February 25, 2015
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Bible Reference
1 Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”
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Co-worker Conversion-sations
One of SFC’s Values is “Doing: we selflessly demonstrate our love for Jesus by putting others ahead of ourselves and serving one another, the local communities we live in, and the entire snowriding culture.”
We at SFC love Jesus. We get stoked on Him. That’s a no-brainer. We feel that the Good News of Jesus and his free salvation for all who believe in Him is suuuuper important, so important and so urgent that we want to share the Good News with our friends, family and co-workers. If you’ve heard Jesus’s words, you really can’t blame us for being so grateful and so passionate. His grace to accept us and love us just how we are is pretty wild!
With that being said, we need to remember to respect others and their beliefs and their personal comfort when we try to explain why Jesus gets us so stoked, because if we recall, Jesus told us to consider others more highly than ourselves. Sometimes in order to let others know what Jesus has done in our lives, we need to let our actions speak louder than our words.
The following is from “The Facts of the Matter,” a weekly email from the late R. Dwight Hill:
HOW DO WE GO ABOUT WINNING OUR LOST COLLEAGUES AT WORK ?
To be sure, it can be a daunting challenge:
- Do I confront them head on with the Gospel?
- Do I invite them to church?
- Do I give them a booklet explaining the Gospel?
- Do I go slowly, attempting to build a relationship with them?
If we believe with Paul that the greatest thing in the world is love (I Cor. 13:13) why don’t we make loving them our primary emphasis in winning them to Christ?
Evelyn Underhill has stated that “love is…that tender, cherishing attitude; that unlimited self-forgetfulness, generosity, and kindness which is the attitude of God to all his creatures.”1
Our colleagues want to see authentic Christianity in action before they will even think about buying in with us. In practical terms what does that look like in the marketplace? Perhaps a personal evaluation would help: 2
- Are you willing to do small things, even when no one is watching?
- Do you look out for opportunities to show kindness to people who are usually ignored, shunned, or overlooked?
- Do you rejoice with the success of your colleagues and peers?
- Do you resist the temptation to draw attention to yourself?
- Do you treat everyone with respect and courtesy?
- Do you actively choose not to provoke other people?
- Do you consciously choose to frame things in a positive manner, giving your colleagues the benefit of the doubt (while not being blind to their foibles)?
- Do you restrain yourself from inflating other people’s faults or exposing their weaknesses in order to tear them down?
How true and relevant is Jesus’ command to us:
“ Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
This week, may you experience His grace, peace, and protection.
- Dwight Hill
1Underhill, The Fruits of the Spirit p. 14 – 2 Adapted from “ Taking Your Soul to Work”– R. Paul Stevens & Alvin Ung –Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids MI, p. 83
Facts of the Matter © 2000 – 2014 R. Dwight Hill – www.factsofthematter.org
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What about YOUR WORKPLACE
Where do you work? What do you love about your coworkers? Where might you be able to serve them selflessly with your actions? When might you find an appropriate and respectful time to share your passion for Jesus?