26TH DECEMBER
1 Timothy 6:1
“Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honour, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be spoken against.”
Be conscious of how your lifestyle impacts your witness
I once asked a Christian businessman how he was going. He explained that business was going well and he saw real progress taking place. He acknowledged that the business was starting to reap the reward of some hard work put in by his employees. I responded that this must make him proud of his team. His response to my comment impacted me greatly.
He went on to explain that he has both Christian and non-Christian workers and that his best workers are predominantly the non-Christians. In general, it was the non-Christians who worked more diligently, complained less about working conditions and generally took up the slack. It was some of the Christians that brought him the greatest stress and allowed issues outside work to interfere with their production. While this impacted his business, his main concern was their witness in the workplace.
This businessman experienced first-hand how a Christian’s lifestyle impacts their witness. In conversation, he recommended one of his staff to try a local church. In response, this staff member declined because of the lifestyle of another staff member.
Today God wants you to realised how much your lifestyle as a Christian impacts, both positively and negatively, those you work with, live next door to and interact with. The world is watching to see if your faith in Jesus truly makes a difference in your life.
MAKE IT PERSONAL:
Where do you rely on others for what you should take responsibility for? What action can you take today to mind your own affairs? Consider sharing them with someone who can keep you accountable.