Have you ever seen something and thought, “Augh, that’s just not right?” Well there’s something not right when the best news in the world remains untold.
We don’t watch a ton of television in our family. My wife and I do, however, like to wind down a bit toward the end of the day by watching a favorite recorded program.
During the summer this presents a challenge for us as there are just not a lot of programs available that we both enjoy. I could’ve catered to one of my wife’s favorite cooking shows like Chopped.
But I have a problem: I don’t like cooking shows. So, I did the next best thing. I compromised by taking her suggestion to try to get into watching America’s Got Talent, figuring that would be the lesser of two evils.
In one episode, one of the contestant’s talent was twisting and bending her body in all kinds of unnatural shapes and (dare I say it) kind of gross configurations.
That’s when I think I blurted out something like, “Augh, there is just something not right about that!”
Have you ever thought or said something similar about someone or something?
As distorted as I thought that so called “talent” was, there’s something I think is even more warped: A person who claims to be a follower of Christ and never talks about Him to his/her colleagues at work.
A Haunting Question
I’ve written about Jeff’s story before (read more) , but in a nutshell, Jeff was a successful “50 something” executive who sold airplane engines to private jet owners around the world.
His life was in shambles and he wept uncontrollably in the middle of Starbucks as he relayed the saga that brought him to his place of desperation.
The good news is that Jeff left a new man in Christ that day. He prayed to receive Christ as his Savior, the forgiver and new leader of his life!
Though both elated, he asked me a haunting question before we parted company.
“How come no one has ever shared this with me before?”
It’s a question I have heard echoed from a homeless person in a rescue mission,to “20 something” college students, “mid 30’s” tire shop managers, and “50 something business executives.”
It’s a haunting question. It’s also a puzzling question. Why had he never heard a simple explanation of the gospel message? Surely in all of his travels and experiences God had placed countless believers in his path who could have, in gentleness and love, cared for him enough to share the best news in all the world! But no one had rose to the privileged challenge.
“There’s just something not right about that—something distorted, warped, and unnatural.”
What’s the Problem?
In business terms (as Bill Peel in his great book entitled Workplace Grace points out), it’s not a supply problem. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross is enough. It is sufficient and effective to pay for the sins of all humanity.
I don’t believe it’s a demand problem either. More than ever, people are searching. They are seeking for a greater sense of meaning and purpose, for something/someone to fill the vacuous hole in their lives.
They—like Jeff was doing—are stretching to find an illusive fulfillment in the people, places, career pathways and sundry other things this world has to offer. The need—the demand—for what Christ offers is greater than ever.
It is, I believe, a distribution problem. Just like in business. A business can be innovative, have abundant capital, solid strategies, great leadership, and great products. But without the appropriate distribution channels, none of those things matter.
Don’t stop…keep reading for a free, encouraging resource.
God’s Salt and Light Distribution Solution
God’s solution is you. You are his plan A. There is no plan B.
He has called you to be His salt and light—His powerful and bold witness to share His Word of truth to change the world! (Matthew 5:14-16; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14) And one of the best places to do that is in your workplace. That is where you spend more than 50% of your waking hours.
Yes, God has placed you there to be his salt and light by being a person of great character. Yes, your work is an opportunity to worship Him as you perform with great competence to benefit your colleagues, company, and community. But, it is also the place where God has placed the Jeffs in the world for you to boldly share the great news of Jesus Christ, when God opens the door for you to do so.
Character matters. Competency matters. Compassionate acts of kindness matter. Consistency in these also matter.
But at some point we must also be courageous to obey God’s call to be His salt and light ambassadors by clearly communicating the transforming news of the gospel—sooner rather than later.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16a – ESV)
“How, then, will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14 – ESV)
To stimulate your thinking and convictions in this area further, I’d love to provide you with a message resource entitled “5 Ways to Increase Your Salt and Light Capacity.”
I was privileged to share this (just this past Sunday) with the awesome folks at the Evangelical Free Church in Sidney, Nebraska, as part of their missions conference. (Thank you again for having me! It was a blast!)
(Click Here to Download). This resource is a free, no obligation, gift to you. However, if you would like to make a contribution to continue to help expand the reach for Christ through Kingdom Way Ministries, there is an option for you to add a donation in the checkout process.
Questions: I would love to hear your answers to the following questions (and create a great learning discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook through one of the links below!
- Why do you think Christ followers and Christian Business leaders are not being more vocal about their faith in their workplaces?
- At what point does being obedient to God’s call to be His ambassadors trump the cultural pressures in the workplace to keep matters of faith private?