How Is My Faith Revealed When I Am at Work?

Summary

Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Episode: How Is My Faith Revealed When I Am at Work?

Hosts: Rick, Jonathan, Julie
Date: March 23, 2026

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Overview

This episode explores the practical question: How is a Christian’s faith revealed in the workplace? Rick, Jonathan, and Julie dive into Scripture and real-world application, examining how our faith should shape our daily work—not just through words, but primarily through character, action, and example. Using the acronym IDEAL—Integrity, Diligence, Excellence, Attitude, and Leadership—they outline a biblical framework for living out faith authentically, whether we are employees, employers, or engaged in any responsibility.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Biblical Foundation of Work

• Work is God’s design—not a punishment, but a dignified calling from creation (Genesis 2:15–17).

  • “The curse affected the difficulty of work, not the dignity. Work was part of God’s original design for humans.” (A, 03:00)

• We work as an act of responsibility and care:

  • “Taking care of ourselves and those in our care is a fundamental responsibility.” (A, 01:40)
  • Referenced Proverbs 6—learning diligence from the ant.

• Our work is both a physical and spiritual obligation:

  • God cares for us as we do our part (Matthew 7:9–12).
  • “We have to do our part and God takes care of us. Remember that, because we’re going to come back to that theme again and again.” (B, 05:22)

Faith in Action: The IDEAL Acronym

I – Integrity (07:13)

• Definition: “A firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values… doing the right thing, acting the same way, whether anyone is looking or not.” (A, 07:13)
• Biblical basis: God protects those with integrity (Proverbs 2:6–7).
• Wholeness: “Being the same person in every situation. The opposite of being divided or double minded… Convenience doesn’t shift your values.” (C, 07:30)
• Example stories:
  • Julie’s dad covering co-worker’s shift with no recognition (C, 08:48)
  • Rick’s workplace audit—choosing transparency (B, 10:56)
• Memorable Quote:
  • “Integrity is not an idea. Integrity is a decision.” (B, 07:01)
  • “Do I pray that the Lord will judge me according to my integrity? That’s an important question.” (B, 12:30)

D – Diligence (15:23)

• Definition: Not a feeling, but a repeated action and intentional focus.
  • “Diligence is swimming with the current, not just floating along.” (B, 15:39)
  • “Diligence means to give something your full intentional focus. This is urgent devotion.” (A, 16:12)
• Biblical centerpiece: 2 Timothy 2:15—handle Scripture and life with precision (“cutting straight”).
• Practical wisdom:
  • Work is an ongoing, daily discipline (Psalm 119:9–11).
  • “God provides when you show Him that you are willing to honor Him in your efforts... Let’s not get lazy and say, well, God will provide. And I can sit back and watch. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not even a little bit.” (B, 19:33)
• Warning: Lack of diligence leads to ruin (Proverbs 24:30–34).
• Joy and worship: “Diligence rooted in gratitude becomes worship. Work with joy, because every day under the sun is a gift from God.” (C, 22:40)
• Character development: 2 Peter 1:5–7—diligence is the foundation for all other Christian virtues.

E – Excellence (29:41)

• Definition: Doing ordinary things well, recognizing God's surpassing power in us.
  • “Excellence isn’t about being impressive. It’s about being transparent enough for God’s power to show.” (A, 30:48)
• Biblical model: 2 Corinthians 4:6–7—our “treasure in earthen vessels” allows God’s greatness, not our own, to shine.
• Historical context: Paul’s advice to slaves/servants—do all work for Christ, not just to impress the boss (Ephesians 6:5–8; Colossians 4:1–2).
  • “Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily as Christ’s servants, doing what God wants you to do.” (C, 34:50)
• Example: Julie’s father’s attention to detail transformed his workplace beyond his role.
• Caution: Excellence isn’t unbounded overwork—don’t burn out or overreach what’s required. “Excellence is only achieved through intentional and controlled action.” (B, 38:17)
• Memorable Story: “He emptied nearly 100 trash cans every night… He went beyond what the cleaning contract required because excellence was simply who he was. And the place he worked at was so impressed that they made his organizational system the standard for all their properties.” (C, 31:58)

A – Attitude (40:02)

• Definition: More than emotion, it is a driving force rooted in humility and purpose.
• Christ’s example: Philippians 2:5–8—humbling himself for God’s will.
  • “Our attitude towards our employer has to be respectful in light of what does God require of us?” (B, 41:00)
• Personal story: Julie took the stairs to manage frustration and maintain perspective under job stress (C, 41:44).
• Scriptural Case Study: Daniel’s “extraordinary spirit” made him a model employee, even among enemies and political intrigue (Daniel 6:1–5).
• Attitude in hardship: Even when oppressed or in undesirable jobs, our attitude reveals Christ (1 Corinthians 7:21–24).
  • “Sometimes our freedom will be only in Christ… are we working to maintain a reverent godly attitude?” (B, 46:20)

L – Leadership (by Example) (49:15)

