The Word on Work

By Eric K. Thomsen

One of my favorite times of year will arrive in a few weeks when the NCAA Tournament—better known as March Madness—brings together 64 of the best college basketball teams in the country to compete for a national title. Like many other sports fans across the country, our family fills out tournament brackets predicting which teams will win. (I admit I usually come in last at the Thomsen house because I fill out my brackets with my heart rather than my head.)

As much as I love March Madness and good basketball, over the last few years, the tournament has employers across the country shaking their heads in frustration. According to CNBC, because of online streaming—with nearly 11 million viewers watching each game in 2017—the NCAA tournament cost American businesses $6.3 billion in productivity.

That staggering figure makes me pause to consider workplace ethics. As Christians, what kind of employees are we? After all, Christians not only work for our human supervisors, ultimately we work for God. In the second chapter of his short letter to Titus, a young pastor from the island of Crete, the Apostle Paul shared several practical guidelines for life, work, and ministry.

Good Workers Show Self-control

In verse six, Paul made it clear to Titus our lives and work should be characterized by self-control. He included four ways Titus could demonstrate self-control to his congregation:


Follow a pattern of good works (7a). The Greek word tupos meant, “to make an impression” and is the origin of the English word type. Our work ethic should speak for itself or make an impression on employers and fellow workers day in and day out. We should be consistent, not up and down or productive one minute and lazy the next. We should strive for a steady, exemplary pattern of behavior.

Be ruled by integrity (7b). Integrity describes who we are when nobody is watching. We should be employees who do our jobs without a supervisor hovering over our shoulder. When Burke Marketing Research asked executives in 100 of the nation’s largest companies to name the employee trait they disliked most, dishonesty topped the list. According to Marc Silbert, director of marketing for a large corporation: “If a company believes an employee lacks integrity, all positive qualities—ranging from skill and experience to productivity and intelligence—become meaningless.”

Get serious about work (7c). The Greek word translated gravity in the King James Version literally means reverence. As a magazine editor, I’ll be the first to admit it is difficult to be “reverent” about hitting deadlines, addressing envelopes, or reading articles from the occasional writer who can’t spell c-a-t. But we must keep the bigger picture in mind: our jobs are bigger than the routine tasks we perform. I am incredibly privileged to have my position. I am convinced many older, wiser individuals could edit ONE Magazine. However, God has placed me in this position, and I thank Him every day for the opportunity. I take my work seriously because His work is serious business.

Watch your mouth (8a). Loose lips can tear a workplace apart quickly. Paul reminded Titus that what we say and how we say it is crucial to our testimony. How do we guard our mouths in the workplace? A few simple suggestions:

• Listen before talking.
  

• Don’t question the boss publicly, even when he or she is wrong.
  

• Avoid gossip.
  

• Tell the truth, even when it is difficult or painful.
  

• Don’t exaggerate.
  

• Avoid talking out of turn.
  

• Learn to say I’m sorry.
  

Paul made it clear if we control our tongues, even our enemies will have nothing bad to say about us.

Good Workers Have a Serving Attitude

Paul shifted his focus from “young men” to slaves in verse 9. While you may sometimes feel like a slave to your work, few Americans today have experienced the slavery common in Paul’s day. Yet, the simple guidelines Paul shared with slaves speak directly to our own behavior in the workplace.

Good workers…

• Follow instructions (9a). They listen. They produce high-quality, “well-pleasing” work that honors their boss and ultimately the Lord. Few things are more frustrating than an employee who must be reminded constantly to complete tasks.
  

• Don't argue or talk back (9b). Perhaps you remember as a kid, when your parents gave you a job you really didn’t want, you experienced a sudden case of “poochie” lip. This should never be true of employees. It might seem obvious your boss “just doesn’t understand your job,” but it is not your place to “set him straight” or tell others she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Scripture calls us to respect those in authority, even when their instructions don’t make sense. In Romans 13:1-3, Paul reminded us that authorities speak on God’s behalf. While he was referring specifically to government authorities in this passage, the principle remains: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” No question. God takes our attitude toward authority seriously.
  

• Don’t steal (10a.) While I doubt anyone reading this article will sneak out of the workplace with an office chair tucked under his coat, the truth is, workers steal from employers in various ways without snitching the hand towels. According to Success Magazine, the average employee spends 14.9 minutes a day making personal phone calls. Over a year, that adds up to 62 hours or a workweek and a half. Browsing the Internet; scrolling through Facebook; or shopping on Craigslist, EBay, Etsy, and Amazon has become a workplace epidemic. Not to mention personal use of paper, printouts, stationary, and envelopes. Of all people, employers should be able to trust Christian workers with their time, money, and reputation.
  

• Provide a living witness (10b.) From church to classroom to factory to boardroom, what do your work habits say about you? What does your attitude toward work tell others about God and your relationship to Him?
  

World-renowned architect Christopher Wren designed some of the most magnificent churches in the world, including St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. During a tour of the worksite, he encountered an old man mixing cement and asked, “What are you doing, my good man?”

The old worker, failing to recognize the famous architect, looked up with an enormous, toothless grin spreading slowly across his leathery face. Proudly, he said, “I’m building the most beautiful cathedral in the world.”

I wish we all could have that attitude toward work. That lowly cement mixer understood he was part of a bigger plan that gave his humble labor significance. Next time you ease into your office chair, decorate your classroom, blow the whistle at practice, help a patient out of bed (again), or open your Bible and turn on your laptop—whatever God has given you to do—understand you are completing the blueprints of the great Architect of the Universe. Ultimately, He is the One who gives our work significance.

About the Writer: Eric K. Thomsen is managing editor of ONE Magazine and president of the Evangelical Press Association.