We're often asked for ways to sand-blast ourselves out of spiritual ruts. For Christians who work, here are some ideas to consider if you want to see change that pleases God.
- Know His Word. Any worker can make good decisions, but very few make Godly decisions. That's because so many Christians choose to ignore their spiritual growth and thus leave themselves ill-equipped to make wise choices. Only those who are imbedding the Word of God in their hearts and minds are able to make the leap from good to Godly work. The Bible isn't a reference document that can be Googled for wisdom. Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119:105
- Stop dancing on the edge. A friend of mine regularly warns other Christians against the practice of "seeing how close we can get to sin without really sinning." Like the teenager who asks how far he/she can go without sinning in matters of sex, the worker who wonders how close to the world they can be has already lost the battle. Romans 12:1-2
- Be different. When Medal of Honor winner Navy chaplain Vincent Capodanno was killed tending wounded Marines during a battle in Quang Tin province during the Vietnam War, one of his flock was heard to say "somehow he just seemed to act the way a man of God should act." Jesus calls us to look and act and be different than the other workers in the world. We are not chameleons trying to blend in, but ambassadors called to stand out. Matthew 5:16
- Slow down. In the late 1800s, one of Andrew Carnegie's managers figured out that after eight hours, the value of a man's work diminishes. Carnegie, a real tyrant for productivity, had to be statistically sold on the idea of shorter work days. He was. Somewhere in the bustle of all our time-saving devices, we've lost this truth. Speed kills; physically, fiscally and spiritually. If you're too busy to pray and read Scripture, you're too busy. Matthew 6:33
- Listen. Those who always talk are left to rely on their own resources, their own knowledge, their own instincts, their own judgment; and their own wisdom. In short, their narrow-minded and short-sighted. Those who listen to God (instead of always talking to Him) have access to eternal truth. Similarly, those who listen to their coworkers, customers, vendors and suppliers widen the likelihood they have enough information to make smart choices. Proverbs 1:1-33
Those who don't know God's word don't know God. That is the difference between good and Godly workers.