Living the Jesus life
Living the Jesus life
Amongst his many thought-provoking messages as guest speaker at the recent parish weekend camp, Bruce Moore encouraged us to mission that is continual (not part-time) and Kingdom-focussed (rather than Church-focussed).
That means deliberately being salt and light whenever and wherever I am.
Unavoidably and naturally, then, my main mission field is my workplace. Forty hours of full-time work each week is even longer than the waking hours most of us spend with our families. So what to do?
St Francis of Assisi is famously reported to have told his followers, 'Go and preach the Gospel to everyone that you meet; if necessary, use words.'
His point, I believe, was not that we shouldn't use words (we must), but that the way that we live and act should itself be persuasive evidence of the love of God. That is, my living of the Gospel must precede and authenticate my preaching of it.
So the vast majority of my witness at work is in how I behave and what I do.
Whether I realise it or not, my work colleagues 'listen' to my personal behaviour, my professional behaviour, even my out-of-hours behaviour. Since many of them know that I am Christian, then they have every right to evaluate me against the standards of Jesus. So my most constant challenge is to live my ordinary life at work, home, and socially as Jesus would.
As Peter wrote, 'Always have an answer ready for people who ask you for the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with...a clear conscience...[because]...you are living a good life in Christ'. (1 Peter 3:15,16)
Every so often, though, I get an opportunity to 'use words' in witness. Often they seem to pass unnoticed; sometimes they lead deep.
For example, when a colleague had to take leave to visit a sick relative, I was able to ask, 'Would you like me to pray for her?' Or when the subject of the Crusades came up during a car trip, I could say, 'Well, as a Christian, I am ashamed ...' Or when I was able to offer the comfort of God to a distraught friend after his marriage broke up. Or when I was able to visit a colleague who was dying of cancer and pray with him.
Reflecting on these situations, I notice some interesting things:
Each time I spoke was intentional and risky. Witness doesn't just happen, and I risk personal rejection and even accusations of harassment. So be it.
Secondly, the opportunities to speak arose out of healthy respectful relationships, often built up over many years.
And thirdly, I was usually praying for those particular colleagues at the time.
In fact, that last point is actually my recommendation for where to start.
It is great if you can gather regularly with fellow Christians at work to pray for other colleagues, business issues, etc. But that depends on others; my friends and I could only keep it up for six months.
Each of us, though, can pray individually, perhaps while travelling to or from work. And then I believe that God will prepare the ground and arrange the opportunities.
Living the Jesus life is a regular column by an anonymous contributor.