Another Step – Influence at Work

“Most of the guys I’ve mentored have been in the “building” stage of life. They’re ‘heads down’ in their work, trying to achieve, succeed and distinguish themselves from their contemporaries. The traditional way they do that is to work harder, stay later, and be smarter and more competent than their peers at work.

I try to show them a different way of approaching work. If they’ve embraced the idea of living a God-centric life, and they’ve thought about a purpose statement that includes glorifying God, then bringing God into their work and their workplace isn’t optional; it’s mandatory.

Inciting them to go public with their faith story at work is a next step. A priority isn’t a priority until you have to make a decision. What will people think? Will this “label” me? Will this diminish my chances of being promoted? Will I still be invited on the big golf trip if I let them know that I believe in Jesus?

A ‘secret agent’ for God has no influence in the work place. He has to “out” himself, take his stand, and trust God for the downstream outcome. That’s priority one for me as I mentor on this topic.

But a close second is to help my guys see that the “bar” is significantly higher for an authentic Christian in the workplace. Our performance calibrates our influence. Top performers have more influence than lousy workers. It’s just a fact. And people who will allow others to know of their Christian faith are held to a higher standard than the rest of the guys. We have to ALWAYS tell the truth, always keep our cool, always be polite and courteous, always avoid the gossip and criticism that pervade most workplaces. The “antagonists” of Christianity will constantly be looking for our failures and screw-ups so they can say, “See, he’s just like everyone else. This God stuff is so phony. Look at him. Is that what a Christian is all about?” So everything we do at work is influencing people toward God or away from God.

When focus on “seeking His righteousness” and living our sermon every day...when that becomes the habit of our life, then we may have a platform from which we can intentionally point people to Jesus Christ.