Tag Archives: Work

Office Gossip

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No doubt most of us have first hand experience of office gossip. Perhaps you are standing by the coffee machine / sitting at your desk / eating your lunch etc when a colleague comes up to you and starts talking about another colleague in a less than flattering way.

So what do you do? The big temptation is to join in and say “I quite agree and incidentally I’ve also heard etc, etc.”  Or maybe you are the courageous sort who rebukes your colleague and tells them that you do not agree with this kind of behaviour and refuse to join in with the conversation. I must be honest and admit to my shame that more often than not I have responded in the former way.

The book of James has some very strong statements to make about our speech and the words that we use. They include:

  • If we cannot keep a tight rein on our tongues then our religion is worthless. We are only deceiving ourselves.
  • We should be slow to speak.
  • The tongue is a restless evil full of deadly poison
  • We should not use the same tongue that we praise God with to curse others.

These words are obviously a great challenge for us. We all know that we have sinned in this area. So what do we do about it? Turn to God and seek His forgiveness.  I’m reminded of the wonderful promise in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins to God then He will forgive us. And maybe after we have sought God’s forgiveness we can pray the words of Psalm 19:14:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Wouldn’t it be a great witness to our work colleagues if by God’s grace we are able to resist the temptation to join in the office gossip and instead honour Him with our speech?

Thank God it’s Monday

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Thank God it’s Monday (Ministry in the Workplace) by Mark Greene

This is a well written and easy to read book for anyone struggling with what it means to be a Christian in today’s workplace. Greene believes that it is God’s will for Christians to work, although he makes no distinction between those in paid employment, such as the CEO of a large multi-national organization or the stay at home mum. He states that, whatever we do, we should seek first to honour God rather than our earthly bosses. Indeed he even suggests that, as all authority comes from God, our earthly bosses have been empowered by God to transform us and make us more Christ-like – a real challenge if you struggle to get on with your immediate supervisor!

Greene asks why there is generally so little preaching and teaching on workplace evangelism (although this may be due in some instances to the make-up of a congregation if it comprises mainly retired Christians or folk who may have little hope of gaining paid employment in particularly deprived areas). He reminds us that the success of any outreach is winning people for God not increasing individual congregations. Greene also addresses some of moral dilemmas particular to the workplace with practical examples dealing with such things as using office equipment and being asked to lie by your superiors.

This book has now been republished three times and even during this period the working environment has changed significantly with a long hour’s culture now almost the norm in many jobs. The author looks at this issue and the impact that it has on our lives. The book avoids offering any easy solutions but does challenge our attitudes to work, and those we work with, and warns against compartmentalising our lives.

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