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Introduction

Dealing with workplace human resources issues is more like a game of chess than checkers. Every scenario has multiple players with varying moves.

This book provides a biblical map, of sorts, for employees at every level to navigate common HR workplace issues.

Christians are called to further His Kingdom in the trenches of secular work. Christians are to be a light in a workplace that needs to know Christ and are to handle workplace situations through a relationship with Christ, not by worldly standards or corporate policies.

While it is necessary to consider and comply with organizational policies and procedures, the methods and actions Christians use to accomplish this compliance should be driven by their relationship with God. They must rely first on the gift, wisdom, and discernment of the Spirit of God and His Word to guide them through any workplace issue.

A Biblical View of Work

God is the author of work. He created it prior to the Fall for His purposes. It was not originally created to be a punishment or a consequence of sinful rebellion.

In the Garden of Eden, God created man to rule and have dominion over His new creation (Genesis 1:26). This was a great responsibility and honor. By introducing the concept of work, God invited us to participate in His creation by enjoying our God-given gifts to not only grow food to eat, but to grow His Kingdom.

Work was good! But after the Fall, because of our sin and rejection of God, our spiritual condition, and ultimately our work environment, changed dramatically. It became impossible for us to have the same working relationship with God. Genesis 3 tells us: “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17b-19)

Work was originally intended to strengthen our relationship with our loving God and to enjoy Him forever. We have allowed the difficulty and complexity of secular work to distract us from this objective.

How we respond to the workplace situations God has placed in our path reveals much about our heart attitude and belief in God’s sovereignty.

RELATIONSHIPS

Being a Godly Leader

An effective leader is one who thinks and operates on a long-term strategy and develops short-term objectives to achieve that strategy. In a Christian sense, we are to think eternally but live temporally. Christ’s objective is eternal. His desire is for all to be saved and have the gift of eternal life. But this requires humility and submission to God’s glory.

Leadership can be broken down into one of two styles: a leader who thinks his way is the best, or a leader who realizes that his way might not be the best. The first group operates from a position of insecure pride, while the second understands that their position is one of humble servitude. The first leads teams from a hierarchical, directive approach while the second group intentionally fosters a collaborative environment.

While there is value in learning from and not repeating mistakes, effective leadership is more than avoiding mistakes. A leader manages to what lies ahead, not always relating situations to what has historically occurred.

Servant leadership is serving God, not men—obeying God, not pleasing men. God calls us to serve others but only through His definitive lens. Not ours.

Here are some examples of how godly leaders operate in the working environment.

Godly leaders foster a collaborative environment. (Luke 10:21) A collaborative environment is one in which individuals are given clear direction on the mission by the leader. The leader then empowers and trusts these individuals to work toward accomplishing this mission.
Godly leaders humbly seek the best answer. (Proverbs 5:12-14) Godly leaders want to hear different points of view and don’t spurn correction or instruction.
Godly leaders seek continuous improvement. (2 Peter 1:5-8) Godly leaders are always learning, and always growing, spiritually and professionally.
Godly leaders take the blame and responsibility for those in their charge. (John 17:12) Christ took our penalty and judgment.
Godly leaders show mercy. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) God showed mercy on us while we were yet sinners (see Romans 5:8).
Godly leaders don’t seek to glorify themselves. (Philippians 2:3-8) Christ humbly submitted Himself as a sacrifice to God for our sins. This was for God’s glory and our salvation, not for Himself. Godly leaders sometimes sacrifice themselves for the greater good of their employees or the company.
Godly leaders manage change. (Acts 6:1-7) Change doesn’t manage them.
Godly leaders are disciplined, not reactionary. (1 Peter 1:13-16, 4:7-10) Godly leaders don’t emotionally react to their circumstances or allow their emotions to influence their actions.
Godly leaders are kind. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) “Kindness” is a word that is often associated with weakness. Strong, effective leaders are kind to others. When you witness a leader who is not kind to others that is a red flag.
Godly leaders weigh the cost and make godly decisions. (Luke 14:25-33) Leaders still must make the final decisions and take responsibility for them.

Dealing with Difficult Co-workers

Here are some suggested ways to handle difficult co-workers:

Are you at fault in any way? Are there any behaviors that you need to apologize for? Pray and ask God to reveal this to you. Repent and change this behavior to Christ-like attitudes (Matthew 7:4-5).
Don’t go running to your boss every time something happens with this co-worker. Be willing to confront them directly, but with a loving and respectful attitude. Appropriately challenge disrespectful behavior or actions.
Remember the virtues of love. Remind yourself that love is patient, kind, and gracious. Read 1 Corinthians 13.
Be gracious. Don’t revel when you believe they finally “get what they deserve.” Be gracious and minister to them. (Proverbs 25:21-22; Romans 12:20).
Don’t intentionally avoid them. Don’t intentionally avoid the difficult co-worker by taking a different route to the break room or scheduling a different time for lunch. This is a fear of man and only leads to more of the same (Proverbs 29:25). Be courteous and pleasant when you encounter them in the hallway, break room, or worksite. Be cooperative when assigned to a project with them.
Include them. Sincerely ask them for their assistance, input, or opinion on work projects.
Don’t engage in the behavior to avoid the issue or conflict.
Forgive them and forgive them again. Christ displays an unlimited amount of patience and forgiveness to us that we are to display to others (Matthew 18:22).
Get to know them. Ask questions. Use this knowledge to find ways to serve them and pray for them.
Appreciate personality differences. Often, we have difficult co-worker relationships because we consider them different or even opposite from us. They just “rub us” the wrong way.
Become aware of where bad behavior crosses the line. Sometimes it is very appropriate to challenge or report harassing or intimidating behavior. If you are a witness to, or the recipient of, blatant harassing or intimidating behavior, be courageous enough to report it.
Focus on Christ. Difficult co-workers provide an opportunity to grow in our relationship with, and dependence on, Christ. Remember their eternal souls.