• Anyone can lead: “Often the most influential kinds of leadership can come from those who are not in leadership roles. Leading by example is a freely given blessing.” (B, 48:42)
• Skill and trust: “People who consistently do excellent work eventually become trusted and respected and sought out.” (C, 49:53)
• Biblical model: Jesus as the suffering, humble example—follow Him, then others who imitate Him (1 Peter 2:21–23; 1 Corinthians 11:1).
• Everyday leadership: Even in small actions (like paying rent early), we communicate values (B, 51:36).
• Guidance for the young/inexperienced: Paul’s charge to Timothy to lead by character, not authority or age (1 Timothy 4:10–12).
• Witness by example: “We witness through the power of our example that is modeled through Jesus as we serve God.” (A, 59:04)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Integrity is the baseline for us to be able to be Christians at work.” (B, 07:59)
• “Do I have that integrity… where I am ready for God to make a surprise inspection of my heart?” (A, 12:46)
• “We witness to others through the power of our integrity towards God.” (A, 14:31)
• “Diligence means to give something your full intentional focus. This is urgent devotion.” (A, 16:12)
• “Diligence rooted in gratitude becomes worship. Work with joy.” (C, 22:40)
• “Excellence isn’t about being impressive. It’s about being transparent enough for God’s power to show.” (A, 30:48)
• “Attitude is not just how you feel. Attitude is what drives you to actually act.” (B, 40:15)
• “People who consistently do excellent work eventually become trusted and respected and sought out.” (C, 49:53)
• “We are called to be different. We are called to a higher level. Let’s put this to work every day of our lives.” (B, 59:27)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:20 – Introduction and framing the question
• 01:40 – The biblical purpose of work and responsibility
• 07:13 – I: Integrity – Definition, stories, scripture
• 15:23 – D: Diligence – What it is, how to practice it, biblical foundation
• 22:40 – Diligence, worship, and the joy in work
• 29:41 – E: Excellence – Doing ordinary things well, scriptural context, relevance today
• 34:50 – Application to difficult circumstances and workplace relationships
• 40:02 – A: Attitude – Jesus’ example, attitude under pressure, Daniel’s story
• 49:15 – L: Leadership – Leading by example, the power of influence from any role
• 55:17 – Humble work as service to Christ, reframing difficult jobs
• 57:57 – Letting our light shine—primary witness is our conduct
• 59:27 – Summing up: the IDEAL Christian worker

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Flow & Takeaways

• Witnessing at work is less about what you say and far more about who you are.
  • “You notice that we’re not focusing on the words we speak to show people about Jesus. We’re focusing on the people we become to speak about Jesus.” (B, 55:48)
• The IDEAL framework roots Christian witness in character and daily example:
  Integrity, Diligence, Excellence, Attitude, Leadership.
• Every role—from menial to managerial—is an opportunity to serve God and reflect Christ.
• Faith at work isn’t “another persona,” but should be whole, visible, and consistent.
• Leadership is most powerful when subtle, accessible, and imitable.

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Final Encouragement

“We are called to be different. We are called to a higher level. Let’s put this to work every day of our lives, in every experience of our lives, to the glory and honor of our Lord God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (B, 59:27)

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Transcript

[A]

Think about the Bible like you never have before.

[B]

You're listening to Christian Questions. Access more audio videos and Bible Study [e-mail] Our topic is how is my faith Revealed when I'm at Work?

[A]

Here's Rick, Jonathan and Julie.

[B]

Welcome, everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co host for over 25 years, and Julie, a longtime contributor, is also with us. Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for this episode?

[A]

Colossians 3, 23 and 24 Whatever you do, do your work heartily. As for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of your inheritance. Is it the Lord Christ whom you serve?

[B]

Let's get practical. For most of us, the largest portion of our waking hours is spent working in one way or another to support ourselves and our household. Whether we're in a trade or at a desk, or whether we're engaged in service or retail or farming or building or manufacturing or raising children or going to school or freelancing. Whatever it is, most of us are tied to the responsibility of investing time into our physical care. Now, if we're truly dedicated Christians, we know that our primary responsibility is to God through Christ. How do we make these seemingly contradictory investments of our time work in perfect harmony? How do we fully live our Christianity while involved in spiritually mundane activities? What does my Christianity look like and sound like when I'm simply taking care of business?

[A]

Taking care of ourselves and those in our care is a fundamental responsibility.

[B]

Fundamental. We know this from two basic perspectives, and let's take a look at those. First is the natural order of our physical world. Let's look at Proverbs 6:6 to 8.

[C]

Go to the ant, O sluggard. Observe her ways and be wise. Which, having no chief officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest. I like this. Oh sluggard. This compares someone who avoids responsibility with the ant, because ants, naturally they take initiative, they work diligently, they don't need to be pushed.

[B]

The natural order of our physical world. There you go. The second perspective is we know this from the established order of human society. God proclaimed that human responsibility for themselves was necessary right from the start. Let's go back to Genesis, back to the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2, verses 15 to 17.

[A]

Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, from any tree of the garden you may freely eat. But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. For in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die. The curse affected the difficulty of work, not the dignity. Work was part of God's original design for humans. We need to take care of the things in our lives.

[B]

The dignity of work was there right from the start. So after Adam's sin, the execution of his responsibility would be still present. And yet it would be even more challenging. So now let's go to Genesis 3:17 to 19. This is after Adam sinned.

[C]

Cursed is the ground because of you, and in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles, it shall grow for you. And you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you will eat bread till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken, for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

[B]

So now it's basically said, okay, you still have to work to take care of yourselves like you did. But it's going to be harder work, it's going to be more difficult work by the sweat of your face. It's going to be costly, but you must do it. So we've got the physical order of things. Go to the ant. Oh, sluggard. And then we've got what Adam and Eve were given as far as responsibilities. Now let's take a look at a third perspective, and that's the spiritual order of things. As Christians, this is a very, very powerful model for us to establish this spiritual perspective. Let's look at Matthew 7:9 12, or

[A]

what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give what is good to those who ask him in everything? Therefore, treat people the same way you want to be treated. For this is the law and the prophets.

[B]

Jesus is telling us that God takes good care of his people. If they ask for a loaf of bread, they're not going to give them a stone that looks like a loaf of bread. You're going to get the real thing. He's going to nourish us and take care of us. And he says, if you, being sinful, know how to do good things for your family. And we do, and we're responsible to how much more is God going to help to take care of you? So it's a principle that says we have to do what we're supposed to do. And God always does his part.

[A]

When we take care of everything in our lives properly, like our spouses, our children, our home, and our brothers and sisters in Christ, God will take care

[B]

of us, and that's the key. So we have to do our part and God takes care of us. Remember that, because we're going to come back to that theme again and again. As God cares for us, so we also want to be ready and able to care for one another. Now let's look at a New Testament viewpoint of the responsibility of one to another. 2nd Corinthians 12:14.

