Reflecting Poorly

by Charles Ligon

It was 6am and I was headed to the airport for an early morning flight, running just a little bit late. As I approached an intersection with a notoriously long stoplight, the light turned yellow. A moment of decision…do I stop or continue through the intersection? In a split second, I decided…then accelerated through just as the light turned red. Only then, with a sinking heart, did I realize that there were at least a dozen cars waiting and watching as I proceeded through that intersection driving a company vehicle with a very visible company logo. I had just made a decision that reflected poorly on my company.

In the same way, every Christian in the workplace has an identity that is on display every day: his/her testimony. And, like a logo, it is in clear view. Those around us are not reading the Bible; they are reading us. Therefore, we must be careful not to do or say things that reflect poorly on our Lord or damage the testimony of Christ in our lives. After all, how we behave tells a watching world what we believe. Brennan Manning said that “the greatest cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips but deny him with their lifestyles”.  

Think about it. What are some ways we deny Christ or damage our testimony at work? We do it by being prideful, greedy, unthankful, complaining, talking rudely and crudely, gossiping, being dishonest, irritable, lacking patience and self-control. Even worse, we lack commitment, provide poor service to our customers, do shoddy work or de-value our employees. These and other actions will nullify our witness in the eyes of non-believers. Remember, we are ambassadors (II Cor. 5:20) and salt and light in this world (Matt 5:13-16). Christians are called to be set apart and different.

After walking with Jesus for so long, Peter denied his Lord three times (Matt 27:69-74), saying “I do not know this man”. Do you think Peter was an effective witness to those around him after denying him? Certainly not! When we say we love God but don’t keep his commandments (John 14:15), we lie and damage the testimony of Christ in our lives.

Our workplace Challenge today is to identify any way that we might deny Christ through our words or actions. Decide to make the necessary changes now to the glory of the Lord.