Difficult Boss Relationship

Here are some specific ways that you can biblically display submission and respect:

Pray for your boss. Pray for your boss, whether he or she is a believer or not.It’s hard to be angry at someone when you begin to pray for them (Matthew 5:43-45; Luke 6:27-28; 1 Timothy 2:1-4).
Understand your boss’s expectations. Meet on a weekly, or bi-weekly, basis if necessary to determine if you are on track. Prioritize the requests your boss asks of you and plan to do excellent work (1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:23).
Guard your speech. Don’t speak ill of, or gossip about, your boss to anyone, whether co-workers, friends, or family (Proverbs 20:19; Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20; 1 Timothy 5:13; 2 Timothy 3:1-3).
Don’t complain. Don’t grumble and complain about your work assignment or position (Philippians 2:14).
Drop the expectations!
Be selfless. Be the type of worker that is a joy to supervise. Be a blessing to your boss and be concerned for his or her interests (Philippians 2:3-4).
Be humble and respectful. If it becomes necessary to confront your boss about a work issue, do it privately, respectfully, and with a humble heart. If your boss responds negatively, express thanks for the time and leave. Don’t argue! (Proverbs 27:17; Matthew 18:15-20; Titus 2:9-10)
Never be confrontational to your boss in a public forum. There may be times to respectfully challenge your boss in public, but never be confrontational. If you are berated or criticized in public, remember Christ did not respond by defending himself or proving he was right—and He had every right to do so (Mark 14:61; Romans 12:17; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; 1 Peter 2: 21-23).
If necessary, resign or seek another position. In the end, if you determine that you cannot willfully submit to your boss’s leadership, then you must prepare to resign from the organization or move to another position.

Conflict Resolution

Situations involving conflict, more than others, demand a heavy reliance on the Spirit of God for wisdom and discernment. Note that the individuals involved have different perspectives and opinions. The truth is extremely difficult to determine. I strongly encourage you to step back and pray before you take any action toward the resolution of a conflict.

Billups explains, “The most important lesson I have learned in my years of dealing with workplace conflict is that not every conflict will be resolved. That is an important lesson. If we expect to sit down and have everyone live in perfect harmony after a few meetings or sessions, we will be sorely disappointed. I certainly have fallen into the trap of thinking I can solve every conflict. I pridefully thought, Surely with my experience and knowledge we can come to some type of understanding and resolve this issue. After all, this was in everyone’s best interests and therefore people desire to resolve conflict, don’t they?”

Gary Thomas, in his book When to Walk Away, addresses this issue very well: “There’s a certain messianic complex in many of us that thinks if we were more intelligent or a little holier, if we fasted and prayed a bit more, then everyone we shared the truth with would agree with us and welcome God into their hearts. That didn’t happen for the real Messiah, and it certainly won’t happen for us. It’s okay to walk away when people resist the truth. And it’s okay to let them walk away.

We are to desire reconciliation. We are to sincerely undertake efforts to pursue this peaceful resolution and keep it foremost in our hearts and actions. In fact, we are commanded to do everything we can to live at peace with all men. Failure to do so is a reflection on our relationship with God (Matthew 5:9; Hebrews 12:14; James 3:17).

Have you done anything, intentionally or accidently, to contribute to the conflict? (1 Thessalonians 4:6; Hebrews 10:30). Here are some practical steps to take:

Pray for God to reveal any fault that you should assume. Through prayer and fasting, ask God to reveal your sins. Seek godly counsel for advice and perspective.
Ask for forgiveness. Admit your wrongdoing and humbly ask the injured party for forgiveness.
Seek to restore. If your actions have resulted in a loss to another individual, financially or otherwise, it is your responsibility to make restitution for this loss. Have you falsely implicated or accused others of wrongdoing? Correct the falsehoods.
Be gracious. You could very likely learn that this individual has a personal situation for which they need help or prayer. What a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel!
Keep the ultimate goal in mind. Remain calm and humble. Christ knew His cause was right and just, but He kept the mission of the gospel at the forefront.
Don’t take on any responsibility that is not yours. Just because you are a professing Christian and you are called to die to yourself and remain humble does not mean you automatically assume all the responsibility for the conflict.
Defend yourself appropriately. Humbly state the true facts and your responsibility, but denounce any false accusations with supporting facts and data to the extent possible. Seek God’s glory, not your own.
Be willing to live with unresolved conflict. If you have searched your heart and you have done everything within your power, the conflict still might not get resolved. This is okay. You have done your part. Move on. But moving on does not release us from the command to love our enemies. Continue to pray for the heart of your enemies and in doing so “heap burning coals” on their heads (Romans 12:20).

Don’t let your pride step in and attempt to solve a problem that isn’t yours to resolve. This only complicates things. People who want to avoid confrontation hope that others take on their problems and solve their issues for them.

Billups explains, “As a believer, as I mediate a conflict or initiate an investigation, I rely on the discernment of the Holy Spirit within me to get some semblance of the truth.”

Here are principles for mediating workplace conflict:

Determine how significant it is. You do not have to resolve every workplace conflict. If it impacts the business and productivity, then it warrants involvement.
Sometimes a simple reminder of the “Golden Rule” can de-escalate a situation.
Understand they may not have all the information.
Coach others to resolve the conflict in a productive manner. If the individuals cannot resolve the conflict on their own, inform them that if it eventually escalates to the point that you or their direct manager needs to get involved, then decisions could be made that negatively impact all parties.
Get the facts. If you, Human Resources, or a manager must get involved, ask questions of the parties separately to get to the facts of the issue. If there is conflicting information, ask for the names of witnesses. Interview them as appropriate to gather more data. Schedule a meeting with all parties involved to listen, and clarify, each perspective.
Search for any underlying motives or objectives to the actual issue.
Seek a solution. After you get the facts or determine an underlying objective, seek a compromising solution.
Address the actions, not the motivation. Communicate the actions and/or behavior that is expected to occur and hold each party accountable to those expectations. This may lead to disciplinary action up to termination.

EVALUATING

Conducting a Performance Review

A good manager wants to provide encouraging feedback while pointing out areas where an employee can improve. A poor manager will use this time to berate or punish an employee.

