Integrate Your Faith
- Many Christians today become lukewarm or even lose their faith when they enter the workplace.
- The common reason is that we fail to integrate our faith in every area of our lives, especially our work. Consequently, we live disintegrated lives.
- Resilient disciples of Christ integrate their faith in every area of their lives, especially their work. Every type of work is legitimate in the eyes of God. The question is how do we integrate our faith in whatever it is that we are doing?
- 1 Peter 2:4-12 teaches us three disciplines that can help us integrate our faith, especially in the workplace.
- Prioritize your relationship with Jesus.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
- Pursue God’s calling together with others.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
We are God’s people. Regardless of our calling or vocation, we must not lose sight of our identity as the people of God. Failure to do so makes our work not a blessing but a hindrance to our calling. If we don’t have time to maintain life-giving relationships with God’s people, then we are becoming too busy. Again, this is idolatry.
Are you still connecting with God’s people while you are working? Are you disengaging with them instead? Why? What changes do you need to make in your lifestyle to include relationships with God’s people on a regular basis?
- Produce good fruit that glorifies God.
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
God wants us to become salt and light wherever we are because that is who we are as God’s people. We need to bear fruit for God’s glory. First, we need bear fruit in our character or holiness. Second, we need to bear fruit in the things we do. We can lead people to the Lord right where we are. We don’t have to be full-time pastors to make disciples!
How is your fruit bearing? Are you so busy at work that you don’t have the time bear good fruit? How many people have you influenced to start trusting in the Lord? How are using your work to glorify God?
Turning Point: “Faith and life must be integrated as one.”
GROUP DISCUSSION (30 minutes)
- Why do most people have the tendency to become lukewarm or even lose their faith when they enter the workplace?
- How can this be prevented? What are your practical realizations to make your faith more resilient at work?
- If there’s one thing that you can change in your life right now, what would you do to become more integrated as a follower of Christ?