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Today's Christian, January/February 1997
Oh No, Oh No, It's Off to Work I Go
Applying God's Word helped me see coworkers in a new light
-by Sheri Smith
Employee moral was low in my newly assigned administrative department. Cliques had formed, backstabbing was common, and the mood was defensive. As department manager, I needed to jolt my coworkers out of their negative attitude and build our team spirit. I prayed about it, and a few days later an idea hit me.
The Bible tells us "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things" (Phil. 4:8). I decided to take God at his Word and help my coworkers dwell on the praiseworthy qualities in each other instead of the negatives.
One by one, I asked each person in my department to stand sideways in front of a large white piece of paper taped to the wall. With a flashlight shining from the opposite end of the room, I traced the silhouette of each employee. At the staff meetings to follow, we identified each silhouette and wrote positive character traits about that person inside the outline. After each meeting, I hung the silhouettes in the hallway.
I took tremendous ribbing from other managers, yet the effect on the department was more positive than I expected. Employees offered to work odd shifts, communication increased, and productivity soared. The associates felt good about themselves—and it showed.
Brittany, a longtime employee, followed me back to my office after we identified her outline. With a tearful smile, she asked, "Sheri, how did you come up with an idea like this? I can't believe my coworkers really like me."
"I prayed about it," I replied, "and the Lord gave me the idea." She paused for a moment, then whispered, "Well, I'm glad he did. Thank you." Brittany slipped back to her desk. I was filled with joy. A life had been touched through this simple application of God's Word.
Taking God at his Word is an adventure. Proverbs 14:14 (TBL)
states, "The backslider gets bored with himself, the godly man's life is exciting." Take each circumstance that comes your way and ask God to point out which promise or principle in his Word is especially applicable. Your coworkers can't help but notice when you demonstrate his truths in your life. They'll want to know what makes your life so exciting and different from theirs.
Copyright © 1997 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine (formerly Christian Reader).
Click here for reprint information.
January/February 1997, Vol. 35, No. 1, Page 15
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