in others behavior, we must first take a look in the mirror. I love that song by Casting Crowns called “Start Right Here”. It’s got a start right here! This brings me to the first verse in the Bible that I would like to bring to your attention and that is in the book of Matthew, chapter 7 verse 4.
“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”
Matthew 7:4 NIV
If there is a specific change we are trying to enact in others, we must first embrace it ourselves and part of embracing is doing it ourselves. So first we must ensure we are following whatever procedure or habit we are trying to influence on others. Thus, we must examine our own eye and remove the plank from it before we can help our brother remove the spec from their eye. So this brings me to a few questions for you to ponder whilst you read.
- What do you complain about doing at work?
- What do you procrastinate on at work?
- What do you feel guilty for doing or not doing at work?
Once you have pondered the questions, you must embrace that you don’t know it all and first humble yourself.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.4.2-3.NIV
We must humble ourselves if we wish to affect change in others around us. This means that we should display patience and love when dealing with others at work. I know this can be difficult at times, but if we want to see God move in our workplace, then we must allow Him to move in ourselves.
Ask God to give you wisdom in all situations so you know how to react in love, not shying away or ignoring the issues, but dealing with them in a peaceful and respectful way.
We all have parts of our jobs we don’t like, even if you are working in a field you enjoy. So how can we do these difficult things while maintaining a smile on our faces. There is but one way…
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,”
Colossians 3:23 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/col.3.23.NIV
If you go to work every day with a Colossians 3:23 mindset, you have already put on the most important armor of them all, the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit.
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:13-18 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.6.13-18.NIV
In summary, if we wish to enact change in others, we should practice this change and believe it ourselves. We must humble ourselves, not being ignorant to the ideas of others. We should be patient and kind when dealing with others while also dealing with issues in love and peace when they arise.
Whatever we do, we should do it as if we were doing it for God, not our Boss. If we do this and it pleases God, how much more will it please your employer? By going to work with a Colossians 3:23 mindset, we put on a very important piece of armor, the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit.