How to be a Christian at Your Work – Part 1 of 2預覽

In this study plan, we introduced the word "NICER" as a guide to help us live as a Christian at our work.

Yesterday, we looked at how Daniel lived out the concept of “No compromises” when faced with a company policy that violated his beliefs.

Today, we look at the letter “I” which stands for “Integrity.”    

Following Daniel’s great start in the management training program, we see that God has shown favor to him and that Daniel has worked his way up the ranks to be serve as one of only three supervisors of the 120 provincial governors, working for the king himself. 

In today’s terms, we might see Daniel as one of the three executive vice-presidents at the top of the Babylonian enterprise. Even better, the CEO plans to promote Daniel to chief operating officer (COO), putting him in charge of all operational activities across the land.

Although Daniel’s mom might have been proud, there were others in the company—the Babylonian enterprise—who weren’t exactly happy having a foreigner promoted over them at the very top of the company management.

Try as they may, Daniel’s opponents could find no wrongdoing, no dirt, and no fake news to take to the CEO in order to stop Daniel’s promotion. You can see how Daniel’s commitment to a working life of “No compromise” and “Integrity” paid off in the long run. 

Over the years, Daniel’s commitment to honor God at work has developed his character. As a result, he was simply too good, too clean, and even too righteous for these guys to be able to stop his move to COO. 

Daniel had the kind of “Integrity” that we all should aspire to. He simply did the right thing, even when nobody was looking, and it was about to result in a promotion to second-in-command over the entire Babylonian enterprise.

Like Daniel, we too should strive for a track record of behavior at work that nobody can fault. 

You’ve heard it said that integrity means doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking. 

But integrity also means doing the right thing, even when others may pressure us to do otherwise. 

Integrity means not taking home batteries or even a pen from the office supply room. It means not taking an extra-long lunch or putting extra expenses in for reimbursement, even if everyone else does. It means living and working as if Jesus himself was with you, right there every step of the way.

A common workplace joke is that no good deed goes unpunished, but as we see in the New Testament book of James, we should count it pure joy when others ridicule us for minding even the little things in our life of integrity.

And, just like Daniel, our life of integrity will one day lead us to exactly where God wants us to be at work, for the glory of His Kingdom.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I thank you for my work and pray that my life may be one of compete integrity so that even my coworkers may see your presence in my life. Forgive me for any shortcomings and help me to overcome even the smallest of weaknesses. Amen.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

Can you spot any areas where you cut corners or maybe fall short of 100% integrity at your work?

Do you think this matters to the company? To your co-workers?  To God?

Is it difficult to maintain 100% integrity at work? Why do you think so?