[A]

Here, for this third time, I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, for I do not seek what is yours. But you for your children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

[B]

So the apostle is saying, I'm coming to take care of you. I am like your spiritual father. I owe you that care. It's my responsibility. That's what I'm coming to do. So we're asking the question, how is my faith revealed when I'm at work? What does it mean to have our faith shining out? Does it mean we have to be witnessing to Jesus every other word that we speak? What does it actually mean? Well, we want to look at this in a very, very broad perspective. When we work, we want to be ideal representatives of God through Christ. And in that context, we want to be ideal employers or employees. Take that thought. To focus our thinking, we want to use this word ideal as an acronym. I, D, E A L I Integrity, D Diligence, E Excellence, A Attitude and L Leadership. That's our acronym. And this is going to help us put this all together. So let's start with the letter I. I is for integrity. Work with integrity. Here's the thing. Integrity is not an idea. Integrity is a decision.

[A]

The dictionary says integrity is a firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. I think of it as constantly doing the right thing, acting the same way, whether anyone is looking or not.

[C]

Yeah, we want to be consistent. That Hebrew word for integrity is Tom. And the root idea of Tom is completeness, wholeness, being the same person in every situation. It's the opposite of being divided or double minded or inconsistent. So in other words, you don't have a work self and a church self. You don't act one way when you're watched and another way when you're alone. Convenience doesn't shift your values.

[B]

That's big. That's Big. So integrity is a baseline for us to be able to be Christians at work. So now let's get some basis for the integrity from scriptures. Solomon. King Solomon declared that God protects those who live with integrity. Let's look at Proverbs, chapter 2, verses 6 and 7.

[A]

For the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.

[C]

So walking in integrity is about that wholeness, that whole undivided heart, that person whose inner life is aligned with God's wisdom. So this is the Hebrew way of saying, let your inner life match your outer life.

[A]

So integrity is a condition of heart that produces behavior.

[C]

Yes, and I have a quick story for that. My dad showed me what integrity looks like when no one is watching. So he was working for the printing industry for maybe 45 years and he retired. He worked for a cleaning company in his retirement, just a little side job. And he was assigned to a large industrial workplace place. Think about offices, a customer area, a shop where all the hands on work happened. It was kind of dirty work. His shift was from 4pm to 9pm and then the man who worked after him worked eight to midnight. He had a handicapped son and some nights he just couldn't leave him. But he really needed the money. This was actually this man's third job of the day. So my dad would finish his own shift and then quietly take on the other man's shift and. And he refused any pay. And he never told anybody. The cleaning company still paid the man as if he had been there. My dad protected this man's job and his dignity at real cost to himself and to my mom who was waiting at home. And to me, that's what compassionate integrity looks like. And we're going to talk soon about how that kind of character eventually does come into the light.

[B]

And it's so important to have integrity that rises above typically what we see. Because our integrity has to be toward God and his will, always, without exception, to do the highest right thing that we know how to do, no matter if anybody is looking or not. And not to be cloudy in our thinking, but to be clear and to be focused on what's important. Let's get a few more scriptures. David. King David laid his integrity before God as a basis for God's judgment upon him. This is an interesting scripture. Psalm 78.

[A]

The Lord judges the peoples. Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.

[C]

So that integrity again is that Hebrew word tome and this is another nuance of it. It means innocence not as being naive, but as in having moral clarity. So David here is being falsely accused by his enemies, and he's pleading his case before God. And David is saying, lord, I am innocent in this matter. I have a clear conscience.

[B]

The integrity should be in place enough to say, lord, judge me by my integrity. Practice what you preach. Okay, we can say it, but do we live it? Had an experience at work a few years ago, and I work in a service business, and it's a very regulated business. And we would have company auditors come into our offices every. I don't know, every couple of years and go through records and so forth and typical thing, and you talk to them, give them files, la, la, la. But what happened this one time is the auditor was sitting across my desk and he said, today I'm going to go through your desk. And that had never happened. And I looked down and said, what? He said, yeah, today I'm going to go through desk. So I looked at him and said, okay. And I got up and I stepped aside and I said, why don't you start with that drawer? And he would open the drawer. I'd say, here's what's in the drawer. Look underneath. Here's what's underneath. Here's what's in the back. Let's go to the end. And so during this whole thing, he's telling me as he's going through, and he's realizing, obviously, there's nothing to hide. He says, you know, this is exactly the way it's supposed to happen. I've had experiences where the individual is trying to talk me out of really looking too far and too hard. And then, you know, there's something that's not right. So that integrity has to be able to be able to shine, even when it's unexpected. It has to be something that. That drives our lives. That's what it really needs to be.

[C]

I had the opposite experience. I once worked for a man who in the office, handed problem files to the team and told them to lock them in the trunk of his car so that the auditor couldn't find them. So, yeah, that's the opposite. I flatly refused.

[B]

Well, I'm glad. You just can't be part of that kind of thing. So when we look at this and King David saying, you know, judge me according to the righteousness and my integrity, do I pray that the Lord will judge me according to my integrity? That's an important question.

[A]

Yeah, it's a great question, Rick. We need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, do I have that integrity, that moral innocence, where I am ready for God to make a surprise inspection of my heart? Is there any area where my private life and public life don't match?

[B]

So you can see how integrity is such an important beginning to being that ideal employer or employee. Now let's look at what happens without integrity. Jeremiah warns us about not having integrity in Jeremiah 22:13.

[A]

Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper rooms without justice, who uses his neighbor's services without pay and does not give him his wages.

[C]

So in context here, King Jehoiakim was building his palace through injustice and exploiting his workers. And God sent Jeremiah to warn that success gained through unrighteousness would lead to ruin. The integrity lesson for our day, of course, is that God cares not just about what we accomplish, but if we're doing it, we're pursuing it with honesty and justice and respect for others.

[B]

When we look at this, it's important to recognize what integrity looks like and what a lack of integrity looks like so we can understand and decide these are the things we strive towards and these are the things we run from. Like your former employer. That's a crazy story, Julie. In my business that would just can't even imagine doing something something like that. Integrity is the baseline for being a truly dedicated Christian while we are working. So let's look at the works of our Christianity in our working environment.

