Five Tips to Take Your Faith to Work

Lust. Greed. Anger. The big three of the Seven Deadly Sins appear in the headlines every day. They're also alive and well in offices around the world.

Lust for power drives taking credit for the work of others. Greed leads to padding expense accounts. Anger brings curse-filled screaming.

As full-time employees in the United States, we spend at least 2,000 hours at work each year and it's where we face some of the greatest challenges to live in sync with our faith. Yet Sunday sermons rarely mention life at work or the temptations we face there.

Work is a stressful environment because so much is at stake. Our self-esteem and livelihood are on the line every day. So we often react more from instinct and self-preservation rather than from a position of faithfulness.

We can make God the center of our lives by reflecting on the ways our actions from 9 to 5 differ from the beliefs we express in church on Sunday. Then we can take action to align our behavior with our beliefs. Here are five simple steps we can take to help align our faith with our actions on the job.

1. Focus on the two Great Commandments. When wrestling with a work issue, consider if you're focused on loving the Lord completely and loving your neighbor as yourself. It's hard to resist making work the center of our lives and it can be even harder to love that guy in the next cubicle when he's using his speaker phone.
   
2. Live simply. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus cautions us against accumulating earthly treasures. Don't let advertisers play on your vanity and tempt you with the latest gadgets. Instead, "store up your treasure in heaven . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
3. Study the Bible. Then, reflect on how it applies to your behavior at work. Think of strategies you can use to react not from impulse, but thoughtful application of biblical truths and the core tenets of our faith.
   
4. Pray often. Prayer is any time we're talking to Jesus. We can ask our Father for help, guidance, and strength anytime we need it and thank him for being with us during the day. Prayer can focus our attention on taking action that's consistent with our faith and help us deal with stress on the job.
   
5. Swallow your pride. "It's my favorite sin," Satan said about pride in the film The Devil's Advocate. Pride tempts us to prove we're smarter and better than others. One of the greatest struggles we face is juggling our desire for career advancement with the humble recognition that all good gifts come from our Father. After all if we "humble [ourselves] before the Lord . . . he will exalt" us (James 4:4).
   

To grow in our faith, to become better people, and to help create a better world, we've got to make the connection between the messages we hear on Sunday, the messages in the Bible, and the actions we take in the office. It's time to align our faith with our actions and truly become what we say we believe.