Here are some practical tips on conducting an employee performance review:

Lay the groundwork. An individual should know in advance what you expect from them in their job. Measure progress throughout the year and provide regular feedback. I would recommend that the more job expectations you can communicate in writing the better. You can actually hold an individual accountable to written expectations. There is little to no ambiguity with written communication.
Communicate “why.” It’s valuable to communicate not only the expectations of the role, but why the role exists. Communicate the productive impact to the department or the organization.
Pray before the review. It’s important that you ask God what He would like to have you communicate to this employee and how to present it. Pray that you maintain a godly, humble attitude throughout the review and feedback, regardless of the employee’s reactions (Philippians 2:3-4).
Invest the time. Good employees sincerely want to know how you believe they have performed this year. They place tremendous weight on your evaluation. Be humbled by this. Most employees sincerely desire to do good work and strive to meet your expectations.
Communicate organizational health first. Be sure that your employees understand the financial status of the organization and their impact on it.
Give the performance rating and wage decisions up front. I understand that there are two schools of thought here: first or last. I get it out of the way first and then we discuss the rationale or justification for the decision.
Use specific examples. Be sure and provide specific areas where an individual did well and could have done better.
Remain appropriately objective. Don’t react to the employee’s emotions.
This is not about you. Goals for the employee should be about making the organization or department better, not to meet your personal, self-defined, or biased expectations.
Be honest. If an employee is behind in his or her performance, be honest. The only way an individual is going to improve is that they know where they need to improve.
Look to the future. Provide feedback but focus on future organizational or individual goals for the next year. This is an opportunity for you to communicate the organization’s future objectives and to align on your expectations for the role in the coming year.
Learn the employee’s career goals. These could change from year to year.
Follow up. Sometimes an employee needs time to process feedback.
Encourage regular communication after the review.

Performance Review Traps

Recency – Don’t measure someone based on their most recent performance.
Halo effect – Sometimes an employee is so good in many areas that managers ignore the employee’s lack of performance in others and fails to address them.
Stereotyping – Don’t stereotype individuals based on historical or perceived generalizations or stereotypes. Measure and give feedback on the individual’s performance.
Soft-pedal approach – Some managers rate all their employees exceedingly high regardless of performance or team productivity. This is just a way of avoiding difficult conversations or confronting an employee’s poor performance.
Hard-pedal approach – Conversely, some managers will never give good ratings. They falsely believe a low rating keeps employees from thinking too highly of themselves.

Remember these two key points:

Individual ratings should reflect individual performance.
Team ratings should reflect team performance. If your team did not meet productivity goals, then your overall ratings should reflect this. While some individuals might have performed very well despite the team’s overall productivity, not everyone did. There should be a direct correlation between your overall individual employee performance ratings and your team’s productivity.

Receiving a Negative Performance Review

One of the hardest things for us to do is humble ourselves to the point of listening when people are pointing out our failures or inadequacies (or their perception of them). But learning how to do this in a consistent and godly way is critical to our spiritual growth.

Many proverbs speak to this biblical principle, one of which is Proverbs 5:12-13: “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.”

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a poor performance review, remember these key things:

Listen! Don’t immediately interrupt with defensive or corrective reactions. Be quick to hear and slow to speak (James 1:19-20), even if insulted (Matthew 5:39).
Don’t lose perspective. Don’t take it so personally that you forget that you belong to Christ. Taking criticism personally becomes a self-focused attitude as well.
Ask for specifics. Ask clarifying questions and request specific examples.
Resolve to do excellent work. We are honoring Christ in our work, over and above our manager (Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:23-24). God is not glorified when we work to our own standard or minimally to our employer’s standards.
Correct inaccuracies respectfully and humbly.
Don’t expect to have a godly attitude right away. This will take some time to process. Earnestly pray, then pray even more!
Change what you need to change. Don’t ignore and minimize the expectations or opinions given. Receive the correction and make every effort to correct and improve your performance.
Expect consequences if you react negatively or refuse to make changes.
Reach out to a mentor. Seek advice and counsel from a Godly mentor that you trust.

Receiving a Good Performance Review

Our response to a positive performance review is just as critical as our reaction to a negative one. We must keep a godly focus during and after this message.

We think we deserve a reward such as more pay, a promotion, recognition, or continued favorable employment when we work hard. God determines what we deserve.

Considering this, how do we respond?

Practice humility. Augustine once described the three key principles of the Christian religion (see Philippians 2:3-8). There will be an immediate reaction to be prideful of a good performance review and attempt to reaffirm this viewpoint during the meeting. Resist this urge. It only becomes a self-serving but futile attempt to gain glory that should be God directed.
Thank your boss for the support. Your boss is obviously pleased with your performance and can continue to be a supporter and advocate of you in the future. Be sure to express gratitude.
Don’t boast. Don’t boast to others about your positive review (Proverbs 15:33; 1 Corinthians 13:4-5; James 3:5). This only alienates your peers and co-workers
Don’t treat others as inferior.
Continue to look for ways to improve. Ask your manager how you can get even better. This displays an attitude of humility in recognizing that you are not perfect and still have areas that need improvement.
Look for ways to mentor others to improve their work. Intentionally make the effort to pass on your experience and knowledge.
Praise and be grateful to God. Be quick to remember that the skills and abilities that allowed you to receive this positive performance review and even the ability to earn a living are directly from God Himself. You contributed nothing to this (Exodus 31:6; Deuteronomy 8:16-18). Praise God that He has given you this opportunity of increased credibility and the opening of doors with others in the workplace to be a godly witness and proclaim the gospel.

Remembering God’s holiness, His sovereignty over the hearts of kings (Proverbs 21:1; Daniel 2:21), and His sanctifying love in our lives will help us maintain an attitude of humility in either outcome.

Managing Poor Performance

Some specific instances of poor performance could include:

An employee refuses to perform the job per his manager’s direction.
A struggling employee has a sincere desire to do the job well but just doesn’t have the skill-set required for the role.
A long-term employee may be unusually negligent while going through a difficult personal situation.
An employee is blatantly insubordinate, or constantly berating and abusive to co-workers and management.

Many managers hesitate to confront poor performers or, when they do, go from “zero to sixty” in addressing the poor performance, ineffectively swinging the pendulum from one extreme to the other. The manager will then contact Human Resources in exasperation, stating, “They aren’t getting it and we just need to let them go.” This is not the correct course of action.

It is never advisable to immediately terminate a poorly performing employee without a proper investigation and/or a consistent and deliberate attempt to correct the behavior. Often, struggling employees simply need to be encouraged and know that you, as their manager, are on their side and invested in their success.

