SHINING FOR JESUS IN 2016 IN OUR WORKPLACE

How can we SHINE FOR JESUS?

Our church theme this year is "Sharpen, Strengthen to Shine."

I really like this theme because it is manageable, simple and practical. Last year's theme was "Discipling the Community" which to me was rather broad and generic. I must admit that I find it hard to actualize it in my work-place or in my ministry.

However I can easily identify with the 2016 theme because it is a practical overflow of my relationship with God in the marketplace and in my family! In a sense this is a theme which I can personalize and own it for myself.

What are we shining?

1. Shining with the LIGHT OF LIFE.

We shine with the LIGHT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST which is the LIGHT OF LIFE in us. We will only be able to do so when we follow the Lord closely.

John 8:12 "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life"

2. Shining with the GLORY OF GOD in us.

Isa 60:1

"Arise and shine for your light has come. The glory of the Lord is risen upon you"

2 Cor 4:6

"For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ"

Philippians 2:14-15

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world"

Nature of light

When you step into a room full of light, you know that you are in the presence of light. There is no announcement or loud speakers announcing "Light is here. Listen to me!" 

You just know that you are in the presence of light because you see it, you feel it and you are surrounded by it. It does not speak but it is felt by experience.

This story of Laban and Jacob really intrigued me. It fascinates me that after serving Laban for 14 years (7 for Leah and 7 for Rachel) that Laban said something profound in Genesis 30:27-28 when Jacob announced to his father in law that he wanted to 'balik kampung' to "my own place and to my own country."

Laban responded in this manner in Genesis 30:27-28 "And Laban said to him, "Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake." Then he said, "Name me your wages, and I will give it."

Wow! When I read this it dawned upon me that after working the past 14 years with Laban, Jacob had actually made the presence of God felt in Laban's life. Now it was not just about working for Leah or Rachel but was also about making God's presence felt in Laban's life!

Laban openly declared that he experienced God's light through Jacob's life. 

Jacob shared that this very clearly in Gen 30:29 "So Jacob said to him, "You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me."

He did not lose any of Laban's livestock all the 14 years while working for Laban. Over and above that Jacob told Laban that he prospered him in Gen 30:30 "For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you since my coming..."

Think about this! Powerful! Christians bring wealth to the company they are working with!

How would you like it if your boss were to say to you on the day you gave your application for VSS/resignation/retirement letter the same thing that Laban spoke to Jacob "O please please stay. I have learned by experience that my blessings is from God. I have learned by experience that I have been blessed by God for your sake!"

How would like it if your boss were also to say to you "Name me any amount of salary you want and I will give it to you!"

Whether or not Jacob shared about his relationship with God to Laban or not I am not so sure (although I think he had the opportunity to do so as 14 years is a long long time) but it was clear from the scriptures that Laban said that he saw the light of God in Jacob's life "by experience".

Sometimes it is not about speaking about God (although it is essential) but in the presence of a contentious, argumentative and 'religious' people (sharing is sometimes not appropriate) we need a powerful way to shine.

The powerful way to shine is to allow God's blessings to flow in and through our life anchored in our relationship with God so that others can experience and taste of the blessings of God because of your walk with God.

The powerful way to shine is just by being like Jesus to others. The powerful way to shine in our workplace is to allow God to work His deliverance and answered prayers through our difficult assignments. When God answers our prayers for success in our difficult assignments, it is so easy for us to testify to our colleagues and bosses that we have been praying over the situation and God has answered our prayers!

I know that God has been at work in my office since 10 years of my joining the company as a result of a merger. When I first joined, I realized that the amount of litigation suits against my company was staggering. With 70 cases the total value of claims amounted to over RM600 million or more!

Over the course of the past 10 years, I have prayed through and ask God for help to resolve the cases against us especially the most critical ones (ICU cases). God has graciously helped us resolve over 50 cases and today my scorecard stands at 16 cases out of the initial 70! The total value of claims have reduced by more than 70% to RM60 million from RM600 million.

The testimony and experience of God's faithfulness and answered prayers can be felt when my lawyers called to share with me (even non-Christian lawyers) that God has answered your prayers and the decision of the case is in your favour! Often the whole office could hear my whooping cry of joy when a major case gets resolved in my company's favour! I will also give thanks to God loudly and shout "God is great!"

