As Justin anxiously unwrapped his Christmas presents, he seemed to know which packages contain socks and underwear. Although they are appreciated, they were quickly laid aside as he moved on to the next package.
He then selected a small box that was tightly wrapped and struggled to gain access to its contents. Suddenly, the wrapping gave way, and he opened the box. Justin jumped to his feet, throwing his arms high into the air, and shrieks. It was a moment of pure joy that sprang from somewhere deep inside him.
It was a gift card for In ‘n Out, his favorite fast-food hamburger chain. He ran around the room showing everyone his gift card. It took several minutes before he settled down and turned his attention back to unwrapping his presents.
This moment is the joy of a child. Parents will know what I mean, as children have a way of expressing pure joy that many of us adults have lost.
We, adults, tend to stuff our joy down deep inside and are reluctant to let it show for fear we will be branded as childish, or silly. This is unfortunate because, for Christians, joy is a visible, outward sign of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
If we wander around our workplaces and the joy of God is not apparent in our lives, why would anyone want to join the family of God?
Workplaces are Depressing
A whopping 67% of workers reported being disengaged at work! In a word, they are unhappy.
Why is it that so many in the workforce are disengaged, unhappy?
There are many reasons but consider these dissatisfiers identified in a recent Gallup survey.
- Workers are unclear about what is expected of them.
- They don’t have the right materials and equipment to do their jobs.
- The majority receive no recognition or encouragement.
- They feel their opinions don’t count.
- Most workers say no one seems to care about them at work.
Think about this for a moment. Most workers don’t know what the boss expects, they don’t have the right tools or equipment, they don’t receive any kind of encouragement, their opinions don’t matter, and it seems like no one cares about them! No wonder they are unhappy, depressed, and unengaged at work.
The Workplace Solution
People in the workplace who are unhappy surround us, and many are downright depressed. They want to be happy, if only for a moment. But they cannot experience real joy without the Holy Spirit.
There is a God-sized hole in their hearts, and nothing can fill that void except for God.
This is why it is so essential Christians integrate their faith into the workplace by exhibiting the joy of a relationship with God.
Exhibiting joy in the Lord is especially important when times are hard when we and those around us in the workplace are going through trials.
James tells us we should be joyful when we face trials in life because these tests of our faith produce perseverance, and with perseverance, we become mature believers (James 1:2-4).
Being joyful in the face of trials is difficult, but it can be accomplished because we have the power of the Holy Spirit.
Writing to the Romans, Paul said,
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will fill us with joy as we trust in Him. As we are filled with joy, we share that joy with our coworkers.
And that folks, is how we integrate the aspect of joy as a fruit of the Spirit into the workplace!
My Super-Secret Plan Series
You and I can’t preach in a secular workplace. Some workplaces don’t even allow the display of personal items that signal our faith. However, there are other ways to integrate our faith into the workplace.
No one can stop us from exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
That’s why I am writing this series on integrating our faith in the workplace. You can read the kick-off article in the series here, and the article on love here. Next up in March we’ll look at integrating peace as a fruit of the Spirit into the workplace.
More Articles
I have written many articles on empowerment. You can find them by typing “Empowerment” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #307: The “Love” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan
- #302: My Super-Secret Plan to Integrate My Faith into the Workplace
- #048: Ten Tips for Building an Empowered Organization
- #032: Are You A Leader Empowered by Grace?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. How have you integrated joy as a fruit of the Spirit into your workplace?
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Category: Skills |Empowerment