Helping the weak is a command for the stronger believers to come alongside and work together with those that are weaker, to develop close personal relationships with them and provide instruction and training in righteous behavior. Paul then urges the church to “be patient with everyone.” This patience is filled with long-suffering and forgiveness for those that are “different” from us (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Hand in hand with this patience and forgiveness is resisting the urge to retaliate against those who have wronged us or others.

Here are some helpful hints:

Don’t ignore the poor performer. If there are individuals on your team who are not meeting expectations, you may be the type of manager who has a tendency to avoid the difficult conversation secretly hoping the performance will miraculously get better. It very rarely does.
Seek to understand the reason for the poor performance. It may be a “submission to authority” issue, a personal issue at home, a lack of the proper skill-set, or a lack of sufficient training. The reason(s) for the poor performance doesn’t negate the need to address the issue, but it will change your approach.
Confirm the disciplinary issue(s) that need to be addressed. Use the Matthew 18 principle with the purpose of gathering facts from the individual, verifying with another manager (or even a previous manager), and then taking the necessary action based on first-hand and factual knowledge.
Don’t use empathy as an excuse to avoid performance issues. Many managers (primarily Christians) who, with good intentions and a sympathetic heart, hesitate to address poor performance to avoid being viewed as “hard hearted” and “calloused.” They believe that holding a struggling employee accountable doesn’t honor Christ’s love, mercy, and grace. Failing to address poor performance in response to an individual’s personal situation is a slippery slope that only gets worse with time.
Don’t respond harshly. I used to work with a manager whose mantra was “the beatings will continue until morale improves.” It’s a witty saying, but not an effective tactic.
Maintain objectivity. Refrain from being overly sympathetic or overly harsh and even angry.
Keep the message of the gospel in the forefront of any action you take. Depending on the circumstances and your specific company policies, there will be situations that result in immediate termination (i.e., violation of federal or state law, theft, physical altercations, safety violations, substance abuse, etc.). There are also times where employees either cannot or will not respond to any correction and the result is termination. Remember to handle these with grace and patience as well. A terminated employee will suffer severe personal consequences for their actions. If you handle the situation with a hard heart or harsh attitude, God is not glorified.

Here are just a few practical things to consider in preparation for an employee termination.

Maintain detailed and accurate documentation. This is important in case the termination is challenged.
Ensure that all necessary parties are on board. Your immediate manager, Human Resources, and your legal department should be involved. If not, understand the risk that you are assuming.
Be brief. There is no need to revisit previous discussions or documentation. This only confuses the issue.
Don’t react to the terminated employee’s emotions. This only escalates the issue.
There may be times where a public place or a police presence is necessary. If the employee has exhibited erratic behavior in the past or you believe that the physical safety of you or others is a serious concern, consider professional protection.
Be considerate of the timing. Don’t time the termination of someone to avoid paying them some type of compensation (e.g., end of the year bonus, vacation, etc.).
Keep everything confidential. Do not disclose the reasons for termination to their co-workers or to anyone else.

Finally, ask yourself this question before you take any action to manage poor performance; “What actions or conversations will point them to Godly behavior?”

Be a leader that understands the balance between holding individuals accountable to job performance while maintaining a focus on Christ’s desire for them: eternal life and Christlike behavior. Let your commitment to Christ and His mission guide your steps to addressing underperforming employees.

Conducting an Interview

Ultimately, the practical, day-to-day application of an individual’s skill-set and education is the key to hiring a good employee. There is only one metric that can tie all these things together: a godly character.

What are some interviewing techniques to gather information on an applicant’s character?

Ask questions that require the candidate to give real-life examples. This is the key to identifying how they would work. How they handled specific issues in the past will reveal how they will handle future workplace issues.
Be a detective. Continue drilling down until you get specific answers to all of the questions above.
Have they done their due diligence? The first question I ask a candidate I am interviewing is, “What do you know about us?”
Do not ask personal questions that would uncover information that is deemed as discriminatory. Failure to hire based on an individual’s race, gender, religion, national origin, veteran status, or disability is against federal law.
Do ask questions regarding the specific duties and responsibilities of the role.
There are some personal questions that you can ask. What management style do you work best under? What is your management style? What do you do to relieve stress? What are your passions?
Check out social media.
Conduct an appropriate background check. A background check provides key insights into a future employee’s character.
Remember, not everyone is a Christian.
Pray for God’s guidance. Don’t rely on your own wisdom alone; seek God’s guidance on whom He has prepared for this position. As Samuel learned, God has already selected the perfect candidate for the role. Ask Him whom He would have you hire.

Being Interviewed

There is a tremendous feeling of vulnerability, as we are giving someone the permission to evaluate and even judge our work experience, character, and personality. We reveal past decisions we have made (good and bad) and even past decisions of former bosses and employers.

Being interviewed can be a struggle for believers in a spiritual sense. We awkwardly feel like we are pridefully inflating ourselves to get a job that we desire. This is completely against the grain of the character of humility that the Christian walk espouses.

The best way to overcome this is to not make the interview about yourself. Make it about the organization with which you are interviewing. What are its needs for the role? How can you best serve and meet those needs?

Our works speak for themselves. We don’t promote ourselves or our successes.

What are some things to consider when preparing to be interviewed for a new job?

Remember who grants you favor. God has granted you the skill-set and talents for success.
Pray for wisdom. Is this a job that God is leading you to consider? What is your motivation for pursuing this role? There is nothing wrong with accepting a role that puts you in a better position financially. However, is this financial gain at a sacrifice to your family or your relationship with God?
Remember, it’s in God’s hands. If you are meant to have this job, God will have already ordained it.
Research the company and the position. How can you best serve an organization? Learn all you can about the company and the expectations of the role.
Have a good resume. Resumes should tell a story, not just list education, experience, or past roles.
Know the value you bring. What accomplishments had the biggest impact? What return or value did that bring to the organization you worked for?
Again, don’t try and sell yourself.
Praise God regardless of the outcome. God has already determined how He can best be glorified. This could manifest in being selected for a new job or not being selected.

ENVIRONMENT

Unethical Behavior in the Workplace

What should you do when you are asked to do something that you consider unethical? Let’s define the term “unethical.” How about this: anything contrary to God’s moral law is unethical. In other words, God defines ethical and unethical behavior. As Creator, He establishes the standard.

The most appropriate passage to demonstrate God’s moral law is the 10 Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17) Pause here. Take some time to read this passage. Almost every ethical challenge we face in the workplace can fall into one or more of these commandments, so this is a great place to start.

You’re probably thinking, I thought this was about what to do when someone else is being unethical. We will get there, but Christ first commands us to pull the log out of our own eye before we can accurately confront someone else’s sin (Matthew 7:4-5).

Here are some ways you can exemplify and stand for ethical behavior in the workplace:

Live a life beyond reproach.
Don’t be afraid to take a stand. Call out unethical behavior by following the principles of Matthew 18:15-18, even in the workplace. When you are asked to perform, or you uncover, a particular action that crosses an ethical line, don’t be afraid to call it out.
If necessary, bring it forward to your superiors. Still following the Matthew 18:15-18 approach, if this unethical behavior is of a serious enough nature or reveals a pattern of unethical behavior, you have a responsibility to raise the issue with responsible leaders within your organization.
Persevere! Individuals who stand for godly, moral principles in the workplace always stand on firm ground when the storms come.
Be prepared to suffer for your stance. Don’t sacrifice God’s moral principles at the altar of job security.
And, just like Joseph, be prepared to flee from ungodly behavior.

Inappropriate Speech at Work

A major cultural challenge in today’s workplace is to live within the world without having it influence the way we live our Christian lives.

Paul writes to the Ephesians: “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” (Ephesians 5:3-5) Interestingly, Paul’s thoughts flow from immorality, impurity, and greed to the unfit behaviors of filthiness, silly talk, and coarse jesting, as if all the behaviors are related in a spiritual sense. In fact, a heart prone to one group of sins will naturally incline to engage in the others. Paul not only instructs us to refrain from ungodly speech, but he tells us what should be coming out of our mouths: thankful and grateful speech.

How does this apply to our work environment? Here are some things to consider:

Are you actively engaging in this ungodly talk and behavior?
Quietly remove yourself. If you suddenly find yourself in a situation where the speech becomes harsh, critical, or includes demeaning insults of someone else, quietly remove yourself.
Don’t play to the boss.
Actively direct the speech toward positive encouragement. If someone is speaking inappropriately about (or to) a fellow co-worker, state a positive attribute or characteristic of the individual (e.g., “I have found that John responds very quickly to anything I need from him,” or, “Did you know that Mary volunteers at the local hospital’s maternity ward on the weekends?”) In most cases, this stops or slows the discussion.
Don’t be a complainer!
Stick to the facts. Don’t engage in gossip or unsubstantiated rumors. Scripture is clear about these issues (Proverbs 20:19; Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20).
Encourage others.
Caution! If you hear any reference to something that could be illegal, threatening, or abusive, you have an obligation to report it to your manager or human resources. Failure to do so may be perceived as complying with or condoning this type of behavior. Be wise in this. It must not be a trivial complaint but one that a reasonable person would consider as crossing a line.

Guard your heart first by filling it full of the truth of Scripture and reminding ourselves of how the gospel of Christ has saved us from the sinful desire to use our tongues for anything else.

Handling Sexual Harassment Situations

When investigating allegations of sexual harassment, the whole record is considered: the circumstances, such as the nature of the sexual advances, and the context in which the alleged incidents occurred. A determination on the allegations is made from the facts on a case-by-case basis.

“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Proverbs 18:17) There is profound wisdom in this simple proverb:

An individual is pleading a case as to a judge or one in authority.
There are two sides to every story. Whenever someone brings a serious issue forward, it sounds extremely ominous. The more ominous it sounds, the more anxious we get. We feel the need to address and take corrective action immediately against the accused party. We must resist this reaction.
Those in authority must investigate and listen to all sides of a story before a judgment is made.

We will now deal with this issue from four different perspectives:

The Victim. Everyone has the right to work in an environment free from harassment and abuse of any kind. Emotions will be difficult to manage during this process, especially if harassment has been occurring for any length of time.
The Accused. It is critical that you do not act on your initial emotions. When presented with the accusation, acknowledge your reaction, but pause before you respond. Above all, it is imperative that you are completely accurate of the facts, even if you bear some responsibility.
The Manager. Many managers make the mistake of discounting the accusations based on their own preconceived notions. That is a costly legal mistake. Many individuals file a complaint of harassment on another individual to cover up a sin of their own. Either they were initially engaging and participating, and another party went too far, or they began to fear for their own job because of this participation and laid the blame on the other party before it came out. Bottom line, be timely and responsive to the complaint, listen, gather facts, do not offer any solutions, and immediately notify your legal team and Human Resources.
The Witness. A witness to sexually harassing or hostile behavior also has a responsibility—not only a biblical one (Psalm 94:14-16), but a legal one.

Workplace Diversity

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” – Revelation 7:9-10

Billups responds, “How I long for this day! A day where the worship of Christ has unified all believers into one multitude, one place, and one voice. When we focus on this truth, we begin to realize that our diversity is a glorious display of Creator God. The beauty of God’s perspective on diversity is that when we, as believers, demonstrate unity within and amongst one another, even amidst our varied ethnic, gender, generational, and cultural backgrounds, through the common bond of the gospel, we glorify God and His unifying purpose. But this day is still yet to come.”

Oppression, racial bigotry, child trafficking, physical and sexual abuse, and more are all alive and well. But we cannot give up.

Corporations have adopted all-inclusive diversity policies to appease every identifiable culture, race, and gender (biological and otherwise). This effort to appease everyone has ultimately proven to be elusive because the number of designated subsets and representations continues to increase.

Organizational diversity programs at their core are well-meaning and, at times necessary to correct an organization’s lack of focus in this area, but they also led organizations to focus more on diversity metrics than the people. This statistical focus was detrimental and insulting to the very people groups that it was supposedly supporting.

While the concept of respect for all people is a valid one and worthy of pursuit, blindly separating people into self-proclaimed subsets is not a biblical one.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise (Galatians 3:28-29). The Galatians were dividing themselves based on ethnic identities rather than understanding that Christ had grafted all believers into His “chosen race.” Those of us in Christ are His brothers and sisters.

