Leaving Footprints In The Marketplace

How to be salt and light in the marketplace.   

Even before Adam disobeyed God’s command not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God had put him in the Garden of Eden to “work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15 ESV). This affirms the fact that work is positive, a holy, God-ordained activity. We are called to a particular job for a specific purpose. We are at our workplace not by accident but by divine providence, lovingly placed there by God for His glory and for the good of others. However, many of us tend to overlook this. In our preoccupation to succeed, to strive for the next promotion, we consciously or unconsciously, draw a line between our spiritual and secular lives. We forget that the workplace or any marketplace is in fact an opportunity to leave behind our spiritual footprints and be a light for Jesus Christ.

Social Interaction

While at work we should not be shy about letting our colleagues know that we are Christians. Christ should be our badge of honour, proudly displayed and not hidden. We should seize every opportunity to share about our Christian lives and whenever possible, invite our colleagues to some of our church activities. Being caring and committed to helping others in the workplace would be a good testimony for Christ. That means promoting teamwork, giving credit where it is due, being willing to share ideas, and leaving things better than when we found them. 

On a personal level, we should be a friend to our colleagues outside of work: cook a meal for them when they are sick or spend time listening to their problems. Spending time with colleagues after office hours is a testimony of love — showing them that we see them as a whole person, not merely a colleague. The more caring and helpful we are, the greater the opportunity to share the word of God.

Ethics

The Christian life is based on a set of values and morals that is distinct from the world. As followers of Christ, we lead our lives in harmony with God’s will. Our words and action ought to come under God’s control. Most workplaces disapprove of people sharing or discussing religion. Under such circumstances, we are wise if we allow our actions to speak louder than our words.

My friend, Jack (not his real name) shared an eye-opening experience at his workplace. As he noticed that his colleagues seldom discussed spiritual matters and kept their faith strictly private, Jack had never openly revealed he is a Christian.

One evening a supplier invited Jack for a dinner meeting. Since they had met up several times before, the meeting went well. After their hearty dinner, a box of biscuits was suddenly shoved into Jack’s hand by the supplier before dashing off. Jack was a bit puzzled by the supplier’s weird behaviour and abrupt departure. Upon reaching home, Jack opened the box and was shocked to find that instead of biscuits, it was stuffed with wads of money! It was obviously a bribe because the supplier’s contract was due for a renewal. Jack panicked. This was the first time someone had tried to bribe him. He had never seen such a large amount of money in all his working life. He prayed and asked the Lord for guidance and wisdom to handle the situation wisely.

The Lord guided him to report the incident immediately, first to his company’s top management and then to the police. Jack went through several gruelling sessions of questioning before he was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Once news of the attempted bribery became public knowledge, Jack was bombarded with questions not only from his colleagues but also from the suppliers. When he was teased as to why he didn’t take the money, Jack took the opportunity to communicate that as a Christian, taking bribes is not acceptable. Thus, he could stand up for his faith and publicly share his beliefs as a follower of Christ. In hindsight, he learned that had he been more upfront about his faith and ethics at the outset, this incident would not have happened. Moving forward, Jack is now focused on being a genuine disciple of Christ, testifying for Christ.

Attitude

As believers of Christ, we have been chosen by God and set apart to fulfil His purposes. Charged with the task of being salt and light in this world, we must live and work significantly different from those around us in the workplace. When our colleagues and the people we meet in our workplace see that our lives are consistent with our faith, they will take notice. When we are at work, we give our best every day. When our work is excellent, it ultimately points to the One we truly work for, our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Colossians 3:23 NLT)

We should refrain from joining colleagues in gossip or bad mouthing our superiors and fellow colleagues. Be consistently kind, humble, and punctual. When we show up on time for work, appointments with clients, and to meetings, we show others that we respect their time and people will notice.

As for Christian business owners, they should operate with a high level of integrity in order to testify for Christ. Resources and profits of the business ought to be used to benefit employees, customers, and the community. Such businesses should not be merely motivated by profits, fame, or fortune. 

Providing employment to single mothers with children, people with special needs or physical disabilities is part of corporate social responsibility. Just like how Christ showed compassion to the weak, needy, and marginalised, Christian employers should also be generous with their time, money, and resources. 

Footprints in the Marketplace

Before my retirement, I was in the stock photo library business and had millions of spectacular pictures at my disposal. In collaboration with friends from a business network, I used the resources in my business to bless the orphans and widows. We held a sales exhibition to display a selection of framed pictures, donating the proceeds to two selected homes run by believers, which had not received any funding from the government. The exhibition was held over a period of two weeks each in two popular shopping malls rent-free. 

Next, we produced desktop calendars selling them together with Christmas cards, gift cards, and bookmarks. All these items carried Bible verses. Again, when we sold the calendars in the shopping mall, it gave us an opportunity to share our faith with people in a non-threatening manner. This calendar project was an icebreaker as it helped us to start a conversation and introduce the Good News. 

Christians who work in the secular world need to know that we have a ministry in our workplace. The promise that “every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours” (Deuteronomy 11:24 ESV) affirms the fact we are anointed to minister in the fullness of the Spirit wherever we are positioned. Being channels of God’s blessings, we are to leave spiritual footprints wherever our feet tread upon in the marketplace.

Moving beyond our private devotional life, we must develop a spontaneous desire to share the Good News in our workplace or any marketplace. As Jesus charged His disciples to be salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), we need to live out our lives daily in humble obedience to His commands.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

About Doreen Lau

Doreen Lau has a heart for evangelism and the deep belief in the power of words and stories to heal and encourage. Though she embarked for London as a young woman to train as a nurse, the Lord had different plans for her. Coming from a background in which she has had to be resilient, Doreen’s life has been shaped and directed by the Lord to be one of ministry, using her life experience to provide encouragement and to build up the vulnerable in our society.