By Greg Aitkens
You can find Worker’s in God’s Kingdom: Part 1 by clicking here.
These are continued suggestions for Workers:
Pray Over the Ground
As Christians in his workplace, we need to claim the ground and everything there for the Lord. In the name of Jesus, we can pray that only his purposes are lived out in the places we work many hours a day. We can also expel and rebuke the tactics of the evil one, if we feel that “un-Christian” or worldly practices are taking place.
A group of fellow Christian employees can be outside the workplace can pray over the entire workplace, to make it holy. Together, they can pray for our Lord’s protection, and that the decisions of all workers are prayerfully discerned first, if possible.
Personal Prayers Before Entering
Workers in his kingdom are encouraged to have personal prayer time, this is especially beneficial before going out the door to go to work. This appointment with God is the most important meeting of our day.
Spending time with Jesus enables us to take on his mindset before we begin to encounter the challenges which are bound to come our way in any workplace. His Holy Spirit equips us to gain the strength and energy we will need each day to be His workers.
In some situations, we encounter very challenging and difficult bosses, or co-workers. Our Appointment allows us to pray and intercede for them, and to gain the right temperament—calm, peace, humility, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control, when the need arises.
Are You in the Wrong Workplace?
We can find ourselves in the wrong workplace for us. I’ve been in a few where the work environment was hostile, where leadership was lacking, where there were ethical issues left and right. One was all about “making the sales” and ensuring that we “qualify” for the annual sales convention. There really was not an emphasis on integrity, client service, or doing-the-right-thing—only on “produce, or else.”
In such an environment, we have a few choices. One is to leave and seek employment elsewhere. I advise that a worker has a new job lined up first before leaving—to ensure continuity of income and benefits etc. Another approach in a challenging work environment is to put our heads down and focus on what we are supposed to be doing, without getting distracted by all the “noise” around us. In so doing, our Christian witness may be noticed by others. We can be his hands and feet in the darkness.
Finding the “right” work culture is tricky. The hope is that the Christian values we share are shared by bosses and co-workers. The hope is that we could have a Bible on our desks without a problem. The hope is that the work we are doing is actually aligned with our specific gifts, talents and skills. The hope is that we are building the kingdom of God right here and right now.
Are Promises Kept?
I had many clients, who all had individual questions or needs from me. When we had meetings together, I developed a method called a “capture memo.” The memo summarized what had been discussed and who would do what, and by when. Up until we began the memos, lots of items discussed never got done, or even remembered.
I once heard a phrase I liked on promises: “Promise the moon and deliver more”. I certainly tried not to over-promise things; however, I did want to follow up and do the things we said we’d do. To me, this is at the very core of being an effective worker in his kingdom.
“Lord-it-over” others?
We gather wisdom, knowledge and experience after many years of working. It is possible to “project” how important we are to co-workers, how indispensable we are to the company. The “Lord-it-over” types love control, status, titles and feeling important. They can be “know-it-alls”. They tend to be in it for themselves.
Our call as workers in His Kingdom is quite different. We operate with humility, and a desire for getting the job completed with excellence. We are good at following through on what has been assigned to us. We are reliable members of a bigger team, and can work well with others. We organize our work to complete the highest priority tasks first, even when these are items we’d prefer not to do, or that we struggle with. We knock them out first.
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This is blog is part of the “Workers in God’s Kingdom” series by Greg Aitkens. If you would like to receive future articles and be added to his email list click here and request via email.