Now don't get me wrong and think that I fight only to win each time. I am not an unfair lawyer. I believe in settling cases in respect of which we have wronged others but where we have been wronged, I will go all out to seek for justice! 

That's why for cases where there is an injustice to others, I seek a mandate to settle with those who have been aggrieved by us. In this way I am shining with God's light to show favor to the downtrodden and oppressed.

How do we shine?

1. Shining by BEING
2. Shining by DOING
3. Shining by PRAYING
4. Shining by SHARING

1. Shining by BEING

Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit thus by showing forth the fruit of goodness in our lives towards others we are shining by BEING LIKE JESUS.

When we show forth God's goodness in our treatment of people by not shouting at them, not blaming them for our mistakes, not making others our scapegoat, not being mean to our colleagues - we are shining by being like JESUS which gives glory to God.

Others in our workplace can see the difference between our godly management and the ungodly management by the way we treat our staff. 

Whilst others criticise and scold harshly without giving any guidance, Christian bosses in the LORD give those who are weak in their work performance guidance and counseling so that they can improve their KPI year on year. Christian bosses who show genuine care for their staff is indeed doing a good work for the Lord!

2. Shining by DOING GOOD WORKS

Matt 5:16

"Let your light so shine before man, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven"

We visited a brother recently who cracked his ankle bone riding the hovercraft. We prayed for him for his speedy recovery. This is also good works - visiting the sick and praying for them.

Christians visited my mother to celebrate Christmas in the nursing home she was in. This is also good works!

Those in the ministry to the poor and needy, widows and orphans, homeless and afflicted is truly shining for Jesus.

Sunbeams, Shelter Home, Charis Hope, Welfare Ministry, food-feeding program, prison ministry, ministry to those afflicted with HIV, Faith Welfare Society, Malaysian Care ministry - these are only some examples of good works that are shining brightly for the Lord Jesus.

Recently the tea-lady sought out my help in the office to do a statutory declaration. She was only a blue-collar worker and could not afford to pay money to lawyers to do this document for her. She has become more open to my invitation to church after this incident. By doing this document for her I have helped her save quite a bit of money including the allowance that the management would have withdrawn from her if the declaration had not been done.

3. Shining by PRAYING FOR OTHERS

When we pray for others and God answers our prayers for them, their faith is strengthened. I believe that this is shining with good works. It is a display of the manifest grace and glory of God in their lives.

Sis A was praying for healing of growth in her womb. The church prayed for her and she was healed.

She also asked me to pray for God to break her husband's affair with a China lady. Soon after the affair was broken and she and her husband reconciled. Seeing the power of God in answering prayers, she then asked to pray for her to conceive. Just last Christmas she shared that she had conceived a child!

In my previous workplace, my former CEO's secretary sought my help to pray for her during a very tough predicament which could cost her the job. She knew that I often prayed during lunch time. I did not have a room and often prayed under the table at my cubicle!

God answered her prayers and she soon gave her life to Jesus. Today her whole family have turned to Christ and she has even reached out to her brother. She also continued to show forth the example of good works by praying for her brother and helping out her brother financially as he had to go through several operations for colon cancer.

4. Shining by SHARING ABOUT JESUS

I recall sharing about Jesus to my colleagues and bringing them to attend FGBMF meetings at Corus Hotel when I was working at Menara Citibank. Whenever I can I will share with them testimonies of answered prayers and give them Christian materials to read. 

One day the ex-legal advisor of the Lion Group (former holding company) got to know me and asked me to pray for challenges she was facing in her work. God intervened for her in the situation and she soon became a Christian. She also asked for prayers to deal with her mother-in-law. God gave her wisdom to overcome her feelings of hate and bitterness.

May we shine so brightly with the LIGHT OF THE GLORY OF GOD in our lives so that all those around us will EXPERIENCE GOD'S GOODNESS in and through us.

May we ever shine so brightly for Jesus by BEING, by DOING, by PRAYING and by SHARING in 2016 that the light in us will overwhelm the darkness around us!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY