How to be a Christian at a secular workplace

I live in a secular country, where Christianity has systematically been replaced by humainism. I work in a public school, where I am not supposed to make my faith be known. Mocking the Christian faith and values are on the other hand expected and cherished.

How do you stay loyal to your faith at the work place? How do you serve Christ at work?

I am sure of my calling, but sometimes I feel the self sensorship and the conflict of what I want to say to my students and what I shouldn't say very strong.

I work in a professional office that too..youre not supposed to talk about religion or politics..i havent oitwardly WITNESSED to anyone but weve talked bout churches..a lot of italian catholics..greek orthidox..a couple non denominatiomal and a few with no religious affiliation to a church but "believe in God"...whats sad is when i hear them talk..theres nothing said about thier RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD but about church attendance...etc..ive made references for what i believe but i couldve done a lot more and in hind sight couldve done so much more...sometimes i wish i could/would be more bold and tell them how Jesus had changed my life and how he can chamge thiers as well and let the chips fall where they may...

But..i claim this verse

16: Let your light so shine before men, that. they may see your good works, and. glorify your Father which is in heaven."

It should not be too hard to test the waters by doing something that is not seen as aggressive but still seen.. Maybe take a religious book or mag to work and have it out, reading it during your lunch break in the office.. Someone may see you reading and either see the cover of the book or be curious and ask you..

That way you cannot be accused of pushing your religion.. If they ask and if you are not approaching them with the topic..

You might even try to find some art work that has a Christian theme and put it on your table or near you.. Maybe in your car you could hang a cross on the rear view mirror with the knowledge that other people from the school who park in the same area will see it..

You just have to use one of these things to make the statement.. I am a Christian.. That way if there is anyone in your school who is curious will know that you are a Christian and might approach you one day and start asking questions..

I am not that bold. But a friend had a key ring with an empty cross. He was not popular by the management, though. But because of this, it was easy to map him out, and we had a great fellowship.

I guess this should be one of the top points to pray over. Thank you.

Well your friend had a good idea. A simple key ring with an empty cross.. I also approve of empty crosses because Jesus did not stay on the cross.. He was buried and on the third day was risen..

I am very much against crosses with statues of Jesus on them.. As an ex-catholic i see that as like an idol.. But that's another issue..

And not being popular with the managment is just one of those things that comes with the territory.. But again if another person approaches you then it is not you pushing your beliefs on others.. But you can be ready when someone else brings up the topic of God..

Where I work, we at one time had a prayer group in which many who professed to be Christians took their break together and prayed together (but it turned out to be a mixture of believers and unbelievers). It was nice at first, then bad things began to happen with people in the prayer group. One member who was married had an affair with a co-worker which ended in divorce for him.

Another member of our prayer group who was married seemed to be on the look out for an affair. One day when he was not at work, one of the women in our prayer group had a prayer request for him and stated that we need to pray for him and that he wants to have an affair with "somebody." He ended up having an affair with his daughter in law and they had a child together. Of course his wife left him after 32 years of marriage.

Still yet another member of our prayer group had a three way affair and her marriage came to and end. She was also caught stealing and was fired! Eventually, our prayer group came to an end because our breaks could no longer be taken on office time, but had to be taken on street time. Our prayer group to the rest of the unbelievers at our office looked like a complete joke! Our witness there was lost.

I still talk about Jesus with certain people where I work, but sadly, many don't want to hear about Jesus and the gospel there.

This is so sad, but also an important reminder to us all that we need to live righteous lives to be good witnesses for Christ. It seems like your group was not a blessing to the workplace, sadly.

Shows all the more..when people try to serve and fellowship with God..Satan comes right in to destroy one life at a time..tge closer we want to be to God..the harder Satan works to make sure that doesnt happen...

Hi there. I also work in education. I find it very difficult, especially when teaching different religions. I have had to pray about how I word somethings at the same time as following the curriculum. Last year I worked with a lovely lady who was a Christian. We used to have quick prayers together if needed just around a corner.
I have also found that other staff members know I am a Christian even though I have not told them. Every now and then someone will say something like... " oh nina will know about that..." if it is a RE question. Or if they swear around me they have apologized to me before now.
I try so hard to not look as though I am shocked or in disagreement with anything. I try to keep myself focused on the job and on Jesus. In fact I realized when I walk in each in the morning, I need to pray as my footsteps walk over the threshold. I pray I will glorify God today. and Help me Lord, I can't do this with out you. I pray that my joy in the Lord will be evident and that I stay focused and not get drawn into worldly problems or take on some of people frustrations along the day .