[A]

Our Christian integrity should be the foundation for our working behavior. Let us work on clearing the path between this integrity and our required tasks of self serving, compromising or questionable behavior. Remember, as Christians, when we work at anything, we work as a representative of our glorious God. We witness to others through the power of our integrity towards God, through the

[B]

power of our integrity towards God, our witness will come out. The question is, what kind of witness is it? While talking about the value of integrity can be inspiring, implementing the value of integrity is transformational.

[A]

Integrity is our foundation. We work for God first and foremost. With this in mind, what comes next?

[B]

If we truly have integrity? We have decided how we will think and act while working for and with others. The next step is to unleash the power of that integrity with an approach that shows our commitment to it. This is where diligence comes, comes into play. To be diligent is not to just be pulled along with the flow. It's to make sure that we are engaged in going with the flow. Diligence is swimming with the current, not just floating along. So we Want to focus now on D for diligence. The word is ideal. I for integrity. D for diligence. Work with diligence. And let's be clear. Diligence is not a feeling, it is an action.

[A]

In other words, you keep showing up and doing the work. Diligence means to give something your full intentional focus. This is urgent devotion. We talked last week about how the apostle Peter framed the entire Christian character journey of second Peter one between two bookends of diligence. He told us to apply all diligence in second Peter 1:5 and then again to be all the more diligent in verse 10. It's a word that means more than just try. Hard work with diligence is to not only be prompt, it is to be earnest and sincere, to make a wholehearted effort the kind of intentional energy you bring when something truly matters.

[B]

So diligence isn't just a passing thought or a quick little action. It's here to stay. And that's because it's built on the integrity that we're looking at. Our diligence at work begins with our diligence in knowing God's word and God's will. First, you will find that we can be more diligent in the work environment the more we understand what we are called to. Let's look at 2 Timothy 2:15.

[A]

Be diligent to present yourselves approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed of accurately handling the word of Truth.

[C]

That accurately handling you might have that you might be more familiar with that in the King James rightly dividing the word of Truth. This is a very special verb. It appears only here in second Timothy 2:15. So accurately handling in the Greek means to cut straight. So it's a word a carpenter would have used for a straight beam so that the structure stable. And a farmer would hoe a straight furrow so he didn't waste any seed. A road builder would make a straight path. So Paul's saying, Timothy, don't bend scripture to fit your ideas. You cut it straight so that others can walk safely behind you. Handle it the way a master craftsman would cut wood. With precision, honesty, no distortion. Because really sloppy teaching and warp doctrine that leads to confusion and instability and spiritual danger.

[B]

Cutting straight, if you will, that's the important thing here. I used to work for a remodeler long ago, and one of the art pieces of the kind of work we used to do was to hang doors. And you think, what's the big deal? You just hang the door. You Put it up, you nail it in, and everything works. The idea was to make it so that door was so plumb and so level that when it closed the space, that 16th of an inch was exactly the same all the way around. It hit the jamb exactly at the same time from top to bottom. And it was a work of art. And after a while, you recognize things. And I used to be able to walk into a house and look around and I could tell you if something was an eighth of an inch off just because you learn to recognize it. To cut straight is such an important thing. To build a structure that is sound. Work when you can. God provides for us by helping us to do the work. Plumb and level. That's the key. Plumb and level is where we begin. God's Word teaches us to go about our work with a determined work ethic. That's part of diligence. 1 Timothy 5:8.

[A]

But if anyone does not provide for his own and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

[B]

That's a strong scripture, and that's kind of going back to what we said before. But it's a reminder that when we are in a position to take care of ourselves, we need to. Here's an idea. Take care of ourselves. Should we rely on somebody else or something else to take care of us? The answer is no. When we're capable, we need to apply ourselves. That's what the blessing is. God provides. Well, God will provide. Yes, God will provide when you show him that you are willing to honor him in your efforts. That's how God provides for us. Let's not get lazy and say, well, God will provide. And I can sit back and watch. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not even a little bit. We need to be clear on this.

[A]

And diligence is about providing for and protecting those we're responsible for. As Christians, it is our responsibility to work and provide for our families.

[B]

Got to do the work. Diligence begins with applying the integrity. Again, back to integrity of keeping God first. That is the reminder that puts things in order. Let's look at Psalm 119, verses 9 through 11.

[A]

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word. With all my heart I have sought you. Do not let me wander from your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you.

[C]

So this tells us that diligence means actively filling our heart with God's word so that our Life stays aligned with Him. We're not drifting. But we choose daily discipline that keeps us clean, focused, faithful.

[B]

Daily discipline. And that discipline has to be set to that appropriate standard. Our diligence continues as we focus on God's care and providence for those who are called. Romans 8:28 is a scripture that a lot of Christians read and love. And let's just take a look at it carefully. Romans 8:28.

[A]

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. This is why we can be diligent, because God is working. He's diligently taking care of us.

[B]

And his care for us requires us to diligently take care of ourselves. And who is this scripture for? Those who are called according to his purpose? Not fans of Jesus. Followers of Jesus. Those are the ones that God's care overrides. And we must live up to that privilege with the responsibility given. Our diligent efforts should be able to be observed by the results that they produce. Ecclesiastes 11:6.

[A]

Sow your seed in the morning, and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed or whether both of them alike will be good. In other words, put forth your full effort, complete the task throughout the whole day and until you fall asleep and do the right thing, even when you can't predict the results.

[C]

Just wanted to add the next verse, because verse seven says, the light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. This is a simple verse that reminds us that life itself is a gift. We are to work diligently, but diligence without gratitude is a slog. Diligence rooted in gratitude becomes worship. So work and joy, work with joy, because every day under the sun is a gift from God. And this joy and gratitude really give fuel to the ideal acronym of integrity, diligence, excellence, attitude and leadership.

