On Workplace Evangelism – 2

good-news

This is the second in a series of posts on workplace evangelism.

So, here’s the problem.

You are a Christian and have been given the responsibility of the Great Commission.

Yet you spend 40, 50, 60 hours or more at your job every week, the majority of your waking hours.

Your employer is paying you to work, not evangelize. To spend time your employer is paying for for your own purpose is in essence stealing.

On top of that, you know if you share the Gospel with a coworker, manager or customer and they get offended it could affect your career , perhaps even cost you your job.

So what do you do?

If Jesus were standing here in the flesh, and we were to present this dilemma to Him, I believe he would tell us a story. In fact, He did tell such a story that answered the questions implicit in the dilemma presented above. It’s a parable about an employee and his job, and we will look at it in the next post.

But before we go there, I want to clear away some of the confusion that often surrounds the issue of the workplace in the kingdom of God. First, a job is not and need not be justified by evangelism. Your job has meaning in the kingdom of God even if you never lead a single person to the Lord at work. The primary purpose of your job is not for you to lead others to the Lord.

Your job, first and foremost, is the means by which King Jesus manages the planet. I’m a trial lawyer. If I’m obedient and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit my job should be a means by which Jesus demonstrates His love for my clients and facilitates justice on the earth.

My job is the means by which I manage earthly territory of the kingdom of God for King Jesus. If I carry out my job ethically and excellently in obedience to King Jesus, that part of my workplace under my authority and responsibility becomes the territory of the kingdom of God. It becomes a place where Jesus’ will is done on earth, just as it always is in heaven.

Next: the parable Jesus told that addresses the issue of workplace evangelism. GS

2 thoughts on “On Workplace Evangelism – 2”

  1. I always felt uncomfortable handing out tracts at work or whatever. I got in a theological discussion with a (very liberal) colleague at work one time and my manager had to tell us to get back to work. After that, I decided such conversations were left either a) unspoken or b) spoken outside of work. I don’t feel the pressure I used to feel to tell everyone about Jesus, I just want to show Jesus to everyone and be exactly who I’m supposed to be, exactly where I’m supposed to be.

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