The Most Difficult Conversation You'll Have at Work

By Tim Hiller, Voices Contributor Monday, April 09, 2018

Is this the most difficult conversation you'll have at work?

I was putting the finishing touches on a presentation when a colleague scrambled in my door and closed it with a slam.

"Will you pray with me?"

For a Christian, this opportunity to encourage and share the hope of Jesus with a colleague in need seems like the perfect opportunity. But Barna Group research^{1 suggests otherwise. If we apply Barna's findings to this scenario, 73% of Christians would feel a personal responsibility to share their faith in the aforementioned situation, but}

only 52% would actually share and,
31% would not share, despite believing they should.

Could it be that for a Christ follower, the most difficult conversation at work will not be coaching an underperforming employee or negotiating a major contract, but rather sharing his or her faith with a colleague?

Since I came to know Jesus in 2007, I find God has continually and divinely placed me in "secular" settings in order to share Christ with others—always by actions, sometimes with words. These settings have included: collegiate and professional athletics, a public school system, a Fortune 500 company, and two businesses of my own. I hope that some ideas here will equip you to share your faith well in whatever work setting God has placed you in. I'd like to share a big idea, a key principle, and 3 practices for effectively sharing your faith with others in whatever work setting God has placed you in.

Big Idea: If you follow Jesus, he is the vortex of your life.

If we picture a hurricane on Doppler radar, at the center of the storm is the vortex. It is the point all weather in the storm revolves around. To the Christian, this vortex of life is Jesus. Everything in life—our marriage, relationships, family, finances, career, and more—revolves around him.

What does this mean for our work? It means faith and work are inseparable. If we claim Christ, we must remember he comes to work with us each and every day. Our vocation is meant to honor him. The work beyond the work, so to speak, should be God's glory. This means, if a door opens to share our faith with others, regardless of setting, we should courageously walk through that door.

Key Principle: A magnetic life yields more opportunities to share your faith.

Magnets attract. They draw objects to them with a seemingly gravitational pull. A magnetic life is one that is attractive to others—not because of wealth or profile, but because of conduct and character. If we study Jesus himself, many of his most famous faith-sharing moments came because others sought him out on their own accord. (Take Nicodemus^{2, Zaccheus^{3 and the Pharisees with the adulterous woman^{4 as examples)}}}

The application? The way you conduct yourself at work will point more people to Jesus than anything you can say. If you are kind, caring, willing to listen and help others, and committed to doing quality work, opportunities to share your faith will follow. How you carry yourself at work opens doors to share the Lord of your life.

Three Practices: Here are some practical ways to begin confidently sharing your faith at work.

1. Prayer

Sharing your faith is like owning a boat. For every hour on the water in a boat, there are 3 hours spent cleaning and maintaining the craft. (This is why I will never own a boat but always keep friends that do!)

For every chance we have to share our faith with a colleague, hopefully we have prayed 3 times as much. What should we pray for? Here is a starter list:

Pray for open eyes and ears to become aware of opportunities to share Jesus
Pray for courage to share when the opportunity presents itself
Pray for words to share that encourage and are clear
Pray for wisdom and discernment to know the right time to share
Pray for the hearts and minds of others to be open when you do share

2. Placement

This is the strategy and creativity of sharing your faith in simple ways. The whole goal is planting seeds. Some you'll water, some you won't, but God takes care of everything. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."⁵

Examples probably best explain what I mean by "placement." Here are a few I've found work well:

Hand written notes: Any opportunity I get to thank someone, congratulate someone, or share my sympathies in a tough time, I always include a Scripture verse. Sometimes I write it out, other times I just list the chapter and verse to see if they will look it up or comment on it later in conversation.
Signatures: I utilize the email closing "here to serve" before my name. I've had some wonderful questions and discussions over what it means with co-workers. And each discussion is an opportunity to share my faith and Jesus' posture of service.
Team settings: I've been in numerous team settings where an icebreaker is played or everyone is asked to fill out a questionnaire about themselves. I always seek to weave my faith into this conversation, usually in the form of core values. I'll say something like: "My values are faith, family, industry, and service. For our family, serving Jesus and instilling our faith in him into our children is central in our life."
Lunch: Everyone has to eat! This is the perfect way to go deeper with someone in a more personal setting to learn about their story and share the role Jesus has played in your life.
Church invitations: Often our church will give out invitation cards to special services or events. I always take a few of these and enclose them in handwritten notes to colleagues on my heart and mind.

3. Personal Stories

In the workplace, I believe there is nothing more powerful than a personal story to share your faith. A personal story is the truth of your own experiences. It does not project your faith on to someone who is not ready yet. It is not intrusive or overbearing, because after all, it is YOUR story! I'd strongly encourage every believer to get good at telling personal stories of God's work in your life.

One approach I've found to be effective is the "feel-felt-found" method of transitioning to sharing your story of God's work in your life. Here are a couple examples:

If someone tells me they are struggling with stress and are unsure how to handle it, I might say: "I can understand how you feel. When I started my last position, I felt the same way too. I've found taking time to read a Psalm from the Bible at my desk each morning has helped me gain perspective before starting my day. Would you ever want to do this with me?"
If someone tells me they are wrestling with a difficult decision, I might say: "I can relate to how you feel. Before I decided to move here, I felt the same way too. I've found committing time to pray over the decision each day gave me great peace and clarity, while drawing me closer to God. Would you mind if I prayed for you right now?"

Sharing our faith at work doesn't have to be the most difficult conversation we have—it should be the most exciting conversation we cherish! When we seek God's guidance in prayer, look for placement opportunities to share our faith, and tell personal stories of Jesus' work in our lives, we are being God's hands and feet in the workplaces he's called us to.

What are some ways you've successfully shared your faith in the workplace?

SOURCES:

Tim Hiller is an author and speaker. He played in the National Football League, where Tim spent time with four teams, primarily the Indianapolis Colts. Tim is the author of the book Strive and a contributing author on Theology Mix, a nationally recognized speaker, and the co-founder of Next Level Performance, which builds leadership and character in student-athletes through the sports they play. Tim and his wife Michelle and son Daniel reside in Kalamazoo, Michigan. To learn more about Tim and his work, visit timhiller.com or follow him on Twitter at @timhiller3.