This past weekend, I had the honor of teaching the final message for the Take Your God To Work Day series here at Vineyard OP. We took a hard look together at the culture of fear and anxiety that has been nurtured in our society around the uncertainty of the future, specifically regarding employment (or should I say un- or under-employment?). This fear is fueled by lay-offs, salary reductions, mergers and rumors of mergers, bankruptcy and buy-outs. All these things combine to create a "perfect storm" of bad business behavior in the workplace. People will lie, cheat and even steal sometimes when they think their jobs are at stake.

Our culture most commonly responds to this uncertainty in the workplace by trying to grab hold of situation and force it to their advantage. This response is born from interpreting the things that happen at work (a lay-off is announced, a merger is rumored) through what I call the "worldview of fear".

I use the term "worldview" to mean the set of experiences and beliefs that help an individual interpret what the things that happen to them mean. The things that happen in our lives are just facts: a lay-off is announced, someone else gets the job you wanted. When we want to know what these facts mean to us, we tell ourselves stories about them based on our worldview.

The worldview of fear operates on three evil maxims:
1. I am on my own
2. The future is random
3. Trust no one

So, when we apply the worldview of fear, it looks something like this:

Fact: the company is going to lay off 100 employees from my office.
Fact: My boss gave my co-worker the new account.
Story: The new account goes to the employee my boss likes most.
Story: My boss likes my co-worker better than me.
Story: I am going to be laid off.
Action: I will talk trash about my co-worker whenever possible and make my co-worker look bad to get my boss to like me better and so I won't be laid off.

Facts are just things that happen. Our worldview tells us what those facts mean through the stories we tell ourselves, which leads to action. You can see how the worldview of fear is particularly destructive.

In contrast, Jesus Christ calls us to a God-centric worldview. In Matthew 6:24 - 34, Jesus is on a hillside in Galilee, instructing his disciples on what it takes to be one of his followers. Here he says:

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."

Jesus uses the example of "the pagans", which should be understood as the Romans and other people groups who worshipped gods other than Yahweh. They had to try and manipulate and appease their fickle gods to gain provision. Today, "the pagans" is best understood as anyone who does not know God, who does not declare Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Instead of worshipping Roman deities, people who do not know God often times will try and manipulate the corporate systems, management or co-workers to gain the provision they need - to keep their jobs so they can provide for their families. Because they are not followers of Jesus, they have no hope that God will provide for them.

Followers of Jesus must trust God to take care of the future. They know that God will provide for them as they seek to be obedient to him and in relationship with him. Because he is the source of everything - their talents, schooling, jobs, parents, houses, cars, health, wealth and even the breath in their lungs - they know that he will provide from his unlimited resources.

That's what Jesus means when he says:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Jesus' worldview (as contrasted with the three evil maxims above) looks like this:
1. God is in charge
2. He has a plan for me
3. I can trust him

When this worldview is applied to the scenario discussed earlier, it looks something like this:

Fact: The company is going to lay off 100 employees from my office.
Fact: My boss gave my co-worker the new account.
Fact: God is in charge
Fact: God has a plan for me
Fact: I can trust him.
Story: No story needed.
Action: I pray for God to reveal what I should do next and I continue to do my best at work with love for my co-workers, regardless of how they treat me.

The things people say matter half as much (or less) than the things people do. So, when the rumors of lay-offs roll in, how do followers of Jesus respond? If people know you are a follower of Jesus, you can bet they are watching to see what we do. If nobody knows you're a follower of Christ at work, then that is a different set of issues. Go download last week's message. But if people know you are a follower of Christ, then they are watching.

They want to know if your faith in God really makes any difference.

Because if you're freaking out like they are, why would they bother with God? They can be just as scared without him. Or if you are scheming and jockeying for position just like everyone else scrambling to hang on to their jobs, then what difference does Jesus make in your life? People who are still a long ways off but are moving toward Christ want to know that following Jesus makes a difference. They want to see the incarnational expression of Christ in his followers. And when they don't, it is disappointing. And it raises doubts about the validity of a life of following Jesus.

The workplace is the most common place where followers of Jesus have opportunity to spend real life with people who do not know God. Do your co-workers know you are a follower of Jesus? I'm not talking about handing out tracts or preaching impromptu sermons during lunch break. I'm talking about a genuine reflection of the love God has for those who do not know him. Do people see that you are a follower of Jesus? Do people see that your following Jesus makes a difference in your life? Because, how you conduct yourself when a lay-off is announced may be the best example of the difference following Jesus Christ makes you'll ever give to your co-workers.

Peace,

David