4 Ways to Experience Peace in the Workplace
Jobs come and go. If we’re lucky, we will end up in a career we love. For the rest of us, our jobs simply provide a source of income. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, our jobs matter. We give a huge portion of our time to them. Even if we hate our jobs, they still matter. Why? Because our jobs do far more than put food on the table. We build careers, learn new skills, and form relationships. And truth be told, peace in the workplace is essential because our jobs are such a huge part of our lives and our personal ministries.
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- Know who you’re REALLY working for…
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, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. – Colossians 3:22-25
Now the above passage is directly speaking to slaves, not employees, but the principle remains the same. (Note: Paul is not endorsing slavery here. He is speaking to the cultural fact of his day that many new Christian converts were slaves and had no idea how to behave towards their masters… especially masters who were cruel or unfair.) This passage is clear: we work for God, not man. I also find it interesting that Paul addressed mistreatment in verse 25. We are STILL called to lovingly serve, even when being unfairly treated. Now that doesn’t mean we have to stay at that job. Unlike the slaves Paul was speaking to, we have a choice to work elsewhere. But while we are employed, we must do all we can to represent Christ.
- Understand the role your career has in your ministry…
Many view their careers as just that… a career. But God is not in the business of waisting 40+ hours of your week! Your job is so much more than a job! It’s the place God has called you to minister. Think about how many people you come into contact with each and every day. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to witness everywhere you go. (You would potentially be fired for doing so!) But it does mean that you get to share God’s love with everyone around you. You can LIVE out loud even when you can’t SPEAK out loud.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Choose to be an example… You can LIVE out loud even when you can’t SPEAK out loud.” quote=”Choose to be an example… You can LIVE out loud even when you can’t SPEAK out loud.” theme=”style6″]
- Love EVERYONE you meet unconditionally as Jesus would love them…
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that they hated their boss or a co-worker. It’s almost a cultural thing… no one actually LIKES their boss, do they? The truth is that when they are not working with you at your job, your boss and your co-workers are everyday people. They go home to their families, deal with their share of struggles, and need the love of Jesus just as much as anyone.
- Trust God with the rest…
When your job is less than ideal… when your boss is on your case… when you’re overwhelmed by your workload… when you’re struggling to establish your career the way you want it… take it all to God. Let Him handle the stuff you have no control over.
The most important step to having peace in your workplace is to entrust every single aspect of your job and your career to God.
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*Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
**Photo by Ben White at ChristianPics.co