[B]

To put diligence in place based on integrity is to honor God in a very big way. In our workplace, when we're not talking about him, when we're not able to witness to him, we can still give him honor by our actions. So the level, the level at which we apply our diligence really is an internal decision. Whether we're working at being generous or working for a living. Whatever it is, we need to decide how firmly to commit ourselves with that diligence. Now, this next scripture is about giving. It's not about working necessarily, but it's about giving. Second Corinthians 9, 6, 8.

[A]

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.

[C]

So, Jonathan, you said the apostle Paul said each one must do what is purposed in his heart. So in other words, thoughtfully, intentionally, and in alignment with personal conviction.

[A]

Yeah. And we need to ask ourselves, how decisive am I when it comes down to my daily diligence? When work is challenging?

[C]

Yeah. What's purposed in my heart? Does my daily effort reflect that purpose? Do I make an effort? But I'm secretly resentful. And these are all good questions to consider. Even if we're in a stage of life when we're retired or in between jobs, or maybe our work is caregiving for a family member right now.

[B]

So diligence doesn't ever go away, whether we're retired or. Or working. It's something that has to be in place. And again, folks, notice that we're talking about our faith being revealed when we're working, and yet we haven't talked about speaking a word to anybody yet. Why? Because our faith begins to be revealed by who we are, what we do at our place of employment, or whatever it is we happen to be engaged in. It takes integrity and it takes diligence, needing to put these things in place. So let's look at the other side of it. The results of not working with diligence to provide for oneself. Well, they're according to scripture, they are painfully obvious. Proverbs 24, 30, 34.

[C]

I passed by the field of the sluggard and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense. And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. And when I saw, I reflected upon it, I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. Then your poverty will come as a robber, and your want like an armed man.

[B]

Ouch. So a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands like. Well, you know, I already worked hard for the first half of the day.

[C]

Tomorrow, we'll do it tomorrow or the day after.

[B]

You know what I'm saying? You Know who's in a hurry when we get that way. First of all, we're not living up to a responsibility. But how am I representing Christ in that? What is my representation looking like? Is it full of integrity and diligence or is it full of Rick just being a lazy, I hate to say it, sluggard. I know you like that word, Julie.

[C]

I do. I do like the word sluggard.

[B]

So we need to understand a lack of diligence is not God honoring first and foremost. What do we need to remember to practically apply diligence at work? We need to remember a set of scriptures that we spent a lot of time going over because they put the formula in place. Second Peter, chapter one, verses five through seven.

[A]

Now, for this very reason, also applying all diligence in your faith supply moral excellence. And in your moral excellence, knowledge. And in your knowledge, self control. And in your self control, perseverance. And in your perseverance, godliness. And in your godliness, brotherly kindness. And in your brotherly kindness, love.

[B]

There you have this incredible list of the qualities of a developed Christian character and how powerfully they can work together. And when you look at this list, this moral excellence and knowledge and self control and perseverance and godliness and brotherly kindness and love, and you put that in the context of diligence and integrity. There's a formula for being a God honoring employer or employee. We just need to decide. That's how I'm going to do it. So looking at the work of our Christianity in our working environment, let's see what's next.

[A]

Our Christian diligence can find a home in our workplace if we direct it to do so. Integrity gives diligence permission. And then it comes down to continually deciding to work hard as we continually remind ourselves that we do so in honor of our God. Our workplace diligence blesses others. We witness through the power of our diligence as we serve our God even when we're retired and no longer in the workplace. We need to be diligent in the Lord at home so we can encourage each other.

[B]

And that's the thing. It never goes away. It never goes away. And again, how does my Christianity come out? Does it shine? It shines through that diligence that says, God is always first and I'm always seeking to honor Him. Integrity and diligence are incredibly important way to start that and to continue that process of actually being a representative of Christ. So to work diligently sounds inspiring, and that's great. What's more inspiring is to be diligent each and every workday.

[A]

Integrity and diligence are powerful forces for revealing our faith at all.

[B]

Work.

[A]

What else can we add?

[B]

Well, our whole point is to become an ideal, ideal employee or employer as we seek to honor God as a result of those efforts. The next two letters are E and A, for excellence and attitude. Now, as Christians, these should be no surprise to us, for everything about following in Jesus's footsteps is driven by the excellence and an attitude that he himself displayed.

[C]

All right, so the letter E is work with excellence. Excellence isn't just a standard. It is an attainable reality. And it means you do ordinary things well.

[B]

Okay, do ordinary things well. I like that. That's a very simple way to say, how am I doing in relation to excellence? God's excellence, his surpassing power, works in us, and we should therefore let it work through us. If his surpassing power is going to work in me, I want to let it work through me. That's where true excellence can come from. A good scripture on this is Second Corinthians 4, 6, 7.

[A]

For God, who said, light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.

[C]

We're talking about excellence. And this word surpassing greatness, in Greek, that means something so far beyond normal that it overshoots the mark. So it's not just great, it's beyond great. It's beyond measure.

[A]

Excellence isn't about being impressive. It's about being transparent enough for God's power to show.

[B]

That's important. It's not about be. It's not, wow, look at it. Did you see that? That's not what excellence is about. It's about being transparent so that God's grace can shine through us. That's how our faith is best revealed at work. And you know what happens when we start to apply these things at work? People sometimes will start to ask you, what makes you tick? Why are you different? Now you have the opportunity to say something. Let your works shine. Integrity, diligence. And now excellence. And look, excellence is not easy, especially if our work conditions are not ideal.

[A]

It said that in 1962, President John F. Kennedy was touring NASA when he noticed a janitor with a broom. He asked, what are you doing? And the janitor replied, I'm helping put a man on the moon. Excellence is seeing your work as part of something bigger. Even the humblest role becomes meaningful when it's connected to a great purpose.

