The vast majority of God’s people today do not work in a Christian environment.  In fact, the workplace is very secular in every sense of the word. Not only are most people that you work with lost, some even find themselves working with people who are overtly anti-Christian.

God knows where you are and knows that there are going to be places like this where you must earn a living and provide for your family.  With the right attitude and testimony, you can be a light in a dark world. God has commanded us to be salt and light, and it is God’s will, wherever you find your place of employment, for you to work for the purpose of bringing glory to God.

1. Be Submissive – Ephesians 6:5a, “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh…”

The person or company that you work for has put forth all of the capital, they have invested in resources and infrastructure, and they have everything to lose.  If you have been given a job by them, then you must work for them and submit yourselves to their requirements and standards.

We have come to the place in our country where you can give someone a job, pay them to work, pay their taxes, and yet the employee wants to make all of the demands.

You will certainly be in the minority in your workplace by being submissive to your boss, but God has called His children to be separate and a peculiar people.

2. Be Dedicated – Ephesians 6:5b, “in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;”

Singleness of heart is defined as “sincerity, without hypocrisy and not self-seeking.”  Can you imagine the change that would take place in your workplace if everyone there worked with singleness of heart?  I believe even a church would function better if every member served with singleness of heart. 

Most people come to the workplace with the mentality of, “What can I get out of this job” rather than, “How can I make my employer successful?”

Consider these statistics:

  • The average employee spends 14.9 minutes per day on personal phone calls―62 hours annually.  This equals out to a week and a half of work!
  • Time theft costs employers over $120 billion annually.
  • 17% of employees say they spend 15-30 minutes per day on social media.
  • 67% of employees admit they log on to social media at some point during the workday.
  • A Christian who is right with God is going to put in an honest day’s work.  While doing this, they can be a light in a dark place.

3. Be Motivated – Ephesians 6:6-8

Have you ever wondered why applications have the question, “Do you consider yourself a self-starter?”  No one in the history of applications has ever answered, “No, I’m lazy every day and need a kick start to get going.”

No one would ever write something that honest, but we would all have to admit there are probably times when we are not as motivated as we should be.

The above verses outline where our motivation should come from.  From money? No. How about promotion? No. The Bible declares we are to be motivated by a higher standard.  We are to work as “unto the Lord”!

That standard removes from the equation an unfair boss, a poor work environment, or a lack of generosity. None of those things matter when a job is done “unto the Lord.” God can use you to be a great light in your workplace simply by making your motivations clear to those around you.

4. Be Impartial – Ephesians 6:9, “And, ye masters, do the same things unto them…”

God does not leave out the responsibilities regarding the employers.  There is a reminder to those who are in positions of authority that there is a Great Master Who is over all.  So as an employer must face the reality that he is IN authority, he must also realize he is to be UNDER authority and that he is accountable to God for his behavior.

A Christian employer has a great opportunity to impact his employees for the cause of Christ by showing a Christ-like spirit and a genuine concern for his people.

Very few Christians are blessed to work in a truly Christian environment.  Sometimes though, the greatest blessing is an opportunity that you might have to be a light for the Lord in the workplace, an opportunity that is unknown to those in full-time Christian service.

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Jason Atwood

Jason Atwood, Assistant Pastor

Jason Atwood grew up in the Corpus Christi, Texas area, and in November 2006, Pastor Atwood was called to be the first pastor of Heritage Baptist Church of Corpus Christi. The church was meeting in a small one-bedroom house. God blessed, and they moved to a new 5-acre site to allow continued growth. In 2019, God led Pastor Atwood to join our staff. He is a tremendous help to Pastor Trieber in both the church and the college ministry. He is married to Aimee, and they have three boys — Will, Connor, and Jack.