We are called to a greater love than the world demands: to display the love of Christ. He alone is the unifier of all races and cultures. No corporate diversity initiative or goal can accomplish that. Another polarizing issue closely related to diversity is the gender pronoun debate. Individuals are claiming the right to self-identify their gender and how they wish to be referred.

People have only a few options when confronted with this issue:

Address the individual with their preferred pronoun.
Use gender-neutral pronouns. Refer to everyone (or perhaps the individual) as “this person or that person,” or, “they or them,” or perhaps by their legal name.
Take a stand. This takes sacrifice at a very individual and personal level. Individuals have been fired, ridiculed, and their reputations ruined. But that is the risk some people feel called by God to bear in the face of direct opposition to God’s created order.

All these efforts have resulted in more division, not less. The Enemy has always used our human efforts and reasoning against us. He seeks to divide rather than unify.

How can we deal with workplace diversity in a biblical way? Here are some ideas:

Don’t fear our God-ordained differences. Celebrate them! Recognize and celebrate our differences from God’s perspective. He created us male and female with beautifully varying ethnic groups and cultures.
Consider other options. Consider creating a singular diversity council that celebrates all diversity efforts rather than having varying councils compete for funding and recognition.
Remember that spiritual gifts should unite, not divide.
Respect authority without compromise. Jesus says to “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17). If you need this employment to support your family for the foreseeable future and you choose to remain, then you must be prepared to submit to the organization without compromising God’s truth (1 Peter 2:16). As Peter challenges us: “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:13-20). The gospel of Christ is primary.
Remember we are one in Christ. We are joint heirs in Christ regardless of physical characteristics (Romans 8:16-18; Ephesians 2:11-22, 3:5-7).
Don’t over-generalize or stereotype. In your effort to correct legitimate injustices, guard yourself that you don’t fall into the trap of making presuppositions, generalizations, or decisions based on culture, race, or gender.
Remain humble. Even as you are exposed to varying races and cultures, remember that no race or culture has worldly superiority over another (Philippians 2:3-4).
Remember the gospel is proclaimed to all peoples. Remember that the gospel is proclaimed to “both Jew and Gentile”—that means all ethnicities (Galatians 3:26-29). We would do well to remember that the gospel of Christ is the only successful unifying force in the world. There is no law or corporate policy that can accomplish what Christ has done on the cross for all believers, regardless of our diversity.

To quote missionary J.D. Crowley, “The gospel drives a cross-shaped dagger into the heart of racism.” This is our future hope and peace. There will be no more hatred or oppression.

Sharing Our Faith in the Workplace

The current culture in which we live is becoming increasingly secular and less interested in spiritual things. Businesses react to the marketplace and customer demographics.

The workplace has become secularized to the point that all faiths are to be celebrated in the name of diversity and inclusion, with no regard for the pursuit of truth. All employees are encouraged to bring their “whole self” to work, including whatever faith or belief or lifestyle that makes you “happy.” Christianity is diametrically opposed to the worship of self as a way of life.

We can share the precepts of God and His goodness in many ways without being accused of proselytizing or violating workplace policies and suffering needless consequences. These include:

Live a life above reproach. Read Titus 2:1-10 and 1 Timothy 3:1-13, which encourage us to live our Christian lives in obedience to Him—every day, all day. People will notice that you are different. That you don’t engage in crude jokes or criticism of others. That you do not lie, cheat, and steal to better your life or get ahead in the workplace. That you are faithful to and enjoy your spouse.
Apply biblical principles to workplace situations. A key part of my Human Resources role was applying, and coaching others to apply, biblical principles. I think you will find that most workplace policies are unknowingly designed to enforce biblical principles.
Offer to pray. Most people going through a tough time in life welcome the prayers. Ask what you can pray for specifically and commit to follow through.
Ask questions. Express genuine interest in your co-workers’ personal lives when appropriate.
Acknowledge God in your own life. Express gratitude to God for the blessings in your life. “God has certainly given us a beautiful day, hasn’t He?”
Share your own life.
Be prepared for questions. If you are a known Christian, don’t be blindsided by a surprise attack. “What do you think about abortion? Or homosexuality?” Be prepared to state your position using the authority of Scripture and not your own opinion.
Don’t expect miracles. Unbelievers will continue to act like unbelievers until God has opened their eyes and they accept the gift of salvation and even then, they might not have the spiritual maturity to change certain behaviors until long after. Don’t be surprised that individuals are not receptive or open to your faith.
Trust in Christ. The workplace is a minefield of challenges, but it is also an opportunity to witness for the gospel of Christ.

SELF-DOUBT

Passed Up for a Promotion

Having someone else selected for a job or position that we desire is a very personal issue. Although this is naturally a huge disappointment, we cannot allow sin to control our reaction. When we do, we are displaying a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty.

Do we have a pure motivation? Or, deep down, is it really a selfish motivation? Is this promotion something that we desire so deeply that we are willing to sin to get it, or conversely, sin when we don’t get it? The disciples weren’t immune to this earthly pursuit. They argued and jockeyed with each other for positional status and greatness in the Kingdom of God. (Mark 9: 33-34)

Jesus responds to the disciples in three ways:

In Matthew 20:23, Christ reminds the disciples that any position of authority is not His to give, but has been prepared by His Father.
He tells them that they are to become as humble as children. In Matthew 18:3, when Christ talks about the humility of a child, He reminds them of the fact that children have no achievements, accomplishments, personal means of support, wisdom, or ability to face the world. They have no ability to protect themselves. They are dependent, vulnerable, and weak. They bring nothing of any material value to the parent-child relationship.
Christ tells them that in order to become great they are to become servants (Matthew 20:26). Christ equates greatness in His Kingdom to serving (Mark 10:41-45; Luke 22:24-27; Philippians 2:3-11).

