God put it on my heart to prepare a study for the believers at work on what it looks like to be God's salt and light in the workspace. The following headings are what we will be talking about tomorrow as we are in transit back to Yokosuka. I thought they might provide some encouragement and insight to others in the same way the Truth of God's Word has blessed me.
Understanding the position of the lost:
This has been one of the most significant truths I have learned from God's Word that has made an immediate difference at work. For the longest time I had questions like "how can someone be that inconsiderate?" or "why was I treated so poorly?" going through my mind. It wasn't until I began to see what God's Word says that I began to understand and be able to react with love. 1 Corinthians 1:23 says that preaching Christ crucified is a stumbling block for Jews and folly to the Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says: A natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
When we add the truth found in Ephesians 2:1-3 that we were once dead in our trespasses and sins and were by nature creatures of wrath, we can understand two significant things.
1. We were once the very same as every nonbeliever. We were destined for destruction and had no ability to save ourselves or do enough good works to achieve righteousness in God's eyes.
2. We cannot possibly expect a nonbeliever to respond to situations with love, humility, respect, and selflessness because it isn't in our sin nature to possess those qualities! That's not to say that nonbelievers will never exhibit those characteristics, it simply means that we should not judge them if they don't!
I see now how important it is to exhibit Christ-like love to the people I interact with. Everyone deserves an opportunity to hear the Gospel and respond to it and we should be excited to be used by God for that purpose.
How do we view difficult people and difficult situations at work?I know my instinctive response to opposition is anger, resentment, and lashing out. This has been a difficult habit to break, but the Lord has been consistently reconstructing my thought process. 1 Peter 2:18-23 has been fantastic in helping me understand the appropriate response and cultivate a Christ-like perspective. It says:
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
There are three truths from this passage that have really helped me grow in Christ. First, when we are mindful of God and endure, it is a gracious thing! We might not always be treated fairly (maybe not even most of the time), but we can always choose to be mindful of God and react in the way that His Word says that we should. By doing so, we offer a great testimony of Christ's work in our loves and our love for Him. We can also see it as God's grace because we see how He wants to work through our trials for our own good!
Secondly, we have been called to suffer just like Christ suffered for us. As a Christian, we need to view suffering in this way. What if Christ had retaliated when He faced tremendous persecution? It is simply not the proper response to become upset, bitter, or respond in a hateful way. When we view Christ's suffering in its true light (that while we were still sinners, He died for us) how can we possibly complain about suffering? At the very least it shows a lack of understanding of God's Word, and it could show a lack of faith or belief in a lie.
Finally, verse 23 provides an amazing example of the love of Christ. He was beaten, whipped, and hung on a cross. Yet, to the end, He was asking the Father to forgive the very men who hung Him there. Instead of lashing out, Christ continued to submit and entrust Himself to the Righteous Judge remaining faithful in spite of horrible opposition. Try and image Christ, the sinless perfect human, responding in love even though He had every right to condemn the whole world for our sin. Simply amazing. Now, if we are slaves of righteousness, Christ's bond servants, do we have any right to respond differently? If we are genuinely concerned with growing in Christ, we must make it a priority to respond to suffering with love.
What is our responsibility to authority?
I have never found much difficulty honoring authority when the person in charge is caring and respectful. But it has been quite the challenge to honor authority figures that lack care and respect for subordinates. Romans 13 opened my eyes to my responsibility and God has been changing my heart ever since. Paul writes that all authority is from God and none exists that has not been appointed by God. He also says to pay to all what is owed them; if respect then pay them respect. Whether it is experience, trust, or luck that gets someone in a position of authority, the role of a subordinate is to respect that person and carry out his/her orders. Colossians 3:23 offers even more motivation: whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. I'm convinced that consistency in truth and deed is achieved by doing all things for the sake of Jesus Christ. It's been a great joy to discover this and see Christ working in me to make it real in my life!
What is our Christian duty towards nonbelievers?
There are two Scripture passages that make it clear what God desires from us in our relationships.
Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world...In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Colossians 4:5,6 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.
God's Word tells us to make the most of every opportunity we have to share Truth with a nonbeliever. We are to be the light that overcomes the darkness and which others see and begin praising God for.
In what ways can we be effective witnesses at work?
1. Consistency
James 5:12 tells us to let our "yes" be yes and our "no" be no so that we do not fall under condemnation. When our attitude is consistently positive and we are consistently improving, people notice and they become curious as to why we possess such a powerful hope.
2. Response to mistakes
Obviously we are not perfect and we will make mistakes. When we do make mistakes, how we respond reflects our character (either good or bad). By owning the mistake, apologizing, and committing to move beyond the issue in the future, we show determination to improve and unwillingness to tolerate continued mistakes. What we are really exhibiting is humility and commitment to excellence.
3. Genuine Concern
C.S. Lewis wrote that we cannot view humans as mere mortals but rather as spiritual beings created for eternity. I cannot think of a better reason to have genuine concern for other people. Our relationship with Christ is what everyone desires, whether they know it or not! How do we show genuine concern? We can show that we care by listening to others' problems and following up in the future with them to see if anything has changed. A lot of nonbelievers are even willing to let us pray for them. I know sometimes it is a chore for me to have real concern for particular people, but I will continue to ask God for it because I know it is His will that I have genuine concern for others.
4. Be ready to share Christ
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts honor the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.
As we grow in Christ, we will see more opportunities to share the Gospel with others. Peter commands us to be ready! We must have a response thought out before an opportunity presents itself so we can respond with confidence and authority. What a great privilege it is be a servant of God who is tasked with speaking the Truth of the Gospel to the world!
Regardless of whether I stay in the Navy beyond my first enlistment or not, I will always look back on this time praising God for growing me so much. It has been a real challenge to be an effective man of God in the Navy, but I rejoice knowing that God knew that because of Christ's work in my life, the challenge would be met victoriously. It's been a joy serving in Japan and I have little doubt that it will continue to be a joy as I move forward. God is so good and I pray that you may experience His goodness abundantly!
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