[C]

You know, my dad loved that job at that cleaning company. I want to go back to him for just a minute. And he didn't just clean. He elevated everything that he touched at that facility that he was assigned. He reorganized supply closets, he fixed what was broken. He changed light bulbs and batteries on people's desk. He waxed floors. He scrubbed toilets until they shined. He emptied nearly 100 trash cans every night. He went beyond what the cleaning contract required because excellence was simply who he was. And the place he worked at was so impressed that they made his organizational system the standard for all their properties. And he was unanimously named employee of the year, even though he wasn't their employee. Remember, he worked for the cleaning company. That's what excellence looks like. That's what's doing ordinary work in extraordinary ways.

[B]

That is a great, great, great example. And I can see your dad doing that. I can just be, you know, my dad. Yes, I do. And that, that's the kind of individual he is. That's such a great example. We want to look at excellence in scripture. And before we get into it, I want to just take a moment and put some of the next scriptures that we're going to be talking about in context because we're going to be talking about slaves and masters and so forth. And before we read these New Testament scriptures about slaves and masters, we want to acknowledge the word slave carries deep pain and heavy history. For many, many people today, the Bible's world was very different from the race based, abusive slavery we think of in modern history. When Paul speaks to slaves and masters, he's addressing, and listen carefully, he's addressing the everyday working relationships of his time. That's what that was. And we're drawing out the principles that apply to modern employees and employers. Our goal is not to normalize or excuse slavery, not at all, but to understand the heart level attitudes that Paul was teaching about work, responsibility and Christ like character. So with that said, we can learn a great deal from how early Christians learned excellence in their often difficult circumstances of Roman slavery. Many Christians were slaves in those times. So let's look at Ephesians chapter 6, verses 5 through 8.

[A]

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ, not by way of eye service as man pleasers, meaning not doing it to impress others, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good, well rendered service as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

[C]

And I love how the Message Bible puts this. It says, don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily as Christ's servants, doing what God wants you to do. And then it adds that we should work with real enthusiasm, not just doing it when someone's watching, but because we serve God and that's who we're truly working for. And whatever we do, he sees it, he rewards it. That's excellence, that's attitude, and that's working ideal.

[B]

And it comes down to, whatever your circumstance to apply those very same things. You may not be in the position of of authority or of a lot of freedom, but you're in the position to be a representative of Christ. And here's the question, do I have the courage and the integrity to strive for excellence when I am in a lowly position? Do I have the courage to do that, to stand up, stand higher? Let's look at another cultural slave reference from New Testament times. This time it's to those who were slave owners back in those days. Colossians, chapter four, verses one to two.

[A]

Remember, in our day we can compare this to being a business owner versus an employee. Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a master in heaven. Devote yourselves to prayer, keep alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

[B]

It's saying, those of you who have the position of authority to be gracious, fairness, justice, those are the things that drive the excellence of being an owner of an indentured servant back in those days. And the apostle is raising the standard, saying, we're Christians, we need to have a higher level, clear, godly, merciful, justice driven standard for everybody. And it shouldn't change just because somebody's in this position or that position. Excellence requires seriousness in our workplace, going beyond what's required. Let's take a look now at second Timothy, chapter four, verses five through eight.

[A]

But you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am ready to be poured out as a drink offering. And the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I. I have kept the faith in the future. There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day. And not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing so what's excellence?

[C]

These words of Paul to Timothy sparkle to me. Be sober, endure hardship, fulfill your ministry. Fight, finish, keep the faith. The award for this level of excellence is the crown of righteousness, that full reward of Christ's righteousness given to those who finish this race with loyalty, endurance, and love and excellence.

[B]

So we can do this in our workplace. And that's good for the workplace, but it's also good for our Christianity. It's the rising above of our humanity. And living to that higher standard is going beyond what's required of me at work, a regular pattern of thought and action.

[A]

These are really high ideals, Rick. Yeah, but can we kind of overdo it? Can we go so far above and beyond that we burn ourselves out?

[B]

We can. And I've actually seen that happen. I've had conversations with some fellow Christians who were so focused on being utterly diligent at work that they had gone too far and they were making things more difficult for themselves and, and everybody else. Let's back down. Let's stay within the standards, work within the standards that are given, and be that light. But yes, we can go too far. So we have to be careful in that area. Very, very much so. So excellence isn't just being the very best that ever was. It's being the best within the context of what is required of us. That's what we want to really focus on. Excellence is only achieved through intentional and controlled action. Short scripture Proverbs 14:23.

[A]

In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

[C]

Now, this verse isn't meant to shame us. It tells us that even small, imperfect effort has value. God can multiply what we do, but he can't multiply what we're just talking about. So we have to do the work. Don't just talk about it.

[B]

Right. Just talking about it is idle words. And you know what the Scriptures say about idle words. Okay? So we've got to do the work. So the work of our Christianity in

[A]

our working environment, our Christian excellence can only be displayed in our workplace if we are truly focused on the greater good that begins with our service to God. Godly integrity and discipline will naturally produce this excellence if we let them. We witness through the power of our excellence that is modeled through Jesus as we serve our God.

[B]

So we've got to look at excellence and how important it is to have that built upon our integrity and our diligence. So, Julie, what's next?

[C]

Integrity, diligence, excellence. We're up to a. In our ideal work with a Godly attitude. Attitude isn't just an emotional state. It's a driving force. You bring humility and purpose into the room. That's our attitude.

[B]

And this is important. Attitude is not just how you feel. Attitude is what drives you to actually act. So what does a godly attitude look like when we're going about our daily business? Well, why don't we just ask Jesus? Let's look at what he did. Philippians 2, 5, 8.

[A]

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who although he existed in the form of God, spiritually, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men, being found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

[B]

So Jesus was in a spiritual realm and he was with God and he allowed himself. He volunteered to be reduced below that to the human realm. And then he took that human perfection that he had and he offered that up. His attitude was self sacrifice because that's what God required. So our attitude towards our employer has to be respectful in light of what does God require of us? We need to have that first and then be respectful to our employer or to our employees, as the case may be. So again, another question. How well do I reflect this humility that Jesus showed us, this godliness and clarity of purpose when work is difficult?