Here are some practical steps to deal with being passed up for a promotion:

Remember Christ’s response to the disciples. Positions of prominence and authority were not His to give, they were directed by the Father (Matthew 20:23).
Respectfully ask, “Why?” Seek feedback. Ask the hiring manager or the HR manager specific reasons why you were not selected.
Be prepared for the answer. Be prepared to hear that the organization does not deem you to have the necessary skill-set to be promoted.
Do not respond sinfully to the decision. This means not to grumble or complain about the organization’s selection (Philippians 2:14). A sinful response to the organization’s decision only validates their selection.
Reconsider your motives. Perhaps they are selfishly motivated.
Congratulate the co-worker who received the promotion. Wish your co-worker well and give him or her your full support.
Reconsider your priorities. Which is more important to you: career advancement, or using your current position to be a witness for Christ? God will put you in the best position to glorify Himself, to sanctify you, and to be His ambassador wherever He has placed you.
Be grateful for the job you have. Express gratitude to God for the opportunity for work.
Trust in God’s sovereignty. It could very well be that the promotion was gained because of unethical behavior on the behalf of the individual promoted or the hiring manager who offered the position. That has no bearing on your responsibility or reaction to trust in His ultimate will.
Don’t underestimate God’s love for you.

Feeling Unappreciated or Under-Employed

“I don’t get paid enough for this.” “Nobody listens to me.” “I could run this place better than they can.” It sounds prideful when you get down to it, doesn’t it? Well, it is.

It comes down to seeking our identity and joy from our performance at work and the approval & recognition of men rather than receiving those things from our life in Christ. As a result, we refuse to accept our current situation as fair and while we won’t admit it, we display a lack of submission to God and His sovereign authority in our lives. It’s believing we are better than someone else in certain regards and deserve recognition for our perceived superior talents. It’s ultimately putting our trust and hope in something other than Christ and seeking our worth outside of Him. Throughout my career, I have seen many people who strive for excellence in their work, but for the wrong reasons.

Remember:

Any talents you have come directly from God. They are for His glory, and He can do with them as He wishes.
Drop the expectations of others.
Don’t forget where your hope lies. Our hope lies in the body and blood of Jesus Christ, not on money, status, or position. As the popular saying goes, “We live in the ‘already’… and the ‘not yet.’”
Live your life as it is hidden in Christ. You have been bought. You are not your own anymore.
Develop habits that focus you on the mind of Christ.

Our worth is not on the appreciation we get from others or having a job that we believe is worthy of our skills, abilities, or education. Our worth is in Christ, our eternal salvation.

Workplace Stress

It’s important to address the issue of feeling stressed in the workplace, because more of us deal with it than we care to admit. We may hesitate to discuss it with close Christian brothers and sisters because we don’t want to be seen as weak-minded or of little faith.

Many things cause us to feel stressed or overwhelmed with our work and they vary by situation and individual. It could be the volume of work, a lack of resources, or perhaps a fear of losing employment.

Focus our thoughts on eternal and godly things.

What are some actions we can take when we are experiencing an overwhelming and stressful work situation?

Share your struggles with others. Confessing sin to fellow believers reminds us of how far from perfect we all are.
Focus on what really matters. Preach the gospel to yourself every morning. Study the Word daily, read devotions throughout the day, and pray without ceasing.
Praise and worship God for who He is. Read a Psalm to remind yourself of the mighty power of a holy God, the creator and savior of all eternity.
Remember to work diligently for God’s approval and not man’s.
Use the resources that are available.
Recognize your stress threshold. When you get to the point where you become anxious or stressed about your work or a work situation, recognize that point immediately. Don’t fall into the trap of working harder to decrease the anxiety because it never works. Stop, step back, and pray.
Make a daily list of items that need to be accomplished. Accomplish what you can within the time frame you have without falling into the sin of anxiety, and then give the rest to God.
Prioritize the list. Work on the things that demand a sense of importance or urgency.
Focus on one thing at a time.
Expect changes, obstacles, roadblocks, and interruptions.
Pace yourself. Don’t try to solve world hunger and attempt to fix everything at the same time. That’s impossible. Make one decision at a time and you will make the appropriate progress. Learn to say “no” more often to give yourself space.
Thank God. Step back and express sincere gratitude to God for the employment He has provided you.
Remember your identity is in Christ and not in the work you do. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians1:11-14; Colossians 3:1-4)

Jesus Christ offers to remove the overwhelming stress of our lives by taking it upon Himself. There is peaceful rest in giving our entire lives, including our work, over to Him. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Work / Life Balance

In today’s hectic work environment, it’s popular to encourage a certain separation of work and life that will supposedly allow individuals to have the best of both worlds without one negatively impacting the other. This is the myth of work/life balance. It presumes that our work lives and personal lives are mutually exclusive.

We cannot separate our personal lives and our work lives. They are intrinsically linked.

Paul tells us to “set our hearts and minds” on things above, not on things of this world. This completely eliminates the need for any “work/life balance.” We are to focus on Christ at every moment, no matter where we are or what we are doing. We are to focus on His redemptive work in our personal lives and in our professional lives.

Jesus did not live a life of seeking work/life balance.

So, how can we deal with work-life balance from a biblical perspective?

Recognize that we cannot separate our work and personal lives.
The effort to separate a personal and professional life creates a tremendous amount of stress.
As a believer, we have one life. This is a life that focuses on Christ, on who He is and what He has done, and applying this to our lives every day. (Colossians 3:1-4; Hebrews 12:2)
Learn to prioritize from God’s point of view. Many times, God is teaching us to prioritize our time rather than attempting to accomplish everything. There will still be periods when you will need to spend an inordinate amount of time on professional or personal tasks, but that is still prioritizing your life based on Christ’s objectives and not your own.
Don’t swing to extremes. Many times, we prioritize our work over the most important people in our lives and many other times we neglect our work and use our family as an excuse. That alone proves that it is impossible to separate life and work.
Practice self-discipline. We are created to live one life, not two—one singular spiritual life.

Lack of Motivation

A lack of motivation reveals that our motivation is severely misplaced. Paul writes: “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” (Colossians 3:22-25)

Paul is challenging us to pursue excellence in our work, not perform the work with a “check-the-box” type of mentality, or merely go through the motions. He exhorts us to have a true heart motivation, literally “from the soul,” to perform our work as if the Lord is our employer.