Thank you for sharing this. I should be better to pray before I enter the school. I only pray before class. I see that is not enough

I usually walk to work and so pray as I go. Often I have thought I must try to send up prayers as I walk down the corridor through out the day but I always get too into what I am doing or going to do. I am still training .

I understand your frustration. Working in the hospital, I could not bring up religion or my faith at all, unless a patient asked for prayer a preacher ect... I think, that's how I learned to live by my actions. I've been spit on, slapped, hit, had urinals thrown at me, bit, and cussed up one side and down the other. Sometimes I had to stop and ask the Lord for help. But when my new co workers would show no compassion, I was still able to show compassion and kindness. I learned to let my actions reflect the Lord. I can't count how many times, days later, being stopped by a patient or family member I don't even recall telling me thank you. I simply say you are welcome, but it's my Lord's love, and go on. My tough girl country attitude would not stand for being treated in such away. It true was me choosing to walk in my faith and allowing the Lord to work through me. I can't take credit for the changes that has happened in me. But when you can't speak about the Lord, you can walk in the Lord, and your actions will speak for him. That's how I did it. and honestly, it can be draining. It is hard not to share your faith with the world, and even harder when they mock your Lord!!! Stand firm and the Lord will be your strength.

Do they have laws against religious discrimination there? They have the 1st amendment here which guarantees the right to freely exercise one's religion. It also guarantees the right to free speech. Here in the states there was a famous case a few years ago against a christian store chain called Hobby Lobby because the new national healthcare law (obamacare) required all businesses to pay for employees' contraception. The case went on for some time but the christian company won because forcing them to pay for contraception violated their first amendment right to freely exercise religion.

Just be you. Dont brag around with it but stand up when you should. God will handle it. Stop thinking too much lol

Your faith, your identity, who you are in Christ, and what your relationship with Jesus is like isn't something you try to display but rather something that just flows without being conscious of it. Love and serve just as Jesus loved us.

Bragging is not my style, and not the Christian way of praying or exercising faith.

It is when I am one-on-one with students that are a bit lost, I feel the urge to comfort them with a Biblical word or prayers. Sometimes in the classroom I have prayed for the kids/students. Even holding a hand on their shoulder. They are not aware of what I am doing, though. But I am sure they see the love and peace I have in Christ.

So. Faith is a part of me, and as some of you have said, it will shine through in my work.

I feel encouraged from all your comments. Thank you. I also feel inspired to be more outspoken when it is appropriate. And I am reminded to pray. If I start wearing or carrying visual symbols of faith, I am not sure. It was a case on the news where a news reporter was told to never show her cross on screen.

I hope this thread also encourages others and make some reflect on how we all can bare witness and serve at the workplace.

It is sad how christianity is so openly and popularly hated throughout the world today, and at the same time, every government and authority is very careful not to offend islam (except maybe Isreal's).

Yes, it is. But we should rejoice. We are supposed to be hated for His name's sake. It is some kind of confirming that you are right with God.

How do you stay loyal to your faith at the work place?

While being judged based on faith is a valid concern, it isn't just Christians that face criticism. Sometimes we have to brush it off, taking it with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, we're given a full suit to soften the blow, and then some. Each item must be fitted and worn:

"... be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

With the Spirit, He makes it evident when we should stay or if we should go and what to say, even in what manner we should speak. We make the choice whether to adhere or deviate from our belief. Sometimes, it isn't an easy choice. Yet, if we deviate, our belief, our work is for naught.

"And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."

If others choose to mock our faith, then so be it. Through the test of time, in our faithful perseverance, the record is set straight. In the meanwhile, we're not asked to subject ourself to senseless abuses. Performing His work isn't for the show. In fact, it is simply to believe.

"Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.

When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out."

How do you serve Christ at work?

I recognize the work I perform for coin as simply an extension of my faith. Even when I'm taken for granted, I will give it my all, my best, with my Father always on my mind. And when others see the results, judging that it is good--those opposed can also have an opportunity to re-evaluate their past choices. If they judge that it is bad, if I am being honest with myself, before Him, I likewise have that same opportunity to re-evaluate my own past choices. With faith, I choose Truth over dignity, resisting vanity.

"When they found him back across the sea, they said, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered, “You’ve come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs—and for free.

Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.”
To that they said, “Well, what do we do then to get in on God’s works?”
Jesus said, “Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.”
They waffled: “Why don’t you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what’s going on? When we see what’s up, we’ll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus responded, “The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world.”
They jumped at that: “Master, give us this bread, now and forever!”
Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.
“This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time.”

Ultimately, with faith, our work is simply to believe in His Son.