Jesus says to us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13–16). The song, “This Little Light of Mine,” may be well intentioned, but it misses the point, we are not little lights, the very Light of Jesus Christ shines through us, the preservative and gracious salt of Jesus Christ resides within us and is to be shaken out of us.
It is incumbent on you and me to be the Presence of Christ in the world, the workplace, family, and community – in Word and deed.
I love the image that Oswald Chambers uses of us being broken bread and poured out wine, for after all, we are the Body of Christ. As we partake of Christ we are to offer ourselves to others so that they may also partake of Christ. Sometimes they may know it, most times they won’t. Jesus says that we are to be like our Father, who causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends His rain on the righteous and unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).
Every day ought to be a day of mission for us.
I think there are some basic principles that are critical to our witness, perhaps the most basic being, “Not I but Christ” (Galatians 2:20). Wherever we are, we are there not for ourselves but for Christ and others. No matter the pressures in front of us during the day, no matter the unknown, we are on mission, and we can trust our dear Lord Jesus to be with us throughout the day. Let’s remember that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), His grace is sufficient for us.
Pay attention to others, listen to them, listen to their hearts and not so much to their words, though their words do matter. Let there be no invisible people in your life.
Learn to speak to Jesus as others are speaking to you, and learn to listen along with Jesus as others are speaking with you. When we do speak, it is the quality, love, and concern in our words that matter, not their quantity. Most people have no one to really listen to them, just as they have no one to pray for them.
Pray with others. I have prayed many prayers of 30 seconds with folks I meet during the day – conversation with our Father really ought to be like breathing, and including others in our ongoing conversation is a joy and privilege. Suppose I was talking to someone in Walmart and my phone rang, and while I don’t look at my phone when I am with someone, let’s say that this time I did. This time I saw that it was Queen Elizabeth (yes, I know she is dead now, but I can’t think of anyone else to use as an illustration!)
Let’s also say that the Queen and I are old friends. So, I tell the other person that it’s the Queen and I answer the phone, and then I say to the Queen, “Ma’am, I’m actually talking with Frank in Walmart right now, can I put the phone on speaker for just a moment so you and Frank can say, Hi?
Of course she says, “Yes,” and the Queen and Frank and I have a quick conversation before she asks me to call her back when I can so we can discuss marmalade sandwiches and Earl Grey tea.
Now of the three of us, who has the most joy in this conversation? As far as I am concerned, I have the most joy because I have connected an old friend with a new friend. That is the way I feel when I can help someone connect with our Lord Jesus and our Heavenly Father, when I can model relationship with God for others, when I can help others see that our Father is here for them.
A year or two after I retired from business, Vickie and I were invited to a company function. While there, Al, a former employee came up to me and said, “Bob, you know I lost my mother a few months ago, I’m sure someone must have told you. It was a tough time for me. But I knew you were praying for me.” I was able to say, “Yes, I did know and I was praying.”
Al was confident that I was praying because during the time he worked within my group he saw that praying for others was embedded in my life. It was really very simple. Don’t you think so?
Tell the truth, don’t lie, don’t slander, and please don’t gossip. O yes, and please take responsibility. Lying and slander are from Satan, gossip is Satanic. I don’t care if the entire workplace is caught up in this poison, don’t do it – don’t be a fool, don’t be a tool of the enemy, don’t shame Jesus.
I recall author and speaker Gary Thomas sharing about a workplace experience in which everyone was backbiting one another. As Thomas prayed about the situation, he decided to say good things about people, to point out positive aspects of his coworkers. Before long, the atmosphere changed from slanderous poison and gossip to one of encouragement and appreciation. Since we are to be salt and light, isn’t this what we should expect?
I have often spoken and written about Psalm 15:4c, “He swears to his own hurt and does not change.” The man or woman who desires to live in fellowship with God is one who will tell the truth even when it is to his or her immediate detriment. I write “immediate” because it is never to our eternal detriment to tell the truth and take responsibility. When we take responsibility, we ought to be straightforward about it, not trying to justify ourselves, or excuse ourselves, or attribute some of the blame to others.
When we accept responsibility, when we tell the truth, when we do not slander or gossip, when we seek to serve others, then people will know they can trust us. Even if they do not like us, even if they are hostile or puzzled by our faith in Jesus, they will know that they can trust us.
There will always be people opposed to the Gospel, there will always be self-seeking and plain nasty folks, but we are called to share God’s mercy and grace with everyone, to be faithful to Jesus Christ wherever we find ourselves. We can trust Jesus through all of life, after all, He is the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep.
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