Sharing our faith at work can present some issues. For starters, what is the balance between our duty to proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and our duty to our employers. We will discuss how to share your faith in the workplace setting.
Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,
Colossians 3:22-23
As stated in the passage above we see that it pleases God that we are obedient to our master (our employer in modern times) in all things. Notice that the scripture does not say in some things. We do not get to decide when or how we are to obey. Obviously if we are asked to do something that violates biblical principals and/or the laws of the land we can not comply. But any other case we are to obey. This brings glory to God.
So the question is, does work-place evangelism violate this principal or if our employer has rules against sharing our faith does this come in conflict with the great commission. How are we to balance these two?
When You Cannot Share Your Faith At Work
It is my interpretation of this subject that you can discern your obligation to your employer and when direct witness encounters at work are not allowed by asking yourself these questions.
Is expressing my faith against the company policies I agreed to when I accepted employment? This maybe the case, especially in jobs in public education or public service. If you agreed to theses terms you are bond to them. To violate them would be to break your word and violate a host of biblical principals.
Are you having conversations when you are suppose to be working? If you are dodging work and thereby stealing time from your company by talking with others how do you think God will honor your evangelistic efforts.
When It’s Alright To Share Your Faith At Work
Just how to share your faith at work without getting in trouble? Well, there are some times that anyone can have the opportunity to evangelize during work. Here are some examples:
If you get a clearly defined lunch break, especially if you are paid hourly, it can be a great time to be free to share your faith with your co-workers.
Does your employer allow people to carry on with conversations throughout the day, even conversation that could be considered controversial like political topics? If so, I see no reason how they could single out your conversations about spiritual things as inappropriate.
A way that I share the gospel at work is by leaving tracks on my desk. I keep a stack of million dollar tracts by my business cards. This always starts a conversation. In some cases I can only give them out and other times I can talk with a person about them. At all times I must be mindful to my responsibility to the owners of my company.
So in conclusion, please do not hesitate to find ways to reach out to your co-workers but also be sure not to violate your God given duty to your employer. Remember, if you get the reputation of being lazy and a talker at work not only will you jeopardize your status at work but you will damage your witness. Do your work heartily as for the Lord.
If you have ideas or disagree with what I shared here feel free to comment. However, please back your positions up with scripture.