[C]

Yeah, that's a tough question. And one way to answer it is to consider what emotions tend to lead you when you're under pressure. Some people shut down and they get quiet. I tend to get frustrated and annoyed. I had a very stressful job with lots of deadlines and people with, let's just say, colorful type A personalities. And I would diffuse my frustration by taking the stairwell up to the top level and then back down. And my priorities quickly changed when I was focusing on just gasping for air and trying to take one more step because I worked in a 30 story office building. So that particular job kept me in great shape. I did a lot of stairs in that job. Consider what you what you are like under pressure and then you can work from there.

[B]

And that's an important point. What am I naturally like under pressure? What should I be like in a godly perspective under that same pressure? How do I change from one to the other? And this is where attitude comes into play, saying this is what I choose to be my driving force. You know, Daniel, the prophet Daniel was an amazing example of godly attitude from the time he was a young man taken captive in Babylon to the time that he was a very old man. Let's look at Daniel, chapter six one to five. And Daniel is like one of the greatest examples of the classic employee ever.

[C]

Yeah. So Darius, he was the new ruler over Babylon. After the Persians took control, Darius reorganized his kingdom. He placed 120 regional governors under three high officials. And Daniel, probably 80 or 90 years old at this time, was one of these high officials. So let's pick up with verse three.

[A]

Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit. And the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. A satrap was like a regional governor in ancient Persian Empire. Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs. But they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption inasmuch as he was faithful and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, we will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.

[C]

It's almost like they were going through the proverbial drawers of Daniel trying to find something against him. And remember, he's not working among ordinary officials. These are powerful men. And yet his integrity and his extraordinary spirit set him apart so clearly that the king planned to promote him over all the rest of them. And that's why they became jealous and plotted against him. He was outshining these high ranking leaders.

[B]

So the flaw quote unquote that they looked to find was because he was so consumed by serving God.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And that was not the God of the land. And so they said, okay, we can take this and turn it on him. But again, that's the classic representation of one who is honoring God in their work. People know what you're about and they know why you're about it. And you don't have to say it, they can see it. And it's a beautiful, beautiful example of having that single minded focus. What a great example Daniel is. Let's continue. A godly attitude can easily be tested by our circumstances. We think you have a godly attitude. Let's wait, okay? See what happens. It'll be tested. Let's look at another ancient cultural reference. And again, this is about the slavery times in the New Testament. First Corinthians 7, 21, 24.

[A]

Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it. But if you are able also to become free, rather do that for he who was called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise, he who was called while free is Christ's slave. You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men, brethren. Each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called. So do your work with the greatest of diligence, with the right attitude of humility. Whatever position you were called when you were called, be grateful.

[C]

So, Rick, just explain that 1 Corinthians just a little bit more about what the slave and the free. Because if you try to apply this to our employment today, you're not saying it's wrong to look for another job. If we're being mistreated, we're supposed to stay where we are. I don't really understand.

[B]

Well, first of all, in those days, you couldn't just go look for another job in the context of that scripture. If you were called and you were a slave, you were to work in that context with the greatest of diligence. Like Jonathan had mentioned. Look at this time. We are not in that kind of relationship. And we do have the right to walk away, to go someplace else. It's not wrong to do that. Let's just make sure that we're doing it for the right reasons for God, honoring reasons and letting God guide us and direct us in that. Looking elsewhere. If we feel a need to look elsewhere, we do have the right and ability to do that. And sure, it is absolutely, positively acceptable. Again, what would God have me to do in that circumstance? Looking at all this, sometimes our freedom will be only in Christ. Sometimes we don't have opportunities, and sometimes we may be delivered. Okay, we can get like we're talking about. We could go look for another job. The question is, are we working to maintain a reverent godly attitude? Either way, whether I don't have other places to go or I do, is it still the same reverent godly attitude? It's about attitude, that driving force. So again, let's look at the works of our Christianity in our working environment.

[A]

Our Christian attitude of godliness should be a steady outward example of the steady inward dedication to honoring God through our daily working environment. Let others see Christ in you, in the power of your presence. We witness through the power of our godly attitude. No matter what the circumstances, as we serve our God, you notice how it

[B]

always comes back to serving God. The attitude we have has to be toward reverence to him first and foremost. And again, our witnessing doesn't have to always be in words it is in the attitude, that driving force with which we are present in that specific working environment. Excellence and attitude. Now look, this may sound like a pep talk. This is actually a prep talk for the living our Christianity out loud.

[A]

Applying integrity, diligence, excellence and attitude is a very practical way to witness for Christ at work. What's next?

[B]

Well, the final aspect of becoming an ideal ideal. An ideal employee or employer is to take in and apply the responsibility of leadership. We as Christians need to simply realize that often the most influential kinds of leadership can come from those who are not in leadership roles. Leading by example is a freely given blessing and we can honor God by doing it. So Julie, what's next?

[C]

Well, we've got our last letter L work to lead by example. And leadership isn't just for those in of front front. As you said, it can be a privilege for all. So you show others the way by how you walk.

[B]

And that's such an important thing. Whatever your position is, you can take a leadership position with it. When we work with integrity, diligence, excellence and attitude, you know what? We are leading by example, by definition. Proverbs 22:29.

[A]

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings. He will not stand before obscure men.

[C]

Okay, I really like this scripture because people who consistently do excellent work eventually become trusted and respected and sought out. That skilled man standing before kings didn't become skilled in front of them. He was skilled in the quiet places, in the workshops, in the fields. He was doing the everyday tasks. That's where we're skilled. And so this text reminds me that the true self skill, the kind that honors God naturally will draw influence. The ideal, as we were saying, person can be trusted. They may not have a title, but their character puts them in places where that example matters. That's not a loud kind of leadership, but it's the Christlike kind.

