The Word Before Work 3 simple ways to identify yourself as a Christian today
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Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. (John 12:42-43)
We’re in a series walking through 5 simple things all of us can do to put ourselves in a better position to share the gospel with those we work with. We’ve already explored the first two: Be so good they can’t ignore you and be a friend. But those things clearly aren’t enough. At some point, you have to identify yourself as a Christian!
A few years ago, I stepped down as the CEO of a tech startup to focus full-time on creating content like these devotionals. Given the nature of my new work, I naturally started talking about my faith much more publicly on social media. In response to those posts, more than a couple of customers and co-workers from my past tech startup life messaged me and said, “Oh wow, I had no idea you were a Christian!”
How tragic.
Here’s the deal: We shouldn’t expect to have opportunities to share the gospel with our co-workers if we have yet to raise our hands and say “I’m a follower of Jesus!”
What does this look like practically? How can you identify yourself as Christians in a natural, non-threatening way that doesn’t cause your co-workers to avoid making eye contact with you? Here are 3 simple ideas:
- Ask everyone you come in contact with today, “How was your weekend?” And when they inevitably ask how your weekend was, talk about the incredible time of worship you participated in at your church.
- Ask your co-workers what they’re reading. And again, when they reciprocate the question, talk about a book you’ve recently read about the Christian faith.
- Add something to your LinkedIn or Instagram bio that makes it explicitly clear that you’re a follower of Jesus.
None of these things, in and of themselves, are likely to lead someone to faith in Christ. But they are certainly steps in that direction! If you’re a good friend and exceptionally good at what you do, the people you work with will care about what you believe about Jesus. But first, you have to tell them that you believe!
May we not be like the Pharisees who believed in Jesus but refused to “openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out” of their social circles. Find small ways to acknowledge your faith in Christ today!