So, how do we realign our motivation to work? Here are some ways:

Give up your pride. Confess and repent of this prideful attitude. (1 John 2:16)
Focus on sanctification. Focus on God’s ultimate goal: your Christlikeness, not worldly success.
Pray for your lost co-workers, and for opportunities to point them to Christ. This will remind you of the eternal perspective of every aspect of our lives, even our workplace.
Take action. Even though you may feel unmotivated or even fearful, displaying a lack of motivation and laziness destroys our Christian witness.
Refrain from constantly voicing your displeasure. Constant complaining only places the focus on you and what you want. It reveals your true heart. (Philippians 2:14-16)
Drop the expectations.
Take joy in pleasing God in your work.
Be a godly example.

Honor the authority that Christ has placed over you and seek to perform excellent work that pleases God. (Hebrews 13:17)

Workplace Weariness

There are multiple definitions and levels of weariness. There is physical, mental, and spiritual weariness.

Physical weariness due to strenuous activity is arguably the easiest to remedy, provided the time is given to recover. Scripture is clear in pointing out that physical rest is important.

Workplace weariness can find its root in a variety of issues: a desire to control circumstances or people, a hope for a positive project outcome, a fear or anxiety of an upcoming event, juggling multiple urgent priorities, dealing with difficult co-workers or situations, constantly meeting tight deadlines, and many others.

We become weary when we focus on what we want/desire and our failure to achieve these things. Or, we focus on the things we would rather “not do.” It all comes down to a focus on ourselves.

In his excellent book, Spiritual Depression, Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones encourages, even admonishes us, to focus more on Christ than ourselves. He rightly states that what causes weariness is a loss of focus and a lack of controlling our thoughts. He states, “I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us…

Here are a few things to remember:

Work hard, but remember that God controls the results.
We are not in control of other’s behaviors. As a former Bible teacher of my wife’s used to say, “They (unbelievers) are only doing what they are supposed to be doing.” (Romans 14:1-23, 16: 17-18; 2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Things will never be perfect. Try as I might to manipulate my circumstances to be perfect and comfortable, they never will be.
You cannot meet everyone’s expectations. That alone will drive you to weariness.
We are not in control of our circumstances. We cannot control outcomes of situations. Even if things go according to our plan, the outcome is God’s alone.
We must not be afraid to confront sinful behavior. Avoidance is surprisingly emotionally and spiritually draining. This causes weariness.
Take a step back. The world will not fall apart if you back off from trying to be and do everything.
Focus on the big, impactful things. Prioritize the most important or urgent things. It’s easy to become distracted in the cares of this world. (Matthew 13:22).
Don’t focus on your own discouragement; focus on God’s objectives. Remember that it is not about us; it is about God’s sanctifying work in our lives.
Focus on and rest in Christ and persevere in His love for you. Remind yourself daily of God’s sovereignty and His love for you through all circumstances. (James 1:12; 2 Peter 1:6-9)

Escaping from Work

There is a difference between taking a break and escaping or avoiding.

Billups reflects at one time, “I was doing great work from a worldly standpoint, but I was seeking my identity in my work relationships rather than my identity in Christ. When my work relationships were not collaborative relationships that fit my own style, I became embittered.”

What are some ways to address escapism? Here are some suggestions:

Ask yourself some probing questions. What am I trying to accomplish when I pursue _____? What do I hope to gain?
Examine what triggers the desire to escape. Keep a log of the times that you just want to remove yourself from your current circumstances.
Recognize how far away from God your road to escape has taken you.
Take control of your first reaction to difficult or undesirable situations. I have made a commitment to pray more frequently during a difficult situation or when I start to feel anxious.
Remember God’s purpose for you.
Trust in God’s purposes for you. Even in difficult circumstances, God’s plans are good for us.
Remember God’s purpose for work.
Find accountability.

When we seek to escape, we are missing God’s hand at work in the situation and in our lives. We miss out on witnessing His strength, His mercy, His grace, and His incredible power. But God, in His continuing mercy, doesn’t want us to miss out and may choose to keep us in the environment to witness Him and learn the lessons He has for us. He loves us that much!

Losing a Job

Most of us have been ”between jobs” and without work or income at one time in our lives. The period between paychecks is extremely difficult emotionally, on you and your family.

No matter the situation or circumstances, God is sovereign and in control, therefore He has a purpose.

Let’s evaluate the thought processes you can take yourself through.

How did you get here? If it was a workforce reduction due to a business decline, first determine if it was an external or internal factor that led to this decline. Did you as a business leader participate in any poor business practices or decisions that contributed to this decline, or fail to take corrective action that could have prevented it? Always be the employee that the organization wants to retain in the case of an economic downturn and can help turn things around. Make yourself invaluable in the business recovery. You may need to adjust your career objectives from individual success measurements to organizational survival (which is a good long-term lesson). Conduct an honest evaluation as to the root cause of your job elimination and learn from it.
Did this job loss come because of a personal injury or medical issue?
If you were terminated, what was the determining factor? It could have been a failure to perform to the expectations of the job, or worse, a character issue. Be honest with yourself. Was this termination because of something you did or did not do?
Were you treated unfairly?
What is God teaching you through this? How is He glorified? Remember, God’s purpose is to conform us to the image of Christ, not to guarantee material success. A job loss resulting in a loss of income, regardless of the reason, is a tremendously sanctifying experience. Don’t squander the opportunity. Use this time to grow closer to Christ and His desire for you to trust Him.
What are next steps? Don’t let the experience overwhelm you to the point of inaction. Obtaining new employment is now your new full-time job.

Pray daily for renewed strength to carry you through this time.

Update your resume, connect with current or former co-workers for potential employment, or if your industry is declining, update your skill set with training and education.

You may believe or feel like God is punishing you. God is not a God of continual punishment. He does not delight in that. You did not lose your job because God hates you. You are not suffering because God hates you. (Consider Job’s afflictions.)

Final Thoughts

Every workplace issue has differing dynamics, personalities, and circumstances. No two issues are the same.

Company policies and procedures are constantly being revised and updated. We cannot rely on corporate policies to remain consistent for any length of time. But God is reliable and consistent. His Word is proven and true. Scripture is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man (or woman) of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The inerrant Word of God is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Why would we not rely and depend on the inerrancy and reliability of Scripture to guide us through all of life’s circumstances…even those at work?