[B]

Leadership doesn't have to be loud. It doesn't have to be boisterous. It doesn't have to have arrows pointing to you. What we want our leadership to be is an example that others can look to as a result of the work and say, that's the way I should work. It's just being and putting forth that effort. Not for anything except for I'm doing what I'm called upon to do, what I'm being paid to do, and doing this to honor my God. Now obviously Jesus is the example that every one of us needs to model our own leading by example after. So let's take a look quickly at a little bit of his leadership. 1 Peter 2:21, 23 for you have

[A]

been called for this purpose since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. And while being reviled, he did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously.

[B]

Kept entrusting to himself to him who judges righteously. That's the example, that's the leadership. And if we do that in our workplace, employer, employee, doesn't matter, what we're doing is we are leading by example to say we can trust in God. And you don't have to necessarily say it out loud. Sometimes it's appropriate, sometimes it's not. And when it's not, let people to see it through who you are. Just a quick side note on my my own work time situation. I rent office space and I moved to the place that I'm renting from now, I don't know, six, seven years ago. And I just have a way of doing things in terms of honoring the landlord because I believe that that's really important. And I actually, I pay my rent a month ahead. And he looked at me cross eyed, you know, when I asked if I could do that. And after a few months he came up to my office and just said, who are you? Because it was different. And to me it was. The message was, I want to let you know that your space is valuable and important to me and I'm going to take care of it. And I'm going to show you by being diligent in this small way, that's what it is. It's just, just those little things that create this leadership scenario that is so, so important. It's a worthy practice to follow. For those of our brotherhood who are clearly following Jesus. We want to follow others who are following Jesus. If you're not sure how, look at your brotherhood. Look at the example of Julie's dad and look at what to do. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

[A]

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

[B]

There you go. If someone is an imitator of Christ, it's good to imitate them in that way. That's what we want to focus in on putting all of this in place in terms of leadership. Even if we're not going to be naturally received as a leader because everybody isn't in whatever position they're in, we're not stifled from being an example. You can Always be an example first. Timothy 4, 10, 12.

[A]

In context, Paul is mentoring a young Timothy who's stepping into a leadership position, and he's helping him prepare. Paul shows him exactly what godly leadership requires. Verse 10. For it is for this we labor and strive because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, a saint, especially of believers.

[C]

So Paul ties leadership to a clear sense of calling. So leadership is rooted in purpose.

[A]

Verse 11. Prescribe and teach these things.

[C]

Now, prescribe in the Greek means to transmit a command, declare with authority. This takes courage, but especially for somebody who doesn't feel naturally bold. Timothy was young, but Paul tells him, lead anyway, with clarity and conviction.

[A]

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. Show yourself an example of those who believe. You know, leadership isn't about age, title, or authority. We should lead in a way that people can watch our life and know exactly what following Jesus looks like. Think about all of those who were drawn to Jesus because of his example in leadership.

[B]

And so we want to have that kind of leadership that's just by example. And a most dramatic way to grasp this kind of leadership is to see it in those who, by definition of their position, are not leaders. Those who are not leaders. Again, going to the slave class back in the New Testament times, those indentured servants who didn't have all of the rights and authority that others had. Let's look at scriptures that are focused on them. Colossians 3, 23, 24.

[A]

Whatever you do, do your work heartily. As for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

[C]

This reminds us that even if we don't love the job that we have, we can reframe it by remembering who we're ultimately working for. And the work doesn't necessarily get easier, but it does become more meaningful because your attitude shifts from I have to do this to I can give glory to God in my work.

[B]

And when we can make that attitude shift, we become a better witness. And again, maybe then the opportunity to speak of your faith can come up with that kind of an attitude shift. Again, you notice that we're not focusing on the words we speak to show people about Jesus. We're focusing on the people we become to speak about Jesus. That's what this is all about. Here's the question, do I have this full dedication to my position, recognizing the honor God is given by this approach by this approach of humbly doing it as unto God, even if it's the most menial task in the world, is that where I stand? That's the kind of leadership that is so important here. Who we are called to be directs us to lead by example. Even if those around us are negative. Okay, now this is an interesting point. Even if those around us are negative. Let's look at 1 Peter 2, 9 12.

[A]

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you might proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may, because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

[B]

Notice, it doesn't say they're going to begin to like you just because you're such a good person, but it does say that you plant the seeds and that actually will help to lead them in the resurrection time. It will be a positive, powerful, proactive influence for them to be able to live their lives in a better way. That's leadership that doesn't even show itself until a time later. So, so important. Whatever the circumstances of our lives, if we're following Christ, then we are always called upon to be light. That's one of the aspects of leadership for a Christian, is to be light. Matthew 5, 14, 16.

[A]

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

[B]

Now, let's pause there for a second. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may hear your good words. No, no, that's not what it said, that they may see your good works. The primary witness is in who we are. Being able to speak of God's truth in the Scriptures is a bonus. It's a beautiful opportunity. Take it when it presents itself and it's appropriate. But be the light that is necessary. Do others see the light of Christ shining through me? Can they see it? Can they look at that and say, there's something different about this person? That's leadership. That's what we are called to be in the workplace and in our lives. Putting this together, work the works of our Christianity in our working environment.

[A]

Our Christian leading by example can be subtle and in that there is no title or official expectation that comes with it. Make no mistake, this is often the most powerful kind of leadership because it could be grasped and copied by others. We witness through the power of our example that is modeled through Jesus as we serve God.

[B]

Looking at all of this and putting this all together and understanding the great, great power of our Christianity in our workplace. When we work, we want to be ideal, ideal representatives of God through Christ and in that context, be ideal, ideal employees or employers. That's the key. So what does that take? That takes us working with integrity. Work with diligence. D E work with excellence. A work with a godly attitude. L work to lead by example. The witnessing the words come when we put ourselves in that ideal position of integrity, diligence, excellence, attitude and example. Example. We are called to be different. We are called to a higher level. Let's put this to work every day of our lives, in every experience of our lives, to the glory and honor of our Lord God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Think about it, folks. We love hearing from our listeners. We welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other [e-mail] coming up in our next episode, how does God's providence work in our lives?