Alex Tang
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Books Recommendation
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Medical Students /Paediatric notes
Following Jesus In Your Workplace
by David Chong (hedonese@yahoo.com)
What does it mean to follow Jesus in the marketplace today?
“By practicing high moral standards”
“Seize opportunities to share the gospel”
“Don’t take bribes or swindle money”
“Forward inspiring articles to our colleagues”
“Start a Christian fellowship in office for prayers”
Sure, we could do some or all of those. Integrity and readiness to share Christ
are non-negotiable.
But perhaps, we could also do much, much more.
It could start with the conviction that all Christians are “full-time workers”.
That doesn’t mean that all Christians should escape “secular” work to join
“sacred” ministry. Neither does it necessarily mean that we should set up a
covert, mini-church service inside the office, factory or school.
But it does mean that if you are a salesperson, you are an “ordained
salesperson”. You have been summoned by God to serve Him in that specific sphere
of activity.
An “ordained environmentalist” ought to read the Scripture not just
devotionally, but actively apply the biblical mandate for creation care in his
work.
Whatever our career is, we need to learn to think and live “Christianly” in
areas specific to what we do – media, education, politics, business or the arts.
In humility and boldness, we should creatively integrate our faith with our
vocation.
The lordship of Jesus extends not only to a private corner called ‘religion’,
but to every facet of public life. So our work ought to give out hints of what
the future redeemed world looks like.
As the Dutch prime minister Abraham Kuyper once said, “There is not one square
inch of the entire creation about which Jesus Christ does not cry out, ‘This is
mine! This belongs to me!’”
Think! ing out loud, how do I follow Jesus as an IT consultant?
I ought not see my job as MERELY mapping and dividing a complex task into
simple, boring, repetitive components so that people can be ‘efficiently’
replaced by computers.
Perhaps I should aim to use technology as tools to free people to do meaningful
work that expresses human creativity, ingenuity and tacit skills by taking over
the mundane, dangerous or high-volume processes.
How would you follow Jesus in your field?
Reflection & Exercise:
1) What are the ethical issues involved in my vocation? Where are the signs of
the Fall in my field of work?
2) What does my field say about what is true, good and beautiful? For example,
if I’m a Christian counselor, would I believe that moral behaviors are
determined by genes? Or if I’m a scientist, how should I view evolution?
3) Are there any specific virtues especially relevant to my work? How shall I
model or embody the Lordship of Christ humbly and boldly here and now?
(Some questions are based on J. P. Moreland’s “Love Your God with All